Review: Titans

TITANS
Victoria Scott
Young Adult/Fantasy-ish?
Scholastic
320 pages
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch.

She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them.

But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about.

MY THOUGHTS
Titans is a fascinating reimagining of horse racing, one where flesh and blood are replaced by wires and steel, and the simple dirt track replaced by spectacularly dangerous obstacle courses.

Ms. Scott has a gift for writing character-driven stories, particularly those involving animals who steal our hearts over the course of hundreds of pages and cause our anxiety to kick up several notches as we worry for their well-being in the end. Padlock is just the latest of Ms. Scott's animals to leave his mark as we read, a horse who should be fully robotic and personality-free instead exhibiting a fighting spirit on the track and a capacity for love and affection off it. His relationship with jockey Astrid is both heartwarming and heartbreaking as their bond grows race after race, their success inspiring cruelty in others who feel an early model Titan and a lower class rider have no business in a sport driven by money and prestige.

While Astrid's relationship with Padlock is a highlight, her friendship with fellow factory worker's daughter Magnolia is also a show-stealer, the two of them there for one another every step of the way without any petty jealousy or unnecessary drama to dim their shine. Though the fact that this story is romance-free might be ever-so-slightly disappointing for those who live for it in their books (like myself), the fact that Ms. Scott decides to take what at first appears as though it's going to be a predictable enemies to lovers setup and shift it into something else entirely is a refreshing change.

Overall, Titans is a story full of heart, the bond between horse and rider beautifully sharing the spotlight with smile-inducing friendships as well as family dynamics to give us a well-rounded read with a little bit of everything for every reader.

Rating: 4/5

Find Victoria:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Endure Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway!

Happy 2016 everyone! I'm excited to kick off my year by welcoming author Sara B. Larson back to the blog to answer a few questions about the final book in her YA fantasy series, Endure. I absolutely ADORE this series, so any day where I get to poke around in Sara's mind with an interview is a good day. I really hope you guys add this series to your lists if you've yet to meet Alexa!

What’s the one thing, aside from actually marrying Damian, that Alexa’s dream wedding would include?

Well, if she could have any dream, it would be for her family to be alive so they could be there. But a more realistic dream would be to wear the dress her mother wore to her wedding, though it was very simple and not nearly as ornate as would be expected of the new Queen of Antion. But it unfortunately was destroyed in the fire, so it would have to be a replica.

If Alexa and Damian were to write their own wedding vows, what are the first words each would say to the other on their big day?

To start her vows, Alexa would probably say something like: Damian, you are my safe place in the storms of life. You are the one who loves all of me, good or bad—my other half, and the one I love, more than words can express.

And Damian would start with: Alexa, I loved you long before you truly knew who I was, and I wake up every morning in awe that you somehow came to love me in return. I will spend the rest of my life cherishing you, loving you, and helping you to see how truly beautiful you are—in every way possible, inside and out.

For those of us who have never had to face down a black sorcerer, what are the top 3 things Alexa would say we need to watch out for should we find ourselves in that position one day?

Honestly, she’d probably tell you to run and hide, because you don’t really stand a chance. But barring that, she’d tell you to watch out for the fire they wield. Don’t try to pretend to be someone of a different gender, because all sorcerers can sense if you are a boy or girl. After what she learns in ENDURE she’d have even more warnings, but I can’t share them because it would be spoilery…

If Alexa ever found herself in young adult section of a bookstore/library in our world, who are a few of the heroines she would be most drawn to?

I’m sure she’d feel a lot of affinity for Katniss Everdeen, Celaena/Aelin, and Bitterblue. They’re all strong women who have endured and survived some horrific things in their lives, much like Alexa has by the end of ENDURE.

What one piece of advice would the Alexa at the end of Endure have for the young woman she was at the beginning of Defy?

With all the pain to come, there would also be unimaginable joy. That those moments of happiness are what would make it all worth it, even though it came at such a steep price that it often feels unbearable. But that’s when she looks to the sky to remember and to truly live.

Thanks so much for stopping by Sara!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

ENDURE

At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers, and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy, that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page.

Find Endure:

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N • iBooks

Find Defy (Book 1):  

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N • iBooks

Find Ignite (Book 2):

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N • iBooks

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SARA B. LARSON

Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy DEFY, and the sequels IGNITE and ENDURE. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband and their three children. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day (while mourning the demise of naptime) and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Blog 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Three lucky winners will each receive a finished copy of ENDURE! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure and check out the rest of the tour!
 
WEEK ONE
12/28/2015- Fiction Fare- Review  
12/29/2015- Dark Faerie Tales- Interview  
12/30/2015- A Backwards Story- Review  
12/31/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Guest Post  
1/1/2016- The Book Cellar- Review

WEEK TWO
1/4/2016- Supernatural Snark- Interview

1/5/2016- Novel Novice - Guest Post

1/6/2016- Page Turners Blog- Review

1/7/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

1/8/2016- Mundie Moms- Review

Waiting on Wednesday: Titans

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

TITANS

Victoria Scott

Young Adult

Available February 2016 from Scholastic

From Goodreads:

Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch.

She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them.

But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about. 

Some of you might be wondering why I picked this book given there's no mention of a romance in the synopsis and you all know I LIVE for  all things swoon-worthy in my books. But you know what this book has instead? HORSES! I grew up riding horses, so the minute I saw this cover I knew this was the book for me. I want a mechanical horse of my very own. I would ride her to the bank. And the grocery store. And on any and all other errands because how badass would that be? 

Yes to Astrid and her early model Titan! I'm rooting for them already.

Goodreads • Amazon

Review: All Fall Down

ALL FALL DOWN
Embassy Row #1
Ally Carter
Contemporary Young Adult
320 pages
Scholastic
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Amazon)
Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

MY THOUGHTS
All Fall Down is pure entertainment, the kind of book perfect for picking up after a long day and letting ourselves settle into as we escape reality for a while. Grace’s story does require the suspension of disbelief and the capacity to go with the flow as she follows possible assassins down dark tunnels with absolutely no backup, but this story is in no way meant to be a serious behavioral examination of the children of prominent politicians. Instead, it's a story full of murder plots and power exchanges–with a bit of humor mixed in–and it ensures we keep the pages turning well into the early hours of the morning.

Grace is someone whose sorrow is a tangible thing, the death of her mother three years prior and the fact that she witnessed it something that haunts her hours both waking and not. She’s not in an overly healthy place when we meet her, reciting a mantra of “I’m fine” to anyone who asks, but what keeps those two words from being frustrating is the fact that Grace herself doesn’t believe them any more than those on the receiving end of it do. She knows she’s struggling, but her fear of being forced back into a hospital and heavily medicated forces her to put on the bravest face she can, and we can’t help but hope her desire to pull it together will eventually make it so.

Even though Grace is weighed down heavily by her mother’s murder and the fact that no one believes what she saw that night, the story itself doesn’t feel overwhelmingly sad, and we move forward quickly and easily with Grace as she tries to extract the truth from both past and present. We’re left with the full reveal of exactly what happened the night of Grace’s mother’s death, but it’s also very clear that things are just beginning and everything we thought we knew after spending a few hundred pages in Grace’s world is going to be called into question moving forward.

Rating: 4/5

Find Ally:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Salt & Stone

SALT & STONE
Fire & Flood #2
Victoria Scott
Young Adult/Sci-Fi/Adventure
320 pages
Scholastic
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
What would you do to save someone you love?

In Fire & Flood, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.

MY THOUGHTS
Salt & Stone is an action-packed follow up to last year's Fire & Flood, reintroducing us to the world and characters as they take a breather before beginning the third leg of the Brimstone Bleed, and then plunging us into the most perilous survival situations the contenders have faced yet. Ms. Scott does a fantastic job of seamlessly threading reminders as to the events of Fire & Flood–particularly the all-important “why” of the Brimstone Bleed itself–through this second installment, ensuring we’re up to speed without slowing things down with a full recap.

While the focus remains predominantly on the physical and mental challenges of the Bleed on the contenders, Salt & Stone also sees a significant shift in the relationship between Tella and Guy. For much of the first half the two are at odds, an offhand comment made by Guy causing Tella to question the way she’s run her race thus far and her ability to see it all the way through. The hot and cold nature of their interactions is frustrating at times, but just as we reach the point where one more change in mood from either of them is going to tip us over the edge, Tella decides to finally step up and use her words, cluing Guy in as to why things between them have changed. While Tella’s honesty doesn’t mend all their fences, it certainly removes a weight from our shoulders, freeing us from the tension of words unspoken.

The concluding chapters of Salt & Stone are one punch to the gut after another, and any animal lovers like myself should be aware that a number of scenes are brutal to witness, ratcheting up our hatred of those running the Brimstone Bleed to an entirely new level. We’re left on the final page as emotionally beaten and bruised as the contenders are, but Ms. Scott is considerate enough to leave us with a quiet moment that makes a smile break out even as we blink away tears.

Rating: 4/5

Find Victoria:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

The Sin Eater's Daughter: Guest Post + Giveaway

I'm crazy excited to be a part of the promotional tour for The Sin Eater's Daughter, releasing today from Scholastic. I think you guys are all well aware now that YA fantasy jumped to the top of my preferred genre list last year, and as soon as I saw the stunning cover for this one (and of course later read the synopsis, but really, that cover!) I knew it needed to find its way into my grabby little hands.

For the tour, I had the pleasure of asking author Melinda Salisbury what 3 supernatural gifts protagonist Twylla would gladly take in place of her fatal touch (definitely NOT a "gift" I would want), so I hope you enjoy reading her picks as much as I did. Be sure and check out the bottom of the post for all the details on a fantastic giveaway as well as the full list of participating blogs. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Melinda!

TOP 3 SUPERNATURAL GIFTS TWYLLA WOULD GLADLY SUBSTITUTE FOR HER FATAL TOUCH

Flying:
I think this one is obvious, given Twylla’s absolute longing for freedom! She’s spent her entire life under the curse of one destiny or another - none of them very pleasant - and she craves escape from the life she leads. Of course, The Sin Eater’s Daughter is set in a kind of AU, pseudo-European medieval era, and - as with medieval life across Europe at that time - girls had little choice about most things in their lives, instead guided, instructed and sometimes even bartered by their parents and guardians.  

So Twylla is dutiful and obedient outwardly, as she has been raised and conditioned to be. But inside we know that she despises her life, and those who keep her in it and she’s longing for freedom, which is why when Lief strolls into her life, unburdened by Lormerian politics and unafraid of the queen, she’s easily transfixed. The two of them actually have a conversation at one point, where Lief likens freedom to flying:

I tell him I don’t know what people do when they’re free. 

“What do you mean by free?” he asks. 

“Like you. You can go where you please and do as you wish. I don’t know what that’s like.” 

“I’m not free, my lady,” he says slowly. “I can no more wander off and do as I will than you can. You think of having choices like people think of flying. They see a hawk soaring and hovering and they tell themselves how nice it would be to fly. But pigeons can fly, and sparrows too. No one imagines being a sparrow though. No one wants that.”

I think despite Lief’s words, Twylla would absolutely choose flying. She’d relish the idea of soaring away from Lormere, and the castle, and her duties. I think she would rather be a sparrow than what she is. And that’s something Lief will find very difficult to understand.

Healing:
I think she’d choose to heal, rather than kill, if she could. She’s not the feisty warrior type, whilst I think powers like pyromancy or a Medusa glare would be verrrrrrrry tempting for her at times, she’s not especially aggressive or vindictive, and I think she’d end up feeling horribly guilty if she ever did use them. I think healing is a good fit for her, to counteract all the death she’s seen in her life. And to undermine her mother’s attitude to it. I think she’d get quite the kick out of going around, healing the very sick and watching her mother puzzle out why the Goddess had saved them.

Pyromancy:
I’ve changed my mind, I think she would want pyromancy. Though it’s unlikely she’d use it aggressively, I think she’d certainly feel a lot more confident knowing that she could defend herself in that way if she needed to – more importantly if she chose to. Her poisonous ability isn’t something she can control, she just is poisonous, all the time. So I think having a power that could be used to defend herself, but that she could ultimately chose whether to use or not, would make a big difference to her life. I think she’d be able to draw strength and confidence from it, and I also think she’d wield it well, because she has such a sense of duty, she wouldn’t become like the queen and be mad with power. I think she’d mostly use it to light candles, except for the times when she’d go outside and shoot fire into the sky to let off steam.

And who wouldn’t want to do that?

Thanks so much for stopping by Melinda!

• • • • • • • • • • • 

THE SIN EATER'S DAUGHTER

Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court.

She’s the executioner.

As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he’s able to look past Twylla’s executioner robes and see the girl, not the Goddess. Yet Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen.

However, a treasonous secret is the least of Twylla’s problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies, a plan that requires a stomach-churning, unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • •

MELINDA SALISBURY

Melinda Salisbury lives by the sea, somewhere in the south of England. As a child she genuinely thought Roald Dahl’s Matilda was her biography, in part helped by her grandfather often mistakenly calling her Matilda, and the local library having a pretty cavalier attitude to the books she borrowed. Sadly she never manifested telekinetic powers. She likes to travel, and have adventures. She also likes medieval castles, non-medieval aquariums, Richard III, and all things Scandinavian. The Sin Eater’s Daughter is her first novel, and will be published by Scholastic in 2015. She is represented by the amazing Claire Wilson at Rogers, Coleridge and White.

She tweets. A lot.

Website • Twitter • Goodreads • Tumblr • Instagram • Pinterest

• • • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Five lucky winners will each receive a copy of The Sin Eater's Daughter! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
WEEK ONE
2/16/2015- Fiktshun- Interview  
2/17/2015- Katie's Book Blog- Review  
2/18/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Guest Post  
2/19/2015- Beauty and the Bookshelf- Review  
2/20/2015- Novel Novice- Interview     

WEEK TWO
2/23/2015- Fiction Fare- Review

2/24/2015- Supernatural Snark- Guest Post

2/25/201- YA Bibliophile- Review

2/26/2015- Dark Faerie Tales- Interview

2/27/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

Defy Trailer Reveal + Giveaway!

I'm thrilled today to be able to share with you the trailer for Defy, a YA fantasy from Sara B. Larson. Defy released earlier in the year (releases in paperback on November 25th!) and absolutely blew me away, easily situating itself among my favorite reads of 2014. The sequel, Ignite, releases on December 30th and I couldn't be more excited to get back to this world and Alexa. If you haven't had a chance to read Defy yet, I can't recommend it enough!

This post isn't all about my fangirling though, so I'll call a halt to my gushing and give you guys a moment to check out the trailer instead. Hope you love it as much as I do!

• • • • • • • • • • •

DEFY

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and heart racing romance.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • •

IGNITE

Murder, abductions, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

Amazon • B&N • iTunes • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • •

SARA B. LARSON

Sara's debut YA fantasy novel, DEFY, released in January of 2014 from Scholastic. The sequel will come out in early 2015--stay tuned for announcements about the title, cover, and synopsis! Sara lives in Utah with her husband and three young children. She writes during naptime and the hours when most people are sleeping. Her  husband claims she should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." On occasion you will find her hiding in a bubble bath with a book and some Swedish Fish or some mint chocolate truffles. She is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the November 25th release of the paperback edition of Defy and the upcoming release of Ignite, I have three shiny paperback copies of Defy to giveaway to three lucky winners, courtesy of Scholastic. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. *US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't miss it! You can check out the trailer reveal via these fabulous sites:

Bewitched Bookworms
Good Choice Reading
Fiktshun
Mundie Moms
Novel Novice
Reading Teen
Supernatural Snark
Two Chicks on Books

The Raven Cycle Tarot Tour + Giveaway: The Death Card

Today I have the pleasure of being part of a very special blog tour celebrating The Raven Cycle series, one that showcases the many, many talents of Maggie Stiefvater. Maggie is not only a gifted writer and storyteller, but also an extremely skilled artist as well, and this tour shows her skills off to a spectacular degree. Each stop on the tour features a tarot card drawn by Maggie herself, complete with a reading of that card and its application to the Raven Cycle series by the participating blogger. Before I reveal the Death card, here's a little more about the Tarot Tour:

The tarot is a divination system that uses a deck of cards to gain insight. Most decks are comprised of 78 cards divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana, with each card being symbolic of an energy or spiritual truth. The Major Arcana are known as the “trump cards” because they impart messages of greater weight and significance than the Minor Arcana.

The Raven Cycle Tarot Tour features the Major Arcana, with each stop on the tour revealing one of the 22 cards as designed by Maggie Stiefvater, and will use that card to reveal the past, present and future of The Raven Cycle series.

You can find the full schedule (November 1st-22nd) and list of participating blogs below, be sure and check them all out for more tarot cards, readings, and chances to win!

And now, I give you Death:

DEATH

PAST

Unsurprisingly, the Death card is "the most feared and misunderstood of all the cards in the Tarot deck". While that aspect of it is not part of the meaning of the card itself, I think the concept of misperception and misunderstanding plays a critical role in The Raven Boys.

Upon cracking the spine, we are almost immediately made aware of a prophecy featuring Blue and Gansey, one that foretells that she is either destined to fall in love with him or to be the one who kills him. For much of the book then we can't help but wonder about the very nature of prophetic statements, so seemingly telling but also vague and open-ended at the same time, inspiring fear and anxiety due to the sheer number of possible interpretations. Much as Death is misunderstood, telling not of literal impending death at all but rather change and transition, the prophecy concerning Blue and Gansey is feared for all its unknowns.

Quote source

PRESENT

"Death is symbolic of the ending of a major phase or aspect of your life that may bring about the beginning of something far more valuable and important."

Each of the characters in the Raven Cycle series undergo a number of changes, some minor and others major, as the series continues, trying to come to terms with their various abilities (particularly Ronan and his highly unusual gift of being able to bring pieces of dreams into reality) while also treading lightly as the nature of the friendships within the group continues to transition with Blue in the mix.

"Death is an indication that you need to learn to let go of unhealthy attachments in your life to pave the way to a fuller, more fulfilled life of deeper meaning and significance. Death teaches you to let go of outworn and outgrown ways of life and move forward."

The four boys in particular are likely to have this card laid in front of them should they sit down down to a reading, each of them with a past they're struggling to overcome in the hopes of emerging stronger on the other side. Gansey constantly battles his privileged upbringing and the differences between his life and those of his closest friends, Adam's abusive home life and past affects his every decision and action in the present, Ronan's history has shaped him into someone dark and defiant who dares the world to come at him, and Noah is perhaps in a more constant state of flux than any of the other three.

Quote source

FUTURE

"You may be reluctant to let go of the past or you may not know how to make the change you need. You are still carrying harmful aspects from the past that may interfere with the opportunity you have for a new beginning. You are refusing to accept change and you are resisting any element of change that may arise in your life. As a result, life has stagnated and you are feeling ‘stuck’ in limbo."

The Death card has a lot of intriguing implications for the next book in the series, forcing us to ask ourselves difficult questions about each and every character. Will they be able to overcome the the hardships or horrors of their pasts, freeing themselves from baggage that prevents them from seeing clearly? Will the misunderstanding that goes hand in hand with this card in particular be indicative of how Blue and Gansey move forward? Will they allow themselves to be caged by the words of a prophecy, or will they fight to give what has been foretold a meaning of their own choosing?

Quote source

• • • • • • • • • • • 

THE RAVEN CYCLE

Mystery, Romance and the supernatural combine in this series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.
Book 1: The Raven Boys

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her. His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

Book 2: The Dream Thieves

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after....

Book 3: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

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MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Entertainment Weekly has called Maggie Stiefvater, “one of the finest YA novelists writing today.” Maggie Stiefvater is a writer, artist, and musician and the New York Times bestselling author of Shiver, hailed by Publishers Weekly in a starred review as, “a lyrical tale,” and by BookPage as, “beautifully written, even poetic at times, and a perfect indulgence for readers of all ages.” There are more than 1.8 million copies of the Shiver trilogy in print. Since publication, rights to thirty-six foreign editions of Shiver have been licensed. Linger, the second book in the Shiver trilogy, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. The Scorpio Races (2011) was named to the following best of the year lists for 2011: Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, The Horn Book and Kirkus Reviews. In addition, The Scorpio Races was named a 2012 Michael L. Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association and a New York Times Notable Children’s Book. Time Magazine called, The Raven Boys, Book #1 in Stiefvater’s latest New York Times bestselling series The Raven Cycle, “A flirtier kind of horror-fantasy, aimed at teens clutching tattered Twilight and Sandman paperbacks....Stiefvater’s quirky prose has ample nerdy pleasures.” Stiefvater lives in Virginia with her family.

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the amazing team at Scholastic, I have a fantastic giveaway to share with you guys today! One lucky winner will receive a complete set of The Raven Cycle series (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, and Blue Lily, Lily Blue) AND a limited edition Maggie Stiefvater Major Arcana tarot deck. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

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THE RAVEN CYCLE TAROT TOUR

Don't forget to check out all the other stops on the tour for more tarot reveals and epic giveaways (you can also follow the This Is Teen Pinterest page for daily tour updates)!