"Antigoddess" (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn't involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn't even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don't just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

My Review
I absolutely loved this book! I don't understand why I put off reading it for so long.
I might be a bit biased about Antigoddess though. After all, ever since I started reading books related to Greek mythology (or an mythology in general), I've been obsessed with this topic. (I blame you for my obsession, Rick Riordan.) So I started looking for more books related to Greek mythology, based in the YA and fantasy genre and found this book, which fits all of my criteria.
This story starts off with two dying gods, Athena and Hermes, traveling across the desert to find Demeter and gain more knowledge about why all the gods are dying in the first place. However, the other dying Olympians have allied themselves with Hera and will stop at nothing to eliminate competition and prolong their own lives for as long as possible. The only thing Athena knows for certain though, is that Cassandra is the key to everything.
Kendare Blake created an awesome tale that I enjoyed reading so much! First of, I noticed that even if you don't know your Greek mythology, you would still understand what this book is about. All the pieces of Greek mythology you do need to know for this book are mentioned either during descriptions or conversations between characters and if you do want to read up about Greek myths anyways, then all you need to know is the gist of the Trojan War. I think that you could learn some things about Greek myths in this book, even though it isn't a lot.
I'm no going to talk about the best scene in this book much because it is at the very end of the book and I don't want to spoil anything. But it is the best scene (in my opinion) because it was action-packed and the plot progressed really quickly in that one part because so many things happened at once and it was also kind of an emotional part as well.
This book was full of action, first off. From start to finish, something dramatic was always happening, so you never got bored reading it.
The characters were also really diverse and interesting. This story is told out of two different perspectives, Athena's and Cassandra's. For some reason, I always found Athena's point of view more interesting. I think, that my favourite character was Hermes because he still kind of had a light spirit despite the fact that he was dying. The other characters were also alright, like Henry and Andie were also pretty cool.
Overall, this is one of my all-time favourite books and I recommend this book to any person, that likes action and fantasy with its fair share of Greek myths. This was an amazing book, which I think Kendare Blake wrote really well, because even the descriptions weren't boring and there was constantly something happening. The ending of the book was also kind of cliff-hangerish and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

First Chapter Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday #6 - "Cogling" by Jordan Elizabeth

Every Tuesday Diane @ Bibliophile By the Sea hosts a weekly meme called First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros. Basically, this is when you share the first and maybe the second paragraph of the book you are currently reading or want to read soon.

Teaser Tuesdays is a meme hosted by MizB @ A Daily Rhythm, where I need to open a book to a random page and pick two spoiler-free sentences.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 I got this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I have already read several books by this author and I enjoyed them, so I started reading this yesterday. 

 Prologue
Green smoke snaked up the side of the tenement and drifted over the sill of an open window. A breeze blew the vapor into a column before it solidified into the shape of a stout, young hag. She shook her crimson curls away from her face and straightened the hood of her cloak to keep her kohl-lined, silver eyes shadowed. The scent of lavender clung to her robes, washing over the small room. Two brass-framed beds crowded the floor. Blankets covered sleeping children. A little boy wheezed against the head of his stuffed bear, drool dripping onto the wool. The hag squinted to see the goldenrod dream cloud above his head— a dream about seeing his father again. She frowned at the other bed, where a sleeping teenager lay with a threadbare blanket tugged around her chin. Even squinting, the hag couldn’t make out a dream cloud. The girl was too old to be of any use.

TEASER

“Don’t doubt it’d be something they’d do.” She snorted. “My name’s Annie, by the by.” “I’m… Eddie.” She used the nickname Harrison gave her when he was a baby. “That’s a boy’s name.” “It’s short for something longer.” Edna glanced at Ike where he spoke to the ticket seller, waving his arms.
~ 19%

What do you think? Would you read it?

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers

Book Blurb (From goodreads)
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

My Review:

The first thing that you notice about this book is how big it is. And from the perspective of a person that is just coming out of a reading slump it seemed pretty daunting when I took it of my shelf. But then I opened it and started reading...
The plot of this book was thick and complicated and dealt a lot with politics and religion. It follows Ismae, a girl from a small town who's farther hates her guts. After an arranged marriage goes wrong she finds herself in the coven of St. Mortain, the god of death. He she learns that she is one of his 'daughters' and is encouraged to join the coven and serve him. From there she is thrown into two assassination missions, on her third she is thrown into the royal court with Duval as his mistress. The politics of court and intriguing since you never quite have all of the pieces. Just when you think that you have it all figured out, the circumstances change or someone dies or goes missing or gets poisoned or all three.
Ismae is often not very street smart. Despite her intensive training in all things murder in the convent she often finds herself unprepared for unexpected scenarios and does not know how to act in them. This does make for a humorous read sometimes but other times you just want her to figure it out. However, it terms of logic and problem solving in a larger scale she figures out the mystery of the book faster than you would expect and before any of the people that you would expect to do.

All in all I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

"The Magickal Birthday Treat" by Sheelagh McGrath

Book Blurb (from Goodreads:)
Jessica enjoys a Magickal Birthday Treat with her Grandmother, Nonni, on her eleventh Birthday. Arriving at Jess's house in Massachusetts, USA, Nonni has some surprises in store for her Granddaughter. They zoom around the World, visiting many places in only a few hours, dimension-hopping, time-hopping and culture-hopping. Visiting Europe and its historical past, Africa and its wonders and Asia, past and present! They travel in a mysterious manner, which is both exciting and daunting, somewhat like Nonni and Alex, in the first book of the series. Along the way, Nonni teaches her Granddaughter a smattering of history, of people and places, the importance of family values and about metaphysics; energy, manifestation, empowerment and Universal Oneness. All of this experienced with fun, a little fear and oodles of excitement.



My Review 

***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review***

This was a sweet book which would be really appropriate for younger readers.
I enjoyed reading this book, even though I thought that it isn't really meant for readers of my age group or Young Adult readers. This story might be more adequate for children who like to read a short story about magic and the mysteries of life. There were certainly a lot of life lessons and education in this book and also several theories. All of this is explored when Jessie, the main character of this story, is having her 11th birthday treat and goes on a life-changing experience with her grandmother.
This book actually was really deep. There were several philosophical lessons. However, I thought that several of these lessons would be slightly too complicated or difficult to understand for the younger audience, which I think this book would be more appropriate for. The idea was really sweet and reading about the relationship that Jessica and her grandmother have is also quite heart-warming.
The characters were sweet, but I still felt that they were kind of 2-D to me. Jessica was a cute girl with an adorable personality and a good heart. However, she was a bit too hyper and over-happy for me; she was giggling a lot and changed her mood every couple of pages. I also felt that her grandmother, who Jessie calls Nonni, was a stereotypical grandma with tons of grandchildren, a happy family and an abundance of love for Jessie, as Nonni shows very often throughout the story. She is also the one who understands all the philosophical stuff.
Overall, I thought that it was a sweet book with a unique and philosophical take on magic and family. Sometimes I felt the writing and the descriptions were a bit dull though and at times I felt that the love between Nonni and Jessie was expresseda bit extremely. But then again, I need to consider that this book is not really aimed at my age group and what I find dull, might be very interesting and exciting for younger children. Therefore I was wavering between 3 and 4 stars, but because of that reason I decided on 4 stars!

First Chapter Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday #5 - "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" (Inheritence #1) by N.K. Jemisin

Every Tuesday Diane @ Bibliophile By the Sea hosts a weekly meme called First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros. Basically, this is when you share the first and maybe the second paragraph of the book you are currently reading or want to read soon.

Teaser Tuesdays is a meme hosted by MizB @ A Daily Rhythm, where I need to open a book to a random page and pick two spoiler-free sentences.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

So, I started reading this book a couple of days ago because it was on my TBR pile ever since I first got started on Goodreads. (More info about the book here)

1. Grandfather

I AM NOT AS I ONCE WAS. They have done this to me, broken me open and torn out my heart. I do not know who I am anymore.
I must try to remember.
* * *
My people tell stories of the night I was born. They say my mother crossed her legs in the middle of labor and fought with all her strength not to release me into the world. I was born anyhow, of course; nature cannot be denied. Yet it does not surprise me that she tried.
* * *
My mother was an heiress of the Arameri. There was a ball for the lesser nobility, the sort of thing that happens once a decade as a backhanded sop to their self-esteem. My father dared ask my mother to dance; she deigned to consent. I have often wondered what he said and did that night to make her fall in love with him so powerfully, for she eventually abdicated her position to be with him. It is the stuff of great tales, yes? Very romantic. In the tales, such a couple lives happily ever after. The tales do not say what happens when the most powerful family in the world is offended in the process.

TEASER

"Let him go!" I crouched, shifting my stance the way my Darren grandmother had taught me. My hands shook, not with fear, but with that mad, wild, righteous fury. Sieh was a child. "Stop it!"
~pg.51

What do you think? Would you read it?

Book Blitz - "Immurement" (The Undergrounders Series #1) by Norma Hinkens

Immurement by Norma Hinkens
(The Undergrounders Series, #1)
Publication date: December 16th 2015
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic,

Young Adult

Book Blurb:
The earth’s core overheats. The sovereign leader vanishes. A young girl is the survivors’ only hope …
What little land is habitable is patrolled by cutthroat gangs of escaped subversives, but that’s not the greatest threat facing sixteen-year-old Derry Connelly, her brother Owen, and a ragged band of Preppers holed up in a bunker in the Sawtooth Mountains. Mysterious hoverships operated by clones are targeting adolescents for extraction.
Owen, is one of the first to disappear. To save him, Derry must strike a deal with the murderous subversives, and risk a daring raid to infiltrate the heart of the extraction operation.
But will the rookie leader falter when forced to choose between her brother and a clone who ignites something inside her she didn’t know was possible?

Goodreads 

Amazon

AUTHOR BIO:

Norma Hinkens grew up among vibrant storytelling traditions in her native Ireland. A Celtic bard at heart, she wields her wordsmithing sword with as much wit and eloquence as a bard can muster. She's a legend-loving author who takes a fiendish delight in pushing reluctant characters over cliffs to find out what they're made of. Epic odds, seemingly impossible missions, pasts that haunt, intrigue and misadventure. She's happiest when wrangling provocative big picture ideas that are never black and white when you turn them inside out. It's all about the tension in the journey. She lived and worked in Germany for several years, and currently resides in California with her husband, three children and Chihuahua extraordinaire. She is the author of The Undergrounders Series, Immurement, Embattlement and Adjudgement, a Young Adult post-apocalyptic, sci-fi adventure trilogy.

Author links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14682662.Norma_Hinkens

http://normahinkens.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NormaHinkensAuthor
https://twitter.com/NormaHinkens

EXCERPT

Someone gives a feeble clap. “Magnificent! A most rousing speech to rally the heathens, Mason!”

My feet fuse to the floor at the raspy voice that wafts into the room. Tucker strains at his collar. I yank him back, my heart pounding.

A shrunken man with an unnatural stoop steps into view. My skin crawls with a new level of fear. My gun’s in the Crematauto, along with the rest of the weapons. I fumble around in my pocket and latch onto my switchblade. A trickle of sweat runs down behind my ears. The man standing in the entry looks freakishly old and frail. Tucker could take him down in a heartbeat, but my brain sounds an inner caution. He probably didn’t come alone.

Before I even finish my thought, the doorway darkens and four armed men in black fatigues troop through. Big-shouldered, faces set like flint on necks thick as tree stumps. Schutz Clones! I tighten my grip on Tucker and command him to stay. One false move and he’ll end up another carcass waiting to be incinerated. He minds me, but tension radiates through his collar.

“Welcome to the Craniopolis,” the old man says. “My apologies for the modest welcoming committee, but your timing is most unfortunate. Everyone is at the unveiling of our new Hovermedes prototype.” His body shakes out a shallow breath, as he shuffles toward me. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dr. Lyong.”

I slide my gaze in Mason’s direction. His face registers confusion. Then a flicker of recognition.

“What ... happened to you?” he asks, in a half-whisper.

Dr. Lyong jerks to a stop in front of me and lets out a long, trembling sigh. It’s all I can do not to gag. His breath smells of decaying compost.

“Restructuring DNA proved more complex than I had hoped.” Dr. Lyong runs a finger under his beaked nose and waves it dismissively in Mason’s direction. The skin is stretched so tight over his hand I can see the grape-colored veins forking out beneath it. He barely looks human.

I can’t repress a shudder.

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First Chapter Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday #4 - "Antigoddess" (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake

Every Tuesday Diane @ Bibliophile By the Sea hosts a weekly meme called First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros. Basically, this is when you share the first and maybe the second paragraph of the book you are currently reading or want to read soon.

Teaser Tuesdays is a meme hosted by MizB @ A Daily Rhythm, where I need to open a book to a random page and pick two spoiler-free sentences.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I have finally started reading this book. It has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time by now and I only just picked it up. This book is about Greek gods and myths, meaning that Athena and Hermes are the main characters, which is awesome! More information about the book here.

FIRST CHAPTER
Owl Feathers

The feathers were starting to be a nuisance. There was one in her mouth, tickling the back of her throat. She chewed at it as she walked, grabbing it with her molars and pulling it loose. Warm, copper-penny blood flooded over her tongue. There were others too, sprouting up inside of her like a strange cancer, worming their way through her innards and muscle. Before long she would be essentially a girl-shaped,walking chicken, constantly plucking at herself.
She reached between her lips discreetly to take the feather out and twist it between her fingers. The movement wasn't subtle enough; she caught the tilt of his head at the edge of her vision.
"Feathers," she snapped.
"You should stop making out with your owls."
"Shut up." Neither of them wanted to talk about the feathers, any more than they wanted to talk about the way he was starting to look thin and gaunt in places. It was easier to ignore the afflictions than to talk about what they meant.

TEASER
When they got through the door, Cassandra squirmed free and took off her coat and shoes, grateful that her hands weren't shaking. "I probably just didn't have enough to eat today," she said. "Andie keeps stealing my lunches."
"You never fight me for them."
~ pg. 59

What do you think? Would you read it?