Who is Marcus Finch? (Day 8)

The newest Bloodlines novel by Richelle Mead, THE INDIGO SPELL, comes out on February 12th and introduces the mysterious Marcus Finch.  But I'm guessing this secret will remove a bit of the glamor.  Unless you're into shabby, one-room apartments.  Hey, to each their own.

For more information, check out the Facebook page, the book trailer, or this excerpt of the first three chapters of THE INDIGO SPELL.  Or you could just win a copy of the book by filling out the Rafflecopter below.

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Review: The Madman's Daughter

First in a trilogy
By Megan Shepherd
Available now from Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Review copy

Believe the hype.  THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER is terrifying, sexy, and utterly enthralling.  Juliet Moreau and her mother where left to eke out an existence on their own after her father fled England following a scandal.  When her mother died, Juliet took employment as a maid.  But a young, pretty girl surrounded by students is not safe, and Juliet's life is a struggle to survive.  Then she finds Montgomery James, her family's former servant, and believes he can lead her to her father.

Those familiar with H.G. Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau probably know where the story will end up.  I've never read that classic, but I have read DR. FRANKLIN'S ISLAND by Ann Halam, so I had some ideas about what was really going on.  Juliet, on the other hand, prefers to think the best of her father.  After all, she remembers him being a good dad, even if he did abandon her.

Juliet and Montgomery are not the only one's on her father's island.  There's also Edward Prince, a castaway Juliet rescued from the sea.  She's drawn to him, even as the bond she and Montgomery had as children is renewed.  It doesn't help that both boys are excellent kissers.  But no matter who she likes or doesn't like, she's determined to get both boys off the island and away from its horrible experiments.

Debut author Megan Shepherd skillfully combines romance with horror.  THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER explores medical ethics and what it means to be a human, plus it has scenes of people being stalked through a jungle by a killer monster.  As for the romance, I hate how many books are making me enjoy love triangles lately.  But Juliet has off-the-scales chemistry with both Montgomery and Edward, and she's never worried about who she wants to kiss when she should be worrying about what craziness her father has unleashed.

Juliet is a fantastic character in her own right.  She's knowledgeable about medicine, from paying attention to her father when she was young and the labs where she worked at King's College.  In fact, she knows more than some medical students.  She's very practical.  Though she was born into wealth, she has little pride.  She's willing to take low employment to survive, but Juliet does not want to resort to prostitution.  Whenever the guys get onto her for coming to the island, she knows that she didn't have many options in England.  And, well, if she isn't a lady, she isn't going to act like one.  She'll travel with men, she'll do what she wants, and she'll keep something sharp at hand.  You go, girl.

It's only January, but I feel that I can safely say THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER is one of the best books of the year.  It's thoughtful, passionate, and chilling.  Bring on book two!

Who is Marcus Finch? (Day 7)

Yep, they claim to know nothing.  And we can definitely trust the Alchemists, right guys?  Yeah right.  The newest Bloodlines novel by Richelle Mead, THE INDIGO SPELL, comes out on February 12th.  For more information, check out the Facebook page, the book trailer, or this excerpt of the first three chapters of THE INDIGO SPELL.

Earn another entry to win a hardcover copy of THE INDIGO SPELL alone!  How much do you think the Alchemists actually know?

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Review: Prodigy

Book Two in the Legend series
By Marie Lu
Available now from Putnam (Penguin)
Review copy
Read my review of LEGEND

PRODIGY lives up to the promise of LEGEND and then some.  It's much bigger in scope than the first novel and adds a great deal of complexity for the setting.  As Day and June become involved with the Patriots, they learn that the rebels' agenda might not be the best for the people and that the Colonies of America might not be that much better than the Republic.  Not to mention Day and June's relationship started very quickly.  When they're separated, they are forced to examine what they really want and how far they trust each other.

I really loved how Marie Lu handled the relationship.  The book alternates viewpoints, making it easy to understand what both Day and June are thinking and how they interpret each other's actions. June in particular is awkward.  She doesn't have any romantic experience and she's already off balance because fighting against the government is the exact opposite of what she expected to do with her life.  She keeps putting her foot in her mouth and not explaining what she really meant because she's afraid of compounding her mistake.  Their whirlwind romance didn't really work for me in LEGEND, so I appreciated that Lu slowed things down and gave those two crazy kids a chance to figure out why they were together, aside from attraction, and if they wanted to stay together.

Because they do have other options.  Aside from the obvious - breaking up - they each gain a love interest.  June's is Anden, the Elector's son, and the man June and Day are supposed to assassinate for the Patriots.  June, however, is not entirely convinced that he'll follow in his father's footsteps.  Day's is Tess, his companion from the streets with whom he reunites.  While he notices she's grown up, it felt very weird because I was used to him seeing her as about ten years old.  I didn't buy her suddenly being old enough to be a contender for Day's amorous affections.

But PRODIGY would be pretty lame if it was all about the romance.  The majority of the novel is about the politics of Lu's future US and what is the ethical path to the greatest good.  Lu's clearly spent a lot of time mapping out her world.  I loved getting a glimpse beyond the borders of the Republic and the Colonies.  What happens to the Republic is life and death for June and Day, but it's small potatoes to the world's population.  (And guess what?  A lot of African countries have become the major global powers.)

Of course, Lu is also proves to be excellent at tugging on your heartstrings.  Metias's death becomes ever more tragic as more about who he was is revealed.  Any deaths in PRODIGY have maximum impact.  And let's not even talk about the major reveal at the end.  One thing is for sure: I'm going to be back for book three.

Who is Marcus Finch? (Day 6)

You can meet Marcus Finch for real (or fiction, I guess) when the newest Bloodlines novel, THE INDIGO SPELL by Richelle Mead, comes out on February 12th.  Until then you can follow the clues and make your guesses about this man of mystery in the comments!  (Plus, you get bonus entries in the contest by commenting.)

For more information, check out the Facebook page, the book trailer, or this excerpt of the first three chapters of THE INDIGO SPELL.

a Rafflecopter giveaway