Blog Tour: Jewel of the Thames by Angela Misri Q&A

Today I'm welcoming Angela Misri on the blog. I got to ask the author of JEWEL OF THE THAMES 11 questions for my stop of the Baker Street or Bust blog tour. Thanks to Colleen for organizing the blog tour and to Angela for answering all the questions I sent her way. It's been a while since I've read a few of Sherlock Holmes' adventures and so JEWEL OF THE THAMES was a welcome reminder of how fun detective stories can be. Portia Adams is the woman you should consult if you are looking for your next YA book!

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Tour Schedule 

March 17 Canlit for Little Canadians — Review
March 18 Canlit for Little Canadians — Q&A
March 19 Nayu’s Reading Corner — Review and Guest post
March 20 Escape Through the Pages — Review
March 20 Jalyn Ely — Review
March 21 Book Angel Booktopia — Spotlight Post
March 23 Glamorous Book Lounge — Review
March 24 The Tales Compendium — Review
March 25 Christine Plouvier, Novelist — Guest Post
March 26 Bookish Comforts — Review
March 26 The Fly Leaf Review — Review
March 27 Liberty Falls Down — Review
March 27 Miss Page Turner — Review
March 28 Miss Page Turner — Q&A
March 31 Rami Ungar The Writer — Q&A
April 2 L.S. Engler — Q&A
April 3 So Here’s Us — Guest Post
April 3 A Book Drunkard — Review

 

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There’s a new detective at 221 Baker Street

Set against the background of 1930s England, Jewel of the Thames introduces Portia Adams, a budding detective with an interesting — and somewhat mysterious — heritage.

Nineteen-year-old Portia Adams has always been inquisitive. There’s nothing she likes better than working her way through a mystery. When her mother dies, Portia puzzles over why she was left in the care of the extravagant Mrs. Jones but doesn’t have long to dwell on it before she is promptly whisked from Toronto to London by her new guardian. Once there Portia discovers that she has inherited 221 Baker Street — the former offices of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Portia settles into her new home and gets to know her downstairs tenants, including the handsome and charming Brian Dawes. She also finds herself entangled in three cases: the first involving stolen jewelry, the second a sick judge and the final case revolving around a kidnapped child. But the greatest mystery of all is her own. How did she come to inherit this townhouse? And why did her mother keep her heritage from her? Portia has a feeling Mrs. Jones knows more than she is letting on. In fact, she thinks her new guardian may be the biggest clue of all.

Angela Misri is a journalist, writer and mom based out of Toronto, Canada. Her first book Jewel of the Thames is due out March 25th, published by Fierce Ink Press. This is the first book in the series 'A Portia Adams Adventures' to be published, and Angela is hard at work editing books two and three right now!

Find Angela on Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook. 

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Q&A with Angela Misri 

1) Can you describe Jewel of the Thames in five words?

New Generation of Consulting Detective.


2) For how long has Portia been accompanying you now from first idea to published book?

Almost 20 years - since my senior thesis in undergrad till now. It’s not a coincidence that Portia’s nineteen I guess. It took this long for her to grow into the detective I write about!

Source

3) Jewel of the Thames is about nineteen-year-old Portia Adams who inherits 221 Baker Street and follows in the footsteps of the world's most famous detective duo when she solves her first cases. Have you always wanted to write about a young woman aspiring to become the next Sherlock Holmes or was there any other literary/historical character you could have imagined being your heroine's idol?

I have lots of stories in my head, but Portia was always going to be somehow related to Baker Street. Even in the first drafts she found herself at Baker Street and inspired by the detectives who lived there. It was probably in my thirties when I decided to make that relationship between she and the Baker Street duo explicit rather than implicit.

4) Which are your favourite book characters? Any famous detectives among them?

Other than Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, Hercule Poirot, Tempe Brennan are my favourite detectives. In terms of 'other' fictional book characters: Elizabeth Bennett, Lisbeth Salander, Roland Deschain, and Hermione Granger.

5) What did your 'Holmes' research look like? Did you read up on all of his cases?

Source

Oh Lord yes! My senior thesis was ‘A Psychoanalysis of Sherlock Holmes’ wherein I postulated that he was bi-polar. I read everything Conan-Doyle had written, including his books about the Boer war and his poetry. In my twenties I would say I was an expert in all things Holmes, including the fiction written by Stephen King and others on the Conan-Doyle characters. When Portia became more of a reality in my mind as opposed to a lingering thought, I reentered the world of Baker Street and re-read the full canon before starting a detailed timeline and deciding on some key timing for the first book I wrote. I also read extensively on the time periods, and got my hands on as many photo books as I could of London pre-war, between wars and post second world war.

6) How many characters from the original Sherlock Holmes cases do we meet in your Portia Adams novels?

Oooh, without spoiling things? At least three, including villains you thought long-gone (no, not Moriarty, I am not pulling a ‘Missed me!?’ on you guys!).


7) What inspires your writing process? Tv shows? Music?

Yes to both those things for sure, but real-life often inspires a scene or a crime sometimes. If you are talking to me and suddenly see me grin and look off into the distance, there’s a good chance I’ve had an idea!

8) What are the most important virtues an aspiring detective should possess?

Curiosity. I actually just wrote an article about how important it is for a great detective to be driven by curiosity above all else. High intelligence, the ability to grasp things quickly and make connections between disparate clues. I wish I could say a justice-complex, but I’m not sure I believe that.


9) If you could choose any fictional YA character to visit Portia in 20th century England, who would it be and why?

Hermione. I think Portia’s best friends have a lot of Hermione in them, and I would LOVE to see Portia’s cases imbued with a little witchcraft and wizardry ; )

Source

10) What can we expect from Portia's next cases? On www.aportiaadamsadventure.com we see that you already planned ten casebooks for Portia Adams with the first three cases included in your first book. Which out of all ten was most fun to write and when will the other seven be released?

Portia is coming out of Jewel of the Thames with some earth-shattering (at least to her world) revelations, so you can expect her to go through a period of mistrust, and adjustment to this new reality. At the same time, she has three successful cases under her belt now, so her confidence will grow, leading to more dangerous cases and situations. For the first time she has a man in her life, and he’s one hell of a man. With Brian’s friendship and the promise of more expect to see sparks, awkwardness, and lots of confusion (as is wont in our first male-female relationships). While she is trying to figure out this new family tree, her small friend group will expand to include Annie Coleson, who will be a significant character for at least the next few books.

11) Any tips for young 21st century women whose dream it is to become a detective like Portia, too?

Hmmm, I’d say like Portia, to trust in your abilities but supplement them with further education and experience. Portia sees someone with a skill, decides she needs it to be a better detective, and finds a way to be mentored by them whether that be a thief who can teach her to pick locks or an experienced lawyer who reads body language well, or an ex-boxer who can teach her to defend herself. She’s not a humble person, but she is ready to learn from anyone, a trait I think all of us should have.

Book Review: Jewel of the Thames by Angela Misri + Giveaway

Title: Jewel of the Thames: A Portia Adams Adventure
Author: Angela Misri
Publisher: Fierce Ink Press
Publishing Date: March 25th 2014
Length: 256 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, mystery, 1930s, England, Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes
Source: Publisher

There’s a new detective at 221 Baker Street

Set against the background of 1930s England, Jewel of the Thames introduces Portia Adams, a budding detective with an interesting — and somewhat mysterious — heritage.

Nineteen-year-old Portia Adams has always been inquisitive. There’s nothing she likes better than working her way through a mystery. When her mother dies, Portia puzzles over why she was left in the care of the extravagant Mrs. Jones but doesn’t have long to dwell on it before she is promptly whisked from Toronto to London by her new guardian. Once there Portia discovers that she has inherited 221 Baker Street — the former offices of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Portia settles into her new home and gets to know her downstairs tenants, including the handsome and charming Brian Dawes. She also finds herself entangled in three cases: the first involving stolen jewelry, the second a sick judge and the final case revolving around a kidnapped child. But the greatest mystery of all is her own. How did she come to inherit this townhouse? And why did her mother keep her heritage from her? Portia has a feeling Mrs. Jones knows more than she is letting on. In fact, she thinks her new guardian may be the biggest clue of all.

Summary by Goodreads 

 

Finally! We have a new detective investigating the YA scene. As soon as you read more about Portia Adams and the cases she's got to solve, you can't resist to get drawn into her story.

Portia Adams makes careful observations and isn't too fast with her verdicts and assumptions. When she presents her view on a case and explains her theory, it's with certainty and not only a vague guess. She's an incorruptible and bright private eye for her very young age. You'll like that about her! Holmes and Watson would be proud of her, too. Knowing that she's living in Baker Street 221 now and working on her cases like a professional. Portia will let you take part in her current investigation and show you new discoveries. While Portia's solving her cases you'll sure learn something useful and curious.

Doesn't Portia moving into the quarters of Baker Street 221 give Angela Misri's story an almost mythical touch? I mean, those two, Holmes and Watson, are probably the world's most famous detective duo and have experienced much approval and quite a fandom in popular culture through TV, movie adaptations and merchanise. This story wouldn't feel as strongly linked to the original Sherlock stories and their appeal if it wasn't for the local proximity to the place that once housed Sherlock's original aura of detective grandness.
 

Angela Misri writes Portia's story as one cohesive story with the same setting and characters but opens a new "casebook", when one case is solved and the next begins. In retrospect, all three cases were very intelligent and not always too easy to solve. You can test your intuition and follow Portia on her investigations and see how she prepares for new situations, absorbs new facts and material to broaden her horizons in various fields. 

Despite its shortness, the story's pace was what dampened my early enthusiam about it to some extent. Meetings with Portia's new mentor and the promising relationship with Brian, the young constable trainee who lives in another Baker Street 221 apartment, weren't as revelatory and progressive as they could've been. Still I accept that a 20th century gentleman needs to take his time before he makes serious advances on a woman he fancies. Let's see how things develop in the next Portia Adams novel.

Also of interest is how Angela Misri interprets her London setting of the 1930s and the history of two fictional characters themselves, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and makes it her own. Sherlock Holmes was originally invented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th century. It is fascinating to observe how a character and a story idea that worked so many decades ago, still have the power to draw readers these days in its ban. 

3,5/5 ***/* JEWEL OF THE THAMES: A PORTIA ADAMS ADVENTURE - An atmospheric 20th century London setting, clever cases and a young woman with an unerring instinct for truth and justice.

It's been a while since I've read a Sherlock Holmes' adventure and so JEWEL OF THE THAMES was a welcome reminder of how fun detective stories can be. Portia Adams is the woman you should consult if you are looking for your next YA book!

"My brow furrowed and I opened my mouth to ask what assets those might be, but was surprised
into silence by an old hand that reached between our two chairs to grasp mine. I looked down at our now joined hands and then back up at the older woman, surprised to see tears in her eyes for the first time since meeting her." ― p. 8

JEWEL OF THE THAMES you might enjoy THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by no other than the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. CLARITY by Kim Harrington is a chilling murder mystery of the psychic kind. And THE THOUSAND DOLLAR TAN LINE by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham is about 21st century Tv culture's most famous private investigator teen, Veronica Mars and her cases.

* Be on the look-out for Angela's next Portia Adams Adventure instalments. Click here to find out what they are about.

* Click here to listen to an excerpt of JEWEL OF THE THAMES.

* Have a look at Angela's Pinterest board A Portia Adams Adventure!

* For further information about Angela and her books visit www.aportiaadamsadventure.com.

* Thanks to Fierce Ink Press and Colleen McKie for providing me with a digital review copy!

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Tour Schedule 

March 17 Canlit for Little Canadians — Review
March 18 Canlit for Little Canadians — Q&A
March 19 Nayu’s Reading Corner — Review and Guest post
March 20 Escape Through the Pages — Review
March 20 Jalyn Ely — Review
March 21 Book Angel Booktopia — Spotlight Post
March 23 Glamorous Book Lounge — Review
March 24 The Tales Compendium — Review
March 25 Christine Plouvier, Novelist — Guest Post
March 26 Bookish Comforts — Review
March 26 The Fly Leaf Review — Review
March 27 Liberty Falls Down — Review
March 27 Miss Page Turner — Review
March 28 Miss Page Turner — Q&A
March 31 Rami Ungar The Writer — Q&A
April 2 L.S. Engler — Q&A
April 3 So Here’s Us — Guest Post
April 3 A Book Drunkard — Review

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Giveaway

Thanks to Fierce Ink Press I'm giving away an eCopy of JEWEL OF THE THAMES. The giveaway is open internationally, excluding UK residents, and ends April 15th 2014.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Behind The Pages #3 - The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle

Welcome to Behind The Pages March post! You can find last month's post of this feature, with Trish Doller and her second novel Where the Stars Still Shine, here.

What is Behind The Pages all about? I asked some of my favourite authors and a bunch of promising 2014 debut authors to annotate a scene, page or more of one of their books. I see the feature as a chance to show readers what's behind a page. Authors can share their favourite writing memories, the music that influenced a certain scene or anything else that comes to their mind. We might get hints to what the characters were thinking and feeling that exact moment or other fun details about their story.Hope you enjoy Behind The Pages as much as I do. I'm intending this feature to be a monthly post here on the blog.

On March 18th one of my most anticipated books of 2014 was released. Of course I'm talking about THE EDGE OF FALLING by Rebecca Serle. And I'm so happy that Rebecca agreed to annotate not one but three pages for us. 

Thanks to all the fabulous authors who took the time to annotate a page or scene for us, your comments are always so insightful and fun to read. When readers can't get enough of a book and its characters it only shows how much the author's work means to them, to us. Thank you!  

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Growing up in privileged, Manhattan social circles, Caggie’s life should be perfect, and it almost was until the day that her younger sister drowned when Caggie was supposed to be watching her. Stricken by grief, Caggie pulls away from her friends and family, only to have everyone misinterpret a crucial moment when she supposedly saves a fellow classmate from suicide. Now she’s famous for something she didn’t do and everyone lauds her as a hero. But inside she still blames herself for the death of her sister and continues to pull away from everything in her life, best friend and perfect boyfriend included. Then Caggie meets Astor, the new boy at school, about whom rumours are swirling and known facts are few. In Astor she finds someone who just might understand her pain, because he has an inner pain of his own. But the more Caggie pulls away from her former life to be with Astor, the more she realises that his pain might be darker, and deeper, than anything she’s ever felt. His pain might be enough to end his life…and Caggie’s as well.

Source

About Rebecca Serle: "As you may know I am a writer-- always have been and barring some kind of Broadway-discovery-- always will be. I have loved writing since I could put words down on a page and that love took me through school at USC and eventually delivered me to NYC, my home and the scene of one of my novels, The Edge of Falling. I feel about New York the way I feel about writing-- pretty in love. That is not to say they both don't have their challenges (they do-- they are both so unruly and noisy!) but there is really no where else in the world I'd rather live, and nothing else in the world I'd rather do. I'm crazy lucky, but by far the best part of my job is interacting with you, the wonderful people, teens, hearts on the other side of this dialogue. So please reach out! Tweet me, visit me on Tumblr, talk to me about your favorite TV show (mine is The Vampire Diaries) and know that it is because of you that I am here." (Author bio found on www.rebeccaserle.com.)

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 The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle

Rebecca: "This is one of my favorite passages in the book. It's really about Caggie and how she explores her city. One of the greatest things about New York is that everywhere is home, but it's so easy to get lost...in fact, when you let yourself get lost in familiar territory, you may find something new and fabulous you didn't expect!"

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This is only one of many NY pictures you can find on Rebecca Serle's Instagram page. This one was taken about a week ago and titled: "Caught between the moon and New York City." Find it here.

NY ♥

Book Review: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Title: Side Effects May Vary
Author: Julie Murphy
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publishing Date: March 18th 2014
Length: 336 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, contemporary, leukemia, bucket list, romance, friendship
Source: Edelweiss

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?

Summary by Goodreads

'Alice' and 'Harvey', 'Then' and 'Now'. Two names and two tenses are all it needs to describe Julie Murphy's captivating writing arrangements. You know that an author did a fantastic job when you can't decide which chapters you are loving more and are more eager to get to. I wanted to read them all at the same time!

Alice and Harvey are friends in the 'Now'. In the 'Then' parts they aren't even talking to each other. So how did they become friends or maybe even more, recognizing how important their childhood friendship was when Alice has suddenly no time left? 

The way the childhood friends find back to each other and the chapters Alice and Harvey spend working on Alice's bucket list, clinging to life and to each other, that was exactly what I was looking forward to read when I picked up SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY. Good moments in bad times, tears, heartbreak, loss, hope. I was so invested in Alice and Harvey's relationship that I was screaming injustice when Harvey thought it was time to say Goodbye.

As you already know, Alice doesn't die. She goes into remission, the leukemia doesn't win. And from that point on, things aren't as easy as they were before.
SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is very much about loss, the joy to be alive and the fear of losing it all over again. No one can blame Alice for needing time to adjust to the new situation and to shed all her fears of the past months. Julie's approach at dealing with leukemia and surviving it is unique and totally got me thinking. I never thought about there being a fear of living after something like that happened to you, but clearely there can be.

Now that Alice has her whole life ahead of her, she gets difficult and very hard to like. Her attitude isn't anything you want to deal with in a story that could've been such a destined, easy and sweet love story. It was as if she didn't want to think about what her actions were doing to other people and especially Harvey. One is expected to feel sorry for Alice all the time and excuse her behaviour, no matter how wrong she's acting. But at some point I just couldn't bring myself to try to get into her head anymore.

Where Alice isn't always so darling, Harvey is the one readers will fall in love with. The quiet and caring boy, who's always been in love with the girl whose days had been counted. Harvey is such a sweet guy and there will be lots of swoon-worthy Harvey moments for all of us to make up for the sour Alice parts.

3,5/5 ***/* SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY – A pensive and sentimental story about the unfathomable, cruel and comic ways of life. 

The first half of Alice's story, and her relationship with Harvey, is simply awesome to read. Then after Alice's remission news everything seemed to go in the wrong direction. Still, SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY as a whole story is written with such beautiful skill that I just have to recommend it. To everyone who is looking for a YA contemporary read that isn't only dedicated to the sad outcomes of leukemia. A read that explores how ambivalent feelings about a new chance at life can be.

"About a month later, I got the big distraction I'd hoped for. I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Cancer. I had fucking cancer." ― p. 13

SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY you might enjoy THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green, SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Morgan Matson or NOW IS GOOD by Jenny Downham. Tissue box recommended, should you decide to read them.

* Yep, that's Julie Murphy on the left. 

* Julie Murphy's second book DUMPLIN' comes out in 2015. Add it on Goodreads!

* Click here for an excerpt of SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY!

* Want to meet Julie? Check out her event schedule.

* For information about Julie and her books visit www.juliemurphywrites.com.

* Thanks to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for the chance to review SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY!

Book Review: The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

Title: The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark #1)
Author: Bree Despain
Publisher: Egmont USA
Publishing Date: March 11th 2014
Length: 512 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, fantasy, Greek mythology, romance, friendship
Source: Edelweiss

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

Summary by Goodreads

 

THE SHADOW PRINCE was yet another first book in a trilogy influenced by Greek mythology that spiked my interest as soon as I'd noticed it had a set release date. This is Bree Despain's fourth book and you see that she knows exactly how to write engaging fiction with characters you can laugh with and relate to. So I think you should meet Daphne and Haden now.

Daphne is taken from her well-regulated life in a small town in Utah, where she's been living with her mother, to leave for California with her rock star Dad who she hasn't seen in ages. Before, she's been forbidden to leave town and therefore has never seen all the things she wanted to see and never got to realize her biggest dream of becoming a singer. When our very talented and humble protagonist is faced with such severe restrictions you just can't but feel for her, right?

Now that Daphne is attending Olympus Hills High in California she learns a lot, meets new people for the first time in her life and even investigates the strange happenings in her new home. Beside her testing the new bonds with her father, she's spending more and more time with the other new kid in town, Haden Lord. As you already know he is a prince from the underrealm and set out to take Daphne with him. So you can expect a few delusions and confusions along the way to them becoming an item. I promise you, it's a treat to see Haden adapt to all the human conventions and things a normal teenager noawdays would do. His inexperience and his bedazzlement, his confusion over receiving laughter at his genuine formal requests or clumsy attempts  to convince Daphne to go out with him are just so cute in their ridiculousness. Theirs is a romance forged by the powers of fate, the recognition of a related soul, and music.  

Haden's past is shaped by tragic and cruel fates which play a major role in his relationships to his mother, antagonistic father and brother. If you attempted a THE SHADOW PRINCE character study you would definitely need to put high importance on the complicated family bonds of both main characters. Besides that, music is relevant for the story and both characters, too, and plays an important role in their early courtship, as Haden would call it. 

4/5 **** THE SHADOW PRINCE - Haden and Daphne are the new hot couple in the YA mythology category!

Some parts of the story could've been more progressive and could've used some tightening up. Otherwise I've got no complaints.

Where Bree Despain's THE DARK DIVINE series is one that captivated me with its engaging characters and the desperate love story that is Grace and Daniel's, I see the strong suits of THE SHADOW PRINCE more in its generel story line, the mysterious city of Olympus Hills and the Greek mythology references that are so rich with possibilities that the sequel could head in any direction.

"I did the unforgivable the day my mother died, and for that I've been punished every moment of my life. 

He's too weak-minded. 

Impulsive.

He's too much like her.

He's too human. 

It has been ten years, and regardless of everything I've done to try to change their minds, the Court still speaks of me as if I am unworthy of my birthright. I try to lock away my doubtful thoughts as I watch the Oracle make her way up and down the ranks of Underlords." ―  p.1

THE SHADOW PRINCE you might enjoy Rick Riordan's THE LIGHTNING THIEF and all the other Percy Jackson adventures. If you haven't read these two so far, you could find out if THE GODDESS TEST by Aimée Carter and EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton are up your alley.

* Have yet to read Bree's THE DARK DIVINE trilogy? Get all three books now!

* Read an excerpt of THE SHADOW PRINCE. 

* Want to see Bree in person? Check out her event schedule!

* Visit www.breedespain.com for more information about Bree and her books.

* Thanks to Egmont USA and Edelweiss for prodiving me with an e-galley of THE SHADOW PRINCE!

Book Series Review: Incarnate, Asunder, Infinite by Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate, Asunder, Infinite (Newsoul #1, #2, #3)
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publishing Date: January 31st 2012, January 29th 2013, January 28th 2014
Length: 374 pages, 406 pages, 418 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, fantasy, romance, reincarnation, music
Source: Bought, Publisher

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Summary by Goodreads

 

New soul, no soul, reincarnation. You see, the concept and meaning of the essence of a human being, the characteristics, the emotions, the memories that define a person, are a very prominent and recurring theme in Jodi Meadows NEWSOUL three-book series. Numerous discussions about and unsettling discoveries of a godlike being and the temple in the city's center are inevitably connected with Ana's efforts to find the origin and reason behind the reincarnation of Heart's one million souls. Conflicts of various forms resulting from the idea of God Janan were fast becoming parts of the story I would've wished to skip altogether instead of reading even more about them from the first to the last book.

With Ana, Jodi Meadows introduces us to a main character whose journey has only just begun. Her upbringing was anything but kind and loving and so Ana is someone who doesn't easily trust and love. Ana is a delicate, yet strong character and hers is a story of significant emotional development. How could it be different, the bonds of friendship and Ana's love story with Sam, her beloved musician, were my main reason and motivation to finish the series as a whole.

When I look back at the entire series, more than thousand pages worth of story, I don't have the impression that very much happened beside the main conflicts with Janan, sylph, new soul opposers and dragons. Characters were likely to be followed in their repetitive quests. In addition the story's overall ending was one of the most anticlimatic I have encountered in a dystopian novel. 

Phoenixes, dragons, sylphs, reincarnation, the God of souls. There are many different things to be discovered in Jodi's fantasy world. The world map had so many incredible possibilities and enticements like the mentioned jungle, islands, the ocean, but they were left unexplored in the end. 

Notes, melodies, music. They are the heart of Jodi Meadow's trilogy. Music is always something that's very hard for me to work with in a story. Books with affinity for music are often those that don't enchant me as much as they could. Ana and Sam are practicing all the time, talking about music, learning new instruments, composing new songs. Their lives are so centered around it that their characters are irrevocably linked with the music inside them. It defines them and who they are or want to be. Beside the people in their lives, music is the most important thing for them. Something I just couldn't be as enthusiastic about as they are, creating a slight discrepancy between the characters, story and me. Even so I'm sure many people will like this series especially for its great musical finesse, for its many songs and moments of euphony and friendship.

3/5 *** NEWSOUL series - A colorful, melodic dreamland of souls and magical creatures for music aficionados. A YA symphony slightly dissonant for me. 

The NEWSOUL series is different and doesn't follow the same patterns of action that other standard YA novels do. Jodi Meadows came up with a very unique concept of reincarnation and invited us to her wide and wild, beautiful and dangerous, dark and multicolored world. In the end her explanation for the enternal reincarnation process of souls, the godlike being of Janan and the temple were a bit too far fetched for me. I missed many adventurous chapters that could've been waiting for our characters out there exploring the world outside of Heart instead. I'll be waiting for Jodi's next project, THE ORPHAN QUEEN, to throw me off my feet then.

"I wasn't reborn. I was five when I first realized how different that made me. It was the spring equinox in the Year of Souls: Soul Night, when the others traded stories about things they'd done three lifetimes ago. Ten lives. Twenty. Battles against dragons, developing the first laser pistol, and Cris's four-life quest to grow a perfect blue rose, only for everyone to declare it was purple. 

[...]

Everyone else rememberd a hundred lifetimes before this one. I had to know why I couldn't. 

"Who am I?" My first spoken words.

"No one," she said. "Nosoul."" ―  p. 5-6

the NEWSOUL series you might enjoy the INCARNATION duology by Avery Williams. THE ALCHEMY OF FOREVER and THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF TOMORROW are very great reads and are about a different concept of reincarnation and the use of alchemy.

* Don't miss Sam's novella, PHOENIX OVERTURE!

* Read an excerpt of INCARNATE here.

* Click here to watch the INCARNATE book trailer.

* For more information about Jodi and her books visit www.jodimeadows.com.

* Thanks to Harper Collins International for sending me a copy of INFINITE for review!

Book Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Title: Panic
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publishing Date: March 4th 2014
Length: 416 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, contemporary, thriller, romance, danger, dares, game
Source: Publisher

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Summary by Goodreads

  

Carp, a small town, a place without prospects and the last place a teenager like Heather wants to get stuck. Even when Lauren Oliver doesn't write dystopian fiction or fantastical Middle Grade worlds, I still experienced her YA contemporary setting as if I were a part of the dangerous game of Panic.
In PANIC Lauren Oliver observes what young people come up with when they are bored out of their minds in a town like Carp. Born out of hopelessness for a better future, thoughts are wandering to darker places. They need money to get out of there. They need something that keeps them alive. The thrill, the possibility at something grand. And so they risk everything in something they call a game. Panic.

I can't emphasize enough that Lauren's characters are never like any characters from other novels, and even in an assemblage of characters from her own pen, I can't think of any other character that compares to Heather or Dodge. And I very much admire Lauren Oliver for writing about uncommon characters with rough edges and unique stories to tell, rather than pen down the characters that people are used to or should want to read about.

PANIC is as much about the game as about the characters' lives that are at risk. We witness the problematic home life of two teens who are brought together by chance. Heather cares about her little sister more than anything. They need to get out of Carp as soon as possible and leave their useless mother behind, if they want to have a shot at a future worth living.
Dodge's story and incentive to participate in Panic circle around his sister, too, and something terrible that happened to her in the past. You will read more about the bonds between the siblings and the friendship between Heather, her friends Natalie and Bishop, and Dodge. Natalie and Bishop were two secondary characters so worth getting to know. I think I even liked Bishop best out of all the PANIC characters. 

The romantic ties in this story are knotting themselves into surprisingly different patterns than I expected them when I first heard about this story. I thought Heather and Dodge just had to grow together and start having romantic feelings for each other, with them both being main characters and both having their own chapters. But nuh-uh. Not Heather and Dodge. They are both finding someone else worth fighting for.

The longer the game of Panic is running, the bets and dares are becoming more extreme and dangerous. Heather isn't fearless, she's anything but, but she has something to fight for. A better future for herself and her sister. Meanwhile Dodge isn't taking the game too seriously, he's simply after revenge. For his sister who is paralysed. And Dodge can't wait to show the guy who hurt her that revenge can hurt a lot worse.
They both go into the game with very different motivations. Heather and Dodge are from two different worlds it seems. Somehow along the way to the final round of this game, they notice that nothing is as it seems. In the end both experience what it means to make sacrifices for the things that are dearest to them, to take the risk and what it means to say 'No'. Also, how it feels to face your biggest fears and figurative enemies and how brilliant the reward can be once you've overcome them.

4/5 **** PANIC - The YA world has never been more ready to play such a sinister and wicked game as Panic, crafted by the one and only, genuinely talented Lauren Oliver. You should dread and desire this book to equal parts.

Lauren Oliver's writing is once again thrilling and fast-paced. Her characters are driven by strong emotions and needs. Future, past, isolation, hope, dreams and fears. With its dark undertone, the daring, hiding, running and surviving that have to be mastered, PANIC is one of the most extreme and dangerous YA books in early 2014.

"In seven years of playing, there have been three deaths - four including Tommy O'Hare, who shot himself with the second thing he'd bought at the pawn shop, after his number came up red. You see? Even the winner of Panic is afraid of something." ― p. 8-9

PANIC you might enjoy NEARLY GONE by Elle Cosimano, THE MURDER COMPLEX by Lindsay Cummings or DEAR KILLER by Katherine Ewell. They aren't exactly like PANIC, but all are pretty dangerous and scary.

* Fans of Lauren Oliver, don't miss her adult book ROOMS, coming out September 2014!

* Listen to Lauren Oliver read the first chapter of PANIC here.

* Want to meet Lauren Oliver? Check out her event schedule.

* For more information about Lauren and her books visit www.laurenoliverbooks.com.

* Thanks to Harper Collins International for sending me a copy of PANIC for review!