[Blog Tour + Giveaway] NICOLE'S REVIEW: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J.Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: May 5 2015

Publishing House:  Bloomsbury

ISBN: 1619634449

Source of Copy: Blog Tour

Summary:

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin - one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled the world. 

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it...or doom Tamling  and his world - forever.

        (Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review: 

A Court of Thorns and Roses took me by surprise. Truth be had, you guys, I wasn't Maas' biggest fan but thanks to this book I'm now a convert. I cannot wait to get my hands on an actual copy of this seriously rocking book. Seriously. Seriously.

It's winter and Feyre's family is running low on food. Times are hard so she heads deep into the forest to go hunting. She comes upon a wolf and, because she's totally desperate, she shoots it down with her arrows not knowing that the wolf was faerie. Soon this beast-like fae comes knocking on her door demanding restitution and sweeps her away to his castle in the woods. Okay maybe there was more of the threatening and the roaring as there was the sweeping and there wasn't much knocking either. Feyre soon realizes that an ancient evil is enroaching on fae territory and might, if not stopped, creep into human lands soon.

Can I just say that Feyre is the luckiest girl? I mean she has all these beautiful men to look at. There's Tamlin and Rhys and Lucien and ohmygosh how is a girl to choose? But hot men is not all this book has to offer, it's got Feyre who is a kickass heroine in her own right. She's fearless and bold and cares deeply. She's probably got a better heart than I do despite her rough exterior. 

I loved the relationships in the book. Feyre and her sisters, Tamlin and Lucien, and even Rhys. Maas has such interesting characters I just want to find out more about them, peel them back layer by layer so I can understand them and fall deeper into love with them. And the romance? It does not fail to titillate (it seemed appropriate) and I just want to smoosh Tamlin and Feyre together all the time. 

I do have a bone to pick with Amarantha, the villain, she seemed to be so textbook villainess for me. Doesn't mean she wasn't scary and slightly disturbing but she just felt a little one dimensional for me. Impossible challenges? A riddle to solve? I even felt a little cheated when Fayre had a little help with the tasks. But you know, I enjoyed myself so much so I'm not gonna complain. Much. And another thing, this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, yes? So why wasn't Tamlin more...beast-like? Oh sure he has a mask stuck to half of his face and he can shift into some sort of lupine creature but come on, I thought he would be more physically monstrous. 

ACOTAR is a retelling of beauty and the beast, a wonderful, fearless, fierce retelling of the classic with amazing imagery and world building. I might still be a little cautious of Maas' Throne of Glass series but this one is definitely on my favorites list. Definitely recommend this for people who're fans of fantasy. And NA! This is definitely NA I could get into. 

Rating: 

"Novel Nails" is a feature of the blog that showcases nail art inspired by books and their covers. Nail art will be created by either Michelle or Nicole and will be featured alongside their reviews.

How pretty is the cover for A Court of Thorns and Roses? I couldn't resist doing nails. 

Not sure if you guys can tell but that's a wolf. On the middle finger. I had to make my own sheer black polish to tint my index and ring fingers. 

I think this is pretty obvious. Haha. 

You can check out more of my nail art over on instagram. Just search theunicolenicorn.

CLICK THIS FOR THE GIVEAWAY LINK

                        

NICOLE'S REVIEW + Novel Nails #20: Winterspell by Claire Legrand

Title: Winterspell

Author: Claire Legrand

Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: September 30 2014

Publishing House:  Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 9781442465985

Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary: 

New York City, 1899, Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-perfect daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, and her father is abducted - by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to surive Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets - and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive fairy queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed - if she leaves at all.

        (Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

I know this book got a lot of rather low ratings over on goodreads, and while normally that would dissuade me from buying a book I was feeling rather adventurous and thought why the hell not? Luckily I didn't hate the book and that little issue with the statue that a lot of people commented on? I found that I was oddly okay with it. It was a good looking statue.

It's not easy leading a double life. On one hand Clara is the mayor's daughter; prim, proper and perfect as can be on the other she's training to fight under the odd Drosselmeyer's tutelage. Little does she know that she's going to be putting all the skills she's learned to the test when strange creatures enter her home and abduct her father on Christmas eve forcing her to put her trust in Nicholas as they travel to the lands of Cane to save her father.

Clara starts of a little wimpy but it was great to see her grow as a character as the book progressed. I also liked how Legrand explored Clara's sexuality in the book because while it's obvious that she had a thing for Nicholas I'm also pretty sure she was into Anise which makes her bisexual. I haven't seen a lot of LGBT characters in fantasy so this was a surprise.

Okay, so about that statue issue. Clara might have had a thing going on for a good looking statue and maybe that might be uncomfortable for people because it is an inanimate object, I couldn't blame her. As I said, dude was hunky and turned out to be Nicholas. No big surprise there. His relationship with Clara was kind of rocky at first and he might be a little crazy but thank goodness he managed to fix himself and their relationship.

I also liked how deliciously dark the book actually was. There's a lot of misery and death and depravity and a whole bunch of sick and crazy people in it. Also drugs and a faery war. And the world building was quite detailed and highly imaginative. 

Truthfully, I'm not that familiar with the Nutcracker story so I don't know how true this stayed to the original and what aspects of it Legrand kept in this retelling. What I can say is that I liked the story and I'm glad that this book ended well and is a stand alone.

Rating: 

"Novel Nails" is a feature of the blog that showcases nail art inspired by books and their covers. Nail art will be created by either Michelle or Nicole and will be featured alongside their reviews.

Finally! Another Novel Nails feature. I did this set a few weeks back and you can find it on my Tumblr in case anyone is interested. I'll place the links down below.

The cover was way too pretty to pass so I thought I'd do a set inspired by it. 

Nail polish used:
OPI Haven't the Foggiest
OPI Miss You-niverse

The pretty book.

I made a gradient using the purple and silver on three nails.

Close up of the hand drawn art. A raven, thorns and the gate (I have no idea what it is) on the cover.

Added a few jewels too.

The thumb.

Hope you like this set and if you want to check out my Instagram click HERE. For my Tumble, HERE.

                         

NICOLE'S REVIEW + Novel Nails #16: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die

Author: Danielle Paige

Format Acquired: Paperback

Publication Date: April 1 2014

Publishing House: HarperCollins

ISBN: 0062280678

Source of Copy: Purchased from National Bookstore

Summary: 

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. But I never expected Oz to look like this. A place where Good Witches can't be trusted and Wicked Witches may just be the good guys. A place where even the yellow brick road is crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

My name is Amy Gumm -  and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked and I've been given a mission:

Remove the Tin Woodman's heart. Steal the Scarecrow's brain. Take the Lion's courage.

        (Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review: 

I could not resist buying this book. A retelling of The Wizard of Oz that puts a totally new spin on the characters? Yeah, dude. Count me in. 

Amy's spent her whole life stuck in a trailer with her alcoholic mom, stuck in a school where she gets teased all the time and where everyone is against her. She just wants to leave it all behind her. Little does she know that her yearnings would all by answered in the form of a tornado that sweeps through town, lifts her trailer up and dumps her in the middle of nowhere where she's faced with an odd, crumbling yellow brick road. 

I love how Paige took the original story and warped it into something wicked. Dorothy who's now the power hungry monarch ruling Oz in her tiny cleavage-bearing dresses and high heels? A little disturbing. The Tin Man's got a crush on Dorothy and acts as her bodyguard, the Lion's been turned into a gruesome beast who sucks the soul out of hapless munchkins and the like. And the Scarecrow? He performs despicable experiments on flying monkeys and turns people into walking weapons. Literally. 

Amy, the heroine, is incredibly real. She doesn't want to be the hero, doesn't want to be the one to kill Dorothy. But what choice does she have when the witches who saved her from Dorothy's clutches claim she's the only one who can? Her emotions are all over the place but really, mine would be too if I were in her place. She can be nasty sometimes, and kind of whiny and maybe a little stupid but that's what endeared her to me. She's genuine.

Going up against Dorothy and her magical red heels and clothes in that awful blue and white checker pattern? No thank you. Imagine that pattern on leather and try not to cringe and shudder in despair. (Has turning evil somehow screwed with Dorothy's fashion sense?) She's forced to train with the witches and earn her magic but she also has to deal with Nox; infuriating, handsome, standoffish Nox who teaches her combat skills and takes her to mountain tops to look at the stars. Nox who looks at her like he sees her and tells her he likes her hair. I couldn't exactly get a read on him and I'm pretty sure there's more to Nox than his combat skills and dedication to the cause.

Dorothy Must Die is an incredibly imaginative retelling of the original Oz but you don't have to be familiar with the original story to follow this. It's dark and dreary and gory but wholly entertaining. Oh and did I mention that this is Danielle Paige's debut book? So rad. If you're a fan of Oz, of retellings, or maybe just on the lookout for your next read why not pick this book up? 

Rating: 

"Novel Nails" is a feature of the blog that showcases nail art inspired by books and their covers. Nail art will be created by either Michelle or Nicole and will be featured alongside their reviews.

It's nail art time! This week's feature is Dorothy Must Die. I loved this book, you guys should totes read it.

Anyway, this is an easy bookish manicure too. I initially wanted to do the blue and white gingham check pattern but it didn't suit the feel of the set I had in mind. I tossed that idea. Blue and white gingham will never be the same after this book. Imagine a gown in that pattern. I might cry.

Here's the nail polish I used:
MAC Flaming Rose
Orly Liquid Vinyl

Nails Inc. Covent Garden Market

Freehand designs done in acrylic.

I just love this set. Look how sassy my nails are. 

Matchy matchy with the book. You can see how adding the gingham pattern would have thrown this mani for a loop.

I'm assuming that that's the symbol for the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I copied it onto my nail. 

Isn't that red just gorgeous? Reminds me of Dorothy's ruby heels.

Hope you liked this mani and if you're interested feel free to check out my instagram HERE for more bookish manicures or my tumblr HERE. Feel free to message me and let's talk nail polish and books.

                       

NICOLE'S REVIEW + Novel Nails #10: Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Title: Of Beast and Beauty
Author: Stacey Jay
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: July 23 2013

Publishing House: Delacorte Press

ISBN: 9780385743204
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city's vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city's Banished people. second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan's enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra's sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Of Beast and Beauty is one of those fairytale retellings that I actually like, next to Unhinged by A.G. Howard. 

Isra is a princess locked in a tower, blinded at birth by a fire and sees herself a freak, a monster; counting down the days till she becomes a willing sacrifice for the roses - can I just say that I totally love what Jay did with the roses? so cool - that provide her city with a dome of protection from the harsh outside world.

Gem is a beast, a Monstrous, with scales and claws supposedly tipped with poison. He needs the roses that Isra's people depend on and sneaks into the city in the dead of the night because his people are dying and desperately need the magic the roses give. But he gets caught and is forced to interact with Isra, a smooth skin, and the more they interact the more their view on each others change making them wonder if the things they were brought up to believe were true.

Stacey Jay's writing is beautiful, it's really lyrical but it didn't come off as pretentious and holier-than-thou. Her characters were wonderful and when they were sad, so was I. Happy? Frustrated? Angry? I was as well. In short, her characters were wonderfully crafted and I loved each and every one of them. 

Of Beauty and Beast starts off a little slow but it picks up along the way and I couldn't help but wish Gem and Isra would just get on with the kissing. It's mainly romance but somehow it just still enough for me. I wanted more, more, more, more. Because Gem and Isra are the bomb and they deserve a happily ever after. 

Since Isra is a princess in a trapped tower doesn't she resemble Rapunzel more? Kept in the dark and all that.

But anyway, Of Beast and Beauty is one retelling you don't want to miss. Action, evil roses with a taste for blood and a love that could change the world? YES PLEASE. Go read it now.

Rating:

"Novel Nails" is a feature of the blog that showcases nail art inspired by books and their covers. Nail art will be created by either Michelle or Nicole and will be featured alongside their reviews.

Guys, I am so glad to be able to paint my nails again. After slaving over my thesis and everything, this feels so great. So anyway, I have a new nail shape, they're now like tiny claws and I love them.

Nails are obviously inspired by of Beast and Beauty and I hope you guys like them!

As for the colors, here's the list of nail polish I used.

Blue: OPI Incognito in Sausalito

Cream: Zoya Jacqueline

Red: China Glaze Salsa

It's not really obvious but the gradient I made doesn't have an opaque base coat. I just layered them over Zoya Anchor.

I tried to copy the city on my nails, hence the silhouette of buildings.

Shaped them into claws because Gem has claws.

Sorry, I kind of rushed on the clean-up since I was a little busy that day. I made these using red acrylic under China Glaze Salsa to make it seem like fire or orange scales which you guys will get if you've read the book. Hint hint. This pattern is on my thumb and pinkie plus my right hand.

You like? I hope you do.

                           

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Poison by Bridget Zinn

Title: Poison
Author: Bridget Zinn
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: March 20 2013

Publishing House: Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423139935
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly skilled potions master, is the only on who knows that her kingdom is on the verge of destruction - which means she is the only one who can save it. With no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom's future ruler, who also happens to be her best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart misses.

Now, a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the King's Army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she's not alone. She's armed with her vital potions, a too-cute piglet, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can't stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to read this book as I was initially leery of the blurb. Okay, truthfully speaking it wasn't the blurb at all, it was the idea of her sidekick being a piglet.  Yes, I was afraid of a piglet. But now that I have finished the book I can definitely say that I have no regrets whatsoever. It was awesome. It also read like a Disney movie - a strong heroine, lots of magic and a handsome, charismatic ruffian to help our heroine on her journey. 

Kyra's attempt to assassinate the princess - who also happens to be her best friend - did not go as planned. Now she's on the run from the King's Army and her ex-boyfriend with nothing more but her potions and a piglet named Rosie. Another problem of hers is that she still has to find a way to kill the princess because in Kyra's visions, she is tied to the destruction of their kingdom. With the help of swoon-worthy adventurer Fred and his wolf-dog, Kyra has to find the princess and finish what she started.

Poison is a wonderful, light-hearted read with characters that one can't help but fall in love with. Kyra is the capable, headstrong heroine who is on a mission to save her kingdom and Fred is the amusing adventurer who tags along. The romance between them was so darn sweet and adorable and I loved seeing Kyra open up her heart to Fred and the little piglet, Rosie. 

Another one of my assumptions about this book was that Poison would be predictable - highly amusing, undeniably entertaining but predictable. I was wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns Poison threw at me and how the author managed to blend the romance into the story. It wasn't much but it was enough to satiate my craving and I loved how natural it felt. There are a few surprises at the end which I really did not expect and they did nothing more but add to my adoration for the book.

Obviously I recommend this book. If you're on the lookout for a fun, light-hearted, humorous adventure with unexpected twists and turns and sweet romance blended in for fun, look no further. Did I mention that Kyra's a potions master? She brews poisons for a living and is pretty hardcore. Not exactly something you want to miss out on.

Rating:

                         

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: February 5 2013

Publishing House: Feiwel & Friends

ISBN: 9780312642969
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison - even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

 (Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Because of the way Cinder ended, I've been anxiously awaiting the second book's arrival at our local bookstores. I didn't expect Meyer to throw another character into the mix. I wanted the book to focus on Cinder and her alone. It made me unsure if I wanted to continue this series because I just wasn't sold on Scarlet. As it turns out I couldn't resist getting the second book and I'm just so glad that I did.

Scarlet is a totally different heroine from Cinder, whereas Cinder is a little bit lost and unsure of herself, Scarlet is tough and knows exactly what she wants. She's on a mission to find her grandmother and she's going to do whatever it takes to get her back which means crossing paths with the Wolves - a gang of criminals who are actually soldiers under the Lunars' command. Along the way she meets Wolf, a member or ex-member of the gang, and he decides to help her on her suicide mission which takes them to the Wolves' den in Paris. 

I loved Wolf, he's just so adorable, if you could call him that. He may be a big, tough-looking guy who's an excellent and ferocious fighter but really, he's just a big softie inside. His looks are incongruent to his attitude and that somehow endeared him more to me. I just loved his interaction with Scarlet and his determination to help her find her grandmother despite the cost to himself. 

Cinder makes an appearance as well; she's breaking out of jail along with Thorne - another prisoner she met charged with robbery who just so happens to have stolen a ship - who admittedly is an interesting addition to Cinder's gang. She's just found out that she's the long lost Lunar Princess and that the Lunar queen is out to get her and she totally has no idea what to do with that information. She's on her way to look for Michelle Benoit - Scarlet's grandmother - to see if Michelle can answer qustions on her past and maybe clear up a few mysteries. She does this all while trying to dodge the authorities. She is an escapee after all. 

One thing I love about Scarlet and Cinder is the world-building. Meyer does a fabulous job of it, making it so easy to imagine the world they live in; technology, aliens, mind control powers. Another is how you can see the original storyline - Cinderella for Cinder and Red Riding Hood for Scarlet - incorporated into the books with other elements added into the fray. I just loved how everything was well thought of and blended together smoothly and how the characters are all somehow intertwined in this whole messy situation.

One thing I was hoping for was more Kai and Cinder but oh well, maybe in the next books. If you're looking for a retelling of our childhood fairytales with dystopian elements look no further than Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles where bad guys really are bad and you can't help but root for the underdog.

Rating:

                            

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

Title: The Treachery of Beautiful Things

Author: Ruth Frances Long

Format Acquired: Hardcover
Publication Date: August 16 2012

Publishing House: Dial Books

ISBN: 9780803735804
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary: The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it. Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await - creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice - and not just her own.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book) 

Review:

This has got to be one of the surprisingly good books of the year. Just looking at the pretty cover made me think that the book may be treacherous as well, but it did keep my attention to the point that I was even trying to read from the passing street lamps when the skies were dark. (It's a bad habit, don't pick it up; even my younger brother told me that I was violating two Don't Dos: Reading in the car, and reading when it's dark.)

Long invites readers to join Jenny in her quest to find her brother Tom and convince him to leave the beautiful, yet hostile world of Titania, Oberon, and Jack. The forest is a beguiling traitor, and every creature it harbors exhibits the same traits. As Jenny stumbles through the enchanted forest, one can't help but continuously root for her as she goes along. It is in this world that Jenny finds courage to fight for those she holds dear, and to secure her own happy ending. Sure, it may sound a bit like something Disney may have had a hand in, but this book was like a breath of fresh air-no dark, mysterious, drop-dead gorgeous guys, and no whiny self-centered female protagonist who would seem to instantly find out that she has hormones as soon as she lays eyes on said guy.

This book is partially influenced by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and even portrays the leading female protagonist as Snow White, and Cinderella at times! I have a feeling that that wasn't all the symbolism Long skillfully weaved in the story (Puck also being Loki, Oberon having other names, etc.). It was wonderfully deceptive, and I would just have to give Long kudos for using such techniques to keep the story interesting and fresh. The timing of the romance felt right, and Jack and Jenny just seemed so right together. Jenny may be somewhat foolish at times, but I may be saying this only because I'm a bit cynical of how the world works. She is headstrong, and loves fiercely, which only endeared me to her-she's refreshing that way! Jack was a bit of a conundrum at first, but even after, I just had to succumb to his charms as well. He has got to be one of the sweetest guys I have ever read about! (I just keep gushing about him, I can't help it.) I loved the cast of characters - even the mischievous Puck who I wanted to smack at some points during the story.

The last few chapters were what propelled me to attempt to finish it quickly, because I seriously could not wait to find out what would happen next. Although the ending was a bit of a cliche, it still had me rooting for true love and the many wonders it beholds. Until now, I still get this weird, tingly feeling when I see my copy of the book. Long's descriptions are so vivid it felt like I was watching a movie inside my head. Pick the book up and be swept away into a lovely realm where fantasy and romance collide splendidly. With that being said, Long surely has just found a smitten fan in me.

Rating: