Blog Tour: Dead Reckoning by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill (Review)

Dead Reckoning

By: Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Release Date: June 5, 2012

Genre/Age: YA Western SciFi

Pages: 336

Source: ARC from NetGalley and Bloomsbury

Jett is a girl disguised as a boy, living as a gambler in the old West as she searches for her long-lost brother. Honoria Gibbons is a smart, self-sufficient young woman who also happens to be a fabulous inventor. Both young women travel the prairie alone – until they are brought together by a zombie invasion! As Jett and Honoria investigate, they soon learn that these zombies aren’t rising from the dead of their own accord… but who would want an undead army? And why? This gunslinging, hair-raising, zombie western mashup is perfect for fans of Cowboys vs. Aliens and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.

Dead Reckoning is everything I would hope for from a steampunk zombie western: it’s fun, action-packed, and best of all, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you’re looking for a zombie novel that won’t keep you up late at night, then look no further!

The highlight of the novel for me was definitely the three protagonists. Jett, who disguises herself as a tough male gunslinger; Honoria, who isn’t afraid to travel the Wild West as a solo female; and White Fox, an Army scout who was raised by Indians. They are all wonderfully charismatic and fleshed-out characters and watching their interactions was truly hilarious and enjoyable. Honoria and Jett were particularly entertaining together.

Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill have created a wonderful world for this adventure: part Wild Wild West, part steampunk, and part zombie. It’s such a fun and unique combination, and you’re sure to enjoy the ride. Dead Reckoning seems to leave the door open for future escapades, and I, for one, can’t wait to hop on board again! Recommended for anyone in the mood for an engaging, zombie-lite novel, Dead Reckoning is not to be missed!

Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

For Darkness Shows the Stars

By: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: June 12, 2012

Genre/Age: YA Post-Apocalyptic

Pages: 398

Source: ARC from Around the World ARC Tours

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong – the Reduction – decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliott North has always known her place in the world. Four years ago Elliott refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliott’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Malakai Wentworth – and almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliott exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliott soon discovers her old friend carries a secret – one that could change their society… or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

I have been anticipating this book ever since I first heard about it ages ago, and I was so eager to get my hands on a copy. Stories about childhood friends or sweethearts that are separated and then reunited years later (or ‘reunion romance’ as my tag on Goodreads calls them) are my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. I cannot even tell you. So I was thrilled when For Darkness Shows the Stars totally delivered and I LOVED it.

The world that Diana Peterfreund has created is so interesting and different. I would have loved to have more background information about how the Reduction came about and how everything happened, but the story didn’t feel like it was lacking at all without that extra information. It also didn’t feel like she was trying too hard to create this incredibly unique post-apocalyptic world, if that makes any sense. These days I feel like so many dystopian-type stories are trying so hard to be the next big “thing” and I didn’t get that feeling from For Darkness Shows the Stars, which I definitely appreciated. It just felt very naturally original and appealing.

Elliott and Kai are both absolutely brilliant and incredibly frustrating at the same time. I loved each of their journeys as individual characters, and I definitely loved them together. This is my favorite kind of love story, you guys. The tension between them is palpable; you feel everything they’re going through so much. They’ve had a difficult history together, and Kai is just harsh enough with Elliott for it to be perfect. I will say that the romantic in me wanted a little more of the lovey-dovey stuff (yeah, I’m a sap), but honestly it didn’t even matter, I still loved it. And the whole story is peppered with letters that Kai and Elliott wrote to each other as they were growing up, which was a wonderfully sweet window into their back story and really allowed the reader to see their growth and maturation.

I haven’t read Persuasion, so I can’t really comment on its relationship with For Darkness Shows the Stars, but I can say that I will most definitely be reading it after this. I love the idea of a futuristic take on an originally historical setting, and I can’t wait to read the story that inspired Diana to write this amazing book! Whether or not you’re a fan of Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a unique and emotional read, and I highly recommend it.

"Waiting On" Wednesday #47

“Waiting on” Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release that we’re eagerly anticipating. Let the salivating commence.

My pick this week:

The Diviners

By: Libba Bray

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Add it on Goodreads!

Description:

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City – and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of “The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies.”

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer – if he doesn’t catch her first.

Why I’m Waiting: This sounds FANTASTIC. New York City in the twenties, murder, magic? YES PLEASE. And it seems like it has the same historical fantasy feel as her Gemma Doyle trilogy, which I LOVED. Can’t wait to read this one!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Share in the comments and I’ll come visit!

An update re: my life and blogging

Hello my lovely followers!

As you may or may not have noticed, I haven’t been around the blogosphere very much over the past month, but I AM STILL HERE!

Thanks to a combination of family events, moving, etc, I’ve barely had time to read during the past month, much less be an active blogger. But I’m mostly settled now and I can’t wait to get back into it.

I probably won’t be posting quite as often as I used to, just because my life is way busier now, but I've missed it a lot and I’m aiming for a few times a week. We’ll see how it goes!

I hope everyone has been reading lots of amazing books! And I'm so jealous of all you lucky ducks who just went to BEA. (I'm planning to make it next year; I'm already so excited.) Can't wait to catch up with everyone! :)