Mundie Moms

Saturday, August 31, 2013

DECEPTION by C.J. Redwine, Blog Tour; Book Review & Giveaway


Welcome to today's tour stop for C.J. Redwine's DECEPTION. Check out my review below and be sure to enter to the win the giveaway listed below. You can check out the previous stops along the tour here

About The Book

By: C.J. Redwine
Published by: Harper Teen
Released on: August 27th, 2013
Source: arc from publisher to review
Series: Defiance #2
4.5 stars: I Really Enjoyed It
Purchase it from: Harper Teen | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, which is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.

But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, slowly killing them off. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the survivors begin to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

My Thoughts on the Book


An action packed intense, emotionally charged read that will leave you begging for the next book.

C.J. Redwine won me over with her debut novel, DEFIANCE (read my glowing review for it here). I couldn't get enough of that book. I quickly fell in love with her characters, the world they live in, and C.J.'s writing, so much so that I could not wait to get DECEPTION in my hands. You know when you've patiently waited for what feels like forever to get the next book in your hands, you're torn between devouring the book, and taking your time with it. Well I did both with this one. 

Deception is definitely not one of those sophomore slump kind of reads. Oh no. C.J. throws in new twists, plenty of action, danger, and some shocking betrayals. She not only allowed me to see how much her characters grow in this story, she also dove much deeper into the story's history, and shocking secrets. What I was not excepting with this book, was to be pushed to my emotional limit right along side the characters. To say this story is intense at times, is an understatement. C.J. tested and pushed her characters. She broke them, and made them stronger. Rachel, Logan, Quinn, and the entire cast of characters both new and old dealt with a lot in this book. Sometimes I felt their grief, their helplessness, and other times I felt their determination, their love and most of all their unwavering ability to never give up, even when the odds get stacked against them.

Logan for me is the character who grew the most. He really steps up and becomes the leader he needs to be with the group he's trying to protect, despite the reservations some of them have about him being their leader. Rachel on the other hand becomes this fierce, determined, broken character who for part of the book is really just a shell of her former self. I hated seeing her like that as much as Logan did. On the other hand, had she not become like this, she wouldn't be a character I could have emotionally connected with, because everything she's dwelt with has changed her, and has taken a toll on her, as it should. She lives in a world that is dangerous, it's ripped everything from her life except Logan, and even now someone is threaten his very life. She has no home, and is on the run from more than just the Commander who's ruthlessly hunting her and Logan down. 

The relationship between Logan and Rachel is oh so brilliantly written! Seriously. I loved that these two just love each other despite how broken they both become. They're the anchor that keeps the other afloat and going. Reading this book from both of their points of views allowed me to see just how similar they both felt about each other, and how much the other wanted to fix the other one. Instead of trying to change the other, they both accept each other for who they are, broken or whole. Their relationship is complex, and yet so sweet. I loved their stolen moments together. I loved seeing how even in the face of all they're dealing with, they both can let all that melt away even if it's for a few brief moments. Logan and Rachel would do anything for each other, and I love how they both cling to the love they have for each other, and how much that not only drives them individually, but keeps them going. 

I love the role the secondary characters have. I simply adored Quinn. I love that he gets Rachel on a level that no one, except Logan gets, but he's able to break down her walls in a wall Logan can't. I admired Logan for talking to Quinn, and I loved Quinn for all that he does for Rachel. Talk about characters, C.J. Redwine might have ripped my heart out more than once in the killing off of a few characters. I know! I wanted to throw my book and yell NO! Oh yeah, that ending is a KILLER! If I thought waiting for Deception was hard, waiting for the next book is going to be brutal. C.J. has totally tipped this world upside down, and in the process caused a lot of heartbreak, chaos and given me an ending I had a feeling was coming, but what actually plays out shocked even me. 

DECEPTION takes what Defiance gave readers and amps it up, A LOT! It's literally a non stop action read. It's in-depth, it's addicting, has a lot more depth to the story, it's characters, and the world they're apart of. There's plenty of shocking twists, and some incredibly shocking secrets that are revealed that again, I didn't even see coming that tie some of the events from Defiance into this story perfectly. If you loved Defiance, definitely pick this book up! If you haven't read Defiance yet, run out and pick it up! This series is action packed, well written, and has given us characters we have totally fallen in love with. 

About the Author

 C. J. Redwine lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her four beautiful kids, an amazing husband, two fairly crazy cats, and a dog. She has books in every corner of her house, an impressive Harry Potter memorabilia collection, and a bunch of really cool friends she doesn't get to see nearly as much as she'd like to. She is also the author of Defiance.

Visit C.J. via her Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

The Giveaway
Thank you to C.J., we've got an exciting giveaway for three lucky tour followers. The 1st winner will receive either a SIGNED copy of Defiance or Deception (their choice), and 2 runners will each receive a set of bookmarks. This is open to those in the US and Canada. To enter, please fill out the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ALLEGIANT: Exclusive First Quote From The Upcoming Release


ALLEGIANT fans, have you checked out EW's sneak peak of Veronica Roth's ALLEGIANT? Check it out HERE!


Remember fans,  you can follow the ALLEGIANT news via #AreYouAllegiant October can't here quick enough!

TMI Movie: #ShadowhunterSaturday


Shadowhunter fans have been amazing with their support of the #TMIMovie. Not only have they gone out in droves to see the movie, but fans have been submitting their thoughts about the movie to us via the #TMIMovieReactions. I have really appreciate everyone who's shared their thoughts, both good and bad. Now we're teaming up with the fandom again to encourage fans to go see the film worldwide. Over the next 5 days we'll be using a new hashtag a day to support this. YES, the movie studio will be checking the hashtags too. :) Let's show them our support!

JOIN Us for today's #ShadowhunterSaturday!

Don't forget, keep sending us your fan reactions to the movie!

TMI Movie News: THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES OPENS AT NO. 1 IN 3 MORE COUNTRIES!!


The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie has already tops Australian and German box offices, and now it's claimed the #1 spot in Singapore, Sweden and Thailand!!


Way to go Shadowhunters!! If you get a chance to this weekend, be sure to head out and catch another showing of the movie!

*source: TMI Source

Friday, August 30, 2013

#TMIMovie Opens at #1 in German Box Offices!



The Mortal Instruments City of Bones opens at #1 at German box offices! Here's what executive producer, Martin Moszkowicz had to say on Twitter about the exciting news:
 ‏@mmoszkowiczConfirmed: TMI most popular and most successful picture on opening day in Germany. 
 ‏@mmoszkowiczTMImovie TMI #1 in Germany on opening day. 
 ‏@mmoszkowiczTMI currently #1 at the German box office on opening day.
Way to go German shadowhunters for making TMI #1!

USA Today Top 150 Bestsellers for August 29, 2013


A HUGE congratulations to Cassie for her City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Class, City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls for topping the US Today's Top 150 Bestsellers list! We're so excited for her!
From USA TODAY’s Top 150 Bestsellers for August 29, 2013:
(Based on sales through Sunday, August 25, 2013)

  #1 City of Bones
                By Cassandra Clare
                (McElderry; ISBN 9781416955078 )
                [Last week: 5; Weeks on list: 68]

#8 City of Ashes
                By Cassandra Clare
                (McElderry; ISBN 9781416914297)
                [Last Week: 22; Weeks on list: 34]

#20 City of Glass
                By Cassandra Clare
                (McElderry; ISBN 9781416914303)
                [Last Week: 43; Weeks on list: 25]

                #35 City of Fallen Angels
                By Cassandra Clare
                (McElderry; ISBN 9781442403543  )
                [Last Week: 52; Weeks on List: 19]

                #46 City of Lost Souls
                By Cassandra Clare
                (McElderry; ISBN 9781442460867)
                [Last Week: 68; Weeks on List: 17]

#ParabataiFriday


Shadowhunter fans have been amazing with their support of the #TMIMovie. Not only have they gone out in droves to see the movie, but fans have been submitting their thoughts about the movie to us via the #TMIMovieReactions. I have really appreciate everyone who's shared their thoughts, both good and bad. Now we're teaming up with the fandom again to encourage fans to go see the film worldwide. Over the next 5 days we'll be using a new hashtag a day to support this. YES, the movie studio will be checking the hashtags too. :) Let's show them our support!

JOIN Us for today's #PARABATAIFRIDAY!

Don't forget, keep sending us your fan reactions to the movie!

Godfrey Gao & Kevin Zegers Talk Malec for City of Ashes Movie


Godfrey Gao & Kevin Zegers tease fans about Malec in their most recent interview from the Mexico TMI Movie premiere. They talk about what's in store for their characters in the upcoming City of Ashes movie. Check out what they had to say here:



Next month City of Ashes begins filming up in Toronto!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

'City of Bones' Top The USA Today Bestsellers List

cobusatoday Great Job Shadowhunters! City of Bones is topping the USA Today Best Seller's List! Read the book, but head out to see the movie in theaters this weekend. SOURCE

Production of 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes' Moving Ahead This Fall

coa
There has been a lot of conversation surrounding the sequel to 'City of Bones'. Fans have been up in arms about will they or won't they. In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Constantin is confident to move forward with the sequel this September.
Despite the soft U.S. start, Moszkowicz said the reaction from the book’s fan base has been “very positive.” And he said that Constantin is proceeding with plans to begin shooting a sequel,Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes, in Toronto this fall.
When will City of Ashes start filming? We wish we had the answer for you. We know that they had planned on a date of September 23rd, but that has not been confirmed. The film is opening in new countries this weekend, and we encourage you to go and see it. The film is amazing.
Mortal Instrument's international rollout has only just begun. Constantin said the film's total take so far is $26.6 million, driven by a U.K. bow of around $1.8 million and more than $1.4 million from Australia. Several major territories follow this week, including Spain, Italy, Germany and Mexico. From there, the film will make its way around the world throughout the fall and into the winter months. Moszkowicz said it was still too early to make a prognosis for Mortal Instrument's global box office revenue. But Constantin has proven before that it can successfully use international markets to recoup a shortfall in the U.S. Paul WS Anderson's The Three Musketeers (2011), a Constantin production, earned s disappointing $20 million in its U.S. release through Summit Entertainment, but went on to gross some $150 million worldwide.

Seven music moments to listen for in 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'

Lily Collins;Jamie Campbell Bower Composer Atli Orvarsson talked with The Hollywood Reporter about seven music moments to listen for in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. (Warning: Spoilers from the film below!)


The Mortal Cup: “The Mortal Cup theme sounds like ancient music … The first time you really hear it in its purest form, it’s played on an old, old instrument, the predecessor of the modern string orchestra, called a viol. I found a gentleman who plays with an early music ensemble and they play this instrument. It’s a very metal-sounding violin, and it’s usually played without vibrato, so it’s got a very piecing, pure tone.”
The City of Bones: “What’s happening when you see the City of Bones is there’s two melodies playing at once — it’s Clary’s theme and the Mortal Cup theme. It’s the legend of the Shadowhunters and their history and all that, and we’re trying to depict or convey Clary’s awe, the experience of seeing this magnificent city that we don’t really see. The beginning of that piece, when they’re walking into that underground bunker, that has its own rhythmic thing, and it all has its big crescendo when the Silent Brothers are able to rekindle her memory.”
Clary and Jace’s love theme: “There’s a simple piano version, and then there’s a big string arrangement, and there’s a major and a minor key version. There is a scene where Jace and Clary and Simon encounter and kill a demon who is disguised as Madame Dorothea, and [Clary] has to choose between who she hugs and finds comfort with, and she goes with Simon, and the camera goes to Jace. I play the love theme in a minor key, the unattainable, lost-love version of it.”
The greenhouse: “I used a love theme there, through Jace’s story, and I think they found a really graceful way to segue into the song that Diane Warren wrote for it [‘Heart by Heart,’ sung by Demi Lovato] … It’s more piano and bells and sort of atmospheric. It’s a very sparse version of the love theme.”
Valentine’s theme: “I always felt that he needed to have sort of a Darth Vader theme … The Valentine theme is like a bolero, a bass line that keeps building and building. I used that when he comes out of the portal and he and Hodge are plotting and talking. While we were recording, our engineer had a great idea. He said, ‘let’s rent out a Minimoog synthesizer, and you should play his bass on this old synthesizer.’ It’s got this old, fast bass sound.”
Clary’s reunion with her mother: “I played the love theme there, which obviously most of the time is reserved for Clary and Jace. But because of what has transpired in the film, with Valentine putting the idea in their heads that they’re brother and sister, Clary sort of puts the question to her mom … It was one of those happy accidents where I decided to try it and see how my sketch of that theme worked over that scene, and it did.”
Jace: “Jace doesn’t really have a theme — he has sort of an action motif, because he tends to come and save the day.”

Cassie Clare Was Particularly Excited to See Magnus Bane

Cassandra+Clare+Mortal+Instruments+City+Bones+JNvE3pDtQlql
Cassie's been away on an island, but before she left, she conducted an interview with the New York Post. We have an excerpt of the interview below, but for the entire thing, CLICK HERE.
Was there any scene or character you were particularly excited to see in the film? Magnus Bane, who is a trickster figure. I was worried they would cut him. I had to tell them he was a very important character who becomes more important. I was excited to see his scenes in action. Are there any specific things you had a say in during the adaption process? I had a lot of say in casting. They definitely invited me into the casting process and showed me audition tapes, and every person cast was a conversation about the pros and cons and how they fit in with the larger puzzle of the character. Would you ever consider a change in career? Or is there something you would really like to do? Well, one thing I’ve always been really excited to do was write for a slightly younger group and do something that was a little bit more of a coming-of-age story. I wanted to do something that would span a bigger chunk of time. So my friend, the wonderful writer of “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” Holly Black, and I collaborated on a project. The first book comes out next year, and it’s called “The Iron Trial.”

New YA Book Trailers

Check out these three new YA book trailers from Random House, Harper Teen and Simon Teen.

Teardrop by Lauren Kate
 

 The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore

 Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young


Cassandra Clare Talks TMI Movie, Characters and More In Her Recent Interview with The NY Times


The NY Times recently shared their interview they did with Cassandra Clare. In it they discuss the movie, characters and the adaption process. Find the interview HERE
“City of Bones,” the film adaptation of the first book in Cassandra Clare’s young adult fantasy series “The Mortal Instruments,” opened last week. In a recent phone interview, Ms. Clare spoke about the film, her forthcoming middle-grade series, writing with Holly Black (author of “Doll Bones” and “The Spiderwick Chronicles”) and what readers can expect from “City of Heavenly Fire,” the final novel in the “Mortal Instruments” series, due  next May. Below are edited excerpts from the conversation:
Was there any scene or character you were particularly excited to see in the film?
Magnus Bane, who is a trickster figure. I was worried they would cut him. I had to tell them he was a very important character who becomes more important. I was excited to see his scenes in action.
Are there any specific things you had a say in during the adaption process?I had a lot of say in casting. They definitely invited me into the casting process and showed me audition tapes, and every person cast was a conversation about the pros and cons and how they fit in with the larger puzzle of the character.
Would you ever consider a change in career? Or is there something you would really like to do?
Well, one thing I’ve always been really excited to do was write for a slightly younger group and do something that was a little bit more of a coming-of-age story. I wanted to do something that would span a bigger chunk of time. So my friend, the wonderful writer of “The Spiderwick Chronicles,”Holly Black, and I collaborated on a project. The first book comes out next year, and it’s called “The Iron Trial.”
How do you co-write something?
It’s a very “togethery” process for us. I know people who do it differently. But for us we have to be in the same place and we have one computer and we write into a master document. We wanted to have a really seamless feel, like it was all written by one person. You can’t tell the parts that she wrote or the parts that I wrote.
Do you have a favorite character that you’ve either written yourself or read in another book?
In my own work, I don’t have favorite characters, but I have characters that I relate to the most. And I relate the most to Simon from “The Mortal Instruments,” and also Tessa from “The Infernal Devices.” They’re more sort of bookish and shy characters. But in other people’s books I tend to love the really daredevil-y characters. I love Finnick from “The Hunger Games.” And I think, probably, my favorite character of all time is Sherlock Holmes.
Could you describe your writing routine?
I prefer to be out of my house because I find that otherwise I tend to get distracted by mundane details like my cat, things that need cleaning up, the laundry. And in terms of the thing I need to have with me, I would say music. I have specific playlists for different books and characters. So, I need to have those with me. It helps me get into the mindset of the book.
Anything else you want to share with your fans about the film or the books?
You’re always worried, “Is the movie going to stay true to the book?” But they should remember it’s an interpretation of the books, and I want every reader to feel that their interpretation is the true interpretation.
Be sure to read the entire article/interview HERE

Composer Atli Orvarsson reveals his themes for Clary and archvillain Valentine & How He Scored the Greenhouse Scene


The Hollywood Reporter has a great interview with composer Atli Orvarsson, who composed the score for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. If you haven't listened to it yet, you're missing out! I LOVE the score for this movie. Here's what he had to say (you can read the entire interview here):


The Mortal Cup: “The Mortal Cup theme sounds like ancient music … The first time you really hear it in its purest form, it’s played on an old, old instrument, the predecessor of the modern string orchestra, called a viol. I found a gentleman who plays with an early music ensemble and they play this instrument. It’s a very metal-sounding violin, and it’s usually played without vibrato, so it’s got a very piecing, pure tone.”
The City of Bones: “What’s happening when you see the City of Bones is there’s two melodies playing at once — it’s Clary’s theme and the Mortal Cup theme. It’s the legend of the Shadowhunters and their history and all that, and we’re trying to depict or convey Clary’s awe, the experience of seeing this magnificent city that we don’t really see. The beginning of that piece, when they’re walking into that underground bunker, that has its own rhythmic thing, and it all has its big crescendo when the Silent Brothers are able to rekindle her memory.”
Clary and Jace’s love theme: “There’s a simple piano version, and then there’s a big string arrangement, and there’s a major and a minor key version. There is a scene where Jace and Clary and Simon encounter and kill a demon who is disguised as Madame Dorothea, and [Clary] has to choose between who she hugs and finds comfort with, and she goes with Simon, and the camera goes to Jace. I play the love theme in a minor key, the unattainable, lost-love version of it.”
The greenhouse: “I used a love theme there, through Jace’s story, and I think they found a really graceful way to segue into the song that Diane Warren wrote for it [‘Heart by Heart,’ sung by Demi Lovato] … It’s more piano and bells and sort of atmospheric. It’s a very sparse version of the love theme.”
Valentine’s theme: “I always felt that he needed to have sort of a Darth Vader theme … The Valentine theme is like a bolero, a bass line that keeps building and building. I used that when he comes out of the portal and he and Hodge are plotting and talking. While we were recording, our engineer had a great idea. He said, ‘let’s rent out a Minimoog synthesizer, and you should play his bass on this old synthesizer.’ It’s got this old, fast bass sound.”
Clary’s reunion with her mother: “I played the love theme there, which obviously most of the time is reserved for Clary and Jace. But because of what has transpired in the film, with Valentine putting the idea in their heads that they’re brother and sister, Clary sort of puts the question to her mom … It was one of those happy accidents where I decided to try it and see how my sketch of that theme worked over that scene, and it did.”
Jace: “Jace doesn’t really have a theme — he has sort of an action motif, because he tends to come and save the day.”

Join us for #DumortThursday to support 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'

Dumort 
 Shadowhunters! Thank you all for your continual support of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. We are hoping for a solid second week at the global box office so to help encourage Shadowhunters worldwide to go see this film (again or for the first time) we came up with five days of hashtags. Here is Thursday's hashtag:


#DumortThursday

Don't forget to keep using #TMIMovieReactions to share your thoughts on the film. Be sure to head out to the theater today and share your photos with us!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Cover for 'Better Off Friends' by Elizabeth Eulberg

BOF-Front-724x1024
We love 'Better Off Friends' cover! Of course we love anything Elizabeth Eulberg. Here's the synopsis:
For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way. Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. 
Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated? From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

WATCH The #TMIMOVIE Press Conference from Mexico

Check it out Shadowhunters! You can now watch the entire TMI Movie Press Conference that took place in Mexico earlier this week.

 

Thank you to TMI Source for posting this!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Read a Free Preview of 'Unbreakable' Now

8-27 legion

If the first chapter of Kami Garcia's Unbreakable wasn't enough for you (and let's be honest, we all know it wasn't), we've got great news. The first seven chapters of the Beautiful Creatures coauthor's upcoming solo novel are now live. Read it to learn more about Kennedy Waters and her introduction to the world of spirits and all things supernatural.

Here's more about the book:

I never believed in ghosts.
Until one tried to kill me.
 
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, she doesn’t realize that paranormal forces are responsible–not until mysterious identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room and destroy a deadly spirit sent to kill her.
 
Kennedy learns that her mother’s death was no accident, and now she has to take her place in the Legion of the Black Dove–a secret society whose five members were all murdered on the same night, leaving the Legion in the hands of the next generation: a misfit group with unique skills.
 
As the new members race to find the only weapon capable of destroying the demon, they use their individual talents to battle paranormal entities and earn their rightful place in the Legion–except for Kennedy.
 
If she is truly the missing piece of the puzzle, can she stay alive long enough to find out–without losing her heart in the process?
 
Protect Yourself.
What you can’t see CAN hurt you.

You can download the free preview of Unbreakable on Amazon. Warning: reading it may make the wait until October 1 (when the book hits shelves) unbearable. Let us know what you think and tweet Kami your reactions @KamiGarcia!

TMI Movie Weekend Box Office Numbers!


The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones racked in $14.1 million this weekend, right under it's $15 million over all Sony projected it to do at this weekend's box offices. Given that the movie opened on one of the worst weekends of the year (as it's back to school and end of summer), we were 3rd over all in US box offices, and #1 for NEW releases. Internationally we were #1 in Australia. 

Even thought this wasn't a huge blockbuster, this was still an extremely successful weekend for TMI. All together TMI movie made about half of it's production budget. The film grossed $26.1 million worldwide. There's still a few other countries waiting for TMI to open!! Executive Producers Martin Moszkowicz of Constantin Films had this to say on Twitter:

Martin on Twitter:
did $26,1m box office the first weekend in Nortamerica and some other countries. This weekend Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico a.o.

Fans have been HUGELY supportive of the movie, and seeing it not just once, twice or three times, but in some cases 4 and 5 times! This TMI fandom is truly amazing! Keep up all the fabulous support. :) Don't forget, keep sending us your #TMIMOVIEREACTIONS!!! 


ORIGIN by Jennifer L Armentrout, Book Review / Blog Tour



Published by: Entangled Teen
Released on: TODAY 8/27/13
Source: e-arc to review
5 Stars: I Loved It
Buy From: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.


After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.


All Katy can do is survive.


Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?


Together, they can face anything.  But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will


Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?  

Loved it! That sums up my review right there. Everything that I've been hoping and wanting to happen between Daemon and Katy happens, along with a few surprises that I didn't even see coming. Seriously, just when I think this series can't get any better, Jennifer gives ms ORIGIN, and WOW! Talk about having a favorite book from the series. Jennifer pulls out all the stops with ORIGIN. There's shock, sigh worthy, laugh out loud and "No she did not just do that!" moments.

ORIGIN is full of snark, action, plenty of swoon-worthy moments, and twists. There's also plenty of danger, betrayal and a lot of danger, and oh yeah, a few fight scenes. I loved how Jennifer paced this story. There were moments were I couldn't believe what was happening, that would turn into moments where I could finally let out the breathe I was holding, that would turn into those oh as addicting Daemon and Kat moments, and then moments of "What in the hell just happened?". Oh yeah, ORIGIN has it all.

One of the things I admire about Jennifer's writing is that she does not hesitate to give it to her characters. Meaning, she is not afraid to make them hurt, to put them through the ringer, and to kill them off. She's also not afraid to give back to her characters too. With all the crap that happens in this book, and oh yeah, there's some seriously messed up things that Katy, Daemon and the group encounter/deal with, there are also these moments of hope, sweetness and holy hot tamales! Dang, Daemon does not hold back in this book, and it's about time! haha Sorry, I mean, FINALLY! Everything I've been waiting to happen between Daemon and Kat happens, but trust me, it doesn't all happen at the same time, and Jennifer does a great job at making me wait for it. In the midst of all the chaos those moments are the ones I felt most connected with the characters. I got their fears, and joy, and worries, and the moments were the world just melting away from them for a few minutes. *sigh* Yeah, those Daemon and Kat moments are so beautiful and sigh worthy.

Don't worry, Daemon turn into a softy, though he really did surprise me with what he does, and his thought process when it comes to Kat through out the second half of the book. His snark, and the things he says were still hilarious. Can I just saw, only Daemon could pull of some of the cheesiest lines I've read, and make it laugh out loudable. Most importantly, for me, Daemon and Kat grew up a lot in this book, and I loved seeing how they grow and change together. 

Kat literally deals with some hellish things and I like that Jennifer didn't shrug off how that changed her. Seriously, no one could walk away from what she deals with and not be totally normal again. One thing doesn't change with Kat, and that's her strength. I admire her for it, and the fact that she would rather put herself in danger, than see the ones she loves deal with what she is going through. Even in the face of danger she still has that feisty attitude and those snarky comments. Her broken side is what made me love Daemon all the more. His wanting to take that all away from her, and make it right for her, along with this protectiveness and doing all he could to be there for her was so well written. I loved it. It made Daemon the most human reading these moments form his point of view. 

I loved the dual point of views! I don't think this story could have been as well written if it hadn't been. Katy and Daemon's voice are complimentary to each other's, and they told the story perfectly. There's are too many shocking twists, discoveries and things that happen that had it been from just Katy's point of view, wouldn't have made the story as engaging as it was. Having Daemon's point of view helped paint a bigger picture, and really allowed me to understand him. I loved it.  Where some series that I feel fall short when it comes to expanding on the world and lore that makes up the series, The Lux series expands on, and continues to make the over all story that much more exciting with each book. 

Origin is addicting. It's dangerous, hard to put down, and it's a 400 page of pure awesomeness. Don't be scared by those 400 pages. This was a book I devoured in a matter of hours. Once you start it, there's no stopping. It's a heart pounding, sigh worthy, exciting read. I feel the need to say it's "out of this world", but I feel like Daemon would get mad if I stole his thunder on cheesy lines, so I'll just say, GO PICK IT UP!! 

Back to the comment I made earlier about some of the Daemon and Kat moments- Jennifer wrote the moments between the two of them beautifully. When it comes to writing tasteful sex scenes in YA books, Jennifer's moments with Daemon and Kat where incredibly well done. 


About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Where you can find her:

ORIGIN by Jennifer L Armentrout, Blog Tour & Guest Post


HAPPY RELEASE DAY to Jennifer L Armentrout's ORIGIN! I know, we've waited for what feels like forever this ORIGIN to be out, and now fans can find out what awaits Daemon and Kat! Just to refresh your memories, here's what ORIGIN is about:

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.  But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will

Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?  

Buy From: AmazonBarnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

************

Oh Daemon and Kat! I have seriously missed the banter and oh so hot chemistry. 

Today I'm thrilled to have Jennifer on Mundie Moms to share her top 10 favorite book series, which are:

Top 10 Favorite Books (series)
1.    Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent
2.   Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver
3.    Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
4.   The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward
5.    The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa
6.   Torn Trilogy by Erica O’Rourke
7.    Firelight by Sophie Jordan
8.   Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
9.   Forgotten Princesses by Sophie Jordan
10. The Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins

I'm loving this top tens list! Thank you Jennifer. Speaking of favorites, my top ten favorite list includes Jennifer's books! Check back within the hour to read my review of ORIGIN!!! In the mean time, check out where you can find Jennifer to wish her happy book birthday!


About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Where you can find her:

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