GoodRead - Pawn

You will have to forgive me if my review on Pawn isn' up to my normal standards. I read this back at the start of October (thank you NetGalley) and the UK publishers, Mira Ink, asked if I could have it close to the UK publication date (January 2014) rather than the US release date (November 2013) so I decided to pop here - best of both worlds! And because I am writing this a few weeks after reading this, you will have to forgive me if I forget details so... yeah...

In this, the first book in the Blackcoat Rebellion series, we are thrown into a dystopian USA where, at the age of seventeen, you take a test and this defines your grade in life. For Kitty Doe, she gets the grade of III and she's plans to escape the life of misery that is thrown upon her. So when she gets the chance to become a VII, the highest grade you can become - the same as the Hart family, who rule the USA, Kitty takes it, not realising what would happen to her next.

Because of her eyes are the same as the Prime Minister's niece, Lila Hart, Kitty becomes Masked - surgically altered to looking like Lila who, unknown to the general public, died in mysterious circumstance. Now, looking like Lila, the Hart family want Kitty to stop a rebellion. A rebellion that Lila was a figurehead for. A rebellion that Kitty believes in.

But as a pawn in this twisted game of politics and family loyalty, Kitty must step carefully for her life isn't the only life on the line...

I really enjoyed reading this. This was one of the easiest dystopian novels I read in a while that I instantly sank into and read late into the night. It was very addictive. There were elements of The Selection by Kiera Cass to it (but Aimee Carter actually writes these elements MUCH BETTER than Kiera Cass) and there was something about it that remembered me of Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, but I can't put my finger on what, though.

And this novel had twists! It's a very twisty novel. In the first, say, 50-60% of the book, you are understanding the world Kitty lives in and the world she is suddenly thrust into. But then, just when you begin to understand it, Aimee then pulls the rug from under her readers with the amount of twists. With every twists, you go "Whoa! I did not see that coming!" and she only gives you a few chapters to recover before the next twist is revealed.

I need to know what happens next. I need the sequel because of that ending. That last reveal...

So, dear readers, if you are a fan of The Selection and you want some darker or you're a fan of Under the Never Sky, may I suggest this read...

GoodRead - Night of Cake And Puppets

When the news of this novella was announced, I was excited. So excited, I spent ten minutes trying to find then preorder it on Amazon.co.uk. Sorry, but I am a huge fan of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. It was only after I preordered it that I actually read what the synopsis was about. All I saw when I saw the first time round was the title, the cover and the names Zuzana and Mik. That's it. Then I read it fully and went "This is gonna be good!"

In the novella, we go on Zuzana and Mik's first date. With a small handful of magic from her best friend, Karou, and a plan - a treasure map, actually. And the treasure is her. But will "violin boy" follow the map? And what will he find on the way...?

I forgot how much I LOVE this world! The world of Daughter of Smoke and Bone is such a wonderful world and reading Zuzana and Mik finally meeting up was wonderful. I LOVED reading this as it was sweet and fun and it makes me very excited over Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

And now we have to wait till April for Dreams of Gods and Monsters... SO FAR AWAY! So, if you are a fan of the series and you haven't read this, you need to read this. Like now.

SMILE - Today, I am A Owl!

Not sure how I came across this (I think I was Googling an image for my other half and our weirdness) so, thanks Google!

Your Fave Xmas Songs

Less than a month till Christmas. LESS THAN A MONTH!!! Are you excited? Are you panicked? Is the Christmas Movie channel on all the time or have you banned it from your home?

Why am I chatting abou Christmas? Well, I want to do something special for you guys and I thought this would be a good way to do it. I want to know what your fave Christmas song or your fave Christmas-themed song is. Is it Michael Buble? The new Kelly Clarkson? What about the latest Leona Lewis? Or are the classics like All I Want for Christmas and Fairytale in New York your faves? Or is it not anything Christmasy at all?

I wanna know. Why? Well, I want to do the top 5 voted for Xmas songs on this blog's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ThePewterWolf). If you're not following the Facebook page, please do. It would be nice to get to know you all!

Anyway, the plan. The top five voted for songs will be put up, one song a day, leading up to Christmas (meaning the first day will be Friday 20th December). Each song will go up sometime in the afternoon on the Facebook page and, after your fave song is announced on the Facebook page on Christmas Eve, a blog post with the top 5 will be up (it will be later in the evening, though).

So, here's the form. All I ask is you give me the name of the song, the artist and, if you have it, the youTube/SoundCloud link so I can put it on both the Facebook and Blog.

That's it. Nothing more to add. Oh, deadline. I will be closing this at around 7pm on Friday 13th December. So that gives me time to add the votes, get the right song and get everything ready. That fair?



Now the form is out the way, you may carry on with your day!

Cover Reveal for BLACK DOG

Ooops! For some reason, this didn't go up at 5pm as I asked it to. Weird. Oh well...

I HAVE A COVER REVEAL FOR YOU GUYS! The lovely peeps of Strange Chemistry have asked me and some other bloggers to reveal a cover for their new novel that should be published in February 2014.

The cover for Black Dog by Rachel Neumeier and TA-DAH!!!

IT'S ALL WINTERY!!! And WHAT is that thing behind our lead heroine? I am not saying a werewolf as the blurb doesn't mention or feel werwolf-y. Let me put the blurb up and you can see for yourself, and you can tell me what you think about the cover! LEAVE COMMENTS and tell me what you think of this cover and the story itself:

Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic. Pure magic can protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge – the blood kin or the black dogs. In rare cases – like for Natividad’s father and older brother – Pure magic can help black dogs find the strength to control their dark powers.

But before Natividad’s mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them. Their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered by black dogs. Their parents die protecting them. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

In the snowy forests of Vermont they are discovered by Ezekiel Korte, despite his youth the strongest black dog at Dimilioc and the appointed pack executioner. Intrigued by Natividad he takes them to Dimilioc instead of killing them.

Now they must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. Alejandro must prove he can learn loyalty and control even without his sister’s Pure magic. Natividad’s twin Miguel must prove that an ordinary human can be more than a burden to be protected. And even at Dimilioc a Pure girl like Natividad cannot remain unclaimed to cause fighting and distraction. If she is to stay she must choose a black dog mate.

But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

GoodRead - Santa Baby

I know that this is meant to be my "Read Your Own" month. I know! But after the ending that was Allegiant, I decide to mix it up a bit. Am going to speed read a few NetGalley/eProofs in the next few weeks (I have several that I am DESPERATE to read!) and maybe reread Catching Fire after I see the movie... So, that's my December all planned out on the reading front (DANG IT!!!)

So, let's start getting into the Christmas spirit (I heard Christmas music on the radio so I take that as a good sign!) and attack Santa Baby by Ali Cronin, the second in Hot Key Books Unlocked novellas for Christmas 2013. It's coming up to Christmas and the end of Annie's first few weeks as a chalet girl in the beautiful Swiss mountains. Her boyfriend is off travelling so she's not exactly thrilled to look after a stag party of posh boys. And it's not long before one - George - makes a play for her. He makes his intentions clear - he wants her under the mistletoe. And in his bed.

But, while Annie is tempted, she can't help but be more interested in another member of the stag do - the quiet Sam. But Sam's got a girlfriend, George says. And we should trust George's word... right?

As I said in my previous review (All I Want For Christmas by Esme Taylor), I'm kinda only just entering the world of New Adult. So, I was braced for it. Well, I expected strong language, sex, strong urges (if you get my drift). Most people do think New Adult is "YA but kinky" (I still have no idea what New Adult is, by the way). But I was kinda looking forward to see where this would go.

And it didn't go there. If anything, it was the opposite to what I was expecting a New Adult novella to be. Yes, this is New Adult so yes, there is swearing and sex. But it felt more like a romance story. Something, if I'm honest with you, I wasn't expecting.

But I got a romance. It was sweet (but had enough grit to keep me from going "BO-RRRRRIIINNNG!" [you guys know I'm not a mushy romantic reader]), the characters and the humour was engaging. The plot... If I'm honest with you, I feel like I've read it before or seen it in a Christmas movie and, because of this, I felt like I guessed some of the key plot points.

And I think, because of that, this felt like a middle of the road read. I'm not sure if I'm saying that because it was more romance than I expected or because I didn't click with the story as much as I hope, but I do think this is a nice read to get you ready for Christmas and will make you want to go skiing. 

SMILE - I'm a Unicorn!!!

My thanks to MundieMom's tumblr. I saw this and just went "Aww!" so thought I would show it!

GoodRead - All I Want For Christmas

So, after Allegiant and THAT ending (Let's not go there, shall we? In the words of River Song, "spoilers"), I'm going through a phrase of reading short, "happy" reads. I think I'm still in mourning for Allegiant by Veronica Roth. So, I attacked this, one of Hot Key Books Unlocked eNovellas from their launch series/Christmas range.

Ella is dreading this Christmas. After her parents death, she was determined to make a change. After quitting uni and dumping her ex, she's found herself stuck and she's unable to make the next big step.

But while she's working at a Christmas party, she meets Joe and the attraction is instant. Neither want anything more than a fling which is perfect, seeing as Ella wants to become unstuck and Joe is going away in the New Year. But as the big day comes closer, the snow and clothes start falling, Ella begins to wonder if this fling could be something more... And if taking the risk to find out worth taking....?

Now, this is my first real "New Adult" story. I have loads on my kindle but I have not read any of them so, when I started reading this, I was entering new terrority. I guessed it would tackle sex - and I was right. It was sexy and quite steamy (if you follow me on GoodReads, you probably saw my mock outcries of "WILL SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!")

But I liked it. It was a sweet, hot chocolate of a novella, getting the reader ready for Christmas (it kinda reminded me vaguely of one of the stories from the Let It Snow collection, The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson. But more adult and sexy). I kinda want more stories from these characters - I want a story about Amy and Lee (if you read the story, you'll understand), but any of Joe's siblings as well. There's a wealth of characters who stories could be told.

So more, Esme Taylor (aka Keris Stainton). You know you want to...