G1, o smartphone do Google
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wolf Blood by N.M. Browne
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Paperback
Published: 4th July 2011
Number of Pages: 304
Book: For Review From Bloomsbury*
Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mythical, Magic, Action, YA, YA-Adult Crossover, YA-Child Crossover
Recommended Age: 12+
Contains: Considerable Violence, Death, Some Swearing
It’s the first century AD and Britain is overrun by invading Romans an warring tribes.
A Celtic warrior girl escapes from the rival tribe which has enslaved her, straight into the path of two Roman foot soldiers. She expects to be killed, but using her gift of second sight she sees that one of the soldiers has a secret.
Celtic blood runs through his veins too – and he is a shapeshifter... a wolf-man. Their only chance of survival is to help each other.
But what will happen when their extraordinary powers are combined? And who will they choose to fight for?
Review:
A slave girl, former warrior and current seeress called Trista escapes from the tribe that captured her during war. Disguising herself, she flees, knowing that the “shining men” will destroy the settlement before the night is over. As she runs, she meets two Roman soldiers, one of whom is Morcant, a shapeshifter. Staying with him could mean her own death, for she knows little about the wolfmen: only that when Morcant changes, the softness leaves his eyes. But travelling without him is just as dangerous, and perhaps more foolish. A war is brewing between the Celtic tribes and the Roman legions. Could the two unlikely companions use their powers to protect their people? Or, more importantly, can they even protect themselves?
What struck me most about Wolf Blood was the brilliant mythology. A blend of Celtic and Roman legends made this the most original and intriguing werewolf story I have ever read. The world was vibrant, real and absolutely superb, full of amazing shadow creatures, Druids, magic and many Gods. Browne’s writing was also incredible: a perfect blend of descriptions and gripping, short sentences.
Her characters were also remarkable. The strong, brave Trista, who I liked instantly, is a seeress, but she is also one of the best warriors I’ve read about. Her independence was the best part of her: you read so many paranormal books with a weak, helpless lead girl. A warrior was really quite refreshing. Well, then again, I liked the vulnerable side of her as well. She’s been damaged by her time as a slave and the darkness of her visions, saying herself that “the gods bless me with knowledge of their darker intentions”. Her travelling companion, the shapeshifter, (a Versipellum) was called Morcant. He’s half-Celtic, half-Roman, who just so happens to share his soul with a wolf. His personalities vary, depending on whether or not the wolf is awake. So he goes from being a gentle, almost shy, man to being a warrior with fierce, animalistic instincts, and then to just pure wolf. This in itself is a completely new take on the myth. A shadow wolf: a smashing together of two lives, two worlds, two souls. Just... phenomenal.
Wolf Blood was split between the two’s POV, another thing I loved. It gave me an insight into both their worlds, so different yet so entwined. What was even better – and is even harder for an author to do – was that the voices of the two characters were unique and easily distinguishable. There was no confusion over whose chapter was whose, even if it wasn’t specified.
Yet another incredible point of this story was the action. Now, I’m not one for mindless, useless, badly written violence. But when it’s set out and described as wonderfully as it is in Browne’s book... it is just breathtaking. There was no needless killing, just pure, brilliant action that made the adrenaline pump through my body. I could feel the sword, the power, and I knew then that this was a magical story. The magic was made even more powerful by the creatures inhabiting the world. Wild Weird, three-headed women... I can barely describe how marvellous all this was. So... read it, find out for yourself!
I read this in a matter of days, and I really do recommend it to everyone who likes paranormal stories, and even those who don’t. This is an incredible, new, outstanding take on a genre I love. I just wish all stories were as magical and wonderfully built as Wolf Blood. Or, failing that, for there to be a sequel!
Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5
4½ Out of 5
Read this book if you liked:
Warriors of Alvana by N.M. Browne
The Fire of Ares by Michael Ford
Gracling by Kristin Cashore
Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Challenges It's Taking Part In:
British Book Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)
Happy Reading
Megan
* This book was received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Fortnight of Guests: A Novel Paradise (Rediscovering Reading Through YA)
Hey everyone! My name's Felicia and I run A Novel Paradise, a YA book review blog. That sounds like I'm important or something but really, I'm just your average bookworm armed with a passion for YA (and an unfortunate talent for lame jokes). I read under my desk in class instead of paying attention, I visit the library more than anywhere else, and I just love talking books, even when my friends start playing deaf. So a big thank-you to Megan for giving me the opportunity to guest-post on your wonderful blog! (:
I initially intended to write this informative essay on how we can rediscover reading through YA, but in the end, I realised that what I really wanted do was to share my thoughts about how awesome books can be for teens. Or somewhere along that line, at least. Hope I'll be echoing the sentiments of teen readers out there!
I've been a bookworm pretty much all my life. Ever since I was a little kid, I chose to read over watching cartoons or playing video games like my brother did; I was completely mad over Enid Blyton books and The Boxcar Children series! While growing up, I had tons of interests, including scrapbooking, swimming, painting, baking...you name it, I did it. But reading is the only hobby that has stuck with me as I grew from a silly, giggly and talkative child to the moody, sulky and angst-ridden teenager I am today (LOL).
A huge part of the reason why I was able to keep up my passion for books has to be because of the diversity of Young-Adult and teen novels I have to choose from. What else can you read when your taste has evolved beyond children's fiction, but is still not yet mature enough for the world of adult literature? To me, YA books are the stepping stones for us teenaged bookworms. Some titles are more suitable for tweens, while others would appeal more to older readers in the demographic, but with the vast sea of books available in the market, there's ALWAYS a book for everyone. There are so many different genres to choose from that you will probably stumble upon something you like. Hater of contemporary? Move over to fantasy, or a whole new paranormal world. Tired of romance? Get yourself an edgy, creepy psychological thriller!
When I tell my classmates that I like reading, some of them would give me the "What are you talking about? Books? Isn't school enough?" look, like I was stuck in the dinosaur era or something. But I think they still haven't discovered The Book yet: the novel which will tug at somewhere in their souls and kickstart their love for books! My best friend's a real life case study right there; she used to hate reading when she was a kid because she just wasn't interested. But as a teenager thrown into the world of boys and dating...hello hot-male-love-interests-who-are-head-to-toes-perfect! That moment when I first saw my book-burning bestie burying her nose into Twilight was priceless.
That's why I believe YA literature has become a sort of life-saver for teens who have never liked reading, or are put off by books thanks to the monotony of textbooks. I'm sure there are tons of other people out there just like my bestie, which is why if YA were a person, I would throw my arms around him/her and plant a huge, wet kiss on the cheek. Because books are totally awesome (Well, to be fair, not all of them are. But that's not my point. Ahem.) and I would hate for anyone to miss out the experience of enjoying a great read! I just can't imagine life without books, especially when they've been there for me when no one else was.
So if you've got an addiction to YA, be proud of it! And if you're a teen who rediscovered reading through YA, know that you're a very, very lucky person (:
Thanks again Megan for having me here today; I feel so honored as this is my very first time haha. Hope you guys didn't fall asleep while reading my rambling! :D
---
No still wide awake! ;) Thanks for the brilliant post, Felicia! And I completely agree: books save lives... from boredom. :D
Best Collections From Spring/Summer 2012 Season
Paying attention to the latest fashion trends can only be beneficial so take a peek at the top 7 fashion collections for the spring summer 2012 season and find out which style will most definitely be a part of your new spring wardrobe collection!
1. Givenchy
 |
| CLICK TO SEE POST |
2. Dsquared2
 |
| CLICK TO SEE POST |
3. Balmain
 |
| CLICK TO SEE POST |
4. Bottega Veneta
 | |
| CLICK TO SEE POST |
5. Prada
 |
| CLICK TO SEE POST |
6. Walter Van Beirendonck
 |
| CLICK TO SEE POST |
7. Neil Barrett
 |
| CLICK TO SEE POST |
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Fortnight of Guests: Black Nailed Reviews (Ten Myths Only Bloggers Know Aren't True)
I'm Alisha from Black Nailed Reviews, a blog dedicated to all things books and movies. I'm a student at the moment, but am inspiring to become a novelist while drinking orange juice. Before I get started, I wanted to thank Megan for letting me apart of her Fortnight of Guests and dealing with my indecisiveness! 
So, here is my list of myths that bloggers know aren't true:1) Blogging is a part-time gig.
I think we've all spent that one all-nighter catching up on blog posts or getting ready for interviews, etc.
2) Blogging is a fad.Blogging is something that let's people express themselves and talk about hot topics in society.
3) Bloggers get freebies.
Freebies are a privilege, so yes we do get freebies from time to time, but aren't entitled to them.
4) You have to be an expert in blogging.
Technology and the Internet is constantly changing, so the blogging world changes too which means you can't know everything about blogging.
5) You have to be professional (on your blog).
*looks around* I wonder who said that. As a blogger, you make your blog to fit you, so if you love to cuss or have tons of pink decorations on your blog, go for it! The more personal the blog, the more readers will remember it.
6) Blogging is a women's world.
Most of us are female bloggers, but we do have our male bloggers out there. Male bloggers are just as beneficial as female bloggers are and bring the male's perspective on issues.
7) Bloggers blog for a living.
Many bloggers have careers or are students or are stay-at-home moms/dads. We love to blog and blogging is a 24/7 job in itself, but we have lives upon that...that's why blogging gets stressful at times.
8) Bloggers are grammar police.
We don't all sit on Thesaurus.com looking up synonyms that go with books. It just looks like we have proper grammar because we abuse the Spell check button so much, we start seeing our own errors. Rereading your post always helps too.
9) You have to blog EVERY day.
Blogging is never quantity, but quality. If you have three blog posts and they all have tons of comments, that's what matters. You want your readers to take something away from your blog, not just let them see that you've blogged five times yesterday. But, that doesn't mean to wait three weeks to post another blog.
10) Blogging is a hobby.
---
Ah, gotta say I believed in a fair few of these myths before I started my blog. *looks guilty* I'm sorry. ;) Thanks for this amazing list of myths, Alisha! It was great fun, and I even picked up a few tips! :D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)