Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

After being rejected from Eden for being a vampire, Allison makes the decision to follow the callings of her maker, Kanin. Kanin is currently being tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. Allie can feel Kanin’s pain through their blood connection, and it’s drawing her to him.

During her travels she comes across Jackal, and gets mixed up in the search for an abandoned laboratory that is now infested with Rabids. Allison must use her Katana skills to protect herself. 

She learns that Sarren is connected to the new danger that has taken over New Covington; something deadly that is affecting not only the humans, but vampires. She finds herself going back home, a place she never thought she’d ever return to.

With a lot of travelling, action scenes and twists to the plot, the story is progressed through the dialogue and connections between the characters. Dark secrets, lies and hidden agendas all come to a head by the end. Humor and emotions are relayed through the voices of the characters giving this story a fun and action-filled read.

Allison’s quest is to find her master and save not only him, but help to find a cure to save everyone from the Red Lung Virus. The pull to be both vampire, yet still connect with the human side, is a constant dilemma for her.

The Eternity Cure is a story with a truly evil villain, and a main character who still shows her human vulnerability in her concern for the well being of others.

Hardcover, 446 pages  Expected publication: April 30th 2013 by Harlequin Teen

ISBN  0373210698 (ISBN13: 9780373210695)

We’ve all heard of Jamie Oliver’s battle with the British Education system to give the kids healthy school meals… right? Well if you haven’t then know that they travelled to some pretty grim-looking schools in the poorer areas of the UK.

These schools are the kind I imagined for the setting of Siege by Sarrah Mussi.

Here’s the Goodreads blurb.

“Leah Jackson – in detention. Then armed Year 9s burst in, shooting. She escapes, just. But the new Lock Down system for keeping intruders out is now locking everyone in. She takes to the ceilings and air vents with another student, Anton, and manages to use her mobile to call out to the world.

First: survive the gang – the so-called ‘Eternal Knights’.
Second: rescue other kids taken hostage, and one urgently needing medical help.

Outside, parents gather, the army want intelligence, television cameras roll, psychologists give opinions, sociologists rationalize, doctors advise – and they all want a piece of Leah. Soon her phone battery is running out; the SAS want her to reconnoiter the hostage area … But she is guarding a terrifying conviction. Her brother, Connor, is at the center of this horror. Is he with the Eternal Knights or just a pawn?

She remembers. All those times Connor reached out for help … If she’d listened, voiced her fears about him earlier, would things be different now? Should she give up her brother?

With only Anton for company, surviving by wits alone, Leah wrestles with the terrible choices …“

This is a relatively small book visually, however the horrors bound between the covers are anything but. There is an adapted Harry Knowles quote from Ain’t It Cool News directly before the title page that reads

‘If you leave this story feeling unsettled, disturbed, alarmed that this could happen – good. You should be alarmed. That is the point: to scare you, to make you not want to be another mindless, thoughtless, follower.’

When I was in school, we didn’t even know what a ‘lock down’ was. Sure you had fire drills and practising for a bomb scare, but these things all included leaving the school behind and fleeing to safety. It wasn’t until my daughter started school that I ever knew anything of a ‘lock down’. It describes a situation where you are a prisoner in your classroom until the all clear is given. What scares me the most is that they’ve had a few real ones to go with the drills. And we’re in a ‘safe’ suburb of Brisbane!

The thought of something like the occurrences in Siege happening isn’t a far-fetched stretch of the imagination. It scares the goobers out of me. So you can imagine the nightmares I had while reading about the amazing heroine named Leah Jackson. The girl who really is just a normal student who behaves heroically in a frightful set of circumstances.

I did happen to begin reading this book during a thunderstorm and the first character to be shot in front of Leah coincided with a rather close thunder clap. I had one of those cartoon-cat-on-the-ceiling moments and from there I was well and truly on the edge of my seat.

This is not a pretty book to look at, or to read. The subject matter is gritty and disturbing. However I think it is a story that is relevant and shows how things may turn, if we don’t take notice of the way society as a whole disenfranchises disadvantaged young people.

A modern day Lord of the Flies, with a far better hero.

http://sarahmussi.wordpress.com/

301 pages
Published March 7th 2013 by Hodder Children’s Books (first published March 1st 2013)
ISBN13: 9781444910087

I reviewed Night School #1 back in early 2012. So to receive book #2, Legacy, to review made me smile.

Goodreads blurb reads …

“In the last year, Allie’s survived three arrests, two breakups and one family breakdown. The only bright point has been her new life at Cimmeria Academy. It’s the one place she’s felt she belongs. And the fact that it’s brought dark-eyed Carter West into her life hasn’t hurt either. But far from being a safe haven, the cloistered walls of Cimmeria are proving more dangerous than Allie could have imagined. The students and faculty are under threat, and Allie’s family – from her mysterious grandmother to her runaway brother – are at the centre of the storm. Allie is going to have to choose between protecting her family and trusting her friends. But secrets have a way of ripping even the strongest relationships apart…”

Allie has done a little growing up since the dramas at the end of book 1. There are fewer secrets and her relationships are becoming more complex and strained. She is inducted into the mysterious ‘Night School’, and things progress from there. The conspiracy theory feel of Legacy was something I found quite appealing.

Daugherty’s writing style has hit it’s stride. Between character story arcs and the intensity of the suspense, the thought that this series will most likely only run on for 1 or 2 more books makes me pout a little.

I’m not entirely a fan of books set in a boarding school, however I do have a few exceptions. This series would be one of the few.

Fracture, book 3 of Night School is due out some time in 2013. Looks like it’ll be one not to miss.

http://www.cjdaugherty.com/

Paperback, 385 pages

Published January 3rd 2013 by Atom

ISBN: 1907411224 (Isbn13: 9781907411229)

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself–and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Hardcover, 327 pages  Published April 24th 2012 by HarperTeen (first published 2012)  ISBN  0062059939 (ISBN13: 9780062059932)

In a war torn country in the early years of being rebuilt. We have a monarchy and a caste system. Strict rules of who can marry whom, and what jobs each can hold, but mostly how much money you can make. America just so happens to be the right age at the right time when the Prince is looking for a spouse. Her invitation is a blessing for her household, but a horror for her personal life. Her heart is already taken, even though her chosen mate maybe from a lower caste and the reality of them marrying is slim. His choice to push her to apply, and better her family will get her to act.

America Singer is a talented musician and just so happens to be very pretty. A shoe-in for the competition, she makes the cut. But going to live in the Castle is beyond what she imagined it would be. Exciting, claustrophobic and frightening. Between the rebel attacks on the Castle and the time the Prince must spend in meetings, it’s hard to imagine he has time to fit in finding a wife. But he manages to spend alone time with all of the girls, narrowing it down to just 10 by the end of the book.

What caught me off guard with this story was how detailed the world building was. I was expecting just a competition for a husband, and girls being petty and drama-filled. But this story has depth, a lot of character growth and a world that is on the edge of falling into chaos. Of course, there is some drama and pettiness between the contestants, but so little that it’s not a huge part of the plot.

The Selection really surprised me and I found it a very entertaining to read. America was a thinker, always making smart decisions with the situations she was put in. Not only did I admire her for her perspective on things, but also the Prince. They did what most people don’t do enough … communicate. Honesty really is the best policy, and even when the timing may be off, their intentions were good. But without that bad timing, we wouldn’t have the same amount of suspense.

I am really excited to jump into the next book The Elite so see what happens as the competition gets down to the narrow last few contestants and the attacks against the Castle surely become more dangerous.

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.  Hardcover, 352 pages  Published March 12th 2013 by Random House Children’s Books

For those readers who have some knowledge of the fairy tale of Bluebeard, the events that happen in this story may not turn out to be a surprise. For those who are not familiar with the fairytale, I wouldn’t recommend that you read up on it before reading this book, as it will tend to be on the predictable side.

Perhaps the most unique part of this retelling is the setting.  The author chose to set this story in Mississippi during a time in American history in which slaves were still considered property and were beginning to travel north on the underground rail-road. There is quite a bit more history in the book than I would have expected, but it adds a flavour to the setting that makes the story interesting and compelling. There is a lot of down time in the scenes and relationship between Sophie and Bernard because of his business, but the side stories help push the narrative forward and add human interest.

Sophie is invited by her godfather to come and live with him in his mansion in Mississippi. It is very obvious from the beginning pages that he has more than just a passing interest in the girl. There is a sexual tension between the two from the moment they meet. Torn between family/guardian ideals and the fact that Sophie is physically attracted to him, leads to some very pensive moments throughout the story.

As Bernard is a very busy businessman, Sophie is left wandering the mansion, on several occasions and making discoveries about the past women and wives who have lived there. As barely an object is left behind in any of the rooms, she is eventually forced to believe that their disappearances are not coincidental.

The story is quite slow and the main character a bit “classic” in behaviour ie soft spoken overall and overly curious. It’s like the old saying, “curiosity killed the cat” and in this instance, Sophie’s nosing around the house does get her into trouble.

Strands of Bronze and Gold is a story that has a mystery at its core, but also includes a soft love story – as well as a villain who’s a bit handsy. The writing style emulates a classic fairytale but in a more modern day.