Review "Blood Promise" by Richelle Mead

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

Richelle Mead

Publication Date: August 25, 2009

Publisher: Razorbill

Hardcover: 503 pgs

Goodreads 

Summary:

     Blood Promise is the 4th book in the Vampire Academy series. After the horrible events that happened in Shadow Kiss ( and I mean horrible) Rose has made a big decision about her future. Rose journeys all the way to Russia to find the man that she loves so she can do what she promised. But first she has to find him, which turns out to be a lot harder than she thought. Along the way we are introduced to several new characters including Sydney Sage and Abe Mazur. Along with Sydney and Abe we also get to see the loved ones Dimitri left behind. Meanwhile back at St. Vladimir's Lissa is trying to deal with the fact that Rose is no longer by her side. Plus her deal with the queen has Lissa jumping through hoops which is driving her crazy (not literally) To make matters worse her behavior is becoming increasingly erratic. Rose is too far away to help and besides she has other things to worry about such as if she finds Dimitri will she be able to kill him or will her attempts to save his soul be in vain. 

   

Review:
     I had a hard time getting into this book.There wasn't a lot of action in the first part and it was really sad. Though, it was interesting to see Rose's reactions to meeting Dimitri's family. Seeing these people that remind Rose of Dimitri makes her loss even more difficult to deal with. She can see pieces of him everywhere and it makes her decision to save his souls all the more challenging. Is she even on the right path?  

   Once it got going I was hooked. I loved the fact that Rose was on her own for the first time and though she was worried about Lissa, the only person she has to take care of  is herself. One of the biggest isuues I had with Blood Promise a lack of Adrian ( he is one of my favorite characters).  Throughout the novel Rose continues to grow as she faces challenges that threaten to rip her apart. But because of her strength and her will to live Rose fights through the tough times that she endures. Rose is not the only one growing up Lissa also comes to some difficult conclusions about herself. The separation though it was hard made both girls face issues about themselves that could not see when they were together. 

    I loved the second half of this book it had me reading  as fast as I could so that I could find out what happens next. I love these characters and the more books I read about them the more I want to know whats ultimately going to happen to them. I encourage you to have Spirit Bound on hand because the ending of Blood Promise had me ready for more.

Cover:

     This cover is okay not awe inspiring but it's not horrible either. I think it's better then some of the others but I'm just not feeling it that much. 

Just wanted to say

I originally planned to read A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies but then I realized that Silence is coming out on the 4th. So I decided to reread Hush Hush and Crescendo so that the story would be fresh in my mind.  I am really excited to read Silence and happy to hear there will be one more book after Silence. 

Swoon Thursdays (2)

The ladies at YA Bound have created a hot new meme called SWOON #YABound IF you want to join in here's what you need to do.

All you need to do is pick up the book you are currently reading or just finished reading . Find what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding and your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. Then shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag  #YABound post in the comments, or grab the awesome button from YA Bound (above) and share it on your blog! 

Here's what I have this week:

    When they kissed, it tasted like salt and sacrifice, and she lost herself to the exquiste pleasure of his body and his love. --Lost in Time(Blue Bloods 6) SWOON #YABound

Unabridged Andra 500 follower giveaway!

Unabridged Andra is celebrating having reached 500 followers with an awesome giveaway. Need details? Head over to her site (HERE) for the details and a chance to win a box of books, which includes an ARC of Lola and the Boy Next Door, and the Unbecoming of Myra Dyer. Head over and let me know how it goes.

Awkward Mondays

I just finished reading Hourglass by Myra McEntire and I really enjoyed it (full review later I'm slightly behind on those) There were so many awkward moments in that book I thought I would post a few of my favorites.

" 'I'm all yours.' it slipped out before I could stop it. 'Er...I mean I think I'm going to be in trouble either way since I spent the night with you...here, I mean, spent the night here.' I stopped taking and sighed deeply.'I have time.' Kill me now."

"He tapped his fist on the roof of the SUV. ' But that's not why I followed you I wanted to ask you.. how...um, experienced are you with guys?'...His face was a red as a Santa suit. Squinting and staring at the ground, he used his hands to gesture as he fumbled for words. "I ...er...don't mean it that way, not like physical...' "

"Kaleb's hands slid down my arms, his thumbs tracing lines from my inner elbows to my writs. Chill bumps formed on my skin and my stomach tightened, anticipation ripping through my system. I leaned back, bumping my head on the cabinet behind me."

My perfect day with Puck

Though I am completely Team Ash, I think I would get a long better with Puck and well Ash is already taken.  Since I spend a lot of time indoors reading this is how I imagine Puck would draw me out. Hope you enjoy my day with Puck. I'm pretty sure I did.


Puck the Prankster always a mischievous look in his eyes and that afternoon was no different. The weather that day was overcast and threatening to rain throughout most of the afternoon.  Puck however could not stand to be cooped up in a lifeless room.  He had heard of loner that had been traveling through who could create his own weather and Puck could not resist the urge to find him. I could see the gleam in his eye and new that he was up to something and the last time I got involved in one of his schemes I woke up days later not remembering the fight. I did what I could to keep myself from his view as I tried to sneak around the corner but he was quick to catch me. “Nicole, where you slinking off to?”
“Oh Puck I didn’t see you there.” I tried to pull myself away from him but something about him always left me mesmerized. “I was just going off to snuggle under the blankets.”
“No problem.  Since you aren’t really doing anything I figure you’re the perfect person to help me out with a little something.” As he spoke he began wheeling me around towards the front door.
“Gee thanks.” The sarcasm was evident but rolled right off Puck.
“Now I’m thinking we need to get a start out before it gets to dark. There’s someone I have been meaning to meet.” He grabbed coats from the rack and we were out the door.
“You think this is a good time to meet someone? How do you figure?” I asked with a little irration in my voice but Puck seemed unfazed by my attitude.
“Nicole you need to get out more and stop spending so much time indoors daydreaming and reading.” He continued in front of me and I walked unwillingly behind him. For a time we seemed to be walking in no real direction at all but he wasn’t at all frazzled.  He seemed to know exactly where to go. For a time he was quiet lost in his own thoughts until he sensed that we were not alone. We hid ourselves from view and Puck immediately began plotting his move. Before the men approached Puck began to craft the trees in a manor that made them all look the same causing a mass confusion for anyone traveling in that direction. He then crafted a makeshift arrow and posted it in the newly created path.  From time to time I tried to pipe out my concerns but he paid no mind to me.  When he figured that his job was done he once again pulled me behind the trees.  We watched as the men approached and their obvious confusion had Puck in hysterical laughter. He let them struggle for awhile before he stepped up offering his help sending them off in the wrong direction purposely.
“Let’s go.  We’ll need to get there before dark.” He once again headed off in where he knew the path to be. He kept chuckling to himself as we wandered the forrest path until he realized he made the mistake of getting us lost. He stood there in disbelief as we found ourselves in terriotory that we were not supposed to be in.

Review "Shadow Kiss" Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)

Richelle Mead

Publication Date: November 13, 2008

Publisher: Razorbill

Paperback: 443 pgs

Goodreads

Summary:

     Shadow Kiss is the third book in the Vampire academy series. In this novel Rose is dealing with the reprucions of what happened during Christmas break as well as continuing to deal with the bond that ties her to Lissa. She soon discovers that Victor Dashkov has yet toi be put on trial for the events that took place in Vampire Academy. To make matters worse Rose and Lissa are not allowed to attend the trial. To add to all that Rose is dealing with she must now start her field experience, and she is not at all happy with her assignment but she eventually comes to accept what she has to do. Adrian (favorite character) joins the Academy as a guest and continues to pop up through out the novel. In Frostbite we learned that Adrian like Lissa is a Spirit user so he has come to the academy to continue to explore his magick with Lissa. Throughout Shadow Kiss Rose's behavior starts to become more erratic and she is having trouble controlling her temper, the reason behind this new behavior will have Rose questioning her entire future. But luckily for Rose she has Dimitri to help her figure things out. To everyone's surprise Rose, Lissa and a few of thier friends are eventually allowed to go to the Royal Court for Victor's trial. After a intense fight at the Academy Rose will have some really difficult decsions to make ones that may threaten her entire future.Though Lissa is Rose's best friend Rose finds herself keeping more and more secrets from Lissa which will eventually lead to some major issues between the two.

Review:
Shadow Kiss was one of those books that had me reading as fast as I could so I could find out what was going to happen to these characters. This installment is extremelly action packed. Which makes for a really good read. Not only do we learn more about the bond between Lissa and Rose we also learn about the effects the bond has on Rose. But Rose's reaction to this new development shows how much she cares about her best friend. I also liked how we as readers were able to see Rose a little more vauerable than she has been in the past. It's obious that she is a strong character but she has a valunerable side as well. In Frostbite Dimitri told Rose that he couldn't leave the Academy and start a relationship with someone else because he was in love with Rose. Which eventually leads to a more complex relationship between Rose and Dimitri. I really want these two to be a couple they are both strong, indepent, loyal, yet they need each. The end of this book had me going crazy. I could not believe how this one ended it was completly heartbreaking.

Cover:
    If you have read my other reviews on this series you know I am not the biggest fan of these covers. I don't think this cover is horrible by any means but I have seen some really amazing covers and wish my favorite series had something a little more stunning.

Review "Frostbite" Richelle Mead

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)

Richelle Mead

Publication Date: April 10, 2008

Publisher: Razorbill

Paperback: 327 pgs

Goodreads

Summary:

     Frostbite is the second installment in the Vampire Academy series. In this novel we get to see more of the characters that we came to love in Vampire Academy. Also we are introduced to a few new characters Tasha Ozera, Christian's aunt, Adrian Ivashkov,and Rose's mom Janine makes an appearance. After a particularly deadly Strigoi attack the students at St. Vladimir's Academy are sent to a more secure location for the Christmas holiday a posh ski resort. Even though Roses's surroundings are amazing she is still srtuggling with her feelings for her instructor, Dimitri. While trying to put those feelings behind her Rose tries to move on with Mason but no matter what she does she can't seem to let Dimitri go, but she may not have a choice. He seems to be moving on as well. When three of Roses's friends leave the resort to go Strigoi hunting, she feels as though she has no choice but to go out and find them. Instead of involving her best friend she decides to ask Christian, Lissa's boyfriend for help. What Rose and the others encounter on this trip will change them forever, and all of them may not return.

Review: 

     One of the reasons I really enjoy this novel is because we get to see the character of Rose evolve as she begins to accept that she may not be able to have everything that she wants. She is begining to grow up and is learning to control her impulsive behavior. Though if she completly lost her implusive behavior than she wouldn't be Rose Hathaway. She is realizing just how important her job is, one wrong move and the person she is protecting could die. But I also like that Rose keeps her trade mark attitude. I also really love the addition of Adrian to the stroy he is one of my favorite characters in the entire series. He's funny, a little crazy, completly spoiled, and a total flirt all of which make him extremely lovable. The ending of this book had me reaching for the next book in this series. I had to find out what happens next and I did. Though I really liked this book there were some parts that I really didn't like, not because they were determential to the story but because of how the affected the main charcter. When I read these books it's easy to get lost in the charcacters and the world that they exist in. 

Cover:

     The cover of Frostbite is okay it doesn't really make me jump up and down and say I need to get this book. Mainly because I don't think it represents the characters properly. But I have seen worse covers so I guess it gets three stars.

Swoon Thursdays (1)

The ladies at YA Bound have created a hot new meme called SWOON #YABound IF you want to join in here's what you need to do.

All you need to do is pick up the book you are currently reading or just finished reading . Find what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding and your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. Then shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag  #YABound post in the comments, or grab the awesome button from YA Bound (above) and share it on your blog! 

Here's Mine:

Every nerve in my body lit up, and I felt that desire returned in him- and then some. Last Sacrifice, Richelle Mead. SWOON #YABound.

Review "Vampire Academy" Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)

Richelle Mead

Publication Date: August, 16, 2007

Publisher: Razorbill

Paperback 332 pgs

Goodreads

Summary:

     The main character Rose Hathaway is a strong female lead who is not only  fiercely loyal but she has the skills to back up that loyalty. Lissa is Rose's gentle best friend, but like Rose she is strong and just as loyal to Rose as Rose is to her. Richelle Mead creates a world where not all vampires are good. The evil Strigoi are immortal and out to destroy the Moroi and Dhampirs. Strigoi are stronger and faster so taking them down is not easy. Dhampir's like Rose train hard to be able to defend the Moroi and with Rose it's more personal since she wants to guard her best friend, who is the last of her family line. In Vampire Academy not only are the girls trying to navigate high school but they also have to deal with a predator who is out to get them both. Since Rose and Lissa left school Rose must catch up, with her training, so that she even stands a chance of graduating and getting the assignment she wants most. Along with all the craziness Rose and Lissa are also dealing with a bond that they don't really understand.

Review:

    To say I really love this series is a vast understatement. I have re-read it a few times I won't mention how many because I'm honestly not sure, but it's a lot. I devoured this book and read it in one sitting. I promptly went out and bought the other books in the series that were available. I love the world and characters that Richelle Mead has created with Vampire Academy. You have a smart, strong, independent main character in Rose. The type of female lead I love reading about. She has a complicated life which includes her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Rose would protect with her life. A new super hot instructor, Dimitri. All of these elements add together to create an interesting story. This is the type of series I find myself completely engrossed in. The characters feel real with flaws and strengths just like those of us in the real world. I find myself thinking what's going to happen next. If you haven't read this series yet I highly recommend that you do. I absolutely loved it! 

Cover:

     I like the cover but I don't love it. For me it doesn't represent all that the novel involves. Plus I'm not sure who the girl on the cover is supposed to be. If it's Rose shouldn't she have really dark brown hair, hair that's nearly black. It gets confusing.  

Giveaway from Hippies, Beauties, and Books. Oh My!

To celebrate reaching 500 followers Hippies, Beauties, and Books. Oh My! is having a amazing giveaway. The prizes include  two different prize packs of 4 books each. Click on the link to head over to get all the details. Happy entering, let me know how it goes.

Review "Supernaturally" Kiersten White

Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2)

Kiersten White

Publication Date: July 26, 2011

Publisher: Harper Teen

Hardcover: 336 pgs

Goodreads

Summary:

     In Supernaturally, we learn more about Evie's background as she continues to look for answers as to who she is and where she came from. Eventually Evie learns awful truths from her past, a past that up until now has mostly been a mystery to her. As Lend is away at college Evie spends most of her time going to a normal high school, which she learns is not as glamorous as Easton Heights made it out to be. There are no declarations of love, wild parties, and fist fights in the halls, in other words high school is boring. We also are introduced to the newest member of the IPCA, Jack who has abilities that are of great use to the IPCA. Jack and Evie begin to work side by side as Evie once again decides to work for the IPCA. 

     

Review:
     Supernaturally is the the second book in the Paranormalcy series. Though I really loved Paranormalcy I had mixed feelings about Supernaturally. I was eager to learn more about Evie and Lend. But a lot of the novel seemed to focus on Evie dwelling on the fact that Lend was a away at college. I didn't feel the same humor that was found in the first book in this series either, which was one of my favorite parts. Though I had wished Evie continued to be the strong character she was in the first book I didn't hate this novel. I just wish that it had more of the humor that was in the first novel. But I will continue on with the series and hope that the third installment has more to offer.

Cover:

     I  was really drawn to the cover of this novel. It has the same feel as Paranormalcy but stands out on its own. I love how the cover is done in shades of red. The flowing red dress, red flowers with a red sky, contrast nicely with Evie's blond hair and pale skin. Very eye catching. 

Giveaway from Bookish

Evie @ Bookish is having a best of Summer releases giveaway! All you need to do to enter is head on over to her site to check out all the details.  Let me know how it goes.

Contest Craze: Mini Challenge One True Pairing

My Cute Bookshelf is holding a contest as part of Princess Bookie's Contest Craze Mini Challenge. This one sounded really fun so I decided to join in on the fun. What we were asked to do was pick our favorite YA couple. Which was super easy because I already know who my favorite YA couple is.
How to join in:
   Pick Your favorite YA couple
   Find pics of people who represent that couple 
   Then link up  

My favorite couple would have to be Rose and Dimitri from the Vampire Academy series.

Ashley Greene

Ashton Kutcher

Why are they my favorite couple? Because they just seem to  be made for each other . They are both independent, strong and fiercely loyal. Plus they can both kick butt. No matter what difficulties they  have faced they stand by each other. Both Rose and Dimitri are willing to do what they have to in order to save and protect the other. And well they kind of love each other. I choose Ashley and Aston because they seem like really good examples of Rose and Dimitri.  Not sure why I have never pictured them as Rose and Dimitri before but they popped into my head and  I went with it.