Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

****

From Feiwel & Friends:

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor.  Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan.  But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.  Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem - one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles.  Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian... Lily's other self in this alternate universe.  In Josephine Angelini's Trial by Fire, what makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem.  In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.  

As a huge fan of Angelini's Starcrossed Series, I was thrilled that Trial by Fire was just as consuming as Starcrossed.  There are similar themes between Starcrossed and Trial, so if you liked Starcrossed, chances are you will like Trial.  

Lily is weak, she's always been weak and will always be weak, until she is brought to a new realm where her weaknesses make her powerful.  Incredibly powerful.  If only Lily could figure out how to use her power, perhaps she can survive this new realm.

The people in this new realm are versions of the people in her realm - her sister, her best friend and crush Tristan, they are there, but different.  There's also Rowan.  A Mechanic, someone who cares for and assists a Crucible.  Rowan was not only Lilian's Mechanic, they were also deeply in love.  Understandably, Rowan is still reeling from Lilian's betrayal and doesn't want to be Lily's Mechanic, but it's clear that Lily is the only person who may have a chance to stop Lilian's shocking cruelty.  As the two train for war, Rowan learns that having known weakness, Lilian will be an excellent leader and worthy of his trust and love.  

Angelini created rich, imaginative world in Trial, that will leave to you itching for the next installment.  

~Shel

Waiting on Wednesday (61)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.


By Josephine Angelini
Publication Date: May 28, 2013

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched

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

Shel's Top 10 of 2011

I know we have been a little lax this holiday season with keeping you entertained, but we will definitely be back to devouring books and driving our readers nutes wiht silliness after the holidays.  Until then, please enjoy my top 10 list:

Here at BiblioJunkies we have been discussing what to do with our 2011 "top" lists.  How many books, etc.  Unfortunately, when it came right down to it, I could not narrow my list down to just 5.  In fact, to get to 10 I had to be pretty specific in my lists - favorite by someone other than Meg Cabot or Janet Evanovich (because let's face it, these ladies will always top my favorite book lists) and lets not forget Rick Riordan, whom I adore.  And then I couldn't narrow down to eliminate books in a series (ie The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices, all of which are fantastic).  It really took a lot of thought and planning to get my list down to just 10, because I have read SOOO many truly fantastic books this year.  Each of the books below have touched (Yes, I am talking to you Suzanne Young) or entertained me and stood out among the plethora of books that I read this year.  So, here's my list, in no particular order:

The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

The Mythos Academy Series by Jennifer Estep

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Alex Van Helsing Series by Jason Henderson

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Hush, Hush by Becca FitzPatrick

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

The Chicagoland Vampire Series by Chloe Neill

I recommend all of these books and/or series.  Check them out and let us know what your favorites of 2011 have been!  Happy New Year and happy reading in 2012!

~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

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

***1/2

From HarperTeen:

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

(Don't you just love this cover?)

Megan lost her mother in a car accident as a child.  Her father has never really recovered from the lost and the two have moved around quite a bit.  Now, Megan's Dad has taken a job in a small Irish village and they may just find a home there, but Ireland is a magical place and things are not always what they seem.  Megan is stalked by a bird and drawn to the DeRis family, especially Adam, and all these strange things start happening. 

Carrier of the Mark is Leigh Fallon's debut novel.  The history is a little complicated, but once you figure it out the story is compelling and engrossing.  The relationships between Megan and the DeRis family is fun (and reminded me of one of my favorite books of the year, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini).  Fallon's descriptions of the Irish scenery are vivid and made me feel as if I were there.  I was thoroughly entertained by Carrier of the Mark and I will try to patiently wait for the next installment, but patience is not really my forte.  Fans of magic, Ireland and hot boys with accents will love Carrier of the Mark.

~Shel

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

* * * *

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?


Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.



I’ll probably start a riot by saying this but I love Percy Jackson more than…Harry Potter.

There. I said it. Did the world combust?

*Looking around waiting for flashes of lightning*




http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/photo_double_rainbow_with_lightning_bolt/



Alright, looks like I survived saying the unthinkable.


There is just something about Percy and his friends that I find so endearing. So when I finally found the time to pick up The Lost Hero at the beginning of this year, I was ecstatic and suspicious all at the same time. I was ecstatic because, the world of Camp Half-Blood was back. I was suspicious because Mr. Riordan was starting a new series with new characters. What if I didn’t like them as much as Percy? What if the story was disappointing? What if, what if, what if?

Well I worried needlessly. The Lost Hero manages to stay close enough to the original series to make young fans happy but also holds its own apart from the Percy Jackson books. Jason, Piper and Leo end up being just as lost and loveable as our Percy.

The story begins with Jason waking up on a bus that is taking him and his friends on a field trip. The problem? He doesn’t know who he is, where he is or how he got there. Leo and Piper are at a loss as to why their friend doesn’t remember them. But before they can find a way to regain Jason’s memories, disaster strikes and the three of them find themselves as the newest guests of Camp Half-Blood. As they learn about their parentage and Jason tries to regain his memories, a new prophecy is given:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call

To storm or fire the world must fall

An oath to keep with a final breath

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death

The three of them head off on a quest to not only fulfill the prophecy (or at least part of it) but also to learn more about Jason. And here begins what Riordan does best. Non-stop action. Along the way they meet both old and new friends and enemies. They overcome and/or escape ridiculously dangerous obstacles. It’s a wild ride that leaves you with a doozy of a cliffhanger.

There were three things that I absolutely loved about this book. First, Riordan cleverly alternates between three points of view (Jason, Leo and Piper). And even though each POV is in third person, you are still able to get a clear view into each characters personality. Second, it was super AWESOME to see both Greek and Roman mythology woven together. And third, I loved the age of the characters. Unlike the beginning of Percy, where the kids are 12 years old, Jason and his friends are 16/17 years old. The age difference allows for more action and a slightly more mature narrative.
I honestly could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book but I don’t want to spoil any part of it for you. So I will just tell you this - buy this or borrow it. One way or another, you MUST read it!

And then when you are done reading it (because I told you to and you should all listen to me, Bel and Shel) go and buy or borrow Book 2, Son of Neptune, which was just released today. Just in case you didn’t figure it out from the title, PERCY IS BACK and the Bibliojunkies could not be more excited!

Now let’s live it up a little and celebrate Greek Week in true book blog fashion. We are GIVING AWAY a hardcover copy of THE LOST HERO by Rick Riordan. You can enter up to three times by doing one or more of the following - Leaving a comment on this post, Following us on GFC, or following us on Twitter.  Be sure to click on the “I Did This” button in the box below after each entry. This contest is open through 12:01AM CST on 10/9/2011. A winner will be announced on 10/10/2011.








If you haven’t yet done so, check out yesterday’s interview with the FABULOUS Jennifer Estep. She talks about her book, Touch of Frost and also tells us what fictional boy she would most want to date. Let’s just say that her response left me in a tizzy as she (along with Tahereh Mafi) is now direct competition for one of my long time fictional loves!  And don't forget to enter to win a copy of Touch of Frost!

And check back tomorrow as we continue our celebration of Greek Week with Shel’s review of Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini!



~ Nat

Greek Week Update!

We are hard at work attempting to bring you fun and frivolity for our Greek Week celebration next week.  Just to give you an update (these are subject to change, but this is our tentative schedule):

October 3, 2011:

Interview with Jennifer Estep!  We are so excited to have our first author interview.  Jennifer's book Touch of Frost features students from Mythos Academy (lots of fun spin on all types of mythology, not just Greek).  Shel's review of the book and Jennifer's interview will kick off our Greek Week!

October 4, 2011:

The much anticipated release date of Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan.  To celebrate, Nat will review The Lost Hero and I am sure there will be plenty of general giddiness over the release of Son of Neptune.

October 5, 2011:

Shel reviews Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. This was one of her favorites of 2011, so far.

October 6, 2011:

The Furies themselves agreed to an interview!  I know, I know.  I am nervous too.  We will post our review of Fury by Elizabeth Miles and celebrate her take on the Greek scorekeepers. 

October 7, 2011:

Sweet Venom and the Oh.My.Gods. series by Tera Lynn Childs take center stage on Friday.  We were lucky enough to meet Tera recently and are super excited to have her come play with us on the blog! 

October 8, 2011:

We will post our review of The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter and discuss her very unique take on the Greek gods and mythology.

October 9, 2011:

We are still working out the details for how to end our Greek Week celebration, but I am sure we will come up with something ridiculous and fun!

Oh and did I forget to mention you should check back for information on giveaways during Greek Week?  Oh, my bad...

Get your togas and ambrosia ready people!  See you next week!

~Shel

** It is entirely possible that I forgot a fun Greek/mythology inspired series and if I did - please tell me.  I do not want to leave anyone out.  AND if it is a book I have yet to discover, I definitely want to check it out!  You can comment here or send an email to bibliojunkies @ gmail.com

Greek Week - October 3-9!

Guys, we are totally cooking up some fun for our Greek Week coming October 3-9!  We will have interviews, reviews, contests and any other silliness we can come up with! 

We will have reviews of some of our favorite books featuring Greek mythology, gods, monsters and mayhem, including:

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

And more! 

Starcrossed Limericks

Josephine Angelini, the author of the fabulous debut Starcrossed is having a contest on her blog for UK residents.  You have to send her limericks that somehow tie to Starcrossed (a book about Greek mythology, demigods, etc) and you could win a copy of the UK version of Starcrossed.  Check out the contest on her blog here.  So, Nat asked her extremely creative husband (hereinafter referred to as "XO")  to come up with a Greek Mythology themed limerick.  Unfortunately, living in the greater Chicago area, we are not eligible for the contest, but these limericks must be shared.  If you enjoy them, please comment and let XO know (you know boys, they need constant praise!)  Also, if you have PG limericks you would like to share regarding your favorite books, please post them in the comments - this could be really fun!

Without further ado...

The party was just getting started
by Odysseus so big and brave hearted
twas Circe who came
said his libations were lame
and as a swine dear Odysseus departed

Pan played his lute oh so fine
Better for sleep than Cyclopean Wine
but a tune that he play
to keep the giants at bay
Failed but just the one time

Was Heracules night at the fights
such a show of good handsome might
The Minataur came in
with a cloth and a grin
and with a left hook ole Herc said goodnight

~Shel