Winner of Original Sin

The Winner of Original Sin by Allison Brennan has been chosen with the use of random.org.

Winner #31 StephTheBookworm

Congrats Chickadee! Enjoy the book!

Thanks again to

Tricia Carr @ Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. for offering up a copy of Original Sin for Giveaway!

Wondrous Strange - Top Reviewer

Monica @ The Bibliophilic Book Blog

Monica because of her great review is also the winner of a signed copy of Darklight, provided by Lesley Livingston herself. Great job Monica, and send me your address so I can forward it over.
parajunkee at gmail dot com

Stay tuned, this probably will not be a one time thing (award for Top Reviewer) so start getting ready for our The Host reviews! I don't think we will be getting anything from Mrs. Meyer, but word on the street says we have some cool Blog with Bite swag hot off the press.

Support Monica's blog by becoming a follower!

Here is her review:

Book Review: Wondrous Strange by: Lesley Livingston

Summary: Kelley Winslow is living her dream. Seventeen years old, she has moved to New York City and started work with a theatre company. Sure, she's an understudy for the Avalon Players, a third-tier repertory company so far off-Broadway it might as well be in Hoboken, but things are looking up—the lead has broken her ankle and Kelley's about to step into the role of Titania the Fairy Queen in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Faeries are far more real than Kelley thinks, though, and a chance encounter in Central Park with a handsome young man will plunge her into an adventure she could never have imagined.

For Sonny Flannery, one of the Janus Guards charged by Auberon, the King of Winter, with watching over the gate into the lands of Faerie that lies within Central Park, the pretty young actress presents an enigma. Strong and willful, she sparks against his senses like a firecracker and he can't get her out of his mind. As  Hallowe'en approaches and the Samhain Gate opens, Sonny and Kelley find themselves drawn to each other—and into a terrible plot that could spell disaster for both New York and Faerie alike.

Lesley Livingston certainly knows how to weave an awesome faerie tale. Ms. Livingston uses a lot of classic faerie elements as well as a TON and a half of classic Shakespeare....some of it being the same thing. These are both very good things. Shakespeare in itself is hard for a young reader to understand and feel. I think in this book Ms. Livingston gives Shakespeare a platform for young readers to understand and comprehend. When your favorite character is standing, acting out a Shakespeare scene, and the author is describing the emotions, the other characters, it clicks in the head and all of a sudden you have a teen who has had their possibly first dose of Shakespeare at his greatest, instead of it being crammed down the throat in high school English.

The characters are strong and willful but I don't think the author gave the reader enough time to truly get to know some of them. I liked Sonny, but by the time the story ended, I didn't know much about him and I wasn't head over heels in love with him, which is something I quite like in my male protagonists.

The plot is quick paced, but I think the the author could have done so much more with it, this book could have been huge; at the same time, if the author made it even larger it might be more difficult for young minds to wrap around. There were also a couple points in the plot that were a bit predictable...the whole deal that Sonny makes, totally saw that coming from a mile away. Faeries are tricky like that.

Overall this book is pretty good, I am really excited to read the next book in this series, Darklight.


Discussion Questions:

- Faeries seem to be very big in YA lit lately, how does Wondrous Strange compare to others in its genre such as Lament, Wicked Lovely, etc.?

I think Wondrous Strange was set strongly on Shakespearean Fae as opposed to Lament which was set strongly on Celtic Fae. Technically Fae is Fae but the source of the folklore differs.

- How did you view the relationship with Kelley and Sonny, was it a believable romance?

I think we didn't get enough time to get to know Sonny and I don't think Kelley did either, so it can use some work.  

- Wondrous Strange was written in the typical fashion of paranormal literature, with the protagonist unaware of her supernatural abilities, meets boy who introduces her to the world... do you find these plot lines tiresome in their likeness, or do you believe there are always similarities within fiction and it is all about the deeper story?

It depends on my mood to be honest, sometimes I get bored with it, but its usually the mystery I get bored with. All the shadows and guessing games. I can continue reading plot lines like this...as long as they don't have so much clouding it interrupts the storyline.


Received from: Purchased from Books-A-Million

For more information or for purchasing visit Lesley Livingston's webpage.

I give this book 4/5 stars. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Original Sin Blurb

Original Sin by Allison Brennan.........Thoughts from Tina

When I started this nail biting horror ride, I wasn’t prepared for it to scare the pants off me!!!! Due to the subject matter and content I had a difficult time reading through half of the book, the writing is intense and flows at a very fast pace after about 20 pages in. Needless to say I decided to stop reading Original Sin, so I cannot give this a full review- but can tell all you who love the thrill of terror to dive into this one....for those of you who are wimps like me- proceed with caution.

This Weeks BWB Feautre - Original Sin by Allison Brennan - Review

  Original Sin by Allison Brennan

Review copy provided by Tricia Carr of Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.


Author's Website

PJV's Quickie POV:   An action packed thriller, filled with demons and evil witches that will have your spine shivering. The novel digs in after a few chapters and doesn't let go, sending you on an adventure that is reminiscent of the final throws of Sunnydale (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). My knuckles were white throughout most of this novel as the protagonist battled demon after demon, fighting for her life and the future of mankind. With each page more and more was revealed as layer upon layer of religious background, forensics, demonology, showed of the immense amounts of research the author must have put in to pen this series.

Review:    Moira is a witch.  A witch descended from a long line of magic and evil.  Her mother conceived her for the soul purpose of sacrificing her to Hell to be used as a conduit between the worlds.  A goddess her mother had said, one that walks both worlds, yet none. Moira knew the truth though, she wouldn't be a goddess, she would be a slave. She escaped and found solace with her mother's enemy, the priests of the order of St. Michael's. She learned to battle the forces of evil, she learned faith and she also learned to love.

Her mother would not stop until she was either found, or destroyed.  And all it took was one error on Moira's part, and everything she had came crashing down upon her and she barely escaped with her life. Her life, faith and reputation in tatters, Moira sets off to do the one thing she was destined to do, find and kill her mother. Her mother Fiona has other plans though...

Original Sin surprised me.  Within the first two chapters I was actually getting to the point where I thought I might have to put it aside. It was moving slowly, well written but nothing was sucking me in.  Boy was I surprised as I got deeper in the book and couldn't put the thing down! Action sequence after action sequence, Original Sin, definitely wasn't boring anymore. I'm very glad I didn't give in and push it to the side.  Original Sin has it all, great characters, fast moving plot, detailed background, excellent tone and chills and thrills to make you want to run to the nearest church and say a few Hail Marys.

PJ Fact #42, raised Catholic, very Catholic (didn't go to a day of public school) and the Catholic religion is a big focus of this novel, and it was done well. Nothing like reading about warrior priests to bring back childhood memories.  Some of those Jesuits looked like they've taken down a demon or two. Beside bringing out repressed Catholic memories the book did more than just entertain. Well worth the money, and from what I could tell, very easy to find, since I saw rows and rows of the book at every store I went to this weekend, from Rite Aid to Sam's.


Recommendations:   Adult book for adult readers, there is violence, sex and a smidge of cursing.  This is not what I would call a Paranormal Romance, there are a lot of "I Love Yous" from various characters, but the romance is not the main focus, it is the battle between good an evil.  A nice introductory PNR if you are a fan of thrillers. Fans of horror, authors like Koontz and King should take a look.

Orginal Sin by Allison Brennan Feature & Giveaway

Orignal Sin by Allison Brennan

This week Blog with Bite is featuring Orginal Sin by Allison Brennan.  Along with HBIC reviews and author features, we are also hosting a giveaway!

Tricia Carr of Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. has kindly offered Blog with Bite 1 copy of Original Sin by Allison Brennan for giveaway. Details are posted at the end of this post.

Quotes from bloggers you know:
"...I did not want to put this book down." - FictionVixen
"...terrific mixture of suspense, mystery and a lot of action with a hint of romance..." Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings


Book Description (goodreads.com)
Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O’Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira’s global search has led her to a small California town that’s about to become hell on earth.

Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can’t explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira’s dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity’s last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.

 Win 1 Copy of Original Sin by Filling Out the Form Below!
One winner will be chosen with the use of random.org. Winner will be notified by email, and has 48 hours to respond.

Rules & Regulations:

• Must be 13 or older
• Must be US or Canadian resident (Mailing address)
• Please no PO Boxes
• You must be a follower of Blog with Bite
• Contest Ends February 8th Midnight CST
  

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Wondrous Strange Reviews

Our Charming Member's Wondrous Strange Reviews

Poisoned Rationality
All Things Urban Fantasy
Storywings
Books to the Rescue
The Bibliophilic Book Blog
My 5 Monkeys
She Reads

HBIC Reviews:

What Book Is That?

Parajunkee's View 

TinasBookReviews

HBIC Review:Emily @ What Book is That?

Title: Wondrous Strange
Author: Lesley Livingston
Page Count: 327 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: fantasy, young adult
Copy for review compliments of the public library

50 words or less: Kelley Winslow gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she gets promoted from understudy to Titania in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. For Kelley, though, faeries are about to become a very real part of her life.

Cue a dreamy sigh here, because this book is a cream puff wrapped in a doughnut with a big pile of whipped cream on top. I know the world of books is kind of saturated with faerie books right now, and personally I do find them hit or miss myself, but Wondrous Strange is a sure bet if you love creative plots, clever storytelling, enjoyable characters, and a sweet, blossoming love story.

The main character, Kelley, is an extremely likeable one- she doesn't have any kooky exceptional understanding of the extraordinary events in the story, she just rolls with the punches and tries to make the best of every day, which is admirable in the extreme. Sonny makes an excellent hero/knight in shining armor/love interest- Darklight cannot arrive soon enough at my house for me to find out what happens between them.

The politics of the faerie world are, as always, complex, and treachery lurks around every corner- Kelley finds out that she has a far more central role in all the faerie hoohah than anyone could have ever imagined. Sonny, too, finds out more about himself through the course of the book, and it'll be interesting to see what impact all these revelations have on future books. Darklight, I'm coming for you!

If you've never read a young adult book featuring faeries before or if you've read one and been disappointed, I really recommend giving Wondrous Strange a try. It's very different from other books out there and reminds me of all the reasons I fell in love with books and reading in the first place. Give it a shot!

Overall Grade: A
Blog with Bite Score: 4/4

Discussion Questions:
1.Faeries seem to be very big in YA lit lately, how does Wondrous Strange compare to others in its genre such as Lament, Wicked Lovely, etc.? Wondrous Strange is one of my favorite fey-related stories out right now, and I think it's as much because of the writing style as anything. I loved the Shakespearean parallels, and I thought the world building was very well done, and as everyone knows, I'm all about the world building.

2.How did you view the relationship with Kelley and Sonny, was it a believable romance? I thought their relationship was very sweet. I like that they didn't just jump all over each other and that they had a lot to learn about each other. It was very romantic.

3.Wondrous Strange was written in the typical fashion of paranormal literature, with the protagonist unaware of her supernatural abilities, meets boy who introduces her to the world... do you find these plot lines tiresome in their likeness, or do you believe there are always similarities within fiction and it is all about the deeper story? I admit, I'm a pretty big bossyboots when it comes to this element of stories. I don't mind if a character is just finding out about the supernatural world as long as they are not a complete doof about it. I can't stand books that go one and on and on about the character's inability to process what's going on. I find those stories repetitive. I'd much prefer a character who rolls with the situation and allows the story to keep moving to one that keeps asking "wait, what?" I think that this is one element of paranormal stories that does have to be addressed, but I think it can be skillfully done.