The Mortal Instruments Day 15: Ch. recap + "I hope in the movie they have..."

Woo!  Day 15 of the TMI read-a-long!  Is this book giving you all the feels yet?  It's like, my millionth time reread it and I'm enjoying it as much as I did the very first time I read it.  This read-a-long is in anticipation for the release of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie release on the 21st of August.  Myself and some other bloggers will be recapping a different chapter each every day until the movie's release, along with adding a little extra post to get you more familiar with the characters and the world.

Chapter 15 recap

By the Angel, was this chapter intense or what?  We start right up with a huge fight between the werewolves and the vampires!  Right when we thought the situation Clary and Jace were in in chapter 14 couldn't get any worse, they are suddenly thrust into the middle of a war between two feuding species.  And not only were both the vamps and the wolves fighting each other, they were also fighting to capture Clary.  It was so scary and intense and the writing was absolutely fantastic.  My heart was pounding, especially once Jace, Clary, and rat Simon began racing up the stairs to the roof.  And when the wolves knocked down the door to the stairs and started thundering up after them . . . holy.  Crap.  They did get to the roof relatively unharmed but to escape before all the beasts catch up to them, Jace decides to get on a motorcycle and ride off the roof.  And he didn't even know if the bike could fly or not.  Luckily, it could.  But that didn't stop them from crashing once the sun came up and the demonic energy in the bike sputtered out.  This was a huge chapter.  A lot happened and we got to see more of the downworlders than we have previously.  I also really liked the way we got to see a bit of tension between Jace, Clary, and Simon.  Some love-triangly stuff starting to show through.  

"I hope in the movie they have..."

They better have the part where Jace and Clary ride off the roof on that motorcycle.  That part was so awesome and scary and intense.  I loved it so much and I think it would really add some awesome visual effects.  And they could so pull it off.  Come on, give us some Jace and Clary flying through the air on the motorcycle.  That would be so cool!

   

a Rafflecopter giveaway     Don't forget to check out the chapter 16 recap and extra post tomorrow over at Amanda's blog!  

 

Spotlight & Excerpt: A Shade of Vampire

I'm excited to announce that today, I have the chance to feature author Bella Forrest and her novel, A Shade of Vampire, on the blog!  I was hooked by all that I've heard and read about her book and I'm really happy that I have the chance to share that information with you!

Title:  A Shade of Vampire 

Series:  N/A

Author:  Bella Forrest

Publisher:  Self Published

Pages:  147

Release Date:  December 14th, 2012

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

Excerpt from A Shade of Vampire

I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”

I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.

My gaze settled on his face.

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.

I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.

Big mistake.

The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a moment.

“Like what you see?”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed, annoyed by his audacity.

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine.

“Don’t I have the right to be?”

He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he didn’t.

“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.

My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back, unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.

I would soon realize that I was about to play his game whether I liked it or not.

He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a frenzy.

This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.

“Tell me your name,” he commanded.

I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find myself blurting out my name in response.

“Sofia Claremont.”

As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb over my jaw line.

“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”

I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to sensing absolutely nothing.

My last conscious thought was that I may never see Ben again.

About Bella Forrest: 

 I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk.  Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales.

A I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre.

I'm an avid reader and a hopeless Potterhead.

I you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com , you'll be the first to hear about my new releases!  

Connect with Bella online!

Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Find A Shade of Vampire online!

Goodreads ~ Amazon (UK) ~ Amazon (US)  

 

Review: City of Lost Souls

Title:  City of Lost Souls 
Series:  The Mortal Instruments #5
Author:  Cassandra Clare
Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry
Pages:  534
Format:  Hardcover

Summary:  The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?
Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

My Review:  I love this series.  Have since the moment I picked up the first installment, City of Bones.  And though the last book, City of Fallen Angels, wasn't my absolute favorite, this new one has quickly taken that spot.

The plot in this story was incredible, as it is in every book by Cassandra Clare.  It was thickly woven and flowed so smoothly.  It had its heart wrenching moments that made me want to cry and those moments where I just couldn't help but grin hugely at the pages.  

Clare has a special talent for really making you feel everything.  I felt happy, sad, angry, murderous all when the characters did, too.  Since these books take place in third person, I would think that it would be harder to connect and sympathize with all the characters.  Normally I find it much easier to get a feel for characters when I read in first person but I had absolutely no trouble with these books.

And the characters.  Man, I really, really love these characters.  Each one of them has so much depth and detail, it's wonderful.  Add a dash of witty dialogue and they're pretty much perfect.  Of course, they all have their flaws but that's also what makes them so fantastically endearing.

One character, though, had me confused throughout this entire book: Jonathon (a.k.a. Sebastian).  I found it hard to completely hate him.  In fact, more times than once I actually felt . . . bad for him.  You know, until he did what he did at the end of the book.  But still, even after that I have to wonder if everything was a lie or if there was some truth in what he said and did.

Either way, this book was absolutely spectacular.  Witty dialogue, interesting characters, and a magnificent plot.

Five Feathers

Review: The Immortal Rules

Title:  The Immortal Rules
Series:  Blood of Eden #1
Author:  Julie Kagawa
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Pages:  480
Format:  Hardcover

Summary:  Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review:  I had high expectations going into this book as I am a big fan of Julie Kagawa.  Her first series, The Iron Fey, is one of my favorites.  So I was looking forward to getting my hands on another one of her novels.  

I was definitely very happy with this new series of hers.  It was completely unique from her previous series but still left me with the same giddy, amazed feeling I always get after finishing one of her books.

The plot, though a little slow at first, was intricately woven and well written.  I felt like everything flowed very smoothly and nothing felt forced.  

The world building was also very nice.  I enjoyed all the details we learned about this new world where our heroine Allie is living.  It was actually quite terrifying.  The monsters, the desperation, and the over all ruthlessness of humans in this books was quite shocking.  Every man for himself in this book.  

The characters, even the minor ones, all were very realistic and detailed.  I always love the way that Kagawa builds the characters and introduces us to them.  It gives us a very intimate understanding of those characters.  I could sympathize with all of them to some extent which is always nice.  

My only problem with the book was how long it took to get to the actual conflict.  I felt like the beginning was a bit drawn out.  I didn't mind too much, as she used that time for world building, but I still would've liked a bit faster pace.  In the beginning at least.  

Overall a satisfying read by Kagawa.  I'm happy to know that she can not only write some amazing Faerie books, but also a kick-ass vampire one as well.  

Four Feathers