Review: The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano

The Glass Spare

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: October 24, 2017

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

The Glass Spare Book #1

ISBN:  0062491288

ISBN13: 9780062491282

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

A banished princess.
A deadly curse.
A kingdom at war.

Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with her power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?

THE GLASS SPARE is another one of those books that I'm not totally convinced on my feelings about it. On one level, I read it and didn't have issues with it while reading, but looking back there are a few things I can think of that were lacking. I will know my rating—and so will you—by the time I'm done writing my review.

I will start my review by telling you what I enjoyed. I really enjoyed Wil's relationship with her brothers. They have a tight bond and are willing to do anything for each other. I would have loved to read more about them before things turned. For the most part, I enjoyed the characters. They worked well together and some interesting people were thrown into the mix. The technology that is involved in THE GLASS SPARE was fun and interesting to read about. Had a bit of a steampunk type feel to it.

After coming back to write my review, these are the issues that popped up as I was thinking about what I thought about THE GLASS SPARE. The world building wasn't very strong. I didn't get lost in the world or feel the world around me while I was reading. I could picture things, but I didn't get drawn in. The romance just was. Nothing swoon worthy and feelings developed pretty instantly. There was no build up and I just didn't feel the "feels" they were trying to throw out. The pace tended to be a bit slow at times.

I would probably read more if the sequel was to fall into my hands, but THE GLASS SPARE didn't leave me yearning for book two.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

New Releases: 10/22-10/28

Tue. Oct. 24th

 The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

 The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
 Blade of Empire (The Dragon Prophecy #2) by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory
 The Glass Spare (The Glass Spare #1) by Lauren DeStefano 
 Magic of Wind and Mist (The Hanna Duology) by Cassandra Rose Clarke
 Switchback (Nightshades #2) by Melissa F. Olson
 The White Lily (Vampire Blood #3) by Juliette Cross

Happy Reading!

Cover Reveal: StoneKing by Donna Migliaccio

StoneKing
Gemeta Stone #3

They call him StoneKing: the lord of four countries, the vanquisher of the Wichelord Daazna, the man who will restore his people to prosperity and peace.

But there is no peace for Kristan Gemeta. Already weighed down by the cares of his new realm, Kristan carries a secret burden – the knowledge that Daazna is not dead. He isolates himself in his ruined castle in Fandrall, where he struggles to control the destructive Tabi’a power that may be his only hope of defeating the Wichelord once and for all.

And there’s trouble elsewhere in his realm. His Reaches are squabbling in Dyer, Melissa and Nigel are experiencing heartache in Norwinn, and Heather’s command in Hogia is in jeopardy. Unaware of this turmoil, Kristan receives an unexpected gift – one that forces him, his knights, an inexperienced squire and a crafty young shape-shifter into a hazardous winter journey.

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Donna Migliaccio is a professional stage actress with credits that include Broadway, National Tours and prominent regional theatres.  She is based in the Washington, DC Metro area, where she co-founded Tony award-winning Signature Theatre and is in demand as an entertainer, teacher and public speaker.  Her award-winning short story, "Yaa and The Coffins," was featured in Thinkerbeat's 2015 anthology The Art of Losing.

Find Donna and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Week in Review: 10/15-10/21

Books Received for Review

Nothing this week...

Books I've Read

Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill
Getting Wilde by Jenn Stark
Wilde Card by Jenn Stark
Born to Be Wilde by Jenn Stark
Wicked and Wilde by Jenn Stark
Aces Wilde by Jenn Stark

Reviews Posted


The Last Namsara by Kristin Cavallari
Haunted Blade by JC Daniels

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Interview + Giveaway for Dragon’s First Rule by Silver Milan

* Thursday- Promo + Giveaway for Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear

* Friday- The Writers Awards Top Book Blogs of 2017- UFI made #28!

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

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You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.

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 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

The Writers Awards Top Book Blogs of 2017- UFI made #28!

It was so great to get an email from The Writer Awards letting me know that out of 1000+ blogs reviewed, Urban Fantasy Investigations made #28!

If it weren't for my fabulous readers I wouldn't be successful, so I share this win with you!

Here is what The Writers Awards had to say about why they chose UFI as a top book blog of 2017.

Review: Haunted Blade by JC Daniels

Haunted Blade

Author: J.C. Daniels

Release Date: September 30, 2017

Publisher: Self-Published

Colbana Files Book #6

ISBN13:  9781495639050

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Haunted, Hunted…and harassed.

Never let it be said that Kit Colbana had ever been given the easy road. Or even the semi-paved road. Only weeks after dealing with the mysterious—and murderous—being called Puck, she’s got another killer on her hands. Perhaps even two.

Some of the bodies turning up bring up haunting memories of a past she longs to forget, but as always, that past is chasing her at her heels, like a hated shadow.

As the body count racks up, there’s an imbalance of power, particularly among the vampire population, and Kit must yet again deal with ugly memories as one of the monsters who tried to break her is set free to deal with the imbalance of power. Yet while a power struggle rages in East Orlando, there’s another, more subtle battle taking place and Kit feels like the center of it all.

Arrogant? Maybe. But the dead bodies don’t bear the mark of her grandmother’s pet killer by sheer coincidence…and she doubts her nemesis being released is either.

Kit is a very complex character with a very tangled past—and sometimes present—that never ceases to amaze me even after 6 books. I haven't always loved each and every book, but I always enjoyed them and HAUNTED was one of the better ones.

There was a lot happening in HAUNTED BLADE. There was plenty of action, plenty of overall story development and plenty of twists. The suspense was pretty consistent from front to back and I can't even begin to tell you how many feelings—good and bad—each scene invoked.  I wish the pace would have been a little smoother and there were a few points in HAUNTED BLADE where the scenes were a little choppy, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

As for the ending of HAUNTED BLADE all I have to say is what just happened? Is it really ending there? How long do I have to wait to find out what will happen next? Ahhhhh I definitely need more.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Promo + Giveaway: Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear

Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas
White Wolf #1
Purchase

In the first installment of Terry Spear's bold, sexy White Wolf series, a romance writer's life is changed forever when a white puppy bites her and turns her into an Arctic wolf shifter.

May all your Christmas wolves be bright...
Romance writer Candice Mayfair never missed a deadline in her life--until the playful bite of a werewolf puppy accidentally turns her into an Arctic wolf shifter. Talk about a life-changing event! Candice is at the end of her rope with the unpredictable shifting, a strong desire to howl, and the need to vacuum constantly to keep the shedding fur under control.

Enter werewolf private investigator Owen Nottingham. Owen has a new mission: convince the pretty she-wolf she needs to join his pack in time for Christmas...and be his mate. It's the only way he can think of to keep her safe...

Excerpt:

Candice had been writing for two days straight, working on her publisher’s book deadline, when she wrote the ending, smiled, and set the book aside. She would start proofing it tomorrow after she’d given her brain a break. Now she’d do what she always did when she finished a book or reached a good stopping point in one. Clean house. Check her backlog of emails. Pick up some more groceries. And take a run on the wolf side.

She finished vacuuming and dusting, swearing every window must let in all the outdoors, and then started a batch of gingerbread cookie cutouts to celebrate the Christmas holiday season and finishing another book. While they were baking, she finally settled down to check her emails. Fan mail always came first, and one from her website got her attention right off. She opened it and read:

Hello, I’m Owen Nottingham, private investigator for White River Investigations, White River Falls, Minnesota. My client, Strom Hart, hired me to locate you. Your parents, John and Cynthia Hart, left you an inheritance, and you need to see the lawyer about it so you can claim it. I need to verify that

you are the right woman first. Is there any way we could meet and get this taken care of so you can collect your inheritance? Strom Hart will be the one to receive it by the end of the month otherwise. His assistant, Jim Winchester, said Mr. Hart is your uncle.

Candice reread the message, not believing her eyes, tears filling them. She quickly looked at the date of the message. Two days ago! She knew she shouldn’t have neglected her emails, but when she was into a story, she couldn’t break away.

She ground her teeth, raised her fingers to respond, and heard a knocking at her door. No one came here. Never. Ever. Not even salesmen.

She glanced at her phases-of-the moon calendar. The waxing gibbous was just beginning. She should be fine. Just to be on the safe side, in case the person at the door was trouble, she pulled a can of mace from her desk drawer and headed for the door. She peered through the peephole. Waiting at the door was a handsome black-haired man with rugged features and intense blue eyes. He was dressed in a black suit, a red shirt, and a dark-purple tie covered in red, purple, and gold Christmas balls. She raised her brows.

“I’m Owen Nottingham,” he said to the door, holding up his PI license and driver’s license. He couldn’t know that she was watching him, so he must have hoped she was there, observing him. “I tried getting ahold of you through the contact form on your website about your inheritance. Your contact form might not be working, so I had to locate you in person.”

So this was the man who had sent the message. Was he for real? He had to be. He wouldn’t have come all this way to see her if he wasn’t. But how had he found her?

Candice opened the door, the bells jingling on her Christmas wreath, and the man glanced down at the can of mace in her hand. He smiled, his gaze holding hers with such intensity that it was as though he could see clear through to her soul. “Really, just a PI doing my job.”

A chilly breeze carried his scent to her. Wolf scent. All at once, she felt so light-headed that she grabbed the door to keep herself upright and dropped the can of mace on the tile floor. It clattered, but she couldn’t have reached for it if her life depended on it.

Oh. My. God.

This couldn’t be real. He couldn’t be real. No wonder he’d been talking to the door. He must have heard her footfalls as she’d approached.

He took a deep breath at the same time, and when he smelled her scent, his eyes widened in surprise. His hand shot out to grab her arm and steady her. For a minute, she tried to control her breathing and her heart rate, neither of which she could steady. She felt like she was going to pass out.

“Hell, you’re the wolf I saw across the White River, aren’t you?”

Her jaw dropped, and her knees buckled. He swept her up in his arms and she wanted to object, but he slammed the door behind him with his hip and carried her into the house. He was the wolf she’d seen across the river that day on the camping trip in Minnesota two years ago, sipping from the water? She still remembered it like it was yesterday. Him looking up and seeing her staring at him while she’d believed she was hallucinating.

Until the next night, and then she knew she hadn’t been dreaming at all.

White Wolf Series:
Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas (Book 1)
Flight of the White Wolf (Book 2)
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USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over sixty paranormal and medieval Highland romances. In 2008, Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world. She lives in Spring, Texas with two Havanese puppies.

Find Terry and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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