Sunday, October 26, 2014

Series Review: Cracked & Crushed, by Eliza Crewe

Cracked (Soul Eater, #1)Crushed (Soul Eater, #2)
Meet Meda. She eats people.

Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.

They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.

Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.

The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.

Click on the cover to be directed to their book pages!


Overall series rating: 4.5 stars!

My dear Soul Eaters series, you have succeeded in trapping my soul and heart in your firm clutches. I didn't think I'd be this invested in your books, though. I'm not really into horror, and although the books aren't shelved as thus, you still give off that creepyish-horror vibe that has never appealed to me as a reader. 

Everything about you appealed to me. Your writing was hilarious and authentic. Your action had me gripping my Nook in anticipation. Your down-to-earth-ness had me applauding because I have never read a fantasy book that is this honest. (How can a fantasy book be "honest?" I don't know; you'll just have to read it for yourself.)

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Review: Madame Tussaud's Apprentice, by Kathleen Benner Duble

Madame Tussaud's ApprenticeTitle: Madame Tussaud's Apprentice
Author: Kathleen Benner Duble
Publication Date: August 1, 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction
In 1789, with the starving French people on the brink of revolution, orphaned Celie Rosseau, an amazing artist and a very clever thief, runs wild with her protector, Algernon, trying to join the idealistic freedom fighters of Paris. But when she is caught stealing from none other than the king's brother and the lady from the waxworks, Celie must use her drawing talent to buy her own freedom or die for her crimes. Forced to work for Madame Tussaud inside the opulent walls that surround Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, Celie is shocked to find that the very people she imagined to be monsters actually treat her with kindness. But the thunder of revolution still rolls outside the gates, and Celie is torn between the cause of the poor and the safety of the rich. When the moment of truth arrives, will she turn on Madame Tussaud or betray the boy she loves? From the hidden garrets of the starving poor to the jeweled halls of Versailles, "Madame Tussaud's Apprentice" is a sweeping story of danger, intrigue, and young love, set against one of the most dramatic moments in history. -Goodreads

3 Stars

At first, I absolutely adored this book. After further contemplation and after the initial buzz settled, my love wasn't quite as strong.

Madame Tussaud’s Apprentice can easily be summarized as thus: it is a story of a girl unwillingly caught up in the midst of one of the most contentious periods in history--The French Revolution. She is torn between joining the revolutionaries and staying impassive, a choice which will ultimately determine her fate in this war.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Crushed Blog Tour: Interview with Eliza Crewe


Title: Crushed (Cracked #2)
Author: Eliza Crewe
Publication Date: September 22, 2014
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Meda's back. This time, she has a friend.

The battle is over; the choice has been made. Meda Melange has officially hung up her monstrous mantle and planted her feet
firmly on the holy and righteous path of a Crusader-in-training. Or, at least, she’s willing to give it a shot. It helps that the Crusaders are the only thing standing between her and the demon hordes who want her dead.

The problem is, the only people less convinced than Meda of her new-found role as Good Girl are the very Crusaders she’s trying to join. So when a devilishly handsome half-demon boy offers escape, how’s a girl supposed to say “no?”

After all, everyone knows a good girl’s greatest weakness is a bad boy. -Goodreads

Buy Links:

A few weeks ago, I read and devoured Cracked, the first in the series, and knew that this series and I would always be BFFs. While I haven't yet read Crushed, (and I totally intend to correct this asap) I am honored to be a part of this blog tour and had a chance to interview the talented author, Eliza Crewe!