Reader Wonderland Giveaway (Canada only)

Thanks to the lovely people at Ladbrokes, I have a very special holiday treat for my fellow Canadians. You can not only win 2 James Bond eBooks (I mean, who doesn't love James Bond?), but you will also get your very own Kindle to read them on! You can then experience the thrill of the casino and the rush of adrenaline that comes with playing poker, without ever leaving your favourite reading spot! How great is that for a Christmas gift? :)

A big thanks to Ladbrokes for this giveaway opportunity! 

Experience some more thrill online with Ladbrokes here and here!

Review: Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

Gone, Gone, Gone
Hannah Moskowitz
Publication date: April 17th 2012
by Simon Pulse

 

It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge and trying to make sense of these random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives.

Craig’s crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he’ll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody.

Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable...and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.

*A copy was provided by Simon & Schuster for review purposes* 

A touching love story between two peculiar teenage boys, Gone Gone Gone introduces us to Craig and Lio who are living in the aftermath of 9/11, each dealing with unique repercussions along with social ineptitudes that ultimately bring them together.

Craig and Lio both share a perspective in this novel, and each of their voices are incredibly sympathetic, moving you to the point of physically feeling their hardship and anxieties. I can't even say I liked one perspective over the other, they compliment each other perfectly so what you get is a great example of how well a dual POV can be applied, especially in a story with so much emotional turmoil. Furthermore, these characters quickly develop into something much more, they have heart and personality, facing stresses and emotional challenges that become palpable. The writing makes them so amazingly realistic. The flaws in their way of thinking; the sometimes excitable, sometimes jumbled, and often awkwardly structured thoughts make them one hundred percent real. The dry, sarcastic humor--especially from Lio--offers a nice balance against the otherwise intense tone of the book as well.

While this is, above all, a love story, it occurs the year after 9/11 during the Beltway Sniper Attacks. Having not been familiar with these shootings, a quick Google search is all it takes to see what a tragedy it was, and how completely it terrorized a suburban DC area. No matter how much you know of this ordeal, Hannah has a way with words that will not only show you, but make you feel the threat and terror living through such an event causes.

Intense in tone and in emotion, I was surprised by how much this book is not an issue book. Clearly they have issues; both of them are very bizarre with quirks and social awkwardness. But this is not about that. It's about finding oneself, finding someone you can connect and feel alive with, which is how you get to move on from a terrible event. It's not about being gay, or black, or weird. BUT, and this is a very small quirk that was not detrimental to my enjoyment of the book at all, though still something I took note of, I found Hannah's way of pushing the issues aside a little more illusional than it is realistic. Except for a few stowaway sentences, I wouldn't have known Craig was black. As hard as it is to be a gay teen, being a black gay teen makes him part of two prejudiced minorities. Yet, being black never comes up as a point of individualism in this novel. Any black teen I have ever encountered, especially in largely white communities, considers their race a rather big part of their identity. As for his sexuality, I found Craig maybe a little too confident and comfortable with it--to the point of kissing his boyfriend in front of his mom. Perhaps Hannah is going for the more modern "race and sexuality are not an issue" perspective, turning them into a matter-of-fact instead, however I can't help but find this is more fantasy than real life. No matter the level of support in a community regarding sexuality, coming out as a teen is a struggle filled with emotional anxieties. I would think any gay kid would have a lot of self doubt and not be this nonchalant about it.

Although deeply affecting, some parts of this plot are not as fleshed out as I would have liked. There is a pile up of character dysfunctions introduced, and some aren't further examined. For example, for being such an important part of the story, we're presented with a pretty vague and blurry idea of what exactly happened between Cory and Craig. I also wanted to have a further understanding of the families and their dynamics--Lio's in particular. Again, this qualm is very minor, barely having any effect in my reading experience, but it still needed mention.

This is the perfect read for any and all contemporary fans. We have a story that is entirely gritty and utterly raw. Its beauty and heart radiates inside a tale that has such pain and hardship. I became truly mesmerized by Hannah's writing style, and if she is not yet, this is an author to have on your automatic buy list!

4 Hot Espressos

Review: Altered by A.D. Croucher

Altered
A.D. Croucher
Series: Altered Sequence, #1
Publication date: July 16th 2012

 

Reese has a plan: keep his grades up, work hard on the basketball court, apply to his favorite Ivy League college, and don't get arrested.

There's just one problem.

Reese knows things no one should know. He always thought he just had good instincts, but he's noticed that it's been getting worse. Lately it seems like something else.

Something more than instinct.

And he's not the only one that has noticed.

They've been waiting.

Watching.

And now it's time.

With his life in danger, Reese needs a new plan: escape.

*A copy was provided by A.D. Croucher for review purposes*

Not to mistake this book with the upcoming Jennifer Rush novel by the same name, Altered by AD Croucher is also a sci-fi and it deals with genetics, wild experiments, and my personal favorite: altered humans with superhuman abilities. No matter my small quirks with it that ultimately decided its 3 star fate instead of the 4 I immediately wanted to give, it's a genuinely good book. It's entertaining, it offers a riveting plot that never ceases, and it has just the right combination of science fiction and action.

Having been tuned into the trend of science fiction novels lately, I was quick to get sucked into this novel when it spoke of mind reading and mysterious medical experiments. I found it wildly interesting, especially considering how it doesn't leap too out of range of plausibility; oftentimes, science is as scary as it is fascinating! If you're the type of reader who enjoys books with super powers, our protagonist here can read minds, we've also got super strength along with some more... bizarre experiment consequences in the mix. Not only are these kept a mystery, we're treated to plot twists that will completely change what you foresee from this whole series.

The mystery is one, albeit small, reason I did not end up completely in love with this novel. Of course I understand the need for secrets when it comes to any type of new medical undertaking, but between the doctors and Reese, I found the reasons for the secrecy a little weak. In his position, if I was explained from when I was old enough to understand, I would have been quite willing to work with them to potentially help their research--what has been done has already been done. He would have died if not for them, and it could help others. Why keep it hidden? Why take him against his will, do loads of tests on the kid, lock him in rooms, and basically wait until he tries to escape repeatedly before telling him what he's there for? Their explanation isn't even so scary--even though the truth may be a little altered. Instead of being anxious, I was wondering why there was all this drama. Perhaps we're expected to assume the worst. Perhaps I have just read so much horror that I've been conditioned (which scares me!).

Some dystopians are great because of world building, some propel you into your protagonist's fears and sufferings, others are simply fantastic because of their plot. The latter can work very well in some cases, but in others, it leaves you wanting more from your characters, which is the case in Altered. We meet some truly good characters--the protagonist being male was a plus for me as well,--but where it falters is in his development and, later on, in his romantic wandering. Although I did like his characters, and he has an easy voice to follow through this story, I can't say I know who he truly is more than a character in a book. He didn't particularly grab me. As for the romance in the novel, I think it to be its weakest point. There is a vague and brief love triangle with two girls--a nice step from the norm--and I did not feel anything between any of the characters in this novel, nor did I understand why he was so infatuated with one to the point of risking everything. Even the dramatic relationship between a girl and her mother (the villain) felt overly acted.

Yes this book brings it in the entertainment value--absolutely. It's when you consider the novel as a whole that it falters a little. As it's so short with only a little over 200 pages, you at least have no time to reflect on this lack of character development while you're being propelled into an adrenaline filled joyride. It's one made for, and undoubtedly enjoyed by, fans of action movies!

3 Hot Espressos

Waiting on Wednesday (63) -- Movie Edition

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Special Movie Edition!

Since I could not, for the life of me, find a book that was suitable for a WoW this week, I decided to make a movie edition as there are great books-to-movies that I'm STOKED for that are coming up! So why not?

The Host

Stephenie Meyer

Release date: March 29th, 2013

Goodreads / IMDB

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love

The Host Official Trailer:

This is one of my favorite books and I have been waiting for this movie since I first heard it was going to be one like, 5 years ago! I just saw the trailer the other day and March cannot be here fast enough! Hopefully the acting is better than Twilight. Not too hard to achieve. 

World War Z

Max Brooks

Release date: June 21st, 2013

Goodreads / IMDB

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

World War Z Official Trailer:

Hellz. Yeah!!! Did you SEE this trailer? *flails*

City of Bones

Cassandra Clare

Release date: August 23rd, 2013

Goodreads / IMDB

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

City of Bones Official Trailer:

Even though I feel this series is being milked for every drop it's worth, I'm kind of excited to see it on screen. I did really enjoy the first three books and it could be pretty fantastic as a movie. There's also a local (which is rare for small town, nowhere) casted in it so woot! Represent!

Catching Fire

Suzanne Collins

Release date: November 22nd, 2013

Goodreads / IMDB

Sparks are igniting, flames are spreading and the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

No list would have been complete without this most anticipated book-to-movie in the universe! What is up with November? NOVEMBER? *sobs*

Carrie

Stephen King

Release date: March 15th, 2013

Goodreads / IMDB

A modern classic, "Carrie" introduced a distinctive new voice in American fiction -- Stephen King. The story of misunderstood high school girl Carrie White, her extraordinary telekinetic powers, and her violent rampage of revenge, remains one of the most barrier-breaking and shocking novels of all time.

Make a date with terror and live the nightmare that is..."Carrie"

Carrie (2013) Teaser Trailer:

Ok, I'm on the fence about this one, but only because Carrie is one of my all time favorite horror movies and the 1976 movie is a classic and all kind of freaky messed up, so I'm not sure how this one will fare in comparison, but the teaser trailer is pretty freaking awesome and I kind of love it! 

Which book-to-movie are you most excited to see?

Possession Tour Stop: Interview + Giveaway

I am happy to be a part of the Possession blog tour that is dropping by the blog today. I'll be sharing an interview I did with Elana Johnson, along with some fabulous giveaways!

Possession
Elana Johnson
Series: Possession #1
Publication date: June 7th 2011
by Simon & Schuster

 

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Interview with Elana Johnson

Q. What kind of life would you lead if you were living in the world you created in Possession?

Oh, I’d like to think I would be a Thinker! I’m such a control-freak right now, that it would be a pretty natural transition… LOL!

Q. What's the hardest part in building a dystopian world?

Filling readers in on what the MC already knows, without overwhelming them, or boring them to death. I write a lot of sci fi and fantasy, and this is the main problem every single time.

Q. Do you see a lot of yourself in your MC-Vi?

Sort of. Mostly, Vi gets to say and do things I wish I could say and do. I’m so non-confrontational, that I don’t say anything to anyone about anything. I want everyone to be happy, and I want to treat others kindly. That usually means that you don’t get to speak your mind, you know? And Vi gets to do that. So I sort of live vicariously through her.

Q. What was your biggest challenge while writing Possession?

The timeline, for sure. When everything happens, when that person goes missing, when this and when that. It was really challenging – and I’m still dealing with it, as I try to make the third book in the series (ABANDON, coming on June 4, 2013) match up with everything that’s already in black and white.

So definitely the timeline of events. There’s just so much of the past in us, you know? And I think characters should base their decisions on who they are. And they become who they based on where they’ve been, and what they’ve experienced. So the past events are important.

Q. What's on your reading this this winter?

THE CROWN OF EMBERS by Rae Carson. It’s the sequel to THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS, which I really liked. I’m also finishing TEN by Gretchen McNeil and THE LIES THAT BIND by Lisa & Laura Roecker.

Thanks so much for dropping by, Elana! I'm no writer, but I always admire how authors can keep the timelines of their stories straight! My terrible memory would most definitely struggle with that. Xo

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 Elana's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Elana Johnson’s work, including Possession, Surrender, and Regret, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster), is available now everywhere books are sold. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for download, as well as a Possession short story, Resist. School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers.

This post is a part of: 

(click banner for tour schedule)

Cover Reveal: The Midnight Spell

The Midnight Spell
Rhiannon Frater & Kody Boye
Publication date: February, 2013

 

Best friends since kindergarten, Adam and Christy have always been the perpetual outsiders in their small town in Texas.  The other kids call Adam gay and Christy a witch.

On both counts the bullies are right.

Their junior year in high school seems destined to be the same old same old until Christy decides to cast a love spell for Adam at the midnight hour. The next day an alluring and mysterious boy enrolls at school and sets hearts a flutter, including Adam’s. Meanwhile, Christy’s mad crush on the handsome football player Ian seems to be going nowhere fast and her witch puberty is making her life miserable.

When a great evil arrives in town that threatens everything they hold dear, the best friends realize that finding a boyfriend is the least of their worries. Soon Adam and Christy will have to battle a force of darkness that has killed in their town before, and will again.

Cover designed by Phatpuppy Art (photograph by www.gingerleeoriginals.com).

So what do you all think? You all know how fond I am of Rhiannon already and this will be her first YA so there's obviously something awesome brewing in here! As for the cover, I'm a big fan of Phatpuppy Art covers and this one is fabulous as always!

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Sign up for future cover reveals with Xpresso Book Tours!

- Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron
- Sworn to Raise by Terah Edun
- Desolate City by Racquel Jones
-Timespell by Diana Paz   

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Review: The Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds
Alexandra Bracken
Series: The Darkest Minds #1
Publication date: December 18th 2012
by Disney Hyperion

 

When Ruby wakes up on her tenth birthday, something about her has changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her--East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

*A copy was provided by Disney Hyperion for review purposes*

Going into the Darkest Minds, I didn't really know what to expect. With so many dystopians out there there are quite a few that simply don't live up to the genre. However, Alexandra brings in a new and exciting dystopian novel with mysterious diseases, abilities, merciless camps; basically the apocalypse with a Heroes-like flare that becomes quite exhilarating.

Mind reading, mind control, memory manipulation, telekinesis; these are the powers that teenagers are suddenly capable of in this world, that is, if they don't die suddenly in their tween years. We go into this story completely blind. Alexandra has a very show rather than tell writing style and while it can be a little confusing at first, I really enjoyed the slow and steady way we're dipped into her world. I also appreciate an author that assumes her readers are intelligent enough to discern what she's showing us. Too often have I despised books due to repetitive observations and frequent recapitulations to make sure we are getting it. It goes without saying, you have to pay attention during this world building. It's not spelled out for us, and it's amazing the way we're left to build it up in our minds, piece by piece.

The same goes for Ruby: While the story is told through her point-of-view, we don't know who she is or what has happened to her prior to the first page of this novel. We have to be patient to get her story, which I promise is both heartbreaking and hopeful. While I wouldn't call her particularly likeable, she doesn't fail to engage at every page as her voice is very easy to identify with, and being in her head is at one baffling and fascinating. She is often as much of a mystery to herself as she is to us. The ones walking by her side also fills us with intrigue as we're compelled to uncover their unique abilities and the insecurities that come along with. These people all have their very own piece in this story with pasts and ideals for some kind of future in this cruel world.

The future doesn't look too bright, however, as the whole book is spent learning how horrible the adults have been dealing with these new sudden abilities. This is soon followed by a long lasting chase which leads to more questions, lots of uncertainties, and definite skepticism. Despite being a very active plot that keeps up quite a bit of suspense combined with a constant feeling of uneasiness, the pacing is kept natural. This not only allows us time to decipher our characters, but also gives us the opportunity to truly understand the gravity of the world they now have to suffer.

The romance is not the book's strongest point. For the most part, it's non existent--I, for one, more than welcome a plot motivated on something other than romance. But all of a sudden, it's there, all around. The romance itself is not bad, it's not even unexpected, just its sudden importance in the plot can be disorienting.

This is not a fluffy novel, Alexandra depicts a world that is dark and violent. It's a slow unveiling of a world you would never want to experience. For fans of dystopians described such as this, there is plenty to fear in The Darkest Minds!

4 Hot Espressos

Xpresso Weekly: Stacking the Shelves (31)

Xpresso Weekly is my edition of Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews featuring the books I got this week, and I also mention blog news/happenings of the past week.

This week at Xpresso Reads

So does everyone have their tree up yet? I plan to put up mine soon! I just got back from the SAnta Claus parade tonight and Alek loved it! Though he was pretty confused as to why this was all happening >.< I love toddlers. On  the blog this week it was a pretty review only week with just one highly for my fellow Canadians who can enter to win a copy of Love and Other Perishable Items. I did share a couple cover reveals on my Facebook page if you missed any.

Reviews on the blog this week:

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XPRESSO BOOK TOURS - OPEN FOR SIGN UP

-Cover Reveal: Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron
-Cover Reveal: Sworn to Raise by Terah Edun
-Cover Reveal: Desolate City by Racquel Jones
-Cover Reveal: Timespell by Diana Paz
-Book Blitz & Blog Tour: Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four by Nya Jade
-Book Blitz: Frost Fire by Olivia Rivers
-Book Blitz: Spellbound Series by Nikki Jefford
-Book Blitz: Fang Girl by Helen Keeble

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New by Xpresso Design (click to view live)

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Stacking the Shelves

I received for review (Click on cover for Goodreads):

-Vaempires Revolution by Thomas Winship
-Indigo Awakening by Jordan Dane

-Moonglow by Michael Griffo
-Crash by Lisa McMann

-The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress

-Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Tayler

*Thanks so much to the fabulous people at Penguin Canada, St Martin's Press, Simon & Schuster Canada, Kensington Teen, Harlequin Teen, as well as Thomas Winship for these pretties!*

I also bought:

-The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Peace out, muffin cups!!
Link me up to your book haul post! :) 

Giveaway: Love and Other Perishable Items

Love and Other Perishable Items
Laura Buzo
Publication date: December 11th 2012
by Knopf Books for Young Readers

 

Love is awkward, Amelia should know.

From the moment she sets eyes on Chris, she is a goner. Lost. Sunk. Head over heels infatuated with him. It's problematic, since Chris, 21, is a sophisticated university student, while Amelia, is 15.

Amelia isn't stupid. She knows it's not gonna happen. So she plays it cool around Chris—at least, as cool as she can. Working checkout together at the local supermarket, they strike up a friendship: swapping life stories, bantering about everything from classic books to B movies, and cataloging the many injustices of growing up. As time goes on, Amelia's crush doesn't seem so one-sided anymore. But if Chris likes her back, what then? Can two people in such different places in life really be together?

Through a year of befuddling firsts—first love, first job, first party, and first hangover—debut author Laura Buzo shows how the things that break your heart can still crack you up.

The lovely people at Random House Canada have offered one copy of Love and Other Perishable Items for giveaway to one of my Canadian readers. This has been very highly recommended by at least a dozen of my friends and I can't wait to read it myself! Giveaway details below.

Fresh Batch (November 25th - December 1st)

Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

City of Dark Magic
Magnus Flyte
Publication date: November 27th 2012
by Penguin Books

 

Cosmically fast-paced and wildly imaginative, this debut novel is a perfect potion of magic and suspense

Once a city of enormous wealth and culture, Prague was home to emperors, alchemists, astronomers, and, as it’s whispered, hell portals. When music student Sarah Weston lands a summer job at Prague Castle cataloging Beethoven’s manuscripts, she has no idea how dangerous her life is about to become. Prague is a threshold, Sarah is warned, and it is steeped in blood.

Soon after Sarah arrives, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor, who was working at the castle, may not have committed suicide after all. Could his cryptic notes be warnings? As Sarah parses his clues about Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved,” she manages to get arrested, to have tantric sex in a public fountain, and to discover a time-warping drug. She also catches the attention of a four-hundred-year-old dwarf, the handsome Prince Max, and a powerful U.S. senator with secrets she will do anything to hide.

Read a sneak peak, here!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Magnus Flyte is a pseudonym for the writing duo of Meg Howrey and Christina Lynch. Howrey is a former dancer with the Joffrey II and the winner of an Ovation Award. She is the author of the novels The Cranes Dance and Blind Sight and lives in Los Angeles. Lynch is a television writer and former Milan correspondent for W Magazine. She lives near Sequoia National Park in California.