Review: Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr

Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: March 1st, 2016
Purchase: Amazon

Melissa Marr returns to faery in a dramatic story of the precarious space between two worlds—and the people who must thrive there. The combination of ethereal fae powers, tumultuous romance, and a bloodthirsty faery queen will have longtime fans and new readers alike at the edge of their seats.
Lilywhite Abernathy is a criminal—she's half human, half fae, and since the time before she was born her very blood has been illegal. A war has been raging between humans and faeries, and the Queen of Blood and Rage, ruler of the fae courts, wants to avenge the tragic death of her heir due to the actions of reckless humans.
Lily's father has always shielded her from the truth, but when she's sent to the prestigious St. Columba's school, she's delivered straight into the arms of a fae Sleeper cell—the Black Diamonds. The Diamonds are planted in the human world as the sons and daughters of the most influential families, and tasked with destroying it from within. Against her will, Lilywhite's been chosen to join them . . . and even the romantic attention of the fae rock singer Creed Morrison isn't enough to keep Lily from wanting to run back to the familiar world she knows.

My thoughts:
I love Melissa Marr. I have been waiting and waiting for her to release another fae book and Seven Black Diamonds was amazing!!!  Marr always manages to amaze me and this book was pure brilliance!

This new fae world is different than her last in my opinion.  It felt more like a kingdom than her previous ones and for me at least it was a whole new spin on her lore.  I really enjoyed it and I thought it brought something new and fresh to her audience.  The story included a whole new cast of characters who I loved fiercely and brought an interesting plot line that kept me on my toes the entire time!

The story centers around Lilywhite.  She is fae-blood and in her world that is punishable by death so she keeps her secret to herself with the only exception being her father who just happens to be a drug lord.  See interesting from the start right?!  This story has so many different lines that I won't lie were a little hard to keep up with, but they all blended well together so even when I didn't totally grasp something I knew later I would get it. 

I think one of my favorite things about this book was the way Marr created her characters.  We don't have the annoying love triangle even though she could have put one in, we also finally get a heroine who has the training and logic to fight.  I hate when the whole damsel in distress pops up and then all of a sudden knows how to fight.  How did she learn??!  Lily from the get go knew how to handle herself and I think adding that her family was basically the mob was brilliant.  It set her up so that when she had to fight we as the readers knew she could.  I loved this!

I also really loved the rest of the characters!  They were fun and deep and I honestly can't wait to see where they go from where the book ended.  I like that they all had there own problems, but they were there for one another when it counted.  I hope this stays true for the rest of the series.

I'm really curious how the next book will play out.  I can't wait to see more from The Hidden Lands and since I love all things dark and twisty I can't wait to see what the Queen of Blood and Rage has up her sleeve.  She was definitely one of the reasons I kept reading.  Her character showed no mercy and she was truly one to be feared. I hope Marr keeps her this way!!

The one and only thing that bothered me was the whole Abernathy Commandments.  Lily repeated these constantly and it got to be a little much. I get that they were showing the reader her calculating side, but after the first ten times I really didn't need them recited.

I really loved this book and after a string of books that failed me and I am so glad I read this one. It showed me that some authors will always deliver and that Marr still holds a spot in my top five favorite authors of all time!

5 snowflakes

Review: Made for You by Melissa Marr

Made for You by Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: September 16th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon

Bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely books Melissa Marr’s first contemporary YA novel is a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. A killer is obsessed with Eva Tilling. Can she stop him, or will he claim her?

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.

My thoughts:
I love Melissa Marr.  She is by far one of my favorite authors and I know every time I pick up one of her books I will be in love with it.  Made for You is another great addition to her growing line up and I am so so glad I got the chance to read this one.

Made for You is creepy and I mean CREEPY!  I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while I read this and man was it amazing!  We have Eva who is just trying to get through high school without stepping on any Southern toes and her group of friends who are too wrapped up in the Southern ways.  Throughout the story we learn that certain people are acceptable to date while others are not because of their status in society. This plays a part in several places throughout the story and sets up the stage for our stalker.

This stalker really puts the S in stalker.  I thought Marr did an amazing job at showing just how off their rocker they really were.  Sometimes I find it hard to believe backstories, but this one was just crazy and I could really see the truth in it. Especially with certain current events taking place these days.  I won't say more because I don't want to give anything away, but I can guarantee if you read this you will see what I mean.

The only part that threw me was the death vision stuff.  Every time that part would come up I felt like it just didn't fit.  I kept thinking why is this in here!  The story doesn't need it!  But I stand corrected.  Marr uses this storyline beautifully and by the end I understood why Eva needed these death visions.  I am curious to know if there will be a sequel since Eva does have these abilities and I can definitely see a potential for more stories.

One more thing I have to talk about is the whole parental role. Again Melissa Marr is amazing and finally shows what parents are for.  Were Eva's parents there for her in the beginning, no.  But they more than made up for that and it shows readers the YA can have parents in them.  I have had so many problems with this in the past and I know why parents are usually left out, but it just bothers me.  Marr does such a great job bringing Eva's parents into the story, but she still kept Eva strong and independent.  Loved loved loved this.  Do I want parents in every book no not at all, but they should have a place in more than they do and this book is a great example of how they can be woven in.

I think this is my first official stalker YA book that I have loved and I just want more!  The whole story fit to me and even though I was super shocked at who the villain turned out to be I still think it was brilliant! Marr did a wonderful job setting up her thriller to be believeable and it was definitely a job well done!

4.5 snowflakes

Review & Giveaway: Rags & Bones by Melissa Marr & Others

Rags & Bones by Melissa Marr & Others
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

The best writers of our generation retell the classics.

Literature is filled with sexy, deadly, and downright twisted tales. In this collection, award-winning and bestselling authors reimagine their favorite classic stories, ones that have inspired, awed, and enraged them; ones that have become ingrained in modern culture; and ones that have been too long overlooked. They take these stories and boil them down to their bones, and then reassemble them for a new generation of readers.

My Thoughts:
I am usually not a huge fan of anthologies or short stories, but when I saw that the line up included in Rags & Bones I just had to get my hands on a copy!  I am so thankful that I did give this one chance because it was truly amazing.

Every story in this book was awesome and no I am not kidding.  Most short stories leave me feeling very unsatisfied and some tend to make me feel like I have stepped into the middle of a story, but the wonderful authors in this one had everything times perfectly and I can't honestly think of one bad thing to say about any of the stories.

Since I loved every story I thought I would just review my top 3 favorites.  Melissa Marr, Holly Black, and Carrie Ryan had in my opinion the strongest stories.  That does not mean that the rest weren't amazing, these three women just caught my attention a little bit more than the rest.

Melissa Marr gives us a look into the dark mind of a human who catches a selchie woman.  This story was deeply disturbing but also heart breaking.  What if you hurt everybody you knew and the only way for you to truly have someone in your life was if you had spellbinding rules that kept you from hurting them.  We get to find out what Leo does with this decision when he captures Eden.  I really fell into this story and Marr's writing like I always do when I read her words.  It was definitely my favorite and I only wish that one day we might see a selchie novel from her.

Carrie Ryan's story was just as fantastic as Marr's but very very different.  In this one we get to see what happens when mankind has to retreat to the Underground and live among the Machine.  The Machine is a place that isolates all humans, but gives them everything they could possibly need at the push of a button.  Food, bath, bed everything is included.  Tavil finds himself thrown into this strange world and after many years he has to decide whether to stay inside the technology filled walls or brave the Surface from which he is from.  I won't tell you what he decides, but I will say it is quite interesting to read his tale.  I think we as a community are so technology driven that it makes me really think about what would happen if this were reality.  I really loved that this story made me think!

And last but not least is Ms. Holly Black.  I love Black and her creepiness and her story was brilliant.  It showed what one will do to keep love at all costs.  I don't want to say too much about this one since it does have a surprise element to it that I loved, so I will just say that you won't be disappointed in this short story.  It is short but it packs an awesome punch that stays true to Ms. Blacks style!

I loved that this anthology was a collection of works inspired by other fairy tales.  It was very interesting to read the authors notes and why they chose what they did to write about.  This book will go on my favorites shelf and I foresee lots of rereading in my furture!

5 snowflakes

Thanks to the wonderful people at Little Brown we are able to offer one lucky reader their very own copy of Rage & Bones!  Just fill out the form below to enter!

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Dear Santa: Crystal's Book Wish

Today, I'm excited to share my Dear Santa Book Wish letter along with the other Sleigh Tour Bloggers. You can go HERE to visit our bloggers on this tour to see what books they hope to find under the Christmas Tree. Also, be sure to share with me your Santa Book Wish for a chance to be granted your wish by WinterHaven Books!

Here's my Dear Santa Book Wish.

Merry Christmas!!

 

Team Book Chat: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

We chose Carnival of Souls as our Halloween WinterHaven Book Club pick for this month. After having a great time reading and discussing this novel by Melissa Marr, we've put together a few highlights about our conversation. Enjoy!

On a scale of 1 - 5 how perfect was this book for Halloween?

Amber- I'd say it's a 5.
Arlene-I will definitely give this book a 5.  It has daimons, witches, curs, scabs, and all sorts of paranormal fun to make this a perfect pick for Halloween.
Crystal-Definitely 5 plus some!!

Would you recommend this book to our ghoulish readers?

Arlene-Well I’m an avid Melissa Marr fan so this might come off a bit biased but HALE YEAH I recommend this book to our ghoulish readers. This book is signature perfect of what Marr is capable of delivering. Her dark, poetic prose captivates me every.single.time. I love her world building and how she crafts her lore. So, absolutely, I definitely recommend this to paranormal fans.
Crystal-I would recommend it with every fiber of my being!!  This book was amazing!
Amber-Absolutely!

Do you think Adam should have shared more with Mallory about who and what she really was?

Crystal-I do, I wish he would have had more faith in her ability to handle it all..  He expected her to grow up and defend herself so she should have, at least in my opinion, had the full honest story.  I think it would have made her stronger.

Amber-I think he could have grown a set and told her earlier. On the other hand, I understand his hesitation.

Arlene- Do I think he should have share more with Mallory… yes. Do I understand why he didn’t… absolutely. I really came to care for Adam in this book. He sacrificed so much to protect Mallory as best he could. I think as with everything else in life… you make choices that you feel are best for those you love and he definitely showed that he loved Mallory more than anything. I don’t agree with some of the things he did to protect her, but I most certainly understood that he did it with good intentions.

In a fight between Kaleb and Aya who do you think would win?

Amber-If Aya could use her "special skills" I'd say hands down Aya.

Arlene-If I were betting with my heart, I’d say Kaleb. If I were betting with my money, I’d say Aya. There’s no doubt that Kaleb is a fighter and he’s been put to the test of survival more than his fair share. However, you’ve got someone as ruthless, cunning and wickedly badarse like Aya so when it comes down to it, I think it would be a worthy fight but my money would be on Aya.

Crystal-Aya without a doubt!  She is ruthless and a complete badarse!!

Who was the creepiest or coolest character in the book?

Arlene-The creepiest would be Zevi because if I read it right, he runs around like the speed of light on all quads… and he has no qualms sticking his nose and sniffing around … parts… okay that’s just too creepy for words! The coolest I would have to agree with Belias. He was pretty much full of awesome.
Crystal-Creepiest would have to go Zevi for me.  There is just something about him that creeps me out.  I love how devoted he is to Kaleb, but I think he is hiding something.  Coolest for me is Belias. I love him!  I love Aya too, but Belias is just awesome =D
Amber-Creepiest would be Evelyn and the coolest, I'd say Aya. I really liked her.

Freezer or read in the dark by a window material?

Crystal-I am going to say read in the dark by a window.
Amber-Read in the dark by a window.
Arlene- I would say read in the dark by a window. How cool would be it be look out the window while I was reading, into the dark night and see right down the street from my house a Watcher spews black crows from her mouth!! That would be pretty awesome!!

We hope you enjoyed our Carnival of Souls discussion!

Happy Halloween!

Waiting on Wednesday, #3

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, we are featuring Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr. I'm a huge fan of hers that goes way back when the Wicked Lovely series was a new addition to the YA bookshelves. I've also read her most recent adult novel Graveminder, which was amazing. I can't wait to get my hands on her new tale of secrets, love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.

Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date:September 4, 2012
Pre-Order: Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father—and every other witch there—fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

Check out the YouTube book trailer on Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr.

What book are you waiting on?