Blog Tour: Shimmer by Paula Weston

Once again, I am proud to take part in Paula Weston's Rephaim Book Tour. I enjoyed Book #1 and Book #2, so of course I'm thrilled to share with you my thoughts on Book #3. Follow along with the rest of the blog tour!

Publish Date: March 8th, 2016
Publisher: Tundra Books
ISBN: 9781770498488
Pages: 393
Series: The Rephaim, #3
Source: From publisher for honest review and participation in blog tour.


Goodreads Synopsis:

Gaby thought her life couldn’t get more complicated.
She’s almost used to the idea that she’s not the nineteen-year-old backpacker she thought she was. She can just about cope with being one of the Rephaim - a 140-year-old half-angel - whose memories have been stolen. She’s even coming to grips with the fact that Jude, the brother she’s mourned for a year, didn’t die at all.
But now Rafa—sexy, infuriating Rafa—is being held, and hurt, by Gatekeeper demons. And Gaby has to get the bitterly divided Rephaim to work together, or Rafa has no chance at all.
It’s a race against time - and history. And it may already be too late.

My Review:

I was so excited to get the email announcing the blog tour for book #3. And when the book arrived in the mail, I was eager to pick it up, and start back into Gaby and Rafa's adventures. Then I realized that it had been a while since reading Haze, and lo and behold Gaby and Rafa are separated! What?! I had forgot this crucial part, and while it made me sad for just a moment, I was eager to see some ass-kicking to get Rafa back! (And we know from the first two books, that ass-kicking is a HUGE part of Paula Weston's series.)

Thankfully, we're given a character cheat-sheet at the beginning of the book, and I admit I found myself using it more than I thought I would. A few times I found it a little confusing with the plethora of  Rephaim and Outcasts and characters in general. But by the middle of the book, I was more comfortable and aware of who's who.

Throughout Shimmer, the main focus seems to be getting Rafa and Taya out of the Iron room they're locked in but we also get to learn a lot about some characters and a little more into the mystery that is Gaby and Jude and their memories. Becuase of this, Rafa is not in the book as much as most of us were hoping (I know, right!? We all love Rafa) but this is important to the series. We see that while Gaby does rely (just a little) on Rafa, she can and certainly does hold her own when it comes to basically everything. She is definitely a YA heroine that sticks out and Paula Weston can be applauded for making such a strong, independent female protagonist.   

There's never a dull moment, with twists and turns and captivating scenes. To be honest, I did find Shimmer to be lacking in overall thrill and excitement compared to Shadows and Haze, but I feel it was a crucial part in the series, and the cliff hanger we are left with at the end?! Woah. I cannot wait to see what happens in the final installment of Paula Weston's Rephaim Series, Burn (which you can except to come back sometime in June and see what I thought of it!)

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi Blog Tour

Publish Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton Canada
ISBN: 978-0-14317-923-8
Pages: 336
Series: None
Source: From publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis:

An exhilarating new direction for Helen Oyeyemi with a mischievous story of love, lies and inspiration.
It’s an ordinary afternoon in 1938 for the celebrated American novelist St John Fox, hard at work in the study of his suburban home – until his long-absent muse wanders in. Mary Foxe (beautiful, British and 100% imaginary) is in a playfully combative mood. “You’re a villain,” she tells him. ‘A serial killer . . . can you grasp that?”
Mr Fox has a predilection for murdering his heroines. Mary is determined to change his ways. And so she challenges him to join her in stories of their own devising, and the result is an exploration of love like no other.
It isn’t long before Mrs Daphne Fox becomes suspicious, and St John is offered a choice: a life with the girl of his dreams, or a life with an all-too-real woman who delights him more than he cares to admit. Can there be a happy ending this time?
Mr Fox is a magical book, as witty as it is profound in its truths about how we learn to be with one another.

My Review:

Hands down, Mr Fox has got to be the most interesting book I've ever read. The idea of the book caught my attention so I was eager to get it, and start reading it. Though once I started reading it, I wasn't sure what to think. The first 'chapter' of the book starts off great, we meet some characters and kind of have a feel about the book. Then we move on, and the narration changes and the story somewhat changes too, since there are short stories amongst the novel. And this is where things get tricky because I found it a bit hard to tell who was who and where we were going and who was narrating what. The characters are original though, interesting and down right funny. Mary Foxe was an imaginary friend who will make readers chuckle to themselves. And Mr Fox himself is an inventive character who will draw upon your curiosity.
Mr Fox (the book, not the character) reminded me of an abstract painting. The novel was wild, it was different and you really need to stop and think and dig deep to find the meaning behind it. And there will be some people who read it once and love it, and truly get everything out of it, there will be those of us who have to reread it, and really digest it, and there will be some who just wont see and understand the whole picture. But that's okay, this book isn't for everyone.
Helen Oyeyemi's writing is incredible though. She has a way with words and sentences that is truly unique in every way, and that added so much to the story for me. I would be reading Mr Fox and Oyeyemi's voice and words would carry me away from the story and I would honestly have to go back and reread what I just finished because I was lost with the writing but not the story. Helen is a gifted writer and at such a young age, I can see her going far with her gift.
Though this book wasn't what I thought it was going to be, and all in all wasn't for me, I can see this book being thoroughly enjoyed by many others!

About the author

Helen Oyeyemi was born in Nigeria in 1984 and raised in London. She is the author of three novels: The Icarus Girl, which was completed before her nineteenth birthday; The Opposite House, which was nominated for the 2008 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; and White is for Witching, which was nominated for a 2009 Shirley Jackson award and won the 2010 Somerset Maugham Award. She is also the author of two plays, Juniper’s Whitening and Victimese.


More Blog Tour Stops:
Tales of a Ranting Ginger  - Oct 24 
Snowdrop Dreams of Books - Oct 25 
Just a Lil’ Lost - Oct 26 
In the Next Room - Oct 27 
Evie Bookish - Oct 28 
Florence in Print - Oct 31 
A Bookworm’s World - Nov 1 
Krystal’s Stellar Book Blog - Nov 2 
The Indextrious Reader - Nov 3 
Hands and Home - Nov 4

For a short story written by Helen Oyeyemi, you can visit here, or to read an NPR review, feel free to check it out too.

Thanks for stopping by my part of the blog tour, be sure to check out the rest of the list above of the other tour participants!

Bloodlines Canadian Blog Tour

Thanks to the lovely Tynga at Tynga's reviews for letting me use this pretty header.

I was really happy when Penguin Canada contacted me to participate in the Canadian Blog Tour for Bloodlines. I've never read Richelle Mead's books, so I was excited to start here!

BLOOD DOESN'T LIE

I wasn’t free of my past, not yet.

Sydney’s blood is special. That’s because she’s an alchemist—one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir—the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir—is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill’s guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places—a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside—and within—the school grounds. Now that they’re in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

And because I really loved Adrian -



But if you prefer Mr. Dimitri Belikov, this ones for you -



And if neither of those were good enough for you, check out the teaser trailers for Rose Hathaway, Sydney Sage, or Jill Dragomir.

Plus, if you're intruigued by Bloodlines, and don't have a copy (yet), you can read the first chapter here.

Be sure to read my review here.

And the fun on my stop for the Canadian Bloodlines Tour doesn't end there, Penguin Canada has given me the opportunity to share the love with another reader out there. One lucky Canadian winner will get their own copy of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below (and bear with me as this is my first time using it). Canadian only please as Penguin Canada will be shipping the prize. Be sure to do the mandatory entry correctly in order for your entry to count.
Thanks for stopping by!

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Publish Date: August 23, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill Fiction
Pages: 421
ISBN: 978-1-59514-317-4
Series: Bloodlines #1
Source: ARC for review from Publisher

Goodreads Synopsis:

BLOOD DOESN'T LIE.
Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning.

My Review:

Bloodlines is a spinoff of the highly popular Vampire Academy series written by Richelle Mead. This was the first book of Richelle’s that I’ve read and it wont be the last! I’ve had my eye on Vampire Academy books but never had the chance to read them, so when Penguin contacted me about Bloodlines, I jumped on the chance!
I was intruiged from the first page. I wanted to know more of the world Richelle Mead created, and I wanted to meet all of the characters. We first meet Sydney when she is awoken in the middle of the night by her father to tend to something very important. What could be so important that she’s forced to wake up? Well, Sydney is an alchemist, a human who’s in the middle of Vampires and Humans – protecting the secrets of the vampires, and protecting humans lives.
Bloodlines is a great read. It’s a vampire story, but it’s original. I’ve seen that some Vampire Academy readers who were hyped for this book, weren’t that impressed. Not that they didn’t like it (in the cases that I’ve seen) but they just didn’t think it was up to par with the VA series. The main thing I’ve seen is that Sydney wasn’t as strong a character as Rose. As I said, I haven’t read the VA series, so I can’t make a comparison between the two main characters. I can say that I thought Sydney was awesome. She was a strong girl who was true to her alchemist beliefs but wasn’t affriad to take chances. She knew that her first priority was to the alchemists, but felt like there was a middle ground too. Sydney was sent to protect and be the guardian to Jill, the sister to the Moroi Queen and be with Vampires, more specifally dhampirs, and moroi. Through converstations and scenes, we see that this isn’t the first time Sydney has ‘worked’ with the vampires, and other alchemists aren’t too thrilled with this. But as I said earlier, Sydney knows her limits, and rules and tries to stay true to her upbringing. Because of these mentions of Rose, and their past experiences, I am so eager to read the VA series. Richelle adds these sutble hints of the other series, and I believe it is to tie up loose ends in VA and to get people interested in VA! (And it worked, I went out and bought two of the books while reading Bloodlines – check out my IMM post here).
The other characters in Bloodlines are great too. We meet Jill, the vulnerable young girl who Sydney is responsible for protecting from danger. We learn so much about her throughout the novel, and I truly felt for her. All she goes through cannot be easy, but she’s a tough girl. I was introduced to Adrian Ivashkov on Bloodlines, and let me tell you, I adore him! The comments and remarks he makes were enough to make me laugh outloud. Again, Richelle adds comments in Bloodlines about Adrian and Rose, and makes me need to know more of their past. I learned so much about Adrian, and things he’s dealing with. He’s definitely a favourite character of mine now.
Another thing while reading others thought of Bloodlines, people seem to be disappointed that there was no romance. Really? I don’t think that this novel needed the romance. To me, it had enough of everything else – mystery regarding the Vampires, curiousness towards the Alchemists, and a rollercoaster of great story telling –that we didn’t need the extra romance. That’s not to say that Richelle shouldn’t add a little romance (maybe with Adrian and someone) but it can wait.Richelle Mead does an excellent job of creating this world in which you feel apart of. I suggest everyone read Bloodlines, and if you haven’t read the Vampire Academy series, read this one first. You wont be disappointed!

In My Mailbox (July 24, 2011)

In My Mailbox credit goes to The Story Siren

For Review:

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier | Goodreads Synopsis

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer | Goodreads Synopsis

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead | Goodreads Synopsis

Thanks so much Penguin Canada for these! You guys spoil me some :)

Can't wait to read these 3! My daughter is really excited about Peter Nimble, I'm excited for the Bloodlines Blog Tour, and Wolfsbane is hopefully going to answer some questions from before (Though I'm so disappointed that Wolfsbane doesn't match my gorgeous Nightshade book)

What did you guys get this week? Leave links and I'll check it out!