#evaline stoker

[wildwood-reader]

OCTOBER 2022 BOOK WRAP-UP

I finished a total of 3 novels, 1 novella (+ a shorter novelette in the same book) and 1 graphic novel this month. 👻 Overall, I'd say it was a pretty successful reading month, despite my struggles with trying to find something good in my ebook library. I did read some pretty good books. 💪🏻

The books will be in the order that I finished them. My favorite book¹ of the month will be marked with a 🌟.

The Spiritglass Charade by Colleen Gleason

◇ Book 2 in the Stoker & Holmes series

◇ Finished on October 15

◇ First Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

◆ What I disliked: I enjoy a good rivalry like any other girl, just not the "not like other girls" type. Yes, Mina and Evaline are pretty much polar opposites and have different interests and strengths, but that should be cause for celebration in their line of work, not disdain for the other. Mina especially gets a bit on my nerves sometimes with her superiority complex over Evaline, though Evaline's POV can be a bit frustrating to read sometimes, too. They both bring useful skills to the table and I really hope they start to realize that in the next book. That plot twist in the end certainly added an interesting new puzzle piece.

I also still find the whole Dylan-from-the-future thing a bit odd, but I assume the connection of his circumstances and the red thread throughout the series will make sense by the fifth and last book at the latest, so for now I'm just going to be patient.

◆ What I liked: The setting is really fun. I really like that this version of the late 19th century has a lot of cool technology and I look forward to finding out who had it developed. Something tells me it might have something to do with how Dylan ended up here.

Despite my qualms with Mina's and Evaline's rivalry and better-than-you behavior, I do think they're both interesting characters. Evaline's connection to my favorite series of Colleen Gleason's, The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, is fun and I really hope she gets to meet Sebastian at some point. Her relation to Bram Stoker as his sister is also fun, but doesn't feel very relevant aside from its existence. I kind of wish we could see them interact a bit, to really get a feeling for what they're like as siblings.

Same thing with Mina and her family. We have seen her interact with her uncle Sherlock a couple of times, but I kind of wish we saw more of her relationship with Mycroft, her father. As for her progressively romantic relationship with Dylan, it's fine, but I actually prefer them as friends. Inspector Grayling feels a bit of a more fitting partner for her, but as of yet I don't really feel a whole lot of chemistry, either, but that might change in the future.

The case in this book was alright, nothing mindblowing, but I enjoyed it.

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🌟 If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

◇ Standalone

◇ Finished on October 21

◇ First Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

◆ What I disliked: It took me a long while (over 50 pages) to really get a feeling for who the individual main characters are; at first they were just one mixed mesh of names I couldn't really distinguish between. Due to that, it also took me a while to really get into the story.

◆ What I liked: I absolutely loved the atmosphere of the book and the slow unraveling of what happened when the characters were in college. The sequences of them rehearsing and performing their Shakespeare plays was also really fun and less dry than I would have thought, so yay.

Once I had a feeling for who the characters are, I practically flew through the book because I wanted to know the whole story. Dark Academia is still a rather new genre for me to read, but I can totally see why If We Were Villains is considered one of the staples of it, it really fits the vibe and criteria perfectly.

One of the things I ended up very surprised at enjoying was the tragedy between two of the characters, and the sad but also somehow bittersweet end of it. It fits in well with the other themes in the book, and while I would have wished them a happy end together, it did make sense for it to end the way it did.

Fall isn't over yet, guys, so there's still time to pick it up and give it a read if you're intrigued. 😉 Since I read it as an ebook, I'm probably going to pick up a physical copy of it at some point, because I'd really like to have it on my shelf.

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The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

◇ Volume 2

◇ Finished on October 25

◇ First Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

◆ What I disliked: I felt like this one was a bit slower and harder to get through than Volume 1. I originally started reading it back in August, but not far from the end found myself a bit unmotivated to finish it, so I put it down for a few months until I finally finished it in October.

◆ What I liked: The characters are still the most enjoyable part of the story, especially Shen Qingqiu's commentary about everything. The System is also often very hilarious, especially in moments where Shen Qingqiu could really use a helping hand. Now that Shen Qingiu knows how Luo Binghe feels about him, I look forward to watching their relationship develop over the last two volumes (though I still very much have a softer spot for Shen Qingiu x Liu Qingge 😋).

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The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

◇ Standalone; edition also included the story The Bottle Imp

◇ Finished on October 27

◇ First Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑

◆ What I disliked: I think the story could have had great potential to be a longer novel and I'm a little disappointed that it was so short.

As for The Bottle Imp, it felt to me like a very white-centric view of wealth. I am not indigenous to Hawai'i, so I can not speak to how well the representation of the indigenous characters was handled, but some of Keawe's decisions, especially in the beginning, felt a bit odd to me.

◆ What I liked: Robert Louis Stevenson's writing is really pleasant to read, I really enjoyed it.

What I also liked was that we only got a perspective of the title characters through other people's eyes in the beginning before we got Dr Jekyll's perspective of the whole events at the end.

I was only familiar with various film versions of Mr Hyde before, so it was a surprise to me how differently he is actually described in the book. If there's ever another film iteration of the character in the future I'd love to see a more accurate portrayal of him. He definitely is a very fascinating character.

Despite my sadness over the shortness of the story, I liked the fast pace which allowed for a very quick and breezy read-through.

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Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

◇ Standalone

◇ Finished on October 31

◇ Re-Read

◇ Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

◆ What I disliked: Honestly? Nothing really.

◆ What I liked: This is one of my most favorite fall reads. 🍂🎃 It's so cute and beautifully illustrated and just the perfect cozy story for an autumn day, especially Halloween. I love the characters, I love the adventure and I wish I could go to the pumpkin patch in the story. I recently went to a farm with a similar theme, which was very fun, but the one in this book just seems even more magical, and much larger.

And there you have it, these are all the books I read this month! 👻

What are your favorite fall reads? Let me know if you'd like! 🍂

¹ Only first reads are eligible for this, re-reads don't count

[coppermate]

Just finished watching Enola Holmes on Netflix with Millie Bobby Brown, and all I can think about is a movie version of Stoker & Holmes!!

Like she would be PERFECT to play either Evaline or Mina! And the guy who played Lord Tewksbury needs to be Pix. Like he looks almost exactly how I imaged Pix!

I mean, look at them! Such adorable chemistry! They would make a perfect pair of casting for Evaline and Pix.

[thetolkiengeek]

Does anybody else read the Stoker and Holmes series? Because I just finished the last book, and I have FEELINGS

[startsandstops]

‘When the Night Kills the Day’

Latest chapter now up on AO3.

[adamarks]

Ten favorite lady characters

Thabk you @motherscarf for tagging me. This should be fun bc most men sneeze like simp at the prospect of writing a she person

Sophie Hatter- she is... the loml

Mrs. Hudson- not to be weird on main but... gilf.

Ebeneza Petty- in love with this lady

Chihiro- from spirited away. Really just. Every woman in spirited away.

Harley Quinn- yes.

River- Firefly

Domino- specifically in Deadpool 2. She makes me go craaaaazy

Evaline Stoker- shes a badass vampire slayer from the stoker and Holmes series. I haven’t read these in awhile bc the leads were obviously wlw in love and I couldn’t stand to see them get paired up with boys any longer.

Every single lady on She-ra. Every one. Even the villains make me go craaaazy

Mulan- idk if whether or not she should be on here bc Trans Narrative, but I just really like her very much amen.

This was blessedly easier than I thought. I could’ve kept going too. What I’ve learned today is that Ghibli can really really do ladies right. Some honourable mentions: every golden girl, fran from The Nanny, Valkyrie, Wasp but like the Janet one not from the MCU.

Who to tag.... @caitybuglove23 @merisalright @palimpsessed @theflyingpeach @fight-surrender @ueberdemnebelmeer and anyone else who wants to 🥰

[enchantedstoriesandmore]

I just had a weird moment of realization.

Now, I love a good rom-com and disney movie, but there are certain book series that don’t really resonate with me as much because there’s a stronger focus on romance.

The Grisha Trilogy, the Divergent series (specifically the ending), Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices, and a few I’m forgetting.

There are elements in them I like and admire, but I can’t claim to love them.

Compared to like Percy Jackson and all of its spin offs, listening to the audiobook for Howl’s Moving Castle, and like Anastasia and Princess and the Frog (movie but I also loved those books growing up). Even Much Ado About Nothing.

And it hit me. I hate romance to be the front and center thing. I want romance to creep up on characters where after fighting with and alongside this person for weeks and months you realize you love them. 

Like maybe you thought they were hot, but not “I was super attracted to this person and they’re kind of a big reason I’m in this magical world,” like Mortal Instruments does.

It’s a combination of a lot of small, sweet moments of arguing and joking and learning from each other where real affection is cultivated. And no one else has to understand it.

Which also explains my tendency to develop crushes on friends and having issues with online dating. The attraction is important, but wanting to talk with and hang out with someone hits deeper for me. (Is this demisexuality? Because I’ve debated whether that is in fact demisexuality.)

And I want to say there’s exceptions, like my love of the Stoker and Holmes series where one ship in particular is VERY FLIRTY and forward - but it helps that Evaline Stoker (whose POV we take on half the time) has a vampire hunting/ very intense destiny that makes the flirting more of a side note. 

And Mina Holmes (other POV) while in a kind of love triangle - one guy just brings out this beautiful side of how she feels like an outsider to the world and the other guy is a slow burn, enemies/competitors to lovers. And the story itself focuses more on her self-worth and proving herself as a detective than a Holmes. The men don’t put these woman on their paths or direct them in any way. Instead they bring out elements that we love in these characters.

In the stories I love, there is no seduction or manipulation. No sense of a woman flip-flopping between two guys. Or feeling of a woman making herself smaller or bending to fit together. 

There is no real questioning of will they or won’t they. Because it makes sense for these characters to get together. It’s not a will they, it’s a when. 

[winterroseposts]

Stoker & Holmes #1

Mina Holmes - niece of the famous consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and Evaline Stoker - Bram Stoker's sister are given the task of investigating several murders in London.

SPOILERS

There were some good ideas but this book was trying to be too many things at once. It's a detective story, a steampunk novel, there vampires, magical statues and time travel.

I was hoping for two kickass female protagonists with a strong friendship. Both Mina and Evaline are shown up by there potential love interests. Mina keeps going on about her deductions but Inspector Grayling beats her to the punch on most parts of the investigation. Evaline is supposed to be basically the Slayer but she's never killed a vampire, can't stand the sight of blood and has to be rescued by Pix. For most of the book the girls are off on their own and they barely like each other by the end.

Both girls have love triangles and are far too distracted everytime one of their love interests are around.

The plot point of Dylan being a time traveller from 2016 came out of nowhere and served no purpose.

2 Stars

[murmredmusings]

The Clockwork Scarab- Colleen Gleason

The Clockwork Scarab- Colleen Gleason

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

*Disclaimer: This review may contain spoilers. All thoughts and opinions are my own, my preferences may be different to yours. Please keep that in mind.

Summary:

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business.

But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire…

[aislynndmerricksson]

Book Review: The Chess Queen Enigma by Colleen Gleason

Book Review: The Chess Queen Enigma by Colleen Gleason

***This book was reviewed for the San Francisco Book Review   “You killed him! You killed my brother!” I loved the opening line of Gleason’s latest Stoker and Holmes novel. Even if this were my first foray into the series, I would be hooked from those first lines alone. Whose brother? Why were they killed? The Chess Queen Enigma has Mina and Evaline ostensibly babysitting a visiting princess from…

[buhosbookreview]

The Spiritglass Charade - Colleen Gleason

To read the official synopsis, click here.

This is the second book following Evaline Stoker, the vampire hunter and Mina Holmes niece of Sherlock Holmes. This time the girls are asked to help investigate Willa Ashton’s obsession with a spiritual medium. Willa had just lost her mother and her brother suddenly goes missing. He is one of many boys going missing. 

I want to love this series. It is a Victorian steampunk mystery with the descendants of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stroker.  

But there is something so aggravating about Evaline’s POV. As the vampire hunter I wanted her to be fierce, but we didn’t see that side of her until the last 50 pages. All throughout the book, I felt that she was a little girl playing pretend. I hated how she had this internal rivalry with Mina. 

I did like Mina’s POV more than Evaline’s. That being sad I still had issues with Mina’s story. Mina is so smart and lives up to the Holme’s family name but that all goes out the window when she is around either one of her love interest. 

I wish this book focused more on the mysteries rather than the love stories and petty squabbles. I don’t think I am going to continue on with this series.

I give this book a C-. I didn’t love the book nor did I hate, I was just meh. 

[wildwood-reader]

The Spiritglass Charade (Stoker & Holmes #2) by Colleen Gleason

After the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are eager to help Princess Alix with a new case. Seventeen-year-old Willa Aston is obsessed with spiritual mediums, convinced she is speaking with her mother from beyond the grave. What seems like a case of spiritualist fraud quickly devolves into something far more menacing: someone is trying to make Willa "appear lunatic," using an innocent-looking spiritglass to control her. The list of clues piles up: an unexpected murder, a gang of pickpockets, and the return of vampires to London. But are these events connected? As Uncle Sherlock would say, "there are no coincidences." It will take all of Mina's wit and Evaline's muscle to keep London's sinister underground at bay.

[thebookrat]

I heard you guys: I don't highlight contemporary books enough. I tried to give you PLENTY of them this go 'round (and of course, some v. excellent fantasy), but there were so many book deals available, I might have to do a part 2 update mid-week! Check out all of the many, many excellent books to load up your ereaders with, all for super cheap, I don't think anything went over 2 bucks this time! -- and many are FREE FREE FREE!) So when you're done drinking your Cinco de Mayo margarita's and ready to do some drunken online self-indulgence, why not save a few $$ and load up on some deals instead? ;)

ALL BOOK COVERS ARE CLICKABLE AND TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE DEAL!

I mean, COME ON.

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people. Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two. With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies. But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected. This stunning, lyrical fantasy is a powerful exploration of what makes a family, what justifies a war, and what it means to truly love.

An epic fantasy filled with adventure, intrigue, and romance from Incarnate series author Jodi Meadows. This duology is perfect for fans of Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. When Princess Wilhelmina was a child, the Indigo Kingdom invaded her homeland. Ten years later, Wil and the other noble children who escaped are ready to fight back and reclaim Wil’s throne. To do so, Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate the Indigo Kingdom palace with hopes of gathering information that will help them succeed. But Wil has a secret—one that could change everything. Although magic has been illegal for a century, she knows her ability could help her save her kingdom. But magic creates wraith, and the deadly stuff is moving closer and destroying the land. And if the vigilante Black Knife catches her using magic, she may disappear like all the others. . . .

In Ink and Bone, bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history... Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London. But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon Jess must choose between his friends, his family, and the Library, which is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control...

Get it. Get this whole damn series. Trust me.

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape . . . and even less of being together. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komisar that she has a magical gift, and the Komisar's interest in Lia is greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw. Meanwhile, the foundations of Lia's deeply-held beliefs are crumbling beneath her. Nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to her, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom she always believed to be barbarians but whom she now realizes are people who have been terribly brutalized by the kingdoms of Dalbreck and Morrighan. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her very sense of self, Lia will have to make powerful choices that affect her country, her people . . . and her own destiny.

Lia has survived Venda—but so has a great evil bent on the destruction of Morrighan. And only Lia can stop it. With war on the horizon, Lia has no choice but to assume her role as First Daughter, as soldier—as leader. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself at cross-purposes with Rafe and suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down. In this heart-stopping conclusion to the Remnant Chronicles trilogy that started with The Kiss of Deception and The Heart of Betrayal, traitors must be rooted out, sacrifices must be made, and impossible odds must be overcome as the future of every kingdom hangs in the balance. New York Times-bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance, and action makes this a riveting YA page-turner for teens.

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again. Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you're the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there's no one more qualified to investigate. Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don't unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they'll become the next victims.

For the free, my darlings. For the FREE.

WINNER of the NATIONAL READERS CHOICE AWARD for best YA of 2015 Alexis Wyndham is the other type of Queen B—the Queen B*tch. After years of being the subject of ridicule, she revels in her ability to make the in-crowd cower via the exposés on her blog, The Eastline Spy. Now that she's carved out her place in the high school hierarchy, she uses her position to help the unpopular kids walking the hallways. Saving a freshman from bullies? Check. Swapping insults with the head cheerleader? Check. Falling for the star quarterback? So not a part of her plan. But when Brett offers to help her solve the mystery of who’s posting X-rated videos from the girls’ locker room, she’ll have to swallow her pride and learn to see past the high school stereotypes she’s never questioned—until now.

Rachel can't believe she has to give up her Saturdays to scrubbing other people's toilets. So. Gross. But she kinda, sorta stole $287.22 from her college fund that she's got to pay back ASAP or her mom will ground her for life. Which is even worse than working for her mother's new cleaning business. Maybe. After all, becoming a maid is definitely not going to help her already loserish reputation. But Rachel picks up more than smelly socks on the job. As maid to some of the most popular kids in school, Rachel suddenly has all the dirt on the 8th grade in-crowd. Her formerly boring diary is now filled with juicy secrets. And when her crush offers to pay her to spy on his girlfriend, Rachel has to decide if she's willing to get her hands dirty...

Did you snag the deal for book 2 a couple weeks back? Now you can grab book 1 for FREE!

In A THRONE FOR SISTERS (Book one), Sophia, 17, and her younger sister Kate, 15, are desperate to leave their horrific orphanage. Orphans, unwanted and unloved, they nonetheless dream of coming of age elsewhere, of finding a better life, even if that means living on the streets of the brutal city of Ashton. Sophia and Kate, also best friends, have each other’s backs—and yet they want different things from life. Sophia, a romantic, more elegant, dreams of entering court and finding a noble to fall in love with. Kate, a fighter, dreams of mastering the sword, of battling dragons, and becoming a warrior. They are both united, though, by their secret, paranormal power to read other’s minds, their only saving grace in a world that seems bent to destroy them. As they each embark on a quest and adventure their own ways, they struggle to survive. Faced with choices neither can imagine, their choices may propel them to the highest power—or plunge them to the lowest depths. A THRONE FOR SISTERS is the first book in a dazzling new fantasy series rife with love, heartbreak, tragedy, action, magic, sorcery, fate and heart-pounding suspense. A page turner, it is filled with characters that will make you fall in love, and a world you will never forget.

Also gloriously FREE!

Zachary Degaud was twenty three when he died. The problem was, he didn't stay that way. Present day, he's just another vampire with another unremarkable story. That is, until he manages to provoke a two thousand year old witch named Katrin, who wants to make him pay in the most horrible way imagined. Along with his brother Sam, newly made vampire Liz and their only witch ally, Gabby, his only chance for survival is to summon the ancient and unpredictable vampire known as the Witch Hunter. Zac is just looking for a way out of his psychopathic witch problems, but instead will find himself falling head first into a blood feud that has stretched thousands of years. Aya has been asleep for the past 150 years, until she was awoken by a haunting call. The witch she has been hunting for thousands of years, Katrin, has resurfaced and marked a young, annoyingly arrogant vampire by the name of Zachary Degaud. Unless she does something, he will die a slow and painful death. He has given her an opportunity to end the witch, but does she want to help him or leave him to his fate? Zac will get under her skin like no one else has and she just might find herself making the ultimate sacrifice before he is gone forever. They will both have to choose sides and look deep within themselves before the end. But, what Zac learns about himself, will surprise him most of all.

This synopsis needs to be cut down, my god, but again: IT. FREE.

I was born to die... But to defy fate is to control your own destiny. Little did I know that I was entering a world of ritual and magic and that my blood needed to be spilled so the witches’ legacy could be complete. Vampires. Witches. Werewolves. Supernatural Creatures. Dramatic Revelations. A Ritual Sacrifice. Ancient Artifacts. A Cold-hearted Serial Killer. Spilled Blood. Secrets. A Hidden Heritage. A Love So Deep. Supernatural Bloodlust. A Dangerous Curse. An Uneasy Alliance With A Dangerous Vampire. Legends of vampires and shape-shifters have been around for centuries, so Taylor Sparks isn’t too worried when the rumors start to fly. When Taylor learns secrets that are beyond terrifying, they threaten to destroy her entire world. She is born to die... But to defy fate is to control your own destiny. She warns her crush to leave. But how do you forget someone who is aligned with your soul? They fight against the witches, the vampires, and the werewolves. They know the consequences. They know the risk. But they don't care. Nothing will get in the way of these two star-crossed lovers. Taylor finds out she’s a KEY player in a dangerous game created 1,000 years ago that will give the witches and werewolves the upper hand against the vampires. Blood will be spilled and secrets will be revealed in this action-packed thrill ride and paranormal romance. Will Taylor dive into a paranormal world she knows nothing about to be with the one her heart can’t live without? Or will her life spiral out of control when she learns her blood is needed, just the serum necessary to lift an ancient curse from a group of supernatural beings and give the witches back their magic? Werewolves will serve as her guardians and protect her until the first full moon of the new year, the night of her sacrifice… Will she accept her destiny? Or will she refuse to let evil swallow her up?

For fans of Hex Hall, The Magicians, Practical Magic, and Food Wars! Anise Wise loves three things: baking, potion making, and reading her spellbooks in blissful silence. She might not be the most powerful witch, but enchantment is a rare skill, and her ability to bake with magic is even rarer. Too bad no one wants witchcraft on their campus. Anise’s dream of attending pastry school crumbles with rejection letter after rejection letter. Desperate to escape her dead-end future, Anise contacts the long-lost relative she’s not supposed to know about. Great Aunt Agatha owns the only magic bakery in the US, and she suddenly needs a new apprentice. Anise is so excited she books it to New Mexico without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl. The Spellwork Syndicate rules the local witches in Taos, but as “accidents” turn into full-out attacks on Anise’s life, their promises to keep her safe are less and less reassuring. Her cranky bodyguard is doing his best, but it’s hard to fight back when she has no idea who’s the enemy. Or why she became their target. If Anise can’t find and stop whoever wants her dead, she’ll be more toasted than a crème brûlée. Who knew baking cakes could be so life or death?

This one's kicking around on my shelves! I did a First Impressions of it awhile back and really liked it, and have been meaning to go back ever since.

Thoughtfully imaginative and action-packed, Steeplejack is New York Times bestselling A. J. Hartley's YA debut set in a 19th-century South African fantasy world “A richly realized world, an intensely likable character, and a mystery to die for." — Cory Doctorow, New York Times-bestselling author Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives and works as a steeplejack in Bar-Selehm, a sprawling city known for its great towers, spires, and smokestacks – and even greater social disparities across race and class. Ang’s world is turned upside-down when her new apprentice Berrit is murdered the same night that the city’s landmark jewel is stolen. Her search for answers behind his death exposes unrest in the streets and powerful enemies. But she also finds help from unexpected friends: a kindhearted savannah herder, a politician’s haughty sister, and a savvy newspaper girl. As troubles mount in Bar-Selehm, Ang must discover the truth behind both murder and theft soon – or else watch the city descend into chaos. YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book Booklist Top Ten YA in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Also kicking around on my shelves somewhere!

Just about everyone knows a family like the Radleys. Many of us grew up next door to one. They are a modern family, averagely content, averagely dysfunctional, living in a staid and quiet suburban English town. Peter is an overworked doctor whose wife, Helen, has become increasingly remote and uncommunicative. Rowan, their teenage son, is being bullied at school, and their anemic daughter, Clara, has recently become a vegan. They are typical, that is, save for one devastating exception: Peter and Helen are vampires and have—for seventeen years—been abstaining by choice from a life of chasing blood in the hope that their children could live normal lives. One night, Clara finds herself driven to commit a shocking—and disturbingly satisfying—act of violence, and her parents are forced to explain their history of shadows and lies. A police investigation is launched that uncovers a richness of vampire history heretofore unknown to the general public. And when the malevolent and alluring Uncle Will, a practicing vampire, arrives to throw the police off Clara’s trail, he winds up throwing the whole house into temptation and turmoil and unleashing a host of dark secrets that threaten the Radleys’ marriage. The Radleys is a moving, thrilling, and radiant domestic novel that explores with daring the lengths a parent will go to protect a child, what it costs you to deny your identity, the undeniable appeal of sin, and the everlasting, iridescent bonds of family love. Read it and ask what we grow into when we grow up, and what we gain—and lose—when we deny our appetites.

Fairy tales are life.

From wicked queens, beautiful princesses, elves, monsters, and goblins to giants, glass slippers, poisoned apples, magic keys, and mirrors, the characters and images of fairy tales have cast a spell over readers and audiences, both adults and children, for centuries. These fantastic stories have travelled across cultural borders, and been passed on from generation to generation, ever-changing, renewed with each re-telling. Few forms of literature have greater power to enchant us and rekindle our imagination than a fairy tale. But what is a fairy tale? Where do they come from and what do they mean? What do they try and communicate to us about morality, sexuality, and society? The range of fairy tales stretches across great distances and time; their history is entangled with folklore and myth, and their inspiration draws on ideas about nature and the supernatural, imagination and fantasy, psychoanalysis, and feminism. Marina Warner has loved fairy tales over a long writing life, and she explores here a multitude of tales through the ages, their different manifestations on the page, the stage, and the screen. From the phenomenal rise of Victorian and Edwardian literature to contemporary children's stories, Warner unfolds a glittering array of examples, from classics such as Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty, the Grimm Brothers' Hansel and Gretel, and Hans Andersen's The Little Mermaid, to modern-day realizations including Walt Disney's Snow White and gothic interpretations such as Pan's Labyrinth. In ten succinct chapters, Marina Warner digs into a rich hoard of fairy tales in their brilliant and fantastical variations, in order to define a genre and evaluate a literary form that keeps shifting through time and history. Her book makes a persuasive case for fairy tale as a crucial repository of human understanding and culture.

A classic.

This Newbery Honor-winning, hilarious Floridian adventure involves new kids, bullies, alligators, eco-warriors, pancakes, pint-sized owls, and more. A New York Times bestseller! Everybody loves Mother Paula’s pancakes. Everybody, that is, except the colony of cute but endangered owls that live on the building site of the new restaurant. Can the awkward new kid and his feral friend prank the pancake people out of town? Or is the owls’ fate cemented in pancake batter?

Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness. When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands. The delightful sequel to Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician will charm readers young and old alike.

In the explosive third volume of The Hundredth Queen Series, the queen of fire faces off against a demon of ice. Despite the odds, Kalinda has survived it all: Marriage to a tyrant. Tournaments to the death. The forbidden power to rule fire. The icy touch of a demon. That same demon now disguises itself as Rajah Tarek, Kalinda’s late husband and a man who has never stopped haunting her. Upon taking control of the palace and the army, the demon brands Kalinda and her companions as traitors to the empire. They flee across the sea, seeking haven in the Southern Isles. In Lestari, Kalinda’s powers are not condemned, as they are in her land. Now free to use them to protect those she loves, Kalinda soon realizes that the demon has tainted her with a cold poison, rendering her fire uncontrollable. But the lack of control may be just what she needs to send the demon back to the darkest depths of the Void. To take back the empire, Kalinda will ally with those she distrusts—and risk losing those most loyal to her—to defeat the demon and bring peace to a divided nation.

From the bestselling author of Catching Jordan comes a new teen romance sure to appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen. SOME RULES WERE MEANT TO BE BROKEN. Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different... This summer she's a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He's the first guy she ever kissed, and he's gone from geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt...with her. Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn't that easy...

For twelve-year-old Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that it's the home city of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles). Upon her arrival, however, Emily learns that Griswold has been attacked and is now in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself, and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game. Racing against time, Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold's new game—before those who attacked Griswold come after them too.

Sang Sorenson’s father abandoned her and her sister, leaving them to fend for themselves for months. He’s returned, and finds Sang is missing. He demands she return. Right now. Will he call the police if she doesn’t? Her Academy team doesn’t want to risk losing her ghost status and she doesn’t want to put them in danger, so she reluctantly returns home, but is comforted that she will still be monitored by them. But the second she opens the door, she discovers her father has made changes that will affect her entire future. His decisions will make them a normal family. Normal is no longer what Sang wants. It would kill her Academy career before it ever started. Not to mention it would end the special, new, and still-fragile relationships with the guys. Sang struggles with her family, her identity, and where she truly belongs. Now that the entire team knows about their romantic relationships with her, tensions are mounting, tearing the team apart from the inside. Only, Dr. Green isn't going to lie down and roll over by playing by the rules. Not anymore. Not while Sang is at risk. His heart can’t take leaving her in that house one more minute. He needs her. They all do.

Twins Crystal and Amber have the same goal: to be the first in their family to graduate high school and make something of their lives. When one gets pregnant during their junior year, they promise to raise the baby together. It’s not easy, but between their after-school jobs, they’re scraping by. Crystal’s grades catch the attention of the new guidance counselor, who tells her about a college that offers a degree in automotive restoration, perfect for the car buff she is. When she secretly applies—and gets in—new opportunities threaten their once-certain plans, and Crystal must make a choice: follow her dreams or stay behind and honor the promise she made to her sister.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia comes a fast-paced teen series where one girl learns that in a world of intrigue, betrayal, and deeply buried secrets, it is vital to trust your instincts. It all starts with a text: Please, Wylie, I need your help. Wylie hasn’t heard from Cassie in over a week, not since their last fight. But that doesn’t matter. Cassie’s in trouble, so Wylie decides to do what she has done so many times before: save her best friend from herself. This time it’s different, though. Instead of telling Wylie where she is, Cassie sends cryptic clues. And instead of having Wylie come by herself, Jasper shows up saying Cassie sent him to help. Trusting the guy who sent Cassie off the rails doesn’t feel right, but Wylie has no choice but to ignore her gut instinct and go with him. But figuring out where Cassie is goes from difficult to dangerous, fast. As Wylie and Jasper head farther and farther north into the dense woods of Maine, Wylie struggles to control her growing sense that something is really wrong. What isn’t Cassie telling them? And could finding her be only the beginning? In this breakneck tale, New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight brilliantly chronicles a fateful journey that begins with a single decision—and ends up changing everything.

Know of any deals I missed? Let me know in the comments! via The Book Rat

[bookstringer-blog]

The Clockwork ScarabBy Colleen Gleason

Okay so I love anything to do with sherlock, and when a book comes up that not only involves secret societies, time travel, and kickass female protagonists, how can I say no?

In a world that is very familiar to all sherlockians, it is London 1889 and there is mischief a foot. Young women, gone missing or dead. It’s time to call in for help. Called on by none other then the infamous Irene Adler, Evaline Stoker, the sister of Bram Stoker and Mina Holmes the niece of Sherlock holmes enter the scene. It’s an adventure for epic proportions. Through the London underground, elegant balls, and near misses we follow these two as they piece together a mystery the like of which neither of them have ever seen  

[kk-donna]

Just in case you missed it!

[stokerandholmes]

Who is Evaline Stoker?