Chosen at Nightfall is HERE!!!

It's here!  It's here!  Chosen at Nightfall is finally here, everyone!  And to celebrate, here's some information to get everyone geared up for the final volume in Kylie Galen's story.  

When Kylie Galen entered Shadow Falls Camp, she left her old life behind forever and discovered a world more magical than she ever imagined. A place where you’re two best friends can be a witch and a vampire…and where love doesn’t happen the way you’d expect.

When Kylie’s most powerful enemy returns to destroy her once and for all, there’s only one way to stop him—to step into her full powers and make a stunning transformation that will amaze everyone around her.  But her journey won’t be complete until she makes one final choice…which guy to love.  Should she choose to the werewolf who broke her heart but will give anything to win her back, or the half-fae who ran from their attraction before they had a chance?  Everything she’s learned at Shadow Falls has been preparing her for this moment—when her fate will be revealed and her heart claimed forever.

And next, here are 13 things that happen in Chosen at Nightfall!

In Chosen at Nightfall Kylie. . .

1. …nearly kills Lucas twice.

2. …has another boy become interested in her.

3. …acquires another stalker.

4. …is accused of having an affair with an older man.

5. …has an unwanted guest crawl over a bathroom stall when she’s trying to pee.

6. …gets kissed by two guys.

7. …finally makes a choice of which boy she loves.

8. …is forced to kill someone to save someone she loves

9. …tells a human that she’s a supernatural.

10.         Discovers someone isn’t who they say they are.

11.         …gets caught buying pregnancy tests for someone.

12.         …Has another guy paying a pint of blood to spend an hour with her.

13.         …gets read the riot act by Burnett. 

And that's not all, everyone. The amazing CC Hunter is holding a HUUUUUUGE giveaway on her blog and I kid you not, y'all won't believe what all she's giving away.  So be sure to check it out HERE!

Last but not least, definitely check out the book trailer for Chosen at Nightfall. 

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title:  Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)
Author:  Marissa Meyer
Pages:  387
Genre:  YA Science Fiction/Fairytale Dystopia
Publisher:  Feiwel and Friends
Obtained:  Bought (at signing)
Summary:  Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl...

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

What I Liked:  1) Cinder was quite the unique heroine that fell into the category of having to rescue herself rather than wait to be rescued. Readers cannot help feeling for her situation at home as well as the warring emotions after meeting and helping Prince Kaito. 2) New Beijing. When the setting seems to have a life of its own, you know you have a great story. 3) Peony and Iko were fascinating supporting characters, and I can understand Cinder's attachment to them by the end of the book. 4) The villains delivered a performance worthy of invoking my wrath. Both Adri and Queen Levana deserved to be backhanded many times over, and I applaud Meyer for creating such villains that make me want to punch something.

What I Didn't Like:  I can't really think of anything off-hand, though I admit it would have been nice to see more of New Beijing. I do look forward to seeing more of Meyer's futuristic Earth in the next titles.

Overall:  Readers who enjoy a retold and updated fairy tale will certainly find similarities in Cinder while also getting to know this new world and spin on the girl who lost her "shoe" following the ball.

Wandering the Archive

Deep within the archives of a home library, there lurks title upon title of books accrued over half (or more) a lifetime. Nobody knows just why a bookshelf grows out of proportion or why it needs to be expanded except... the bibliophile. And even then, she might have forgotten the reason somewhere along the way. But now, thanks to the intrepid explorer (my beau), these titles will slowly be unearthed and examined here for any who dare to wander into... DJL's personal archive.

What is it?

Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves (2001)

For the infamous, power-hungry Sith, beholden to the dark side, the time has come to rise again.

After years of waiting in the shadows, Darth Sidious is taking the first step in his master plan to bring the Republic to its knees. Key to his scheme are the Neimoidians of the Trade Federation. Then one of his Neimoidian contacts disappears, and Sidious does not need his Force-honed instincts to suspect betrayal. He orders his apprentice, Darth Maul, to hunt the traitor down.

But he is too late. The secret has already passed into the hands of information broker Lorn Pavan, which places him right at the top of Darth Maul's hit list. Then, in the labyrinthine alleyways and sewers of Coruscant, capital city of the Republic, Lorn crosses paths with Darsha Assant, a Jedi Padawan on a mission to earn her Knighthood. Now the future of the Republic depends on Darsha and Lorn. But how can an untried Jedi and an ordinary man, stranger to the powerful ways of the Force, hope to triumph over one of the deadliest killers in the galaxy?

Where did it come from?

I picked up this copy at a Bookstop. 
(If you remember this bookstore, I'll not feel so old!)

Why did it get picked up?

First off, I blame a college friend for "turning me over to the dark side." And secondly, I was disappointed in how little screen-time Darth Maul was given in Phantom Menace, so it was fascinating to see his character further developed by Reaves.

When was it read?

On my Tropical Ecology class trip to Belize in 2002, I read it in one night (because of pseudo-scorpions found on my window making me unable to sleep). Shadow Hunter kept me awake and alert more than the arachnids did.

To whom should it be recommended?

Science fiction readers and Star Wars fans who seek more story development of their favorite characters.

Will it be kept?

Keep it I should. *ahem* I've kept it this long, and I see no reason to give it up. ^_^

Bloglovin!

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In light of the imminent disappearance of Google Reader, I have hopped on board the Bloglovin wagon!  It's pretty nifty, so have a look at it yourself as an option for Google Reader. ^_^