Blog Tour: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2)
by Anne Blankman
416 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 21st 2015
Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:

The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first?

Even after reading and loving Prisoner of Night and Fog, I was skeptical of the next book. Sequels and I don't always have the best history. However, I still enthusiastically signed up for this tour and ended up really enjoying Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke.

Firstly, the two main characters are so real and likable. Though not without their faults, both characters are brave and admirable. Speaking of brave, we discover more about Daniel! I also feel like major girl power is displayed. Even in the beginning Gretchen doesn't just let Daniel go off on his own into danger. Together, they make a wonderful romantic pair!

Just like the last book, I loved the setting. This time just before World War 2 is a period I rarely read about. Also, it's so refreshing to have characters who originally didn't despise Hitler as it's realistic and shows how Hitler climbed the political ropes and wooed Germany's people into loving and trusting him. Also, just reading about him is fascinating. The history and the chance to look behind the brains of others is an amazing experience.

For the most part, I felt like Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke kept a good pace. There were only a few chapters in the beginning/middle that I felt lagged. My favorites parts were definitely more near the end!

Overall, I loved this book. I can't wait to see what Anne Blankman writes next.

4/5 Stars

Follow the Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.

After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.

Anne Blankman is the author of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, the first in a three-book deal slated for publication in spring 2014 from Balzer + Bray | HarperCollins. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

US Only | Giveaway ends: April 22nd, 2015

Interview and Giveaway: A Wicked Thing

A Wicked Thing
by Rhiannon Thomas
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 24th 2015

Synopsis:

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept. 

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

“I never thought what happens after Sleeping Beauty wakes up would keep me at the edge of my seat, breathlessly turning pages. But Rhiannon Thomas has taken the familiar and the cliched and turned it into a tense, fast-paced read full of plot twists and revelations, set in a world at once intriguing and perilous.” - Sherry Thomas, author of The Burning Sky

“The book is welcome twist on the classic helpless-princess-saved-by-dashing-prince one expects from a fairy tale…. Fairy tale and fantasy fans alike will breeze through this retelling and eagerly await her next chapter.” - School Library Journal

“One of the best fairytale retellings I’ve ever read. Thomas uses the well-known back story of Sleeping Beauty to craft an entirely new future for Aurora that is anything but happily-ever-after. Starting the story after the moment that usually signals the end of the fairytale gave this book an original spin and makes it stand out among of sea of simple retellings. Don’t miss this great debut!” - Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI

Hello! Here's my interview questions for the Rhiannon Thomas and A WICKED THING blog tour! I absolutely adored the book!

1) I loved (or at least loved to hate) all the characters in your book, A Wicked Thing. What character was the most fun to write about?

Definitely Prince Finnegan! He didn’t appear in the book at all until about the third draft, when I decided I needed Aurora to meet an Important Person for some reason I don’t even remember any more. But he was so much fun to write, so I decided he needed a bigger role. Then literally everyone I gave the book to – all of my friends, my agent, my editor – said, “I really like this Finnegan guy. More, please?” Luckily, he was as easy to write as he was fun to write, so I was more than happy to give him more to do!

2) Continuing this idea, what character was the trickiest to write about?

I’d say the witch, Celestine. Her voice and character were really tricky to pin down. In the end, things only clicked after I mentally cast Natalie Dormer as the part – then the whole creepy witch thing fell into place.

3) This Sleeping Beauty retelling is not like the light disney tale we all know. What was it like telling a darker and more realistic side of the story?

It was a lot of fun! I love poking things and questioning things and asking “what if?”, and fairy tales have so much potential for that. Also, if I can get all English Lit nerd, I did a lot of research in college about “happy endings” and how they’re often not really all that happy, and applying it to fairy tales – where things get wrapped up far too neatly for logic – seemed perfect to me. 

4) If you fell asleep for over a century, what would be the first thing you'd do once you woke up and discovered how much time had passed?

Honestly, I’d probably check my email, and then be disappointed that no one had messaged me in 99 years except Amazon. Then I’d jump on the future-version of the Internet (assuming a dystopia hell hasn’t descended on the world) and read up on everything I missed.

5) Also, if you were locked up in a castle all day, what would you do to keep from being bored? 

Does the castle have Netflix and computer games? Probably not. I want to say I would read and write and be creative, but being locked in a tower all day is making me think of every time I’ve been on a long flight. I pack my bag full of books and my DS and my tablet and crossword puzzles and paper to write on and my ipod and a million other things, and then spent the entire flight sitting and sulking about how I’m bored and have nothing to do. Sooo it’s probably be like that. 

6) Finally, would you please tell me a unique fact about yourself?

I supposedly live on one of the most haunted streets in Britain. I’ve yet to see a ghost, but I do get entertained by the city ghost tours that stop outside my apartment every night. 

Follow the A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Rhiannon Thomas is a recent graduate from Princeton University, where she studied English and Japanese, and smuggled bubble tea into the library on a regular basis. She now lives in York, England.

As well as reading and writing YA fiction, she runs the blog FeministFiction.com, where she discusses TV, books, and all kinds of fannish things from a feminist perspective.

I don't hang out on Goodreads much, so if you want to contact me, please swing by my personal website or message me on Twitter.

Open to all US, UK and Canada residents | Must be 13 or older to enter

FIRST PRIZE: Win (1) signed copy of A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas plus a spinning wheel charm bracelet. The bracelet is from https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KawaiiCandyCouture.

SECOND PRIZE: Win (1) of (2) signed copy of A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas.

Review: Rush

Rush by Eve Silver
Source: Received for free in exchange for an honest review
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date:  June 11th, 2013

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game — her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos.

In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn. 

Rush was a good read! I am not salivating with a need to fangirl, but I enjoyed the ride Eve Silver took us on!

The first thing I loved about the book was Miki Jones. She's sassy, a little messed up, and a stellar main characters. She's got a voice that's unique and had me flipping pages. Also, of course, I liked Jackson. Even though I normally get frustrated with the "I'm mysterious and will answer all of your questions in one syllable... or less" type. However, in Rush, his antics made me smile and generally curious. It helps that Miki is just as exasperated with him as we are. Also, inside he is pretty sweet. I liked learning his back story!

The gaming aspect of the novel was awesome! I am not much of a gamer but it was super, super cool to learn terms. It was creative on the author's part! I do wish I got to learn more about the aliens... hopefully in the next book!

Overall, I absolutely recommend Rush. There's action and humor and interesting characters. Also, it goes by so, so fast. The ending was like ...BAM! 

4/5 stars

*Received for free in exchange for an honest review*