Thursday, March 29, 2012

Review: Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey


Goodreads description:

Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.

After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. [...]

To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.




Yes, I finally, finally got to read "Witch Eyes" by Scott Tracey. After months and months of waiting for the day I could finally request it at my library (yes, you  have to wait for months after the release date!); and then a few more weeks of waiting and waiting, it eventually found its way into my hands. Needless to say, I was more than excited when the day arrived, and what can I say other than the waiting definitely paid off!

Before really starting off though, I just want to mention I took the liberty of leaving a sentence out of the Goodreads description. It was something I found to be very spoiler-y, and I was actually glad I didn't read the back cover of the book until AFTER I had already found out about said thing.

When I first heard about "Witch Eyes" I wasn't sure if it would be a book for me. I love the whole paranormal genre, but never really got into witches and witchcraft. It was one fellow blogger - I'm sure everybody knows who I am talking about... - who persistently kept saying everybody in their right mind would have to pick it up and read it. She was absolutely right!

First of, I was extremely happy the story was written from a male's perspective rather than female. Braden is such a fascinating character and I love experiencing a new world through different eyes. I think this is only the second young adult series with a male protagonist I have read, and I find it extremely refreshing.

I actually liked it so much, I wanted to make my "Waiting on Wednesday" post this week about "Demon Eyes", but then thought me gushing over a sequel would probably make more sense if anybody saw me gushing over "Witch Eyes" first. You might have noticed though, I didn't end up having a WoW post this week at all. I wonder why...

*****

Back to the book at hand though. When we first meet Braden he lives with his uncle John, who is like a father figure to him, but after having a terrible vision, he feels the need to leave his uncle in order to protect him. He goes back to the place where he was born - Belle Dam which has been divided for many, many years by two fighting witch families. He is trying to figure out Belle Dam's secrets without being used and manipulated by either side.

Braden is a very strong-willed, fierce, fearless, and also stubborn character. I don't believe he ever fully trusts anyone, not even his uncle. I absolutely love seeing the world through his eyes, especially the way Scott Tracey describes Braden's witch eyes' vision is so, so powerful. I can't even begin to imagine what he will see in "Demon Eyes".

Two other characters I thoroughly enjoyed reading about are Drew and Jade. Drew seems like this total badass who has a mysterious side to him. I love his snarky and witty comments, even though you can never really be sure what you get with him.
Jade I find just adorable and so refreshing. She always says her mind and doesn't care if she steps on anybody's toes - not even her own family's.

Then there is Riley who I am not sure about at all. At first, I really liked her, but she has shown a side to her where I'm not sure what exactly her game is - if she has one...

Trey... oh Trey... I have a hard time talking about him because I'm so torn apart. When he first showed up I loved him. I thought he was sweet and caring and protective, but then he just started to irritate me. He didn't seem to have a mind of his own and was simply following along with what certain people told him or made him believe. Without giving away too much, I do understand his "obedience" to some degree, but at some point I felt like screaming "Wake up!" but maybe that's just me. I do still like him though and am looking forward to what he will be like in "Demon Eyes".

*****

Overall I loved it - I loved the writing, the story, the characters, the location, everything. I'm not sure how I'm ever going to make it until October without losing my mind though...

*****

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

*****

What about you? Have you read "Witch Eyes" yet? If yes, what were your thoughts about it? Are you as excited as I am for "Demon Eyes"? I would love to hear your thoughts!


Sunday, March 25, 2012

My Reading Pile #3

"My Reading Pile" is an idea fiktshun came up with where you share what is on your reading pile for the week.

This week I am going to try to read two books. The first book on my pile is "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society".


This is the Book Club pick for March and our meeting is on Tuesday, so I better get at it. I have already started it and it seems to be a very quick and easy read. So, be on the lookout for my second "Book Club" post sometime next week.

*****

The second book on my list this week is "The Forsaken".


I received a copy of it from the author, Estevan Vega, for review and I cannot wait to get lost in the world he has created.

*****

So, these are my reads for this week. What about you? Do you a have pile stacked up for this week?


Saturday, March 24, 2012

Revenants Week Blog Tour: Book Spotlight - Until I Die





This is the first blog tour I am participating in, and I could not be any happier since I loved Amy Plum's "Die For Me" so much. Revenants Week is hosted by the lovely people over at Revenants Central. A big shout out to the amazing Rachel from fiktshun who designed this beautiful banner.





For my tour stop I decided to talk about "Until I Die". I read "Die For Me" a few weeks ago, and ever since I finished reading the last word, I have been dying to find out what will happen next to Kate, Vincent, Jules, and everybody else. Even though I really like Vincent, Jules holds a very special place in my heart. The minute he showed up in "Die For Me", I was lost. He drew me right in and I haven't been able to escape - not that I have been trying very hard...

"Until I Die" will be released on May 8th, 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers and here is a look at what we can expect:




Goodreads description:

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love. 

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy. 

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.


*****

I really like the HarperTeen book summary as well, especially since it is written from Kate's perspective, so I had to share it with all of you as well. I chose the UK cover here because I love the different font that was used.



HarperTeen Book Description:

I wish there was only today, just right now, and no forever. 

It seems fitting that I fell in love in Paris, the most beautiful city in the world. And if I pretend, I can almost believe that my life is normal and everyone I care about is safe. 

But as long as I’m with Vincent, “normal” doesn’t exist. Gorgeous, charming, and witty, he’s everything you could ask for in a boyfriend—but his destiny is so much more. 

Even more terrifying than his destiny are his dangerous enemies, enemies who will kill for immortality. How are Vincent and I supposed to be together forever if we’re always in danger? 

I know I’ll do whatever it takes—even if it means lying to the people I love—to fight against a fate that is trying to tear us apart.



*****

Of course, without the amazing author behind the books, we wouldn't even be talking about Kate and Vincent and, of course, Jules, so here are a few details about Amy Plum:


About the author:

Amy Plum is the author of the International Bestseller DIE FOR ME, which is an Indie Next List pick, Romance Times top pick, and recipient of a starred review from School Library Journal. DIE FOR ME is the first novel in a YA trilogy set in Paris. Book 2 in the series, UNTIL I DIE, releases in May 2012.

After being raised in Birmingham, Alabama, in a rather restrictive environment, AMY PLUM escaped to Chicago to an even more restrictive environment at a university that expelled people for dancing. (And where she was called to the dean’s office for “wearing too much black”.) After all of that restrictiveness, she was forced to run far far away, specifically to Paris, France, where she only wore black and danced all she wanted.

For her full biography visit her website.
You can also find her on  Goodreads, twitter, and facebook.


If all this hasn't hyped you up for "Until I Die", then maybe the following video will. Amy herself is reading a little bit from
"Until I Die". Enjoy!




I don't know about you, but I wish I could have plugged the book right out of Amy's hands. As it is though, I will have to be patient and wait for May 8th to finally get here.

If you are as excited as I am to get sucked back into the beautiful world of the Revenants, feel free to grab the countdown widget in the sidebar.


Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and don't forget to keep an eye out for the next stop on the Revenants Week
Blog Tour.