The Unfailing Light Blog Tour Kick Off: Review + Giveaway

Read (September 23, 2012)

Book: The Unfailing Light (The Katerina Trilogy #2) by Robin Bridges

Publishing Date: October 9, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte BFYR

Number of Pages: 320

Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Fiction

Lush and opulent, romantic and sinister, "The Unfailing Light, " Volume II in The Katerina Trilogy, reimagines the lives of Russia's aristocracy in a fabulously intoxicating and page-turning fantasy.

Having had no choice but to use her power has a necromancer to save Russia from dark forces, Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, now wants to forget that she ever used her special powers. She's about to set off to pursue her lifelong dream of attending medical school when she discovers that Russia's arch nemesis--who she thought she'd destroyed--is still alive. So on imperial orders, Katerina remains at her old finishing school. She'll be safe there, because the empress has cast a potent spell to protect it against the vampires and revenants who are bent on toppling the tsar and using Katerina for their own gains. But to Katerina's horror, the spell unleashes a vengeful ghost within the school, a ghost more dangerous than any creature trying to get in. - (source)

“I believe you can create the life you want, Katiya. You are strong enough to make all of your dreams come true.” - taken from an uncorrected ARC 

I've always admired Katerina. She is strong-willed and compassionate. Her dream of becoming a doctor to help and heal others is all the more inspiring because it's very uncommon in her time and for someone of nobility. Other girls her age think of nothing but balls, gowns and only ambitions to marry someone rich and powerful. But Katerina also has a dark gift and despite her efforts not to be involved with the continuously rising dispute in the St. Petersburg's royal courts, she always finds herself dragged in the middle of it all. Everybody just wants to use her. Amidst all of this, Katerina struggles to remain untouched by darkness and this just made her truly endearing. 

One of the many positive qualities of The Unfailing Light is its ability to enthrall its readers with its atmosphere. Imperial Russia is depicted as regal and majestic but it is also sinister and foreboding and boasts quite a number of paranormal creatures that would scare the living wit out of an unknowing, oblivious ordinary person. It's still hard to keep track of the lineages and who's who but the mystery that was sustain all throughout the book just made The Unfailing Light such a thrilling read.

Katerina's time back in Smolny Institute was definitely one of my favorite parts. I kept trying to guess what's really happening, who to trust, who's behind it all as Katerina attempts to appease the uncontrollable, vehement presence to protect her friends.

We also get to see more of Katerina's power. It's getting stronger and with it Katerina seems to be evolving, too. She's still the same stubborn yet kindhearted girl but she's growing to become someone formidable. Her relationship with George progresses as well. Their secret meetings and stolen kisses were surprisingly enough to make me giddy and lighthearted.

In The Gathering Storm, Bridges introduced us to Imperial Russia in all its glory but we quickly learned that behind all the glamour and curtsies, power struggles exist. In this second installment, the conspiracy and deceit was as palpable as ever. But like in the first book, the ending left me a little frustrated and somewhat disgruntled. Bridges really has a knack to end her books in a way that will left her readers wanting more. 

Overall, The Unfailing Light is a strong, compelling read. Full of intrigue and magic, The Unfailing Light is as enchanting as its predecessor.

Cupid's Verdict:

4 Cupids

A copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review.

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I am very honored to be kicking off this blog tour and I'm offering a copy to one lucky reader courtesy of the wonderful people from Random House Kids. This giveaway is open to US only. Sorry international peeps! To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

By day, Robin Bridges is a mild-mannered writer of fantasy and paranormal fiction for young adults. By night, she is a pediatric nurse. Robin lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband, one soon-to-be teenager, and two slobbery mastiffs. She likes playing video games and watching Jane Austen movies. (If only there was a Jane Austen video game!) The Katerina Trilogy began with the The Gathering Storm and continues with The Unfailing Light.

You can find Robin Bridges here: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Here are the rest of the stops. Don't forget to drop by! ;)

~September 25th: Casey’s Crew

~September 26th: Much Ado About Books

~September 26th: The Streetlight Reader

~September 27th: Infinite Reads

~September 28th: The Hiding Spot

~September 29th: Girls *Heart* Books

~October 1st: Mom Reads My Books

~October 2nd: Magical Urban Fantasy Reads

~October 2nd: The Book Review Club

~October 3rd: The Book Review Club

~October 4th: Kimba Caffeinated

~October 4th: My Life is a Notebook

~October 5th: My Life is a Notebook

~October 6th: Candace’s Book Blog

~October 7th: Reader Girls

~October 8th: Bookish

~October 8th: Peace, Love, Books

~October 9th: YA Bibliophile

~October 9th: Reader Girls

~October 10th: Wastepaper Prose

~October 10th: Imaginary Reads

~October 11th: Imaginary Reads

~October 12th: Well Read Wife

~October 15th: Libby Blog

~October 16th: Cracking the Cover

~October 17th: A Bookish Libraria

~October 18th: A Novel Review

~October 19th: In the Best Worlds

~October 20th: Tripping Over Books

Review: Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

I'm thrilled and excited to take part in my first ever blog tour with Rachel McClellan's debut novel, Fractured Light. This would be released by Cedar Fort Publishing in February 2012. As I am part of this blog tour under the The Hollow Readers, do check out my fellow bloggers review as well.

Read from December 17 to 23, 2011

Book: Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

Publishing Date: February 8, 2012

Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing

Number of Pages: 312

Genre/s: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.  - From Goodreads

Excerpt:  “The future is never ours alone. Without others, our destiny could never be fulfilled. Could you imagine Superman trying to fulfill his purpose if there weren’t people to save? He could never do it. And so we must be aware of those around us and never shut the door on opportunities that help us to grow and learn, no matter how difficult they seem. Only by doing this will we be able to live to our full potential.”

From the moment I read the prologue, I knew I was going to love Fractured Light. And I'm happy to say my expectations were greatly exceeded. This book was awesome! It has the right amount of love, thrill, and adventure.

Ever since Llona's parents died, something inside her died as well. She blamed her parent's death on their kindness and vowed that she would never make the same mistake. But goodness is innate in her, because like her mother, she's an Aura and an Aura's purpose is to bring light and comfort to those who need them. When she settled at Bountiful, Utah all her survival plans starts to crumble. She started making friends and opening up. But everything has a price and if she's not careful the same enemy, who had killed her parents, might claim her life as well, along with those she loves.

First, I’d like to say that Llona is amazing. If you define a heroine that kicks butt, she would definitely fit the bill. Here's why:

1) She's independent and brave to the point of foolishness but you'll love her for it because it just makes everything more exciting.
2) She knows what she wants and fights for what she believes in. It does make her seem selfish at times but that's also where she truly shines. As Auras, they were raised not to fight but she defied the rules to protect everyone she loves.
3) She's a survivor. You'd think by all the crap-ola she's been through, she would complain but nah she never whined. Plus, she's hilarious.

And there’s Christian, the endearing knight. Half of the time I love him, half of the time I want to punch him for being such a stickler to rules.

I was also engrossed by the guessing game McClellan skillfully created which is to guess who is Mr. Lurking Evil. By the time of the big reveal, I was suspecting half of the characters. Although, I have a pretty good hunch that it was that someone, I couldn't exactly pin that someone down because the guilt-o-meter is wildly pointing at different directions and everybody was equally suspicious.

And when Mr. Lurking Evil was finally revealed, it did confirm my guess but it didn't lessen the intrigue factor. What it actually did was heightened it! I think a stupendo was warranted here. So there you go, stupendo!

Another thing that's really commendable about Fractured Light is the humor. Sometimes I think authors forget about them thinking intense world-building would suffice.  There’s also the suave storytelling which has the right balance of everything. From the story of Light vs. Dark, to the suspense and mystery parts, and to the love aspect. She also injected just the right amount of information to grip her readers and not bore them. And when the story grips you, it wouldn't let go. Every end of the chapter was like a mini-cliffhanger which made this book very un-putdown-able.

And the ending, oh the ending! McClellan took my heart out and squeezed it just a little. And who would have thought first kiss could ever be that sweet?? Just thinking about it makes me swoon.

One of my favorite reads this 2011, I couldn't say enough how much I adore Fractured Light. The ending left me with a silly grin on my face, but with all the seriousness I can muster, I am highly recommending this book and you MUST get a copy when it comes out on February 2012.  I couldn't wait to know more about Auras and Vykens and I am definitely looking forward for more sweet kisses. Kudos to McClellan for a job well done!

Cupid's Verdict:

5 Cupids

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley at no cost.

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About  the Author:

Rachel McClellan

I was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When I'm not in my writing lair, I'm partying with my husband and four small children. My love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, my imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was… Oh, and my debut YA novel Fractured Light will be out February 2012.

To learn more about the author and the publisher you can visit here: 

Author Blog: http://www.blackbirdinmywindow.blogspot.com/ 

Author Website: http://www.rachelmcclellan.com/

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelMcClellan

Book Poster page: http://fracturedlightbook.com/

Publisher Blog: http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/

Publisher Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cedarfortbooks

Publisher Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/cedarfortbooks

Publisher Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4202252-cedar-fort

If you want to check out other stops, click here. Also, don't forget to visit The Hollow Readers. See you there! :)