This Week in E-books…

Since there isn’t actually any new series starting up this week for a New Series Alert post, it looks like it will be a preview of what is coming up this week in e-books instead. Entangled Covet released a new title today from Susannah Scott called Luck of the Dragon.

Synopsis…

Luciana de Luca has a PhD in sass and gemology–and a problem. Her twin brother’s gambling debts have gotten out of hand, and a mob enforcer is blackmailing her to rob the latest, greatest mega-casino on the Strip. Although Lucy has worked her whole life to get away from her family’s grifter past, to save her brother, she dons three-inch heels and a sluts-r-us dress and struts into Alec’s Gerald’s casino, determined to put her long-forgotten thieving ways to the test again.

Coming on the 20th is a new entry in Rebecca Zanetti‘s Dark Protectors series, this one called Twisted.

Synopsis…

Maggie is a wolf shifter who was captured and experimented on by the Kurjans. Now that a cure has finally been found for shifters (although not for vampire mates or witches), she can concentrate on creating a new life for herself and finally accepting that her memories are gone forever. Most memories, that is. Sometimes in the hazy world between dreams and dawn, she hears a Scottish voice, dark and deep, that sounds suspiciously like wolf-shifter Terrent Vilks. A man she happened to anger by kidnapping a few years back. Hey, it was for a good cause.

Terrent Vilks knows more than he’s let on for the past several years. After digging for answers, he knows exactly why the demons want Maggie dead. And he remembers his past with Maggie…very well. She is finally where he wants her. Now all he has to do is discover what exactly the Kurjans did to her, beat the demons into so much submission they leave her alone, and get her to fall in love with him. Again. Good thing he’s used to wrangling monsters.

And this final one is from the ongoing Bane Chronicles from Cassandra Clare and company. This month’s release is called Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale.

Synopsis…

When immortal warlock Magnus Bane attends preliminary peace talks between the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders in Victorian London, he is charmed by two very different people: the vampire Camille Belcourt and the young Shadowhunter, Edmund Herondale. Will winning hearts mean choosing sides?

This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale, is written by Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare.

Has anyone tried out any of the Entangled: Covet titles yet? I keep meaning to grab Jennifer Armentrout’s Obsession, but I am a bit miffed that it was changed to an e-only release. I still am holding out hope for a print release somewhere down the line, though (says the person who is still waiting for the print version of Shadows).

Casting the Movie – Where Do You Stand?

The debate rages on. And on. And on.

Whenever a book is adapted for either the television or movie screen, there is this strange thing that happens – usually logical, rational and sane people go absolutely nuts over casting choices. Everyone when they read has their own visual interpretation of the characters on the page, and so of course it is impossible to cast the perfect actor that will make everyone happy. There was an outcry when Jennifer Lawrence was cast as The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen – she was too blonde and not skinny enough. Ditto when Josh Hutcherson was cast as Peeta Malark – too short. Too young. Too boyish. Too not Peeta. Of course now, the first movie down and the second on the horizon, it is hard to picture anyone else playing Katniss and Peeta. It seems like the debates never happened.

Right now, there are three major adaptations in varying stages of production (TMI, Divergent, and Vampire Academy), and I am very happy to say I am a fan of all three series (and have read all the books). Things have been pretty quiet on the Vampire Academy front, but it seems that two of them have fans divided by the casting choices – but for different reasons. First up is City of Bones from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. There was a collective gasp from the fandom when Alex Pettyfer was not cast as Jace Wayland (Herondale. Lightwood. Valentine. Morgenstern? You know who I mean). Did I think Alex Pettyfer had the right look for Jace? Yep. Did I think he was the best actor for the role? Nope.

I was very surprised by the outrage many fans expressed when they found out Jamie Campbell Bower had won the role, however – things got loud, and personal, with many saying that Jamie was too ugly/skinny/strange to play Jace. I didn’t like that, and I thought it crossed the line. Questioning a casting choice is one thing, but insulting the actor is quite another. Jamie wasn’t my first choice, but I have steadily been warming up to him in the role from all of the interviews and clips I have seen. And for the most part, others seem to be much more accepting of him, as well. One of the things I am most impressed by is the fact that Jamie acknowledged the controversy, admitted that he found it both difficult and sometimes painful to deal with – and that it made him work even harder to prove everyone wrong. I liked that, and I respect him for it.

So, while the Jace controversy seems to be dying down, another one is making the rounds. This one is directed at the casting of Theo James as Four in Veronica Roth‘s Divergent series. The main argument I have seen is that as good looking as he is, as talented as he is – Theo James is just too old. Four is written as an 18 year old, and Theo is in fact 28 (and looks 28, for that matter). I have to say, though, that I am on the other side of this one, since I was thrilled that they skewed older with the actor. I can’t see a teenage boy having the presence and the quiet strength and determination needed to play Four, and as I was reading Divergent I always read him as a few years older than written anyways. Maybe it is because I am a couple of decades past my teenage years (er, and the target audience), but this was a definite win for me. I would actually be less excited if things had worked out the other way.

Where do you stand? Yes or no on Jamie and Theo? Does the “wrong” casting choice change your opinion of seeing the movie, or do you go with the flow and hope for the best?

This Week in E-books…

Time for the weekly look at what is coming in e-books and novellas. Entangled Covet‘s new e-book only line continues with the release of its next two titles. The first one is Take it Like a Vamp, from author Candace Havens.

Synopsis…

Vampire Nick Christos might’ve been born in the Middle Ages, but the good old days seem tame compared to the last eight years he’s spent ruling the Supernatural Council. His only respite is with his cute neighbor Casey Meyers, a woman he wants more than any undead man should. Sure, he’s forced to take a cold shower after every encounter, but there’s no way he’ll test his own strength by getting too close to a human, and he’s not willing to risk her life–not with bloodthirsty family on the prowl out to ruin Nick’s life.

When said Nick’s kin shows up, the innocent Casey is caught in the middle of a centuries old fight, and Nick’s biggest fear is realized. Now, instead of keeping his hands off his neighbor, he’ll risk everything to save the human he’s come to love.

And the second is Bad Mouth from author Angela McCallister. I swear I have seen that cover dude posed somewhere before.

Synopsis…

After her ex-husband’s obsession with vampires, Valerie Craig is on a mission to stop transformations. Of all vampires, Kade Rollins is the worst of the worst, but when multiple murders plague Seattle, Val is forced to enlist his aid. Kade’s crude wit and seductive nature attract her like no other, but she can’t ignore his violence toward his human servants, no matter her yearning to forget.

She’s torn when she learns Kade may be behind the murders. Val’s worked hard to protect humans from vampires, but the truth surrounding the murders could ignite a bloody battle between their races, one humans are sure to lose. Someone is pulling strings to build a vampire army and spark the war—setting Kade up to kick it off. But if she trusts the vampire prince, she risks her job, her integrity, and her heart if he betrays her as all the men in her life have.

And from the YA side, Cassandra Clare‘s second Bane Chronicles story, The Runaway Queen, comes out tomorrow. This one was co-written with Maureen Johnson.

Synopsis…

While in France, immortal warlock Magnus Bane finds himself attempting to rescue the royal family from the horrors of the French Revolution—after being roped into this mess by a most attractive count. Naturally, the daring escape calls for invisible air balloons…

This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, The Runaway Queen, is written by Maureen Johnson and Cassandra Clare.

Meh, not much for me this week. I am holding off on the Bane Chronicles until I can get the print version, and I am too annoyed with the crap publishing schedule of Entangled to break down and try their new line. I will be grabbing Jennifer Armentrout’s Arum novel when it comes out next week, though (that doesn’t count. Not sure why, but it doesn’t).

Cover Lover – The Runaway Queen

Now, count me surprised. I was pretty sure that all of the e-novellas in Cassandra Clare‘s Bane Chronicles were going to have the same cover with just a different title slapped on the front.

Nope.

Looks like each installment might be getting its very own cover treatment, which is great. Story number two is called The Runaway Queen, and it will be released on May 21st.

Oh, and over on Page to Premier, there is a very small snippet from the upcoming sixth and final (?) Mortal Instruments book, City of Heavenly Fire. It looks like the lead characters from the upcoming Dark Artifices series are introduced in this one, which makes total sense.

This and That…Movie Edition

There seems to be a lot going on in the PNR/UF movie side of things in the last couple of days, both good and bad. This is just a quick round-up of what I have been seeing lately…

Well, first off, the big cover reveal for Veronica Roth‘s third Divergent book, Allegiant, took place this morning. Much hoopla was involved. Also Ryan Seacrest. That one still makes me shake my head, but dude looks like he would go to the opening of an envelope if it bought him some attention. Anyways, Allegiant will look like so when it hits the shelves on October 22nd.

Also from the Divergent-verse, it seems that things are looking like a go for the sequel, Insurgent. A screenwriter has been chosen, and things are progressing. With the amount of hype surrounding pretty much every aspect of this series, I am not surprised, but it is still good to get confirmation. I actually got excited when I saw a picture that included Theo James‘ (Four’s) forehead. In my defense, there is also an ear. Nerd.

Aaand, it seems that there being a second Mortal Instruments movie is a sure thing, since City of Ashes has just been greenlit. The director of the first movie, Harold Zwart, will be returning, and production will start this fall. Yes! My fear is always that the studios go into these movies with half a commitment, and take a wait and see attitude (for example, will there be a second Beautiful Creatures movie? Never heard anything more). At least this shows faith in the product. Nice.

Filming starts for the Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters at the end of this month. All of the stars are in rigorous training right now to get into fighting shape, and author Richelle Mead has been very pleased with what she has seen so far. According to a chat she recently did, she said that all of the important stuff from the books has made the translation to the script, and that things are looking good. Olga Kurylenko has just been cast as Headmistress Kirova – I did picture the Kirova as an old hag, not a Bond Girl, but that could work, too.

It seems, on a less positive note, that Fox has passed on the Delirium pilot starring Emma Roberts. Based on the Lauren Oliver trilogy of the same name, the cast had been very active trying to drum up fan support, but it was still not enough to get Fox to bite.

The Selection from Keira Cass seems to be up in the air, too. The first pilot was passed on last season by the CW, but it was given a second chance with a new cast and new focus. And that new focus is way, way heavy on the sex/intrigue. According to an article in The Examiner…

          The Hunger Games influence is still very very strong in this show — but they’ve given it a heavy injection of Game of Thrones as well. There’s a lot of sex and raunchiness, even by The CW’s standards, and tons and tons of cynicism. Everybody is plotting against everybody else, everybody is making alliances and cutting deals and nobody trusts anybody. Mostly it’s a chance to see Tony Head play a king again, so soon after Merlin.

Kiera Cass stated herself in a Tweet that it is everything the article stated – and more – and that the way things are going, an R rating wouldn’t be strong enough. Huh. Didn’t see that coming.

And finally, the trailer for the upcoming Ender’s Game has been making the rounds. Now, I have to admit, I know nothing about this. It wasn’t even on my radar, but I have seen much love directed its way on the other blogs, so I thought the least I could do was post the trailer.

New Series Alerts…

The middle of the month is not overrun with new series, but there are a couple of young adult ones getting their start this week. Erin Bowman‘s Taken is the first book of the Taken series.

Synopsis…

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Taken reading list HERE.

Also starting up this week is the first installment of The Bane Chronicles. Cassandra Clare‘s e-series featuring warlock Magnus Bane will be released over the course of the next few months, and then all of the stories will be released in a print-format book. This first story is called What Really Happened in Peru.

Synopsis…

There are good reasons Peru is off-limits to Magnus Bane. Follow Magnus’s Peruvian escapades as he drags his fellow warlocks Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss into trouble, learns several instruments (which he plays shockingly), dances (which he does shockingly), and disgraces his host nation by doing something unspeakable to the Nazca Lines.

This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, What Really Happened in Peru, is written by Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare.

The Bane Chronicles reading list HERE.

 

Cover Lover – 5 New Titles

This is definitely a mixed bag Cover Lover post, with two adult and three young adult titles. Let’s mix things up and start with the young adult covers for a change. Crown of Midnight from Sarah J. Maas is the second full book in the Throne of Glass series, and it is due out on August 27th. I like this design change, since the first book was pretty but quite standard YA fare. Nice.

Now this is interesting. Cassandra Clare is releasing (along with a couple of other authors) a series of e-novellas that will then be gathered and released in print format later on in the year. The series itself is called The Bane Chronicles features Magnus Bane, and the first story (What Really Happened in Peru) will be released on April 16th. I am not sure if this cover will also be used for the eventual print edition of the stories, but I do think it would make a great one.

And this third YA cover is for Diana Peterfreud‘s Across a Star-Swept Sea, the second book in her For Darkness Shows the Stars series, which is due out on October 15th.

I usually think of Melissa de la Cruz as a YA author, but Winds of Salem is actually from her adult Witches of East End series. This one is due out on August 13th.

And finally, this one is from the Anna Strong series from Jeanne C. Stein. Blood Bond is due out on August 27th.

Reading Roundup…

It looks like since there are no new series starting up this week, I will be doing a reading roundup post instead. I thought that I had just done one, but it looks like it was quite a few books ago. I covered a bit of everything this time, it seems, since I am trying to switch around formats and genres so I get a bit of everything.

Beauty Dates the Beast – after finishing the epic Fever series, I wanted to grab something a little lighter. Loved Fever, but there was a lot going on. I hit Mount TBR, and came up with a new-to-me author that had been sitting on the shelf for quite a while – Jessica Sims. Cover was a bit cheesy, but it sounded like fun. Well, I was surprised by how much I got into this one. It was a fast, fun read, exactly what I needed, and when I finished I promptly ordered the rest of the series. I was very glad I finally broke down and read this one, and now looking very forward to seeing how the rest of this series goes.

Wolf With Benefits – Shelly Laurenston‘s Pride series is wild and crazy and fun. This one was a little different for me since I found myself getting more wrapped up in the story than I usually do. There was less slapstick comedy (although there was some, of course) and more plot than I usually find, and I liked it. Probably one of my favorites for this series so far. I do wonder who’s story is next, though…

Frost Burned – not much to say about this one. Patricia Briggs can always be counted on for a terrific story, and this one is no exception. I was surprised by two things, though – one was how much time Adam and Mercy spent apart, and two was how much I found myself gravitating towards Ben. Ben had been interesting in the previous books, but I have to say he grabbed my attention (and respect) in Frost Burned. Now I think he ranks up there with Samuel in characters that I really want to have get their own stories. The only thing I wish is that Bran had made an appearance, since things usually get very interesting when he shows up. You know those authors that you wish would write faster but the wait is worth it in the end? Patricia Briggs is one of those.

Clockwork Princess – Crap. Holy crap. Cassandra Clare‘s final Infernal Devices book was good. This series stands apart for me because it is the best written love triangle I have ever come across. I know some have the Team Will/Team Jem thing going on, but I went back and forth. Book one I was convinced it was Will that Tessa belonged with. Book two Jem stole both my heart and the spotlight. Book three was anyone’s game. There was no one more deserving, more likeable, or more worthy. I think what made the difference is that all three characters loved each other (of course, in different ways, but love is love). All three respected each other, and all three would sacrifice anything for the other two. I went into this one with a bit of dread, actually, since I couldn’t figure out how all three characters could be happy. Good thing Cassandra Clare could, because after some true tragedy the book gave me a better ending than I ever could have hoped for. But I dare anyone to not shed a tear when they read the epilogue. Dare you.

Twice Tempted – Ah, Vlad. I’ve been waiting for you. Book two of the three Jeaniene Frost plans to write about Vlad, Twice Tempted was a one evening read for me since I couldn’t put it down. Love the characters, the world, the whole works. And Leila stands out as a particular favorite of mine, and that is saying something since I usually don’t pay much attention to the heroines at all. She is gutsy, brave, and holds her own against Dracula. How many characters can say that. Finding out Vlad’s true feelings was even more dramatic than I had expected, and there is no way that I can wait for the as-yet unknown third book. No way.

Wild Invitation – Nalini Singh can do no wrong with me, as I have always said. This is no exception, since I loved a book I had already read half of. The two new novellas are great additions to the series, in different ways. I loved heading into the San Gabriel den for Declaration of Courtship, and this story introduced a ton of new SnowDancers. Cooper’s den was a nice change of pace, and got me hoping we get more into the other SnowDancer areas in the near future. What I enjoyed most about their story was the dramatic difference in Cooper and Grace’s dominance, and the inherent problems it caused. It was a great glimpse into something that has been touched on before (Indigo and Drew’s story, for example), and I found it very interesting. The other new story was Texture of Intimacy featuring Lara and Walker, and I enjoyed this one in a very different way. Walker was the one character that I never really got a feeling for before – but you definitely see the man behind the Silence in this one. He is more like Judd than I ever realized, and carried much more of a burden than I suspected. And as a bonus, there is a subtle focus on Aden and Alice, which got me hoping for a pairing for those two sometime in the near future. The Psy/Changeling world is my absolute favorite, and both of these stories added to that.

So, what about you? Did you read any of these? I have been on a run of great books lately which I am truly grateful for, so here’s hoping that continues. What have you read and loved lately?

Clockwork Princess Winner

I just found out I have to wait a couple of more weeks for my copy of Cassandra Clare‘s Clockwork Princess, which is not cool. Not cool at all. Looks like the giveaway winner will actually get their copy before I get mine, and I am trying to stop myself from peeking at reviews to see what happens. Must. Not. Look. Anyway, there were 12 entrants for the giveaway, and the winner as chosen by Random.org was entrant #6…

Wicked

Congratulations, Wicked. I will contact you shortly for your info, and I will order your copy of Clockwork Princess from the Book Depository.

Pick of the Week…and a Giveaway

This is a bit of a dual-purpose post, since I am so excited for my pick of the week that I decided to also feature it as a giveaway. Cassandra Clare‘s Shadowhunter books are among my favorite young adult stories, and this week is the final story of The Infernal Devices. I was actually surprised by just how much I enjoyed this series, and before I actually started it I considered it The Mortal Instruments’ poor relation. That is so, so wrong. I love the little links between the two worlds, the little connections that are not really explained but fans of both series would pick up anyway. And this is probably the only instance in which I can honestly say that not only did the love triangle not annoy me, but in fact I just couldn’t choose between Jem and Will. That is a sign of just how well done these books are, at least for me. So, my pick of the week (and one of my most anticipated books so far this year) is Clockwork Princess.

Synopsis…

In Clockwork Princess, Tessa and her companions travel all over the world as they race to stop the clockwork army before it’s too late. As Jem’s health worsens alarmingly and his friends search desperately for a cure, can Tessa choose between the two boys she loves — even if it means never seeing the other one again?

–Infernal Devices reading list HERE

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And for the giveaway portion, if you would like to win a hardcover copy of the third and final Infernal Devices just leave a comment here.  Giveaway will close tomorrow (Wednesday) at midnight Atlantic time. Open to all entrants, your copy will be ordered from The Book Depository. Good luck to all. And here is the official book trailer…