Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Rec'd paranormals: 'Burn for Me,' 'Into the Still Blue,' 'Her Dark Curiosity'

(from usatoday.com
by Jessie Potts)


(Photo: Kensington Books)

Paranormal romance

Burn for Me by Cynthia Eden


This is the first book in Cynthia's brand new Phoenix Fire series, and it starts very strongly. Eve Bradley is undercover when she discovers something, or someone: Subject Thirteen. He's powerful, he's got an attitude problem, and he's oh so hot. On the other side, Cain (our Subject Thirteen) gets one whiff of Eve's scent and suddenly he's being driven wild and knows she's a big threat to his sanity and instincts. He's such an alpha male, and his own "phoenix" status is so unique I love it! I really am looking forward to more Phoenix Fire books and, of course, hot alpha men.

Cynthia Eden's top three alpha heroes?

Cynthia: There are so many fantastic alpha heroes out there! But if I had to list just three, I'd pick …

- Dane from Linda Howard's Dream Man.

- Alec from Julie Garwood's The Bride.

- Lachlain from Kresley Cole's A Hunger Like No Other.

Favorite alpha from one of her own books?

Cynthia: The alpha I enjoyed writing the most was the demon Niol from Midnight's Master … he was such a powerful anti-hero — and, truly, he was a fun hero to write!


"Into the Still Blue" by Veronica Rossi.(Photo: HarperCollins)


Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

This is another ending (why so many finales?) to a favorite series and, wow, is it heart-wrenching and epic. Perry and Aria have been through so much, but now they must bring balance to their world. There's infighting, though. Cinder has been taken, and Roar and Perry are at odds. Or, rather, Roar is at odds with Perry. They must rescue Cinder to heal their dying world and unlock the Still Blue. Their love is amazing and epic, and they fight for it with everything they have. It's taken three books (and a couple of novellas), but the end is here, and I'll miss everyone. If you are a fan of dystopians with a powerful couple, pick up book one, Under the Never Sky. The novellas are about Roar and Liv and then Brooke. I definitely recommend.

Veronica Rossi's four favorite YA dystopian series?

- Marie Lu's Legend series.

- Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series.

- Veronica Roth's Divergent series.

- Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series.

Out of all the apocalypses there could be she says she'd prefer …

An environmental apocalypse, because extreme weather, while dangerous, fascinates me. I think I may have been a storm chaser in another life. : )


"Her Dark Curiosity" by Megan Shepherd.(Photo: Balzer + Bray)

YA

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd


This is the sequel to The Madman's Daughter, and months have passed since Juliet has escaped her father's island. She's attempting to rebuild her life, but people close to her are being killed in a horrid fashion … with clawlike slashes left on the victims. She's also getting sicker (she has an illness that has no cure), and she's being pulled in all directions. What I loved about these two books was the creative use of fables and scary stories. We all know the tale of Dr. Moreau's island, as well as the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but I love the twists that Megan adds to the books. Again, the covers are also gorgeous (thank you, YA cover designers across the board!!!). Creepy, eerie and mysterious. I love this series.

Megan Shepherd's three favorite fables?

Megan: I adore fables and parables because they reveal so much about humanity in unexpected ways. Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a beautifully written story about childhood and loss. I love classic sci-fi like Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 or George Orwell's Animal Farm, that offer us a warning about possible futures. Some of my favorite fables come from The Thousand and One Nights (aka The Arabian Nights).

Megan's top three favorite YA heroines?

Megan: I enjoy gun-wielding ninja heroines as much as the next girl, but my very favorite heroines are the ones who aren't just physically strong but emotionally and mentally strong, too. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series is so great because of her growth from a bookish know-it-all to a tough and loyal friend. I fell in love with Kasta from Kristin Cashore's Graceling series for her vulnerability. Maybe my all-time favorite is Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins, who had to survive entirely on her own.


"Infinite" by Jodi Meadows.(Photo: Katherine Tegen Books)

Infinite by Jodi Meadows

This is the third book in the amazing Incarnate series and starts with a bang … and an earthquake. Ana (our heroine) knows that everything near Heart will be at risk as the Range caldera prepares to erupt. She wants the other newsouls to travel past Heart, past range and go north … the oldsouls don't remember the cost of reincarnation. This final installment will have readers biting their nails as they urge Sam and Ana to make the best choice and live once and for all. If you haven't read the series, go pick up Incarnate then Asunder. Ana and Sam are amazing. The growth of the characters is stunning, and can I just say I adore the covers?

Jodi Meadow's top three YA couples?

Jodi: I have to narrow it down to three? OK, here goes …

- Rachel and Logan from CJ Redwine's Defiance series.

- Elisa and Hector from Rae Carson's Girl of Fire and Thorns series.

- Iolanthe and Titus from Sherry Thomas' The Burning Sky series.

I love all of these couples for the same reason: They treat each other with respect, and they work together to solve problems. Sure, sometimes they argue or don't get along, or they have different goals, but all of these couples have strong foundations of mutual trust and admiration, and I love that.

Three books Jodi is eagerly awaiting in 2014?

- Cress by Marissa Meyer. Loved the first two in this series!

- Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. I love Beauty and the Beast retellings!

- Hemlock #3 by Kathleen Peacock. The title isn't public yet, but I loved the first two books and can't wait to see how the trilogy ends.


Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for Bitten by Books and RT Book Reviews and is an intern at Entangled Publishing. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).

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