TRIAL BY FIRE BLOG TOUR

Hello everyone!! Today I have something very exciting to share with you!! Today I am hosting the blog tour for Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini, and I feel so privileged to be a part of this because this actually such an incredible book (you can see me rave about it in my review, the link will be at the bottom).

So anyway for todays blog tour Josie will be talking about her playlist for Trial by Fire, about the sort of music she listened to when writing it and that she associates with it and I loved reading it because it was incredibly interesting and really gave me more depth to the book. Plus she has great music taste so without further ado here is Josie's post!

I always feel bad when I put my playlists together.  I have fringe taste when it comes to music and most of you will have never heard of 99% of what I have here.  

I worry because I feel like you won’t be able to connect to me in music—even those of you who connect deeply to my writing—and it will make you feel farther from, rather than closer to, my stories.  That sentiment goes double for this book.  I had to do go deep-dish weird to make this world come alive in my imagination, but what sparks my imagination may not spark yours.  I guess it just goes to show that everyone has more than his or her fair share of strange inside.  

And you know what?  I think that’s a beautiful thing.   

1. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.  It would be what Lily would say to Tristan at the beginning of the
   
   book.  More than that, I listened to the White Witch a lot while I was writing this.  I <3 Stevie Nicks.  
2. Aereal Boundaries by Michael Hedges.  Maybe what it feels like to travel through universes, weightless and disembodied.  
3. Fineshrine by Purity Ring.  When I was writing the scene when Lily claims Rowan in the cabin I must have listened to this song a hundred times.  This whole album, Shrines, was my soundtrack for Trial by Fire.  I listened to it on repeat pretty much the whole time.  It’s “witchy sounding” and the lyrics are like spells.  
4. Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush.  Maybe what it feels like when Lily and Rowan fight as one.  
5. Below It by Peter Broderick.  Vulnerable and private—like Lily and Rowan feel the morning after the claiming.
6. Bridges by Broods.  Lots of betrayal in this song.  Ah, men.  Trust is such a big issue.  
7. Archangel by Burial.  Another “witchy”, watery-sounding song that I played on repeat while writing the ritual scene in Rowan’s apartment.  Sexy, but creepy.
8. Fascination Street by The Cure.  Club scene.  Also, Disintegration is one of my all-time favorite albums, so it needs a giant shout-out.
9. Recover by CHVRCHES.  Lily wakes in Alaric’s camp.  She’s different after the oubliette.  Harder.
10. Saltkin by Purity Ring.  Lily claiming an army.
11. Plague by Crystal Castles.  Lily climbing the pyre, and the gathering storm.

Gorilla by Clams Casino.  Dark and dissonant—this song was on repeat while I wrote the final battle scene.  

So as you can see she has incredibly good taste in music and this book has a really fantastic soundtrack so if you haven't read it yet I suggest you go out and grab it now because its insanely good and if you want to know a little more about it check out the trailer below!

Also if you want to check out my REVIEW or FANART you can do so by clicking on the words :)

Hope you enjoyed!!

TRIAL BY FIRE - JOSEPHINE ANGELINI - REVIEW

Book: Trial by Fire
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Macmillan Children's
ISBN: 9781447260820
Rating: 9/10

Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns. This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted...which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily's life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear. Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem - one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian ...Lily's identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences. Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn't understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected. But how can Lily be the saviour of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?

Josephine Angelini is a genius. Literally I didn't even care what the book was about, I saw her name and I wanted this book for review because I had no doubts that it would be amazing. I was correct. This book was so much more than amazing. It was flawlessly good and I'm going to get onto why that it in a moment.

The book follows Lily, this crazy sick girl who's allergic to just about everything and is in love with her only friend who is male and the biggest player in town. Anyway, cut to the chase, she gets rejected and find herself in a parallel world where she discovers she is a crucible which is kind of like a witch. Oh and theres another version of her that wants her and she essentially has to fight herself. It's sounds a bit scattered but trust me it's not, its just that so much happens in this book and I don't want to give anything away at all, because It's something you definitely need to experience without knowing anything before hand.

Now for the plot. Angelini had this flawless way of seamlessly combing modern or older classics with modern days world to weave these incredible hybrid stories that I absolutely love. It's just such a clever and unique way of doing things and Trial by Fire stands out for all the right reasons.
I guess you could say it loosely based of the crucible by Arthur Miller (A play which I so happen to Love) and it made reading this so interesting and it was because whilst the plot was leading the vague path that I sort of knew I still wasn't sure where I was going and it was absolutely brilliant. It never got confusing or complicated and bearing in mind it was a topic that could've gotten extremely confusing Angelini seemed to master if easily, building this incurable world and system with precision.
Another thing I loved about this novel, that also made it different to other 'witch' novels was the science which actually really intrigued me. Basically all the magic and supernatural powers in this were not so supernatural. All the magic they did actually used science as a basis because the magic was essentially science, hence why these witches are called crucibles. It was so clever and different and I instantly fell in love with this idea of science and magic working together and for me it made it all seem a bit real and a breather of something unique in a genera so full of the same stuff.
A further bonus is that it had so many hidden references to the Crucible that you wouldn't get had you not read the original play, however I have and did pick up on these and loved them, seeing instantly how they related down to the classic.

What can I say about Angelini's writing. As you can tell from my reviews of the Starcrossed trilogy I adore Angelini's style of writing. I find it really poetic and beautiful and quite simply, utterly gorgeous. I really feel like her writing has developed somewhat, because although I could tell it was written by Angelini the writing seemed more developed and grown, like everything that was already amazing had been fine-tuned to perfection. The perfect balance of description and action, the perfect pacing to make it flow beautifully, the precise and well times twists and turns that left you hungry for more. No this book left you burning for more.

The setting for this is really interesting actually, and I think it only helped to show off another of Angelini's skills which is that she can incredibly world build and create these stunning, beautiful and different worlds that you fall in love and struggle to leave. The setting is basically a world or dimension sitting on top of ours, where both science and magic exists, neither one without the other but magic dominates and the running of society and what powers our world is completely different yet so similar. I really did like is world and they way Angelini crafted it made it all the more spectacular. Her dreamy and whimsical descriptions saw this exquisite world crafted in my mind. The world she built actually complimented the story so well that whilst i was reading it I literally forgot the real world and escaped to, I guess we can call it 'New Salem'.

As for characters in this Angelini kept it nice and simple with only a few select characters that never really changed. I liked this for a number of reason which I will elaborate on. With this being the first in a series it didn't bombard us with too much info or characters and allowed us to understand and stay comfortable in the book, getting to know and understand the few characters we knew really well. We learnt a fair amount about each characters past and Angelini really blurred the lines between who we hated and didn't in this novel, especially with the love triangle, though it seemed to tilt more in one direction. Needless to say we knew who the main villains were and who we really hated but as i said, a fair amount it still unclear, but i have no doubt this will be cleared up and the following novels in the series as this is only book 1.

Overall I'm in love with this book. Trial by Fire is a masterpiece. the ideas are so unique and so easy to fall in love with and once your in your left with a burning desire to turn the page, and keep on reading. I and no doubts in Angelini's ability to wow and intrigue me and she has succeeded once again in this beautiful rendition of science, witches and the Crucible. The wait for the sequel is a wait too long because i genuinely can not wait to meet Lily and the gang to see where they've been led, because that was one hell of a cliff-hanger at the end and there no way I can sit back and reminisce about the book with an ending like that. I need to know what happens next.
But to conclude Angelini has impressed yet again. Trial by Fire is a sharp, clever beautiful story that will keep you up till the depths of night trying to see what happens next.

TRIAL BY FIRE - FANART

So as you an see from my last review I just read Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini and the story if so gorgeous and beautiful with such vivd concepts and idea that I knew could be so beautifully represented in a cover that I had to have a go at creating my own here is what I came up with! hope you like it!

You can click on them for a larger view

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY #4

Magisterium: Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black

Synopsis:
 Think you know magic?
Think again.
The Magisterium awaits . . .
Most people would do anything to get into the Magisterium and pass the Iron Trial.Not Callum Hunt.Call has been told his whole life that he should never trust a magician. And so he tries his best to do his worst - but fails at failing.Now he must enter the Magisterium.It's a place that's both sensational and sinister. And Call realizes it has dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.The Iron Trial is just the beginning. Call's biggest test is still to come . . .

Okay why do I want this book? I'm sorry if it isn't clear, blatantly obvious but if I must spell it out here are my reason:
#1: Cassandra Clare
#2: Holly Black
#3: CASSANDRA FREAKING CLARE

So I am a massive fan of Cassandra Clare, like both TMI and TIF are up there in my favourite series list and then, what's that you say, a new book by Cassandra Clare, about Magicians and adventures and A FREAKING GORGEOUS COVER. Like if I'm honest the cover and story don't even matter, I'm pretty sure I'd read anything with Cassandra Clare plastered on the front so that's a fraction of why I want to read this.
But then guess what. Not only is it Cassies' book but its also written by Holly Black.
OH. MY. FRAKING. GOD.
Are you serious. Holly Black is an insane writer and she's just gone and written a book with Cassie. I don't think a book could be any more perfect, and I genuinely can not wait for this. I can not.

HELLO WORLD

Okay, Hi everyone! I know it's been a while and I have very MIA recently but I have a very good reason. Over the past few months I have had my finals, or exams or whatever they called in every country, regardless to say, they're majorly important and all my time and energy was focused on them meaning I couldn't post and the blog suffered.

However.

I HAVE FINISHED THEM!! WOOOO! Yes they're all done now, meaning I have 12 weeks of holiday and plenty of time to read and review and blog and all sorts, so needless to say I'm back and ready to blog!!! I've missed it loads and now I'm here I'm my comfy chair, whirring away at reviews that I've been waiting so long to write and you'll be able to read them very very soon!

DARREN SHAN - INTERVIEW - ZOM-B MISSION BLOG TOUR

Hello everyone! So I know I've been a little MIA recently but I have exams at the moment and exams equals revision which doesn't leave me much time to post.

Anyway today I have something very awesome to share with you! To celebrate the release of the next instalment in Darren Shan's amazing Zom-B series; Zom-b Mission, I have an mega cool interview to share! In fact a couple of years ago I have the pleasure of meeting Darren so being able to do this interview to celebrate this new book was actually really fun and exciting for me!

Moving on, I don't want to keep you waiting so without further ado, here is the interview!

1. What was you inspiration behind this series? 
I wanted to write about racism and the abuse of power in the early 21st century, but I wanted to come
at it in a roundabout way, not write it as a straight-up issues book. I felt I might reach more readers if I made the issues part of a wider, thrilling, exciting, horrifc storyline, rather than focus on them exclusively. Zombies seemed like a good way to do that -- George A Romero's zombie films explored racist issues long before I hit the scene, so the precedent was already there -- so off I set.

2. Are any of the characters based on people you know? 
Well, lots of them are named after people I know. I've done that in other books in the past, but more than usual in this novel, since it's got more of a contemporary urban feel than my other works, and "real" names suited the story more than they suited the stories of my previous work. But in terms of basing the characters on real people, no, not so much. Which is a relief, given how twisted and vicious the characters in these books are!

3. Do you have a writing ritual? 
I tend to write about ten pages (3,000) words a day when I'm doing a first draft. I'll write five pages in the morning, take a break for lunch, edit them after lunch, then write another five. Continue until finished. I'll then give myself a break of a few months, before returning to do a rewrite, and I take further breaks between each subsequent edit. In total, I'll usually spend between two and three years working on any one book, although I'll juggle a lot of different books around over that period, which is how I can release books so quickly.

4. What is your most embarrassing moment as a Writer?
 I was at an event once where a fan asked me about a certain character. I didn't recognise the name, and told the fan that I thought she was thinking of a book by a different writer. But no, she calmly reminded me of where the character appeared, and I finally recalled him! Luckily I'm not precious about these things, and I had a good laugh at my own expense.

5. When did you know you wanted to write?
 Since I was five or six years of age. There were lots of others things I wanted to be too (vet, rock star, footballer, astronaut), but being a writer was top of the list, and also a lot more achievable for me than my other goals, since I was actually good at writing.

6. Who is your favourite author and what is your favourite book? 
Stephen King is my favourite author, and has been for about thirty years, since I read my first book by him. My favourite book as a child was The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

7. What is the book you wish you had written? 
I don't have a desire to write any books that are already written. There are amazing, groundbreaking books that I admire the hell out of -- for example, Lord of the Rings, and the graphic novel Watchmen -- but they were the work of other creative minds, and I only focus on what I can produce myself.

8. How does it feel to see your book in bookshops?
 Nice, though not as mind-blowing as I think many people imagine. It's not like winning the lottery and walking around in a happy daze. A published book is the result of months and years of hard graft. By the time it appears on a bookshelf, I've gone through so many different stages that it's something of an anticlimax.

9. Can you give us any info of what you're working on next / what your next project is? 
There are several more Zom-B books to come (there will be twelve in total) so I'm finishing off those at the moment. I have also completed a first draft of what I hope will be my next book after that, but I can't say anything about it yet, as it's still very much in its infancy.

10. And finally a fun question! If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why? 
Stephen King, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens. I'm sure I'd get some good stories out of those three over the course of a meal.

So as you can see that was a fantastic interview and if you haven't already read the Zom-B books you should definitely check them out. Here are the links for:

Book 1

Book 3

Book 2

Book 4

Book 6

Book 5

Book 7

BANISHED - LIZ DE JAGER - REVIEW

Book: Banished
Author: Liz De Jager
Publisher: Tor
ISBN: 9781447247654
Rating: A

Kit is proud to be a Blackhart, now she's living with her unorthodox cousins and sharing their strange lives. Especially since their home-schooling includes spells, fighting enemy fae and using ancient weapons. But it's not until she rescues a rather handsome fae prince, fighting for his life on the edge of Blackhart Manor, that her training really kicks in. With her family away on various missions, Kit must protect Prince Thorn, rely on new friends and use her own unfamiliar magic to stay ahead of Thorn's enemies. As things go from bad to apocalyptic, fae battle fae in a war that threatens to spill into the human world. Then Kit pits herself against the Elder Gods themselves - it's that or lose everyone she's learnt to love.

So I got a proof of this way back but I thought I'd hold of reviewing it till it was out and Voila! It is, so you should go and buy it! But seriously It's an amazing book. Now I'm not just saying that because I've met the author but I really mean it. It's honestly like nothing you'll ever read before.

I'm not sure how to describe. If you took maybe the mortal interments, lord of the rings and then just throw in some modern YA Paranormal fiction with a bucket of romance and feels I guess you'd get this. There is nothing like this out there on the market and it's such a new and great idea I couldn't help but fall in love with it from page 1.

I loved the story idea. The plot it so intricate and beautiful and the novel just has so much packed into it. There wasn't a page that went by in which nothing happened. There was always some action of mystery to keep the pages turning and you on the edge of your seat.
The books follows Kit Blackheart who belongs to a family of demon fighting, prince saving superhero (to put it lightly). Anyway she saves a prince, gets attacked by tons of monsters and get drawn into a insanely awesome story.
I had no issues following the story but I loved how it was complex enough to keep me guessing and to never give too much away.

The setting in this never stayed the same for too much because they were always on the move but one thing I did love is seeing how so many of the normal places in England were warped into these ulterior magical places.

The writing was extremely good. I'm a lover of descriptive prose and this book did it for me. Liz De Jager ha a way with words, building up these magical locations and characters to the utmost detail. Her writing made worlds appear in my head and I absolutely loved it.
Also the way she handled and the characters and emotions in her writing was perfection. It was consistent, strong and I couldn't held but adore it.

The characters in this book were a pleasure to read about. Each had a distinct voice, though it was from Kit's POV, and you instantly knew who you liked and didn't. All the characters had good foundations and Jager delved back into their histories to give you a better understanding of each character and this made them more real and human.
What I loved was how she led you to believe that certain characters were certain people when in fact they're not at all and she has mastered the art of twist and turns because this book had shocked and surprised on so many occasions.

Overall I absolutely adored this novel down to the very last pages. It had me up till the darkest hours of night so I could find out what happened next and I will be recommending this to all my friends because it was absolutely totally fabulous.

THE HOUSE OF HADES - RICK RIORDAN - REVIEW

Book: Hero's of Olympus: The House of Hades
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Puffin
ISBN: 9780141339184
Rating: A

The House of Hades is the fourth book in the bestselling Heroes of Olympus series, set in the action-packed world of Percy Jackson. The stakes have never been higher. If Percy Jackson and Annabeth fail in their quest, there'll be hell on Earth. Literally. Wandering the deadly realm of Tartarus, every step leads them further into danger. And, if by some miracle they do make it to the Doors of Death, there's a legion of bloodthirsty monsters waiting for them. Meanwhile, Hazel and the crew of the Argo II have a choice: to stop a war or save their friends. Whichever road they take one thing is certain - in the Underworld, evil is inescapable

This review is insanely late and I must apologise for that but stuff came up that I had to deal with, but as I said, uber sorry for the delay.

Where to start with this. I feel like I'm repeating myself in the reviews for this series but I honest to god adore every single book in it and House of Hades tops it off. As per usual Riordan has wowed me once again, providing a stunning addition to this magical and wonderful series. There are really no words to describe how fantastic this novel is.

So this book picks up where Book 3 left off, and actually is set in two places. We followed one set of the seven on above land as they traveled to the doors and we followed Percy down in Hades, which by far was one of my favourite settings. Hades, being a unreal place, was so open to interpretation and I was raring to see what Riordan would do with it and I absolutely loved it. He built this fantastic new world or dimension and It just felt so real and flawless.

The storyline essentially follows Percy's quest to save Annabeth and the rest of the Groups quest to open and then close the doors for him in the real world... with a fair few twists and turns, of course. The story in this was 100% Riordan and everything I wanted from this. Once again it was crammed with hilarity, actions and tons of magic. Whilst being a clever and complex plot I didn't find it complicated or hard to follow and most importantly it was one of the most enjoyable reads I have read in a long time!


The writing as usual consisted of Riordan's fast paced, action packed laugh out loud prose that had been sweating, smiling and laughing at all the right moments. It flowed so well and I loved the way his description built up and brought to life these wonderful myths that we all read and dream about. I don't think he's actually written anything bad because all he ever does is amaze.

The characters in this are pretty much the same. What really happened was Riordan built much more on the charters delving more into their roots and in particular their secrets (Hint Hint, Nico). The voices came across loud and clear and what I loved was that when writing in different POV's I didn't have to keep checking who's POV it was. Riordans style for each characters is so well crafted and identifiable It was such a pleasure to read.

Overall I'm not surprised at how amazing this book is for the pure reason I wouldn't expect anything less from Riordan. He's done it again and I'm uber excited for Blood of Olympus yet super sad to see Percy's journeys finally end, but I know it'll be a good one.