» fantasy

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Sonia Gensler — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:00:04 +0000

As the title suggests, one of the most compelling things about Rae Carson’s debut novel, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, is its protagonist, Princess Elisa. In some ways, she is “everygirl” — a little self-absorbed, unhappy with her body, and entirely unsure of her purpose in life. In other ways, Elisa is unique. She bears the Godstone, which means she was chosen by God for greatness. She’s also highly educated and, despite her youth, quite shrewed in her assessments of people and situations. Its really the latter qualities that enable her to transform from a typically self-absorbed and physically awkward teen into a formidable force of political power.

As I might have mentioned before, I’m not normally drawn to fantasy novels. But when something gets as much buzz as this book did (it’s just been nominated for the Morris Award, by the way), I have to move out of my comfort zone. The story drew me in and kept me reading to the very last page because of character. You’ll fall in love with Elisa as she grapples for her true purpose and slowly gains confidence in her power. Her supporting cast of characters — a mixture of kings, priests, ladies-in-waiting, and desert rebels — is sure to captivate you, as well.

I’ll let Rae tell you more about the story and protagonist:

Beautiful Creatures

Malena Lott — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:00:50 +0000

It was love at first sight. Great book covers have that effect on me. Join me in reading BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, this week’s Book in Bloom. Congrats to authors Kami Garcia (@kamigarcia on Twitter) and Margaret Stohl for the book’s sale to Warner Bros. Read it now before it’s made into a movie.

From the publisher:
There were no surprises in Gatlin County.

We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.

At least, that’s what I thought.

Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

There was a curse.

There was a girl.

And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Get BEAUTIFUL here, watch the trailer and read an exclusive interview with the authors.

Savor Me Slowly

malenalott — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:00:04 +0000

Savor Me Slowly, Gena Showalter

First line: “Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The disturbing clatter whined inside Jaxon Tremain’s mind, playing without permission or welcome.”

Superstar Showalter is clearly in her element writing tough-as-nails heroines and sexy, bad-boy heroes as proved in this Alien Huntress book following half human, half machine Mishka Le’Ace doing her damndest to not let Jaxon turn her heart into scrap metal. Bionic love at its best.

For: Days when you really want to kick your boss’ ass. –Malena Lott

Buy it now on Amazon!