Blog Tour: And I Darken by Kiersten White

 Today on WinterHaven Books I am participating in the blog tour for And I Darken by Kiersten White!

And I Darken by Kiersten White
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: June 28th, 2016
Purchase: Amazon / 

NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL.

And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

My thoughts:
I absolutely love this!  I've seen a few books where there has been a gender swap, but this one did it so right and in such a way that I honestly think I prefer this version.

Kiersten White has definitely found her niche with this story.  I really enjoyed her previous series, Mind Games, but this one really grabbed me and pulled me in.  The story was really fun and something I didn't expect.  This has been compared to Game of Thrones, but I think this is actually pretty different.  I can see a few comparisons like the brutal world that Lada lives in, but for the most part the stories aren't all that similar and And I Darken definitely stands out on its own without the comparison.  I think people will be shocked at how dark this is, but they will love it just as I did.

Lada was a great character and I loved how strong she was.  I have to say what she went through was heartbreaking.  She didn't deserve what happened to her and it was just because she was a girl.  Not cool!  I loved how fierce she was though and how she overcame her hardships.  She used that hate and turned it into strength and man was she dark and awesome!  I love books and characters like this!

I think my favorite thing about this was the setting and history that White has woven into the story. It was truly brilliant and pulled me into the story so much more than just the overall plot.  Don't get me wrong I loved the plot (except the love triangle. That I loathe but I can forgive the author since I love her and I have hope it will be a quick triangle.)  but I loved the setting.  It was rich and vivid and totally showed Whites creativity off!

I have said before that this is the year of the fantasy books and And I Darken is definitely one to add to your list for this year!  It was amazing and I can't wait for the sequel!!

4 snowflakes

About Kiersten White

KIERSTEN WHITE is the New York Times bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy; the dark thrillers Mind Games and Perfect Lies; The Chaos of Stars; and Illusions of Fate. She also coauthored In the Shadows with Jim Di Bartolo. She lives with her family near the ocean in San Diego, which, in spite of its perfection, spurs her to dream of faraway places and even further away times. Visit Kiersten online at kierstenwhite.com and follow @kierstenwhite on Twitter.

Don't for get to visit the official And I Darken website!

CLAIM THE THRONE. Visit AndIDarken.com to order now!

Check out the other amazing blogs on the tour!

Monday, May 30^th through Friday, July 8^th (Mondays through Fridays)

Monday, May 30^th: Icey Books, Review

Tuesday, May 31^st: Bookiemoji, Guest Post (Character Profiles)

Wednesday, June 1^st: Seeing Double in Neverland, Review

Thursday, June 2^nd: Alexa Loves Books, Playlist Post

Friday, June 3^rd: Awesome Book Nut, Review

Monday, June 6^th: Jessabella Reads, Review

Tuesday, June 7^th: The Eater of Books!, Top Five Roundup

Wednesday, June 8^th: Across the Words, Review

Thursday, June 9^th: Pandora’s Books, Sneak Peek for Book Two

Friday, June 10^th: Tales of the Ravenous Reader, Review

Monday, June 13th: A Midsummer Night's Read, Review

Tuesday, June 14^th: The Irish Banana Review, Top 10 Guest Post

Wednesday, June 15^th: Stories & Sweeties, Review

Thursday, June 16^th: Jenuine Cupcakes, Author Mystery Guest Post

Friday, June 17^th: The Soul Sisters, Review

Monday, June 20^th: Winterhaven Books, Review

Tuesday, June 21^st: Two Chicks on Books, Q&A (4-6 questions)

Wednesday: June 22^nd: The Book Swarm, Review

Thursday, June 23^rd: Read. Sleep. Repeat., Top Five Fantasy Books Kiersten Loves to Re-Read

Friday, June 24^th: Please Feed The Bookworm, Review

Monday, June 27^th: Comfort Books, Review

Tuesday, June 28^th: Fitshun, Q&A

Wednesday, June 29^th: Addicted Readers,Review

Thursday, June 30^th: Lindsay Cummings, Movie Casting Post

Friday, July 1^st: Rabid Reads, Review

Monday, July 4^th: Reading Teen, Review

Tuesday, July 5^th: YA Bibliophile, Guest Post (Trip to Romania)

Wednesday, July 6^th: Carina’s Books, Review

Thursday, July 7^th: Mundie Moms, Author Mystery Guest Post

Friday, July 8^th:  My Friends Are Fiction, Surprise Post!

Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 9th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon

 Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.

My thoughts:
I have had a love/hate relationship with this book.  When I first picked it up I honestly didn't like it which really depressed me because I love Kiersten White.  It was just like what the description said in regards to the Downtown Abby feel and it just wasn't working for me.  It didn't flow at all in my opinion so I decided to put it down and return to it later since I refuse to give up on a Kiersten White book.

In doing this and making myself return to a book I thought I would end up giving a one to really opened my eyes to the timing of things.  If I had read this through at that moment I would have hated it.  By my putting it down my mood had time to change and when I picked it back up I ended up really liking it.  I didn't read it all in one sitting though and yes when I went back to it the next day after liking it I had to put it down again, but I learned that timing is everything.  I needed to be in the mood to visit this world and if I wasn't things just didn't click.  So I took my time with this one. I wanted to like it that much and yes I know sometimes this will not work, but in this case it did.  I ended up liking this one, not loving it but I can appreciate the world and characters that were brought to life.

I think the main reason why this book didn't grab me is because the world building wasn't that strong.  I got lost among the strange country names and I couldn't quite remember what was going on that Jessa was trying to stop from happening because it wasn't all that clear.  I know there was a war but I couldn't honestly tell you the ins and outs of it.  This could be due to the way I had to read this, but I don't think so.  I think Ms.White focused more on her characters than the actual plot of the story and I wish she would have thrown in more world.

The characters were great though I can't deny that.  I really liked Jessa and her group of friends.  I found myself really immersed in the magic of it all and I loved Finn.  The only thing that lacked was the depth of the characters though. I feel like we barely got to see who everybody truly was.  Eleanor had so many great secrets and I would have loved to have seen more of her and even the villain I wanted more from.  I guess I am saying I wanted the book to be longer.  That might have helped, this book doesn't even pass 300 so I think if we were given another say 100 pages things might have felt more complete.

I'm going with a 3 on this one because I did like it, but I didn't love it as much as her previous books.  This was different than what's on the shelf now a days so that is a definite bonus and Ms.Whites writing is always amazing.  I really enjoyed her descriptions and I have a feeling I would have fallen in love with this world if I would have been given more.

3.5 snowflakes

Review: Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 18, 2014
Purchase: Amazon / B&N

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

My Thoughts:
I loved this!  Not only was this book exactly what I needed to kick off 2014, but it totally got me out of a reading slump that I felt coming on.  Woot!!

Perfect Lies takes off where Mind Games left us.  Fia made a HUGE decision at the end of Mind Games and this is the aftermath.  We get to see both Fia and Annie's POVs again which I loved and this story in my opinion was so much more dark and twisted.  Fia is really broken, she is being used by everyone and she doesn't know who to trust.  For someone who has perfect instincts it sure makes things all complicated when she can't decide who is right and who is wrong.  It feels like everybody has their own agenda even James her love.  Annie on the flip side of this is trying to believe in the chaos that Fia has created and keep safe everyone she can.  Talk about a crazy ride!

This book showed just how broken Fia was.  She was not all together in the first book, but in this one she truly is completely broken.  I felt so bad for her and I just wanted to scream at everyone to leave her alone.  She needed to get away from everyone including James.  If the tapping got on your nerves in the first one then you will be happy to know that it is somewhat toned down in this one and we get an explanation for it that really blew my mind.  If the explanation was in the first one I didn't remember so it was a huge revelation to me in this one.  All her taping is still there, but to me it felt totally different and didn't take away from the storyline.  I think Fia is one of my favorite characters ever and she is one kickass girl.

I felt for Annie in this one, but not as much as I did in the first one.  Her part was a little different to me, she was trying to get in touch with Fia and at the same time she had this whole other storyline about her finding love.  It felt a little out of place and honestly I don't think the romance added to the story at all.  Fia and James was a romance with an agenda so it fit, but Annie's just didn't fit for me.  Her part in the story came alive in the end and I did see it coming which did disappoint me.  The major reason why I love these books is because of the shock factor and I felt let down that I figured out what would happen in the end.  I think if the author had toned down a certain scene then I wouldn't have guessed it, but I did and so it was kind of anticlimatic.

That being said though I still totally loved this book. The back and forth with the POVs and the timeline really screwed with me and I can see that annoying people, but for me it worked.  I liked seeing the overlapping and how one thing influenced another.  It was beyond mind twisty and just awesome.  I really hope that this author writes more in this style!

4.5 Snowflakes

Review: The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: September 10, 2013

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all

My Thoughts:
I fell in love with Kiersten White's writing after reading Mind Games and you can imagine how thrilled I was after I found out she was writing a book about Egyptian mythology.  I ended up having a love/hate relationship with this book though which I was not expecting.

The part I loved was the Egyptian mythology.  I loved the little tidbits that were placed at the beginning of each chapter and I loved learning about Isadora's family.  I am still fairly new to this mythology so it really captured my attention.

What I didn't love was all the high school drama.  The romance and selfish tirades in the beginning of the book really turned me off.  I really wasn't expecting Isadora to be so selfish and whiny.  There were many times in the beginning of the book where I just wanted to reach in and slap her.  From the way the book progressed though I am guessing the author wanted us to feel this way.  I was hoping the main plot of the book would have been more involved with the mythology, but the main plot point in my opinion was Isadora growing up.  And let me tell you she needed to grow up a lot.  I get that she felt slighted and she was angry, but my goodness she was a whiny brat 3/4 of the book.

The addition of the Greek Gods through me for a loop.  I won't give anything away but I just want to say that I am confused.  I don't see where they all fit in together and why a certain character was brought in. I would have liked the story to maybe take the reader into more about this particular character and what it means to Isadora's family, but we are just left hanging.  The story and characters all feel very incomplete in my opinion.  Yes the mystery is solved, but not until the very end does this happen and honestly nothing exciting happened throughout the whole book until the end. If I had one wish I would have wished for the story to have started in the middle and then continued for about 6 chapters after what was supposed to be the ending.  I think White hit her stride in the middle and I really wish it would have happened sooner.

The reason for my 3 star rating is because I really did enjoy the ending.  It finally gave me the mythology I wanted and the scary Gods that I craved.  I still enjoyed White's writing and even though I wasn't a fan of the overall storyline by the end I was hooked and can honestly say I wanted more.

3 snowflakes  

Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Mind Games by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Pre order: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

My thoughts:
This book is absolutely amazing. Mind Games is simply that a perfect mind game that will leave you begging for more. I honestly have no clue how I am going to write this review but I am going to try.

The POV in this story alternates between Annie and Fia, two sisters each with very unique abilities. The time setting also changes from present time to the past making things even more complicated, but still in my opinion unique and amazing. The overall storyline is not simple either. It involves lots of espionage, murder, calculating, and deception. Annie and Fia are both being used for their abilities but Fia is the one that everyone wants. It isn’t really clear what her ability actually is until later in the story but believe me it is one of the best creations I have ever read. When Fia can’t take things anymore she starts to take things into her own hands, but with all eyes on her and her sister to protect she doesn’t have many options. This story is really just the beginning, we get to see the background and the why of everything but I think the true story will start in the next one since Fia made a HUGE decision at the end of Mind Games and it is really a game changer for everybody.

The writing style I will admit may turn some people off. I personally loved it but I can see where it could be a little bit much at times. Fia has a habit of repeating certain things three times and tapping her leg three times, this is proven and shown throughout the book and to me it just showed me how broken she really was. I felt her being broken down and with the writing the way it is it just fit her mind perfectly.

I honestly just want to squee from the roof tops about this book. I know my review is all over the place but I just can’t seem to find the words to do this book justice. Mind games is unique, amazing, interesting, and so so much more. I was so shocked at so many things that happened throughout, that by the end of the story I was exhausted emotionally and in shock over what is to come. I don’t know how I am going to wait for the next book!

5 AMAZING Snowflakes