A Week of The Raven Cycle

Do you love Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series? We do! And if you're also a fan, then you know that book #3, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, releases this Tuesday! All three of us have literally been waiting for this book since we finished The Dream Thieves a little over a year ago and were subsequently wrecked for a while. Well, the wait is just about over, and we're celebrating with a week's worth of Raven Cycle related posts:

• Monday, October 20: Lee's post about Gansey
• Tuesday, October 21: Ally's post about Ronan
• Wednesday, October 22: The Melissa's post about Adam
• Friday, October 24: Group post about Noah
• Saturday, October 25: Group post about Blue

Yep, there will be some extreme fangirling over this series and its characters for the next few days. :D

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (56)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
Where Would You Live As a Witch/Wizard?

If I was lucky enough to be a witch, I would definitely be living someplace magical. Hopefully, I’d be staying at Hogwarts for a couple of years and then after graduation I would like to think that I would find a nice little place close to Diagon Alley. Or, even better, I’d try to crash at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, lol.

Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3)
By Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Isla Martin never thought that the crush she’s had on Josh Wasserstein since their freshman year at the School of America in Paris would develop into anything more than that. Running into Josh in New York during summer break, though, marks the start of something for both of them that continues when they return to Paris for the school year. Soon Isla is living a dream, but with graduation looming for her and Josh, the two must figure out a way to stay together.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss was one of the first YA contemporary romances I read shortly after I’d begun reading in earnest again as an adult. I remember being pleasantly surprised by how it told a sweet story that had substance to it. There’s a fine line between sweet and cloying, and with Isla and the Happily Ever After, Stephanie Perkins delivers another winning novel that warms your heart without getting sappy or melodramatic whenever the characters face conflict.

Two things that I’ve especially loved about Anna, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and now Isla are the main characters’ interesting backstories and how engaging they are as narrators. They also strike an excellent balance between being characters you can’t help but root for and being realistically flawed. Even as some of Isla’s actions made me go, “No, no, no!” I couldn’t fault her for them because I completely understood her reasoning behind them. It’s just that I so badly wanted to see Isla’s fairytale romance with Josh reach an equally fairytale ending that it pained me whenever insecurity got the better of her.

I think “fairytale romance” is an apt description of Isla and Josh’s relationship. It’s epic and sweeping and swoon-worthy. It’s about falling totally, absolutely, madly in love. It’s not fleeting teenage infatuation, either; what Isla and Josh have is the real deal, complete with the very real problem of what happens to them when they graduate high school. Josh is ready to take his drawing talents further, but Isla is unsure of what career path she wants to pursue. Perkins wields an expert touch with her writing whenever her novels take on a more serious tone, and I think that’s what sets her books apart from other YA contemporary romances. They’re just believable, from the characters to the story lines. Even contemporary fiction is, well, inherently fictional, but some books succeed better than others at immersing you so thoroughly in the story that at times you forget that you’re reading a work of fiction. Isla is that kind of book.

Isla’s descriptions of Paris, Barcelona, and my beloved New York were absolutely beautiful and just one more reason to love this novel. Love stories don’t always agree with this stony heart, but all three of Stephanie Perkins’s novels have been notable exceptions to that.

All in All: The charming story that began with Anna and the French Kiss comes full circle in this equally sweet conclusion.

Blackbrooke III: King of Queens: Character Interview

Today we're thrilled to spotlight Emma Silver's Blackbrooke III: King of Queens, the final installment in the Blackbrooke trilogy, with an interview with our favorite character from the series, Denzil Rathbone. King of Queens releases tomorrow, and if you're looking for some spooky reads in time for Halloween, definitely check out this series!

The Blackbrooke Trilogy:

Blackbrooke
Blackbrooke II: The Guardian
Blackbrooke III: King of Queens

** Our Interview with Denzil **

Hi Denzil! We're thrilled to welcome you back to Rally the Readers for a third visit!

Awesome to speak to you. Jones and his cronies stole the postcard you sent me so I’m glad you got back in touch.

How rude of them! Well, we're glad to hear from you, too! A lot of things have changed since we last talked, including a big one for you: how did it feel to cut off your dreads?

Oh wow, it was a big moment. It takes a lot of work to completely leave your hair alone, without washing or combing it. So many years. No, I had to after the tunnels. I was covered in blood and once it dried it really did smell bad. Maz wouldn’t come near me and I had to bite the bullet and get the clippers out. The problem is you can see my face now. I didn’t realise my face was so long actually. I look in the mirror and see a horse. Maz likes it, so that’s all that matters I suppose.

Taking out Crits can't be a pleasant experience, but when it's necessary, what's your weapon of choice?

I like a gun. I don’t have too many of them after the famous Jones clearout. It’s a good clean way of getting the job done. I must say though, if I had a flamethrower, I’d be all over it. I could waste a long line of them with one of those . . . .

What are your feelings towards Cassius these days? What do you think about Liberty's feelings towards him?

I’m shaking my head right now. Listen, I liked the kid when we were doing the Scooby gang thing. I thought he was sweet and you could tell he had feelings for Liberty. I would have trusted her life with him. It’s a different story now. He’s let the power go to his head and the hatred he’s got for her makes my blood boil. That’s teenagers for you - the world ends over the most ridiculous things. I mean, a kiss for god’s sake? Get a grip, man. Liberty is doing her usual martyr crap. She loves him in some weird way, but it’s that typical thing she does. The girl wants to change the world and maybe he’s the next project. I don’t know. It’s been a fair few years since I was that age, so I’m probably not being fair.

What's your worst memory from Blackbrooke? Favorite?

Worst? Hmmm, there’s been a fair few shit moments. Can I say shit? [Absolutely!] Anyway, some of the worst times have been to do with Maz, unfortunately. Losing her to Jonathan Jones, seeing her get married and have a kid, losing her a second time when she joined Fuller’s vigilantes, watching her get bit by a Hunter . . . . Yeah, it’s been rough. My favourite memories, aside to the early days with Maz, are probably when it was just me and Lib working in the shop. She started out a little brat, but you can’t fault that sense of humour. She’s a smart little lady, and she gets me. Not many people have ever really got me in my life so meeting a teenage girl who did was a surprise. She gave me a reason to be alive when I needed it the most. I don’t want to say too much about that though, she’s already a nightmare. Don’t want that head getting any bigger.

With this part of Blackbrooke's story coming to a close, any parting thoughts?

It’s been a rush! I have so many things I could say about Blackbrooke. Sometimes it makes me laugh until I cry and sometimes I just . . . cry! One thing I learnt was the importance of people. If all of this happened when I didn’t have Liberty or Maz in my life, I would have walked out and ended it at the first opportunity. People give you the reason to go on and fight for what’s right. I’m just pissed off that I spent so many years pushing people away and living as a recluse. I call those the wasted years!

Thanks so much for all of the time you've given us not just for this interview but for your previous blog chats as well. All the best to you in the future!

My pleasure, ladies. Hey, if you’re in the area, drop by some time.

ARC Review: Blackbrooke III: King of Queens by Emma Silver

Blackbrooke III: King of Queens
By Emma Silver
Publisher: Crooked Cat Publishing
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Publication Date: October 14, 2014

To Sum It Up: Liberty Connor has returned to Blackbrooke to try and save her town from being destroyed not only by the Crits but by a human threat as well. Liberty’s odds of even surviving long in Blackbrooke, where the Rules no longer apply and the Crits terrorize the residents day and night, are slim, but she’s determined to fight until the end. She’ll have to put aside whatever feelings she still has for Cassius Godwin, whom she’s known since childhood but who now leads the Crits on a mission to obliterate Blackbrooke.

Lee's Review: With Halloween right around the corner, now is the perfect time for a scare-tastic read like Blackbrooke III: King of Queens. I’m also feeling a bit sentimental about the book, as it’s the last chapter in a series about a small English town where the absolutely terrifying creatures known as Crits menace the residents, essentially keeping the humans prisoner within Blackbrooke’s borders. It’s been a thrilling ride across three novels, and King of Queens concludes the trilogy with a strong finish.

Being the hopeless wimp that I am, I don’t typically gravitate towards books with a high scare factor, but I’ve very much enjoyed this series. The Crits are grotesque as hell, but that’s been the fun of reading about them. You don’t get too far into King of Queens before you’re reminded of how vicious they are and how much they love to snack on humans. You also spend a good deal of the book waiting for them to strike yet again and horrified when they do. The suspense and pacing of the action are so spot-on here. A constant feeling of unease hangs in the air while reading this because you never know what the Crits and their human leader, Cassius, are going to do next.

Cassius, once teased mercilessly as a child by the other Blackbrooke kids, now wields the upper hand as the only person who holds the closest thing to control over the Crits. He and his “army” engage in a chilling game of cat and mouse with Blackbrooke’s residents. All the while, though, he seems to have a cryptic, alternate agenda on his mind, too. Working out exactly what Cassius’s endgame is adds even more mystery to an already taut story.

I love how the axe has become protagonist Liberty’s favorite weapon. With her axe in hand, there’s no stopping her, not even the pleas of her friends to not venture out on her own to face Cassius and the Crits. That’s why Liberty finds herself back in Blackbrooke, though, and once she sets her mind to a task, there’s no second guessing for her.

Watching the development of this story and these characters has been awesome. Even during the occasional moments when I wanted to cover my eyes, I didn’t because that would have meant turning away from the page. Although the ending of King of Queens couldn’t have been written any more perfectly, I think it’d be cool to eventually have a follow-up, even just a novella, to check in once more on Liberty and her companions.

All in All: If you’re looking for a pre-Halloween fright, then you need to start this series. I became more invested with each book I read, and Blackbrooke III: King of Queens was a very satisfying series finale.

Ally's Review: The much anticipated Blackbrooke III: King of Queens did not disappoint! It felt so energizing to be back in Blackbrooke, especially since the last book left off with a terrible (and when I say terrible, I mean that in the best way possible) cliffhanger. I easily got caught up in all the wonderful action and managed to finish the entire book in one night.

With every installment in the Blackbrooke series comes the promise of action and horror, which is one of the main aspects that I love about the books. This particular book is, in my opinion, the scariest. I made the mistake of starting the book at night time and I was flipping out whenever any of the Crits, especially the Queens, made an appearance. Instead of getting used to the Crits and their violence towards the humans, I was more horrified than ever. And I loved it. It's incredibly hard to find a good book that can actually scare you as a reader. I admire Blackbrooke for its ability to terrify me and I patiently await the day when I can find another series to compete with it. Along with the horror, there is plenty of action. All of the characters are such badasses! If I could describe King of Queens in just one word it would be badass. There was not one dull moment in the whole entire book. The story is fast-paced and it flowed perfectly. I was thankful that I didn't have to wait too long for some of the confrontations because the suspense was killing me.

The characters are yet another reason to love this series. I am so proud of Liberty, the main female character. Throughout the series, she has grown into a remarkably strong woman, and I love the fact that she doesn't sit around and let others do the work for her. Her relationship with Cassius had me on edge throughout the entire book. Cassius turning "evil" wrecked me. At first, I welcomed it, thinking that it would be an interesting twist to the story, but I soon missed the old Cass. It's weird, because in the previous books I had a hard time connecting to him and I honestly couldn't care less about his character. But something about him being evil changed my perspective. It is very difficult and slightly depressing to read about him and Libby being on opposing sides. My favorite character is and always will be Denzil. Denzil is so wonderfully humorous; he brings rays of sunshine into the otherwise dark and scary town of Blackbrooke. I felt that he also grew up a lot this time around, and I credit him for keeping the gang together.

The only aspect of the book that I did not enjoy was the fact that I felt like while some of the characters (Libby) were figuring stuff out, I was still left in the dark. Normally, mysteries do not bother me, seeing that I enjoy puzzling them out. The problem was that I felt like the mystery was solved but the answers weren't clearly stated. I had to do a lot of guesswork when it came to figuring out what had happened and what was going on.

The ending. Oh my God, the ending is so ridiculously beautiful, I couldn't help but laugh. Everything fell perfectly in place, and I couldn't have asked for anything more. All of the characters got exactly what they deserved. It was just a perfect ending to the series. I have enough closure to move on with my life but I am still invested enough to want to know what happens next. Hopefully, this won't be the last time I see Libby and the gang.

All in All: King of Queens is a brilliant addition to an amazing series. Everything, ranging from the horror to the plot, is on point. I loved every single action-packed moment and I couldn't be happier with how things were left off.