Monday, March 1, 2010

Firespell - Participating Reviewers

Firespell (Dark Elite, Book 1) Firespell (Dark Elite, Book 1) by Chloe Neill BWB reviewers


Support our reviewers by visiting their blogs!




Also don't forget to enter to win 1 of 5 copies of Hourglass by Claudia Gray! Click here.

Pick up your copy of First Drop of Crimson - our Adult selection for March!

Hourglass by Claudia Gray Feature & Giveaway!

Hourglass (Evernight Novel #3) by Claudia Gray

This week Blog with Bite is featuring Hourglass by Claudia Gray.  Along with HBIC reviews and author features, we are also hosting a giveaway!

Harper Collins has kindly offered 5 (FIVE!) copies of Hourglass for Blog with Bite readers!

This is going to be a fun week on the BWB and on the HBIC's websites.  In honor of the release of Hourglass we are having a Vamp Week! We will be featuring the hottest vamps on screen and on print for your viewing pleasure. Don't forget to check out the festivities!




Book Description (goodreads.com)
Bestselling author Claudia Gray’s Evernight series continues. In Hourglass, Bianca and Lucas have found a way to be together. But it means lying to the people who care about them the most.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, the elite group of vampire hunters led by Lucas’s stepfather. When Bianca’s close friend—the vampire Balthazar—is captured by Black Cross, Bianca knows she has to do whatever it takes to save him. But at what cost?

Hourglass, the third book in this gripping vampire series by the author of the New York Times bestseller Stargazer, has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s books runaway successes.


 Win 1 of 5 Copies of Hourglass 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)
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  • Contest Ends March 12th Midnight CST
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Sunday, February 28, 2010

March Titles- The Votes Are In!

Well, raise your hand if you're surprised, but here are the titles Blog with Bite will be reading and reviewing in March:

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost is book 1! Review Deadline: March 14th, 2010
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa is book 2! Review Deadline March 29th 2010

Timelines for posting and linking reviews will be coming shortly. Also, stay tuned for extra special content for Vampire Week next week, celebrating the release of Hourglass by Claudia Gray!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Firespell - HBIC Review by Parajunkee

H B I C R E V I E W  - by Parajunkee


Firespell (Dark Elite, Book 1) Firespell (Dark Elite, Book 1) by Chloe Neill



This book purchased with my own moolah (kindle version).


PJV's QUICKIE POV: I was very impressed with Some Girls Bite, so I think I had overly high expectations for this book, which led to a bit of disappointment. The book was entertaining, well-written and enjoyable, but it wasn't very original.


Review: Lily has been abandoned by her parents because of a two year research hiatus in Germany. They send her to Chicago, and an all-girl's private school called St. Sophia's.  Away from her friends, away from her parents, and to a world of old money and a lot of secrets.

Immediately she is introduced to Scout, one of her new roommates, and they become fast friends.  Fast enemies are also formed as she is judged and proved unworthy by the brat pack. In typical Mean Girls style they try and trick her and the insults fly around like mosquitoes in June. All the while, Scout is running around in the middle of the night and is obviously lying about something.  The headmistress, Foley lets slip that her parents might also be lying to her about their careers, and even her new crush interest might not be what he appears.

As Lily is sucked deeper and deeper into the world of St. Sophias and Scout's world, her life might never be the same.

Mean Girls meets The Covenant.  Without the weanie bikinis...let's pause for eye candy.


When they got into the meat and potatoes of this novel all I thought was The Covenant, with a few revisions. The brat pack was very typical in their behavior, reminiscent of Mean Girls and all those other movies that has a trio of ridiculous and well dressed bitches. Like I said earlier, I was entertained, and will probably read the second novel, but it was much like watching a Miley Cyrus movie. Entertaining if you don't think too hard about it.

My problems with this book lay within the plot.  Friends that Lily had and missed in Sagamore were quickly forgotten after a text message and introduction to the crush interest. Lily and Scout also became fast friends without any kind of development. It was like "Your my future BFF." "Ok." It just lacked the depth of character and relationship building that Neill's Chicagoland books possess.  I hope the second novel is better. Once again, though, excellent writing and I can see that this series might have a great future.

Recommendations: Nothing to worry about parents, book is completely innocent. Recommended for younger teens and all the way up to the adults.

2/4 BWB Rater



  1. Lily and Jason.  Discuss. What do you think the next book holds for them? 
    1. Well they will probably finally hook up.  I'm predicting that they might have a few issues with Lily maybe being destined to be evil or something. Which will probably lead to some relationship issues between them. 
  2. Lily & Scout's friendship had a lot of secrets, so in the end who did you relate to more, Lily or Scout? How about Lesley or Veronica? Would you hang with the brat pack or be a loner?
    1. I related to Lily more of course. The character of Scout was not as developed as I would have thought. Lesley was like a non-entity, and Veronica was just a typical snob queen.  I would most likely be a loner.
  3. What do think of the overwhelming trend in YA literature where the parents of the protagonists are either- dead, strung out or shipping their children off to boarding schools? Do you think this is a real look at parents today and what teens are dealing with?
    1. I think it might happen more these days than before, especially with  people having to work harder these days and more single parent homes. It might not be typical, but neither is witchcraft.
  4. Follow up to parental question.  Authors employ the missing parents to mature their teenage protagonist. The protagonist doesn't have the option to act as an irresponsible teen, because they do not have any parental supervision.  Did you find Lily's behaviour normal for a teenager, or more mature than most?
    1. Lily showed some maturity that I don't think many teenagers might posses, especially since she wasn't used to the parental abandonment, which would mature a teen. 




HBIC Review Firespell

HBIC Review Firespell by Chloe Neill posted by Tina @ Tinasbookreviews


Memorable quote:

Do you have any idea what wearing blue did for a boy with already ridiculously blue eyes………………add that to a face already too pretty for anyone’s good, and you had a dangerous combination. The boy was completely en fuego.
Page 133 (Lily’s thoughts on Jason)

En Fuego….I love it…..and that’s about as on fire as this book got. Not to say I didn’t like Lily’s adventure I think Chloe Neill is a fabulous writer and story teller- but there were some problems in the book that I had a hard time getting past. First the book starts out a bit slow…I really didn’t connect until about page 98 and during those pages getting to that point I was having a serious case of ADD. Secondly the dialog of the characters seemed a bit off for teenage banter. I mean Scully and Phil Collins were old when I was high school and I’m no spring chicken. {Side note-Also what’s up with every YA character lately being a vegetarian….I mean Lily eats toast and a veggie wrap for a days nutrition- holy Moses that’s like a snack between lunch and dinner……..end side note}

Regardless, I was invested in the outcome of the book and found myself enjoying the meatier parts of the story. Once we get some background on what reepers are and the whole society living under the tunnels the story turns into one that is highly entertaining.

Lily is certainly a compelling and mature character for a YA novel. She struggles with being the new girl and with issues of parental abandonment. I loved the friendship between Lilly and Scout, which felt authentic. Another gift to Neill’s writing is her quality of friendships in her characters. As for the other characters, Jason (Lily’s potential) lacked depth and development. I mean he had smoking hot eyes but I felt that he didn’t connect to Lily and furthermore I didn’t see or feel the chemistry between them. Otherwise, the remaining characters like Scout, Michael and Ms. Foley hold out for hope of great side plots.

The ending leaves us readers with a huge cliff-hanger with many questions ........say why does Lily have the power she has, where the heck are her parents, when do we get to see Jason shift, why does there seem to be something up with Veronica, whats up with Ms. Foley...... and then not to mention all the love blossoming that's unresolved, which I’m sure will be addressed in the future installments.

Rating

I must give props to Ms. Neill in creating an entertaining read without the use of graphic language or sex scenes. Recommended for 13 and up.

2.5/4  YA- Paranormal

BWB Discussion Questions

1. Lily and Jason. Discuss. What do you think the next book holds for them?

Like I said in my review- I don’t think Jason and Lily had any chemistry apart from the fact that he is suppose to be really good-looking. I think the future could spice things up for them so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some sizzling chemistry induced installments.

2. Lily & Scout's friendship had a lot of secrets, so in the end who did you relate to more, Lily or Scout? How about Lesley or Veronica? Would you hang with the brat pack or be a loner?

I think I related to Lily more and only because she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders-apart from the hanging with the snots a few times- her choices seemed mature for her age. I really wasn’t like any of these girls portrayed in the book so saying I would make them my friends I guess I’d have to pick Lesley. When I went to high school it was so huge there really wasn’t a particular brat pack- I mean we had cheerleaders but you just had to find a group that fit you. I’d choose loner before I hung out with snobs. And let’s all be honest here- if your writing book reviews, you’re probably not the snobbish type…..(:D)

3. What do think of the overwhelming trend in YA literature where the parents of the protagonists are either- dead, strung out or shipping their children off to boarding schools? Do you think this is a real look at parents today and what teens are dealing with?

It would be nice to see more books handling this area with more reality. I think there are kids out there from very wealthy families who get sent to boarding school or tucked away in places where mom and dad are non-existent. But even if the parents are out of the situation most teens at least have a guardian of some type. YA is very unpopular for responsible parents I’ve only come across a few that showcased parents in a positive light- the best one being Impossible by Nancy Werlin.

4. Follow up to parental question. Authors employ the missing parents to mature their teenage protagonist. The protagonist doesn't have the option to act as an irresponsible teen, because they do not have any parental supervision. Did you find Lily's behavior normal for a teenager, or more mature than most?

I think she was a typical teen, perhaps a little more mature than the average high school gal, but teenagers do possess the ability to make good choices and know what direction they want their lives to take. My favorite part in the book was when Lily finally stood up to Veronica- it was awesome and took guts!!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Firespell's Discussion Questions

  1. Lily and Jason.  Discuss. What do you think the next book holds for them?
  2. Lily & Scout's friendship had a lot of secrets, so in the end who did you relate to more, Lily or Scout? How about Lesley or Veronica? Would you hang with the brat pack or be a loner?
  3. What do think of the overwhelming trend in YA literature where the parents of the protagonists are either- dead, strung out or shipping their children off to boarding schools? Do you think this is a real look at parents today and what teens are dealing with?
  4. Follow up to parental question.  Authors employ the missing parents to mature their teenage protagonist. The protagonist doesn't have the option to act as an irresponsible teen, because they do not have any parental supervision.  Did you find Lily's behaviour normal for a teenager, or more mature than most?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Firespell: HBIC Review from Emily @ What Book is That?



Title: Firespell
Author: Chloe Neill
Page Count: 246 pages
Publisher: Signet
Genre: urban fantasy, young adult
Copy for review was purchased by me

50 words or less: Lily Parker thinks spending her last two years of high school at fancy-dancy St. Sophia's School for Girls is going to be pure boredom, start to finish. She could not possibly have been more wrong.

I've gone on record here saying how much I love Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series- the wit, the sarcasm, the characters, the unique take on a pretty well traveled narrative path. I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed Firespell as well and am excited to see how this series (the Dark Elite) plays out.

Lily is a really likeable character with an enjoyable perspective. There's no sign of any Bella Swan Syndrome here; Lily makes the best of any situation and isn't afraid to stick up for herself or for the people she cares about. Her conversations with Scout, her roommate, best friend, and partner in shenanigans, are extremely funny and well done. One facet of this book that's done really well is the way the teenagers interact with each other. Oftentimes in young adult books the dialogue and slang will seem forced or overdone; that's not the case here, which only added to my enjoyment of the story. Case and point, a segment from that most treacherous of passages, the infodump, wherein the characters are explaining the supernatural goings-on at St. Sophia's to Lily:
"Anyway," Scout said, "the power usually appears around puberty. At the beginning of the transition to adulthood."

"Boobs and earthquakes?" I asked. "That's quite a change."

"Seriously," she agreed with a nod. "It's pretty freaky. You wake up one morning and boom- you're sporting B cups and the mystical ability to manipulate matter or cast spells or battle Reapers for dominion over Chicago. Gossip Girl has nothing on us."

The power they are referring to is the cause of the conflict between the good guys and the bad guys here, and there are a pretty unique set of circumstances surrounding it that get just enough explanation to be interesting but not so much that the story gets bogged down. There's also a love interest for Lily that was just picking up steam at the end of the book, leaving plenty of unfinished business for the next installment.

Oh, and Lily has some totally kickass powers too. As Lily learns about the supernatural battles being waged in Chicago and her role in the struggle, she handles everything with remarkable aplomb. Nothing turns me off faster than pages and pages and pages of "this can't be happening!" Lily can definitely handle herself in a tough situation.

That brings me to one of the most enjoyable things about this novel. All too often, the heroine of a story is basically a null, with no personality or unique qualities that set her apart from the rest of the stable of protagonists out there. Lily isn't brooding or angsty or desperate to fit in with people who obviously could not care less about her. She's not cripplingly shy or socially inept or blindly following the crowd. Instead, Lily is her own person, knows her own mind, and wants only genuine friendship and relationships. It's definitely refreshing.

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

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Vote for Book 2 for March!

Once more with feeling, it's time to vote for book 2 for March- the young adult title! Remember to vote for the book that you personally want to read most. Enjoy!

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa- Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.

Need by Carrie Ryan- Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you"d have to fear.

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor- Three tales of supernatural love, each pivoting on a kiss that is no mere kiss, but an action with profound consequences for the kissers' souls:

Goblin Fruit: In Victorian times, goblin men had only to offer young girls sumptuous fruits to tempt them to sell their souls. But what does it take to tempt today's savvy girls?

Spicy Little Curses: A demon and the ambassador to Hell tussle over the soul of a beautiful English girl in India. Matters become complicated when she falls in love and decides to test her curse.

Hatchling: Six days before Esme's fourteenth birthday, her left eye turns from brown to blue. She little suspects what the change heralds, but her small safe life begins to unravel at once. What does the beautiful, fanged man want with her, and how is her fate connected to a mysterious race of demons?

Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey- The Blakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray- A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.

Gemma, 16, has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy. (Ages 12 up) -Patty Campbell

Vote for Book 1 for March!

The moment you've been waiting for has arrived and it's time to vote for Book 1, the adult title, for March! Remember our little talk about voting- please vote for the book that YOU want to review! The more reviews we get, the better! Descriptions below are from goodreads. Thanks!

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson- An extraordinary debut novel of love that survives the fires of hell and transcends the boundaries of time

The narrator of The Gargoyle is a very contemporary cynic, physically beautiful and sexually adept, who dwells in the moral vacuum that is modern life. As the book opens, he is driving along a dark road when he is distracted by what seems to be a flight of arrows. He crashes into a ravine and suffers horrible burns over much of his body. As he recovers in a burn ward, undergoing the tortures of the damned, he awaits the day when he can leave the hospital and commit carefully planned suicide—for he is now a monster in appearance as well as in soul.

A beautiful and compelling, but clearly unhinged, sculptress of gargoyles by the name of Marianne Engel appears at the foot of his bed and insists that they were once lovers in medieval Germany. In her telling, he was a badly injured mercenary and she was a nun and scribe in the famed monastery of Engelthal who nursed him back to health. As she spins their tale in Scheherazade fashion and relates equally mesmerizing stories of deathless love in Japan, Iceland, Italy, and England, he finds himself drawn back to life—and, finally, in love. He is released into Marianne's care and takes up residence in her huge stone house. But all is not well. For one thing, the pull of his past sins becomes ever more powerful as the morphine he is prescribed becomes ever more addictive. For another, Marianne receives word from God that she has only twenty-seven sculptures left to complete—and her time on earth will be finished.

Already an international literary sensation, the Gargoyle is an Inferno for our time. It will have you believing in the impossible.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs- Mercy Thompson's life is not exactly normal. Her next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a VW bus for a vampire. But then, Mercy isn't exactly normal herself.

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost- The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows - her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield - and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness - and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who craves a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human - even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the demon nightmare together...

Because once the first drop of crimson falls, they will both be lost.

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning- MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman.

Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….

Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon- In the Ichidian Universe, The League and their ruthless assassins rule all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption... Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades once turned his back on the League -- and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father's political alliance has made her a target. As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Something to Ponder

Dear Friends,

It's just about time to vote for the March books for review, and in case you didn't notice, our turnout for reviews for the last book (The Host) was pretty low. The reviews we did have were great, but the creative juices behind Blog With Bite wanted to remind our lovely audience of a couple of things before we press onward:

When you vote for books, please vote for books that you personally plan on reviewing or have reviewed in the past and will be posting here on Blog With Bite. There appears to be a misconception floating around that voting is to determine which books the HBICs will review and while we love to review books and then share those reviews with you, we want others to get involved too.

Secondly, if you review the current book selection or have reviewed it in the past, please post your review here! A reminder post with reminder directions on how to link up will be coming soon. Remember, linking your reviews and sharing your blog content with likeminded people is a great way to drive traffic to your site. Here's a perfect way to do it!

As always, thanks for joining the good times here at BWB. Does it seem crazy that we've reviewed ten books together already? Here's to many more!

Sincerely,

The Management