Cascade: River of Time 2

Author: Lisa T. Bergren
Genre : Young Adult – Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Publication Date : June 1st 2011
Publisher:  David C. Cook
Age Range : Young Adult
Pages :  399
Date Scoot Read: July 2011
Source: Nook eBook

Scoot's Rating : 9-  Great read! Couldn’t put it down.

Synopsis (via Goodreads) : Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

Scoot’s Review:
In Cascade events pick up immediately at the end of Waterfall.  Gabi and Lia are safe and back in their own time again.  However, Gabi wants to return to Marcello and convinces Lia and her Mother to go back with her.  What was just a few minutes passing for them in the 21^st century was months passing in the fourteenth century, and the girls return to find their reputation has grown beyond their control and that battle lines have been drawn.  Their lives are in constant danger and the Betarrini sisters are torn between love, family, and time. Lucky for me I didn’t read Waterfall until the Cascade was already published, so I didn’t have to wait long to find out what was going to happen next. I literally put Waterfall down and picked Cascade right up.  It was the perfect way to start a fabulous read.  I enjoyed Cascade just as much as I enjoyed Waterfall.  The characters continued to be strong and I liked that they developed more over time.  Since there was a time leap in the fourteenth century some big changes had been made while the sisters were gone and just like Gabi, my feelings were mixed on the outcomes.  Gabi is still the lead as we follow the story from her perspective, which I was grateful for because she is such a great character.  I enjoyed her personality and strength.  The danger seemed to be ramped up even more in this novel and the girls were in the middle of a lot of tough situations.  This novel tugged a lot on the heartstrings, bringing extremes from heartbreak to joy.   The writing and story flowed well and was fast paced; I was not ready for this book to end!  The plot had a few twists I wasn’t expecting and I am anxiously looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Torrent, which comes out in September.  If you enjoyed Waterfall you should definitely grab Cascade, you will not be disappointed!

Waiting On Wednesday (43): Froi of the Exiles

Time for the"Waiting On Wednesday" weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

 

Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles #2) by Melina Marchetta

To be Published: October 3rd 2011 by Viking Australia

Blood sings to blood …
Those born last will make the first …
For Charyn will be barren no more.

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home... Or so he believes...

But when Queen Isaboe and her consort Finnikin send him on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, he encounters a damaged people who are not who they seem, a surreal royal court, and soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess.

In this barren and mysterious place he will discover there is a song sleeping in his blood, and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.

Gripping and intense, complex and richly imagined, Froi of the Exiles is a dazzling sequel to Finnikin of the Rock, from the internationally best-selling and multi-award-winning author of Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, On the Jellicoe Road and The Piper’s Son.

______________

 I just finished reading Finnikin of the Rock yesterday and I was under the impression that it was a stand alone novel.  Then I found this!  I was happy with Finnikin's ending, but I am excited to learn that there will be more to come! 

What book are YOU waiting on?

Waterfall

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren
Genre: Young Adult – Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Publication Date: February 1st 2011
Publisher: David C. Cook
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages:  352
Date Scoot Read: July 2011
Source: Paperback

Scoot's Rating: 9-  Great read! Couldn’t put it down.

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Lisa Tawn Bergren's new YA series, River of Time, is romantic, historical fiction in which the plucky heroine doesn't have to fear a vampire's bite but must still fight for her life.

In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another.

Scoot’s Review:
When Gabi realizes that another summer is going to be spent on an archaeology site she isn’t too happy about it.  Looking for a little excitement before the boredom truly sets in Gabi convinces her sister to break the cardinal rule; to touch the ancient tomb walls.  Gabi’s life is severely thrown off course when she travels through time straight into fourteenth century Italy.   Standing out like a sore thumb in her skinny jeans and unsure of where her sister is, Gabi struggles to survive, find her sister and find her way back to the twenty-first century.  This was a fun and adventurous read.  I always seem to enjoy time travel element in stories.  There is something about taking a modern person and throwing them into the past that I find intriguing and Waterfall definitely did not disappoint.  The story was quickly paced with Gabi falling literally into a battle and it just kept going from there.  The historical elements of the story and world building around Castelo Forelli seemed realistic and accurate for the time that was being portrayed.  I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of how life was like in that time.  In addition, the character development throughout the story was good.  Gabi was a great lead character; I enjoyed her strong personality and her level head.  She was a person I could easily put my support behind and that makes a huge difference for me.   All of the characters were distinct and you wanted a chance to get to know them better; like Marcello with his serious personality and Luca with his lighthearted one.  The plot was solid and there were definitely a few moments where I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.  The romantic elements were sweet, felt natural and were not in the shape of a triangle – yay!  Waterfall has plenty of adventure, suspense, romance and conflict to keep the reader absorbed and I highly recommend it.  

Lots and Lots of Winners!

I did the calculations and drew winners for the first 19 giveaways in my Blogiversary! Thanks to all who participated in helping me clean off my bookshelves.  I hope you enjoy the books or swag!  Check the list below to see if you are a winner. All of the winners will be notified via email shortly.

• Firelight by Sophie Jordan - Tiffany Drew
• A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick - Vivien
• Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede - Marcie
• New Moon by Stephanie Meyer - Ricki @ Reading Challenged
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Kailia Sage
• The Faerie Ring Swag - Pisinat, Mikki Mano, Vivien, Meredith Miller, and Judi
• Peter and the Star Catchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson - Ricki @ Reading Challenged
• Brisingr by Christopher Paolini - Lisa Richards
• English Major Collection: The Scarlet Letter, The House of Mirth, The Turn of the Screw, The Trial - Lisa Potts
• The Second Summer of the Sisterhood and Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares - Maria
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White - Cynthia Garcia
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - Meredith Miller
• Angels & Demons by Dan Brown - Meredith Miller
• The Dark City by Catherine Fisher - Lisa Richards
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Jennifer Jovus
• Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella - Vidisha
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Audrey
• Swag Pack #2 - Patrice
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - Alexis V.

If you weren't a winner - never fear! You can still enter to win the final giveaway HERE!

Soul Thief: The Demon Trappers 2 (ARC)

Author: Jana Oliver
Genre : Young-Adult – Paranormal
Publication Date : August 30th 2011
Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin
Age Range : Young Adult
Pages :  320
Date Scoot Read: July 2011
Source: ARC from Soul Thief ARC Tour

Scoot's Rating : 10 – Amazing! Loved it. Read it now!

Synopsis (via Goodreads) :  Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them…

Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad.  With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.

But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…

Scoot’s Review:
Picking up immediately after the events of the first novel in Soul Thief we rejoin Riley Blackthorne as she struggles to cope with her ripped apart life.  Riley has yet to learn the unintended consequences of her deal with heaven and she is on the hunt to find her father’s body.  Thrown on top of it all a Grade 5 demon is still trying to hunt her down and the men in her life are giving her all kinds of mixed – or not so mixed – signals.  I loved The Demon Trapper’s Daughter, so of course I was a little afraid that Soul Thief wouldn’t live up the first novel.  Rest assured; there is no reason to be wary! Soul Thief is a great book! The story once again managed to pull my heart strings in so many directions.  I would be touched and pleased one moment, and betrayed or heartbroken the next.   Characterization in the story is strong and no one seems shallow; each character has a history and depth.  I especially enjoyed seeing smaller characters like Mort the necromancer from the first novel develop into stronger leads in this story.  Riley continues to grow and mature as a person, but she isn’t perfect.  There were a couple of decisions that you just wanted to scream at her for, but when you consider things from her perspective you understood her choices. And Beck, oh Beck.  He is flawed, but so genuine.  If only Beck and Riley could communicate better I think most of their problems would be solved.  I love that we have rotating perspectives throughout the story; the reader doesn’t just see things through Riley’s eyes, giving us a better overall idea picture of what is happening. The romantic elements felt genuine and seemed to follow their natural course; nothing felt forced.  Ori, Simon, Peter, Beck... Riley just has so many men in her life it is a little hard to know what to do with them.  I don’t want to sway or spoil you by voicing my opinion, but let’s just say that I am definitely on a team.  There is one man who I think is the best for Riley, but we will just have to wait and see how things turn out as the story continues.  The action was fast paced and the paranormal elements continued to be intriguing.  If you enjoyed The Demon Trapper’s Daughter you won’t be disappointed with Soul Thief.  Make sure to pick up a copy when it releases at the end of this month!