Anyone else feeling a bit...

...sad about this? 
I know I usually do the book cover makeovers in a group post, but this one I was especially sad about. I actually gasped when I saw the cover to book two, Firewalker--and not in a good way LOL. The original cover design was so gorgeous and fitting.  While I kinda like the cover re-do of book one, I am terribly disappointed in the cover for book 2!  It's one that I'd been anticipating seeing for a while, especially since the cover for the Kiss of Deception sequel came out with a cover that looked like it should have gone with this series instead.  Nope, can't say I like it. :(

Original gorgeousness:

 

and the makeover:

(kinda cool, I guess.)

 and finally, the cover for book 2:

I have to give it a big MEH.

What's going on with the purple trees?

STILL, Trial by Fire was one of my favorites last year. Loved it. Nothing could keep me away from this sequel---they could have wrapped it in baby-poop-colored construction paper and I would still read it.  But still...

What's New: March YA Release List & Giveaway

March is here!  Next week I lose an hour of sleep to the "Spring ahead" so I'm not looking forward to that LOL. Other than that, I'm glad for Spring's arrival, ready to get out into my garden and hopefully we'll have a nice loooong Spring full of rain---California definitely needs it! I realized that I just completely ignored my 5 year blog birthday in January!! Shame on me!  Keep an eye out for a celebration post sometime this month! 

So if you're new to Stories & Sweeties, here's a little run-down of this feature: at the start of each month, I do a little thing called the "What's New List & Giveaway" where you'll find a full list of the new releases in YA for the month, and entry to the giveaway. At the end of each month, one lucky winner will get to choose any new release as their prize!

First things first! The winner of February giveaway was: Danielle S.! Congratulations!!

March 2015 Releases:

Just like previous months, I've put a little l♥ve by those books that I am really anticipating!
 
{1}
Biggie by Derek E. Sullivan
Disappear Home by Laura Hurwitz
Down from the Mountain by Elizabeth Fixmer ♥
Infandous by Elana K. Arnold
The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble ♥
Painless by S. A. Harazin
Prairie Fire by E.K. Johnston

{3}
As White As Snow by Salla Simukka & Owen Witesman
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby 
Charisma by Jeanne Ryan
Kin by Lili St. Crow
Dark Water by Seth Fisherman
Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman
Dead to Me by Mary McCoy ♥
Death Marked by Leah Cypess
Deviate by Tracy Clark ♥
How to Win at High School by Owen Matthews
The Memory Key by Liana Liu
Mosquitoland by David Arnold 
My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp
Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills
Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier 
Remnants: Season of Fire by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Sorceress by Claudia Gray
The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace ♥
Terminal by Kathy Reichs & Brendan Reichs 
The Tragic Age by Stephen Metcalfe
An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund
The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski ♥
 
{8}
Out of the Dragon's Mouth by Joyce Burns Zeiss
 
{10}
The Agency 4: Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee
The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith ♥
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise by Matthew Crow
Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStephano ♥
The Dickens Mirror by Ilsa J. Bick 
Everybody Knows Your Name by Andrea Seigel & Brent Bradshaw
Game Seven by Paul Volponi
The Infinite by Lori M. Lee ♥
Little Peach by Peggy Kern
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows ♥
Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles
Seed by Lisa Heathfield
Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman ♥
Silent Alarm by Jennifer Banash
Tether by Anna Jarzab
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver 
What is Lost by Lauren Skidmore

{17} 
Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan
Honey Girl by Lisa Freeman
Hostage Run by Andrew Klavan
Pretty Wanted by Elisa Ludwig
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

{24} 
Boys Don't Knit by T. S. Easton
Catalyst by Lydia Kang
The Door in the Moon by Catherine Fisher
Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark
Half Wild by Sally Green
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie & Alyssa Sheinmel ♥
In the Time of Dragon Moon by Janet Lee Carey ♥
Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes
Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy
The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma ♥
We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach ♥
Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

{31} 
Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer
Instinct by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The Kidney Hypothetical: How to Ruin Your Life in Seven Days by Lisa Yee
Playing a Part by Daria Wilke & Marian Schwartz
Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
The Start of You and Me by Emery Lord 
What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott
Warrior by Ellen Oh
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige ♥
The World Within by Jane Eagland ♥

 (All links go to Goodreads)
Please feel free to email me if you notice any YA titles missing! :)


Giveaway Details:
One winner will win a YA March release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends March 31th, 2015 at 11:59 PM
• Must be 13 or older.
• Open internationally. *International winners will be required to choose a book that is available through BookDepository.com.
•Extra entries can be earned by commenting on February or March reviews, and can be done once per review. Come back throughout March whenever you comment on my reviews and get your extra points!      a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas {review}

A Wicked Thing
by Rhiannon Thomas
♦publisher: HarperTeen
♦release date: February 24th, 2015
♦hardcover, 352 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: A Wicked Thing, book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Review: I went into this book knowing it was a Sleeping Beauty story, nothing really beyond that.  I was immediately intrigued with the grim twist on the classic: what if Sleeping Beauty was awoken not months or a year after falling under the curse, but one hundred years?  Aurora wakes to find her family long dead and a whole new world around her. While I loved the idea, I couldn’t help but think this would have been fun to take this even further into the future, where she really would have been immersed in a changed world—the 20s maybe, or the 40s WW2 era?  Still, this was a good story. 

The prince that wakes Aurora belongs to the new royal family of her homeland, and they are not good people:  a cruel king, willing to take desperate measures to keep hold of a kingdom on the verge of rebellion, and his cold and conniving wife.  The prince seemed a bit clueless at first, but you soon find out that he has a good heart, is a loving big brother, but he's a bit spineless when it comes to his parents. 

While at first I feared not a love triangle, but actually a love square (?) with Aurora softening to the Prince, meeting a handsome rebel in the town when she sneaks out, and having some flirtatious tension with a prince from a neighboring land,  there sort of turned out to be not much in the way of romance at all---which, actually I was fine with. After an attack on the castle, she is holed up in her room, and really not a lot happens for a while, leaving the story dragging a bit.  Aurora just seem to be floating along, torn between who she wants to be and what is expected of her as the legendary Sleeping Beauty.  She's powerless to make any change or any decisions, but she doesn't seem to do much to fight for it either. It was hard to know who to root for and I felt a disconnect from the story.  

I pressed on, though, and I’m glad I did!  The ending pulled me back in. We finally see Aurora open her eyes to her own secrets, the kingdom’s secrets, and she grabs the opportunity to make a stand for herself. It’s left on a bit of a cliffhanger, but with a few important and unexpected twists at the end, I’m definitely drawn in enough to pick up the second book! 

Find Rhiannon Thomas online: Website  •  Twitter

Purchase A Wicked Thing:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Velvet Undercover 

by Teri Brown

 hitting shelves October 20, 2015

from Balzer & Bray

Samantha Donaldson’s family has always done its duty for the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a Girl Guide and messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of languages, high-level mathematics, and complex puzzles and codes, hoping to make him proud.

When Sam is asked to join the famed women’s spy group La Dame Blanche she’s torn—this could be the adventure she’s dreamed of, but how can she abandon her mother, who has already lost a husband to the war? But when her handlers reveal shocking news, Sam realizes there’s no way she can refuse the exciting and dangerous opportunity.

Her acceptance leads her straight into the heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable British spy embedded in Germany, known to the members of LDB only as Velvet. Deep undercover within the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Samantha must navigate the labyrinthine palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her assignment. To make matters worse she finds herself forming a forbidden attraction to the enemy-a dangerously handsome German guard. In a place where personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Samantha discover the truth and find Velvet before it’s too late…for them both?

From author Teri Brown comes the thrilling story of one girl’s journey into a deadly world of spycraft and betrayal—with unforgettable consequences.

My thoughts: First off, gorgeous vintage-y cover. LOVE.  Secondly, I loved Teri Brown's YA debut, Born of Illusion, so I am super excited to see her take on another fascinating era of history with a strong and clever heroine. Can't wait!!! 

A Darker Shade of Magic Blog Tour + Giveaway!

As you probably know, hitting shelves TODAY is a book that
many of us have been eagerly anticipating---V.E. Schwab's
A Darker Shade of Magic is out in the world!!! So I am super excited to be today's stop on the blog tour! I've been officially assigned to White London (gasp!! sounds terrifying!) and I'll be featuring a Q & A with Victoria, a video of Victoria exploring London, and lastly an international giveaway for you to win your own copy of this fantastic book!


A little about the book:

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.

For the tour, I got the privilege of asking Victoria a question:

Me: What are your 3 favorite spots in London? 

Victoria: Westminster Abbey, St. James’ park, and the banks of the Thames. Though truthfully, I’m as captivated by the twisting roads and narrow streets that connect all three. There’s one just off the Abbey, beside the Dean’s Yard, with all these little wooden doors set into mossy stone, and another, a few streets away, where it feels like you’ve stepped into another time, if not another world. I’ve always been more a fan of the places they DON’T put on the map.

And here is a fun video of Victoria exploring London & discussing 
A Darker Shade of Magic!

More about the author:

V. E. SCHWAB's first adult novel, Vicious, debuted to critical praise and reader accolades. Schwab is the author of YA novels The Near Witch, The Archived, and The Unbound, and the Everyday Angel series for middle grade readers.

BLOG  •  TWITTER  •  FACEBOOK  •  GOODREADS  •   TUMBLR

Want ADSOM?  Get it here:

Print - IndieBound, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Powell’s, Walmart.

E-Book - Kindle, Nook, iBooks, eBooks, Google Play, Kobo

And last but not least, the fabulous folks at Tor are letting me give one finished copy away to anyone in the world!! Whoooop!

•Open internationally

•Ends  March 9, 2015

 

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New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {118}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts)

Here's whats new on my shelf this week:

Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Trembly

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

The Golden Specific by S.E. Grove

Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

I am so excited for every single one of these!! :D 

Heaps of thanks to Penguin and Bloomsbury for these goodies! 

The Weekly Nutshell: 
{Tuesday} Waiting on Wednesday - Dreamland
 {Wednesday} Review + Giveaway: Storm Siren by Mary Weber
{Thursday} The Tragic Age Blog Tour Exerpt
{Friday} Witherwood Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

 Well not much to impart this week---except that Hubs and I are both feeling much better, thank goodness! This week I'm reading Sin Eater's Daughter and loving it so far. Next up is The Walls Around Us and I'm super excited about that. 
In TV-land, another season of Downton is coming to an end (sob!!) but actually a good friend of mine and I had ourselves a fun little tea party viewing of the finale and the Christmas special. It was such an incredible season!! *sigh*
Hubs and I have been watching Warehouse 13 and are sadly coming to the end of that, too.  SUCH a fun show---have you seen it?  Steampunkery, adventures involving historical and literary figures and artifacts (like Poe's notebook and quill, Alice's mirror, HG Wells' time machine, and a fun cast of characters. I love this show. What to watch next, though?? Any suggestions? May be time for a Doctor Who rewatch LOL. 

Have a great week, everyone! :D

 

Witherwood Reform School Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Today I'm taking part in the blog tour for  Witherwood Reform School, a new middle grade series from Obert Skye! Check out my review below and enter win a copy of your own!

Witherwood Reform School

by Obert Skye

♦publisher: Henry Holt & Co

♦release date: March 3rd, 2015

♦hardcover, 240 pages

♦intended audience: Middle Grade

♦series: Witherwood Reform School, book 1

♦source: from publisher for honest review

After a slight misunderstanding involving a horrible governess, oatmeal, and a jar of tadpoles, siblings Tobias and Charlotte Eggars find themselves abandoned by their father at the gates of a creepy reform school. Evil mysteries are afoot at Witherwood, where the grounds are patrolled by vicious creatures after dark and kids are locked in their rooms. Charlotte and Tobias soon realize that they are in terrible danger—especially because the head of Witherwood has perfected the art of mind control.

If only their amnesiac father would recover and remember that he has two missing children. If only Tobias and Charlotte could solve the dark mystery and free the kids at Witherwood—and ultimately save themselves.

Review: Witherwood Reform School kicks off a fun series about two clever and mischievous siblings and a little tough-love punishment that goes horribly awry.  When Tobias and Charlotte’s tricks send their ill-mannered nanny running, their father leaves them at the bottom of a mesa and drives away.  His plan was to leave them long enough to scare them and then return, but when his car skids off the road, his memory is lost and  the two kids find themselves abandoned.  They find their way to Witherwood, and once inside, the sinister reform school refuses to let them go.

While this one read a little younger than I expected (I would say perfect age for this is probably 8-10, and those who enjoyed Spiderwick or Series of Unfortunate Events), I enjoyed the dark twisting plot and the sibling relationship.  Tobias and Charlotte were realistic kids trying to find their way out of a horrible situation, sometimes succeeding, but also sometimes making choices that dig themselves even deeper. They both had their individual strengths and cleverness, though I might have like to know a little more about where some of their skills came from, like Tobias’s  knowledge of how to make a key from a bedspring and Charlotte’s exceptional hearing.  I also really liked the chapter-leading narrators voice, tempting the reader on with funny little quips and hints about what’s about to happen. 

It’s a creative story with lots of ups and downs and daring escapes, though I do wish a little more had been revealed about  the school’s  dark purposes by the end. It was a fun read and a good start to a new series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Obert Skye is the author and illustrator of the Creature from My Closet series: Wonkenstein, Potterwookiee, Pinocula, and Katfish. He has also written the bestselling children’s fantasy adventure series Leven Thumps and Pillage. He currently lives indoors and near a thin, winding road with his family. 

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •  GOODREADS


Enter to win a copy of Witherwood Reform School!
•US mailing address only please
•Ends 3/5/15 

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