Dreamless by Jospehine Angelini

***1/2

From HarperTeen:

Can true love be forgotten?

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.

If you have been following the blog, you know that Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini was one of my top 10 of 2011.  I LOVED Starcrossed.  I could not read another book until I read it for a second time.  Given this, you can imagine how much I have been anticipating Dreamless.  I was thrilled when we got the ARC.  So, enough gushing, let's get to the review.

The Bad:

I was hoping we would get further into the story in Dreamless.  Don't get me wrong, there is a ton of action in Dreamless, but for such a long book (a whopping 496 pages), I was hoping to get further.  I was also really hoping for more Helen and Hector time, because they are definitely the comic relief in the series.  Hector is there, but not nearly enough.  In fact, most of the Delos family are only peripherally in Dreamless.  Their roles were small and mostly they were all angry at Helen, but I am not entirely sure why.  I also found Helen's father's obliviousness unbelievable, especially given how close the two were in Starcrossed. 

The Good:

Dreamless is lyrical and poetic.  Despite the length, I did not want the story to end.  I was completely enthralled.  So involved that there were a number of times I wanted to yell at Helen "Don't do it, it's a trap you idiot!" - Of course, I didn't because somewhere in the far reaches of my mind I actually realized she is a fictional character and could not hear me...

Setting the stage for the war to come the final installment of the trilogy, Dreamless moves more slowly than Starcrossed, but introduced us to many new characters, including some of the gods.  The mythology of this world portrays some of the gods as horrible creatures, which I never thought I would like, but the evil, ugly gods have grown on me (though I am hoping Apollo will still be beautiful if he is ever introduced).  The portrayal of Ares was creepy, disturbing and fascinating.  I enjoyed Dreamless and cannot wait to read what happens next and hopefully all of my questions will be answered!  Oh, and definitely more Hector and Lucas time.

~Shel

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

I am reposting this review in a shameless attempt to win Josephine Angelini's Dreamless ARC contest.  Starcrossed is one of my favorites of 2011, so I am desperate to read Dreamless!  :-)

****1/2

Book description from HarperCollins Publishers:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Starcrossed introduces an entirely new spin on the Greek Gods, mythology and demigods.  There is a lot of information and action in this book. Not only does the book set up a new mythology, it also introduces you to Helen and the rather large Delos family. Eventually, Helen comes to be close with the family, as they teach her about demigods and controlling and using her gifts. Obviously, I enjoyed Helen's relationship with Lucas; however, I hope that Dreamless (Book 2 releasing May 2012) focuses more on Helen's relationship with the rest fo the Delos family.  I especially enjoyed Helen's friendship with Hector, which provided comic relief during Helen's combat training.  Josephine Angelini did a fabulous job of relaying this new mythology and weaving the story. 

This book could have easily felt as if you were getting a mythology lecture, but Ms. Angelini artfully sidestepped that pitfall.  I was oblivious to the world while reading this book and did not want it to end.  So much so that I could not really focus on reading anything else until I read Starcrossed a second time.   

All in all, I definitely recommend Starcrossed and give it 4.5 stars (I still cannot stop thinking about it)!

~Shel

Elizabeth Miles Interviews the Furies - Beware!

When Elizabeth Miles suggested an interview with the Furies to help us celebrate Greek Week, we were more than happy to let her do the interview, because frankly, we prefer it if the Furies are oblivious to our existence.  Below is the last communication we have received from Elizabeth and we are growing quite concerned.  If you have seen or heard from her, please let us know...

Elizabeth Miles interviews the Furies

They may be sisters, and they may be joined at the hip, but unlike the Kardashians, the Furies are nothing if not unique. Each has cultivated her own individual style; they showed up to our interview with their differences on display. Tisephone (or Ty, as she prefers to be called) wore a flowing white dress that complemented her flawless skin and shock-red hair; Megaera (or Meg) arrived with a mussed mane, black leggings, a forest-green tunic, and a stunning red collar necklace; and Alecto (she goes by Ali) was bombshell-chic in a white tank top, and a miniskirt that showed off her legs, and knee-high heeled boots.

“I know what you’re thinking—we’re pretty hot,” Ali announced without compunction as we settled into a booth at the local fisherman’s bar. “But don’t be jealous,” she added, shooting a look toward Meg. “We haven’t always been like this. We’ve learned a lot over the years—about how to…play to our strengths.”

What follows is a transcript of our recorded conversation.

Elizabeth Miles:

Hello ladies, and thank you so much for joining me today. Would you mind introducing yourselves for readers who may not have spent as much time with you as I have?

Ty:

Should I go first? Why do I always go first?

Ali:

[Rolling her eyes.] Because you always push to the front, that’s why. I’ll go. My name is Alecto—but don’t call me that, call me Ali—and I’m a Fury. Haha, that sounds bad, doesn’t it?

Meg:

Well, let’s not beat around the bush. It is bad. We’re Furies, and we’re bad-ass. Oh—I’m Meg. Hi.

Ty:

And I’m Ty. [She smiles, revealing perfect white teeth that match the streak of white in her red hair.]

Eliz M:

Nice to meet you all—I think. And what does that mean, to be a Fury?

Ty:

[Her smile disappears.] It means that we are goddesses of revenge.

Eliz M:

I see. And each of you has an…area of expertise, is that correct?

Meg:

Yup. We each have little nicknames we’ve called each other for a looooong time. Like, my sisters call me “the jealous one.”

Ty:

Yes. And my name means “avenging murder”…so sometimes they’ll call me The Avenger or something.

Ali:

And mine is “unceasing anger.” Isn’t that kind of cute??

Eliz M:

Adorable. Now, let’s talk about your arrival in Ascension. What brought you here, to this small town in Maine?

Ali:

[Her eyes narrow ever-so-slightly.] Wouldn’t you like to know?

Meg:

Ali, stop it. [She looks at her sisters, who shrug as if to say, ‘Go ahead.’] Let’s just say we have history here.

Ty:

We used to have…friends in this town. We come and go. You could call us jet-setters. We’ve been called worse. [All three laugh, hard.]

Eliz M:

Oh, so you’ve been here before?

All three in unison:

Yes.

Eliz M:

What brings you to town this time around?

Ty:

A new friend. [She offers nothing more, daring me to keep prodding.]

Eliz M:

[Taking my chances…] And is that new friend Emily Winters?...[They stare.]…Chase Singer? [More impassive staring.]…I guess not. Zach McCord?

Ali:

[Snorting.] You think we would waste our time on that juicebox? We do have principles, you know.

Ty:

Ali, stop talking. [To me:] I think we’ve reached the end of this part of the interview.

Eliz M:

Okay, okay. One last question before I give up: Where do you come from?

Ali:

My mom used to tell me I sprang from spilled blood—

Meg:

[Interjecting.] I don’t think that’s what she’s talking about, Ali. We

Eliz M:

Okay, now for some quick-fire questions to finish things off... Favorite foods?

Ty:

Nothing makes my mouth water like a rare, bloody steak.

Meg:

I’m partial to vanilla ice cream topped with a pool of thick strawberry syrup.

Ali:

Pomegranate. I love feeling those seeds explode between my tongue and the roof of my mouth.

Eliz M:

Favorite animal?

All three in unison:

Snakes.

Meg:

Now it’s our turn to ask you some questions. We want to know more about your past! After all, by writing about us, it’s almost like you summoned us.

Eliz M:

Not a chance. I won’t risk the Furies wrath… [Tape recorder stops.]

 

You can learn more about Elizabeth Miles on her blog (which has great author interviews as well) at http://www.elizabethmilesbooks.com/.  Or learn more about the series at http://www.thefuryseries.com/.  And really, if you happen to run into or hear from Elizabeth, let us know she survived her interview with the Furies! 

We want to thank Elizabeth for taking the time to come play with us.  She is a great writer, super nice, willing to risk her life for an interview and loves strawberry-rhubarb pie (I promised her cobbler the next time she is in Chicago -  you should take her some if you are lucky enough to meet her ;-) ). 

~Shel

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

From Simon & Schuster:

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....

It's winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year's even better--the guy she's been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there's no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em's best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that's nothing compared to what's really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it's only a matter of time before he's exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.

First of all, I am not big on book trailers, but I actually picked up this book because of the trailer, so I took the liberty of pilfering it from Simon & Schuster's site for your viewing pleasure...

Fury is much darker than I expected (though why I expected something more light-hearted from a book about the Furies I have no idea).  The main characters, Em and Chase have obviously done bad things to draw the attention of the Furies.  They are selfish, unthinking idiots to be frank.  Em is hooking up with her best friend's boyfriend and hurting all kinds of people in the process.  Chase is uncaring and manipulative, obsessed with his reputation and unwilling to let anyone get in his way.  In fact, the only truly "good" person in the book is JD, Em's next door neighbor who does not have a mean or conniving thought in his head, ever. There is definitely no happily ever after at the end of Fury - it is a classic Greek tale, full of magic and tragedy.  

It takes an extremely talented writer to create a story centered around such unlikeable characters and make you care about them.  Make no mistake, no matter how horrible Em & Chase's actions are, you will care.  Your heart will race and break as you experience the Furies torment with them.  I cried foul, rooted for justice and hoped for the best as Elizabeth Miles took me on this nail-biting ride through Ascension.

On the series website, it says "Stephen King-meets-Twilight in this sexy new series" and when I read it I thought, that is exactly right.  You can check out the series info at http://www.thefuryseries.com/ or on Simon & Schuster's website.  Book Two is Envy, but I have no idea when it will be released, my guess is that the torture will continue until next fall...

I give Fury 4 stars and encourage you all to read it, so you know what to look out for - beware the Furies!

~Shel