Blog Tour: The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell (Facts and Giveaway)

I am so excited to be part of the tour for The Cadet of Tildor today and welcome Alex Lidell herself to join us today and share some interesting facts about her debut! You can check out the other tour stops HERE. 

Title: The Cadet of Tildor
Author: Alex Lidell
Release Date: January 10th, 2013
Genre: Fantasy 
Age Group: Young Adult
Tour Organized By: AToMR Tours

There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.

You can find The Cadet of Tildor at Amazon, GoodReads, and its Official Website.   

Alex Lidell is a YA fantasy writer and author of ABNA Finalist THE CADET OF TILDOR (Penguin, 2013). Although English is Alex’s primary language, it wasn’t her first.  Coming from Russia, Alex learned english in elementary school and fell in love with reading when the school librarian put Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA into her hands.  Years later, in college, it was another book that re-united Alex with russian, which she had shunned in adolescence. The Three Musketeers.*  Alex thanks both books, and the writers who created them. Beyond writing, Alex is also a photographer, a horseback rider, and a paramedic. The latter two go hand in hand more often than one would like.  She is trying to self-teach herself and her horse to sword-fight. Alex would love to see THE CADET OF TILDOR in the classroom and is working on developing teacher guides for the novel.  She enjoys “e-meeting” both students and educators.

You can find out more about Alex Lidell and her novel at Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads, Shelfari, and Library Thing.  

Facts About The Cadet of Tildor: 
1) Despite its problems, Tildor has the strongest and most prosperous economy of all the neighboring nations.  Commerce forms Tildor's economic backbone.

2) Cory, Savoy's younger sergeant, was a thief before joining the military.  

3) Davis, Savoy's older sergeant, used to be in charge of Savoy during Savoy's own field internship as a cadet.

4) Connor Seaborn is an awesome soccer player.

5) Tamora Pierce's SONG OF THE LIONESS and PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL inspired this book.  Tammy's wonderfully simple and visual prose is my gold standard.

6) A lot of the moves the characters use in ground fighting come from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

7) Before he become a High Constable and the Academy Headmaster, Verin was one of the best sword fighters in Tildor.

8) The next book in the series will either follow Renee's progress, or jump pack to detail Savoy's field internship as a cadet.  Both stories are in the works. 

9) When they were cadets, Seaborn did most of Savoy's homework.

10) A scene cut from the original draft included a direct, secret confrontation between Headmaster Verin and Lord Palan.

Giveaway: 

$20 Amazon Gift Card, PLUS a copy of THE CADET OF TILDOR with swag – US
$20 Book Depository Gift Card – International

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: No and Me by Delphine de Vigan

Title: No and Me 

Author: Delphine de Vigan 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

No and Me is that book that you wish you had a time machine for; the one you want to go back in time and thrust to your young teenage self, begging them to read it because perhaps, if they do, they'll understand life a little better and won't make all the mistakes they will. It's the type of novel that whisks you away into a completely different world, but its prose isn't flowery like that of Laini Taylor; instead, it's a more subtle type of beauty where each and every phrase simply makes you put down the book and think. I knew, even before I picked up No and Me that it would be amazing - it did, after all, come recommended to me by three of my most trusted bloggers - but I didn't quite expect the level of wonder, of emotion, and of nostalgia that this book would make me experience, all over again and somehow new at the same time. Truly, No and Me is a literary gem like no other and really, I cannot recommend it enough. 

Delphine de Vigan's debut into YA Literature seems to be a simplistic story, one of Lou, a thirteen-year-old precocious girl living in France who interviews No, a homeless eighteen-year-old woman, for a school project. Only, Lou can't stop thinking about No or the homeless life she leads and when she invites No to live with her, to become part of her family, she doesn't count on No's own past coming back to haunt, not only No, but Lou as well. In my eyes, the depth and beauty of this novel isn't in its plot or subject matter, but in its writing. Lou, as a highly intelligent teenager, sees life in a different light and it is this - her flashes of brilliance, her incredible insight - that made this novel so special for me. 

No and Me isn't an easy novel to read. I'm sure that we've all had an experience or two with homeless people, perhaps less if you haven't traveled outside of America. Ever since I was a child, however, I've been painstakingly aware of the plight of the homeless and beggars. Born in India, I witnessed hoards of homeless people daily, on every street, begging for money or selling cheap plastic toys to tourists in an effort to make a few cents. If it wasn't on the streets, it was in the railway stations as children sold tea instead of attending school, in the airports where they would greet you stepping off the plane - everywhere. I've visited India every summer since I moved to America when I was a baby, but it never fails to shock me, every time, the number of homeless who are still there, who will probably always be there, and most of all, the plight of those like us who are, frankly, unable to do anything. 

It is this lesson that Lou learns in this novel, this earth-shattering wake-up-call, but more than even her friendship with No, her dependency on her, her refusal to believe that No and herself really did not belong in the same world, let alone the same life and the same home, was Lou's life at home. Although this novel focuses primarily on No and her impact on Lou's life, it also focuses on Lou's parents; her mother who has been numb with grief ever since her second child died in her arms, her father who cares for No with an optimism that hides his inner grief, and Lou's own social awkwardness when making friends and approaching seventeen-year-old Lucas who is everything she sees herself as not being. For me, it was the realistic portrayal of Lou's home life, of her struggles with her parents and her inner insecurities about growing up with a mother who never really cared that touched me more than anything else.

Perhaps best of all, though, is how painstakingly life-like this novel is. Its ending never wraps up any loose threads, never tries to explain No and her behavior or even the lives of those living on the streets, never tries to sugar-coat the fact that Lou's mother will never be the same despite the tragic events that happened years ago...it's almost an abrupt ending, one that leaves you smiling, with the twinkle dimmed from your eyes. Yet, it's a beautiful story, one that is written unflinchingly, told realistically, and leaves you wanting to simply hold the novel to your chest as you're forced to - yet again - contemplate the simple truths of existence that one person is too small to change. Nevertheless, this manages to be a novel of immense hope and although I wished for a slightly longer, dragged out, or even more conclusive end, I wouldn't have it any other way - this book is perfect, just the way it is.  

I'd urge you all to check out the reviews of Catie from The Readventurer, Maja from The Nocturnal Library, and Leanne from The Reclusive Reader.

ARC Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky, #2)

Author: Veronica Rossi 

Rating: 4.5 Stars 

Release Date: January 8th, 2013

Through the Ever Night is one of the few sequels that truly took me by surprise - in the best possible way. I can't quite articulate how excited I was for this book, especially after loving Under the Never Sky, so to say that my expectations were met would be an understatement. Once again, Veronica Rossi has proved her prowess as a writer and if there's anything I can guarantee, it's that fans of the series will most definitely not be disappointed by this scintillating sequel.

Through the Ever Night picks up exactly where Under the Never Sky left off with the reunion of Aria and Perry. Unlike its predecessor, which was rather fast-paced and full of romance, Through the Ever Night is filled with a steady undercurrent of loss, of longing, and an atmosphere of tension. Even from the beginning, we can see that this won't be the same swoon-worthy romance we were treated to in the first novel. Instead, Aria and Perry are practically estranged from one another as Aria is very much an outsider in Perry's tribe and their relationship is kept a secret. Yet, before Perry and Aria can even begin to come to terms with the direction their relationship is taking now that they are no longer alone, Aria and Roar are whisked away to find Liv, Perry's sister, and fulfill the task of finding the Still Blue.

It seems weird, but for some reason, I always enjoy romances that are tinged with a hint of longing, despair, and utter want, which was exactly what I got with Through the Ever Night. Even while living in the same tribe, Aria and Perry seem miles away from one another, until literally, they are. As Blood Lord of the Tides, Perry has an immense amount of responsibility, and it doesn't all come so easily. It is evident that as a leader, the role one plays is extremely different and seeing Perry struggle through his duty, making mistakes and blunders, all while slowly coming to realize his significance and grow into his role, is an incredible journey to see. Just like with her debut, Rossi manages to capture the essence of humanity within her characters, making them shockingly three-dimensional and realistic in the growth and change that she ensures they go through throughout the novel.

Aria, too, is a different person. Although we don't see as drastic a change of growth in her as we do in Perry, she is a far cry from the frightened Dweller we met in the beginning of Under the Never Sky. Aria and Roar's friendship is as strong as ever and seeing them interact, console each other, and just generally be there for one another without any romantic feelings on part of either of them was utterly refreshing. I love that Rossi made Aria just as much a friend to Roar as Perry and furthermore, that she made Roar such a huge forefront in this novel. Although he doesn't have his own PoV in this novel, like Aria and Perry do, a large part of the plot revolves around him and seeing him change and grow is rewarding as well.

In addition to the main characters, the majority of the secondary characters from Under the Never Sky return in this novel, some of them in unexpected ways. I was thrilled to see them all come back and see the role they played in moving the plot forward. If I have any qualms with this story, it is just that it seems as if not enough quite happens. It almost seems as if there is still so much left to happen in the last novel, but the plot never lags, never slows, and never bores the reader. It isn't as fast-paced or intriguing as Under the Never Sky, and many of my questions concerning Aria's parentage remain unanswered, but it keeps you flipping the pages and the world-building is explored a little further as well.

Ultimately, I can see this novel being an instant hit with fans of Under the Never Sky for it is a fabulous follow-up novel. Veronica Rossi just keeps surprising me. While Under the Never Sky felt like Aria's story, TtEN is Perry's in a way and it's phenomenal. I simply love the character development in this novel. It completely blew me away with its depth. COMPLETELY. Furthermore, it was an incredibly emotional novel. INCREDIBLY. Seriously, my feelings and emotions were EVERYWHERE. It was an incredible whirlwind of pure emotion for sure. If there is anything I know for sure it is that Into the Still Blue is going to be SUCH a great conclusion - I can just tell. 

HUGE hugs and kisses and thank-yous to my friend, Amelia, at The Authoress for lending me this book. You're the BEST, Amelia! THANK YOU!(:

ARC Review: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Title: Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles, #1)

Author: Lenore Appelhans

Rating: 3.5 Stars 

Release Date: January 15th, 2013

For me, the biggest appeal of Level 2 was the fact that it was written by a blogger. I was so enthralled that a blogger had been able to get her book published and, best of all, who else knew best the pitfalls that most authors stumbled across better than a blogger herself? Thus, Level 2 seemed like a novel that could do no wrong. In many ways, it couldn’t (although it’s synopsis seems to think it’s going to get more readers by hinting at a love triangle when there is no love triangle in this story at all). Yet, despite the unique concept, excellent writing ability, and creative characterization, it is disappointing to note that Level 2, is, after all, missing something.

Appelhans’s debut is one of those novels where revealing too much can ruin the story. Thus, I will keep my synopsis brief enough to merely say that it is an original spin on afterlife. As humans, we live on Level 1, or Earth, and are then transported to Level 2, an in-between place between Earth and Heaven, Level 3. On Level 2, everyone who has died now has access to their memories and the goal of this level is to ultimately come to terms with your death and move on. Felicia, the protagonist of our tale, is living in Level 2, blissfully unaware of a rebellion that is going on with the angels who guard Level 2. When Julian, her ex-best friend’s boyfriend, shows up promising Felicia that she can be re-united with her boyfriend, Neil, she doesn’t hesitate to join in the rebellion. Only, there is more to what is going on in Level 2 than what Julian initially has Felicia believe and even after all these years, Felicia isn’t quite sure she can trust the boy she lost her best friend for…

What Level 2 excels in is its characterization. From the very beginning, we are thrown into memories of Felicia’s past and through her eyes, we re-live her romance with Neil, a budding and beautiful story, her fall out with her best friend, her days spent making out with Julian without telling her best friend, her strained relationship with her parents…we see it all. We witness Felicia’s ups and downs and although it all comes together very slowly, the pieces of her traumatic past and her ultimate death seeming to take forever to unfold, it’s worth the wait. I love that Felicia is a flawed and unlikeable protagonist; I love that it is her who is the bad guy, the one who messed up, the person who is wrong. Yet, what I love most is that we can see that it isn’t all her fault and that, deep inside, just as her boyfriend Neil sees, is some good.

In this manner, Felicia is one of the most in-depth characters I’ve come across and her relationship with everyone, from her friends to teachers to parents to her own boyfriend, are all richly complex and a thrill to read. Even her unfolding romance, one that is endearingly sweet, only adds to the multi-faceted characterization of Appelhan’s protagonist and really, it was this aspect of the story that truly made Level 2 such a powerful novel – the part of it that resorted to becoming a contemporary tale. Unfortunately, however, Level 2 is a science-fiction novel and it is in this genre placement that the novel falters. While the mystery of Felicia’s past kept me flipping the pages in anticipation, forming bonds with the characters and barely containing my excitement to find out what really happened, the present action of the rebellion utterly lost my interest.

Felicia, with the help of Julian, essentially explores the place known as Level 2, breaking the bonds of the regulations set forth there and attempting to help her friends. I hate to say it, but this so-called “action” was extremely dull. Furthermore, with the exception of witnessing ones memories from the past, there were no truly innovative gadgets or sci-fi elements to this novel, which was a huge disappointment. I could, perhaps, forgive all this for the plot twists were superb and much of the novel is focused on the past, not so much the present, but the ultimate ending was rushed. It had an engaging plot thread, concluding with a plot twist that had quite an element of surprise to it, but then the rest of the novel, to its rather astonishing ending, was a blur.

Thus, I have to say that Level 2 is a novel that I’d more recommend for contemporary instead of science-fiction lovers. Perhaps if you are new to the sci-fi genre, Level 2 will captivate you in a manner that this novel failed to captivate me in, but if you’re more looking for hard-core sci-fi, I’d suggest look elsewhere. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Appelhans’s debut and with her strong characterization, unique thought-processes, and lush writing style, I am already eagerly anticipating her next novel. A slight change of expectations can render this novel a definite favorite among many and joining the ranks of authors to look out for is Lenore Appelhans – without a doubt.

I was given a copy of this book on behalf of DAC ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. Thank You!

110+ Books I Have Every Intention of Reading...

Happy New Year! I hope this year brings you all happiness, prosperity, and tons and tons of wonderful books that bring a smile to your face! :) 

I decided to kick-start the year with a list of books I truly do have every intention of reading. We all have those books we're ashamed to admit we haven't read or desperately want to read and don't have the time to, so I figured I'd at least try to cross a few of those off my list this time around. I probably have an equally long list of books I want to read this year, primarily consisting of debuts and sequels being released, but I decided to limit myself to novels that have already released and that I want to desperately read as well. I stole the idea for this from The Readventurer's 110+ Books I Have Every Intention of Reading Next and was inspired by their post to make one of my own, so...here goes!

First up I have a list of Aussie novels I desperately want to tackle. Of course, I don't actually have most of them, but I'll find a way to get my hands on them...

1. Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield
2. I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry
3. Fury by Shirley Marr
4. Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood
5. The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina
6. Preloved by Shirley Marr
7. The Wrong Boy by Suzy Zail
8. Cinnamon Rain by Emma Cameron
9. Pan's Whisper by Sue Lawson
10. Love Notes from Vinegar House by Karen Tayleur
11. Night Creatures Series by Marianne de Pierres
12. Underdogs Trilogy by Markus Zusak
13. Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix
14. Clara in Washington by Penny Tangey

Next is a list of series I've already started and need to finish. I'm one of those people who usually zips through a series once I start it, but in some cases, I can't find the next book or the sequel still has to be released, so here are some that I really want to read this year, if not very soon.

15. Feed Trilogy by Mira Grant (2 Behind)

16. Sevenwaters Series by Juliet Marillier (4 Behind)

17. Dublin Murder Squad Series by Tara French (3 Behind)

18. Kate Daniels World by Ilona Andrews (1 Behind)

19. Dairy Queen Trilogy by Catherine Gilbery Murdock (1 Behind)

20. Dani O'Malley (Fever Spin-Off Series) by Karen Marie Moning (1 Behind)

21. Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson (1 Behind)

22. Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver (1 Behind)
23. The Edge Series by Ilona Andrews (2 Behind)

Well...that wasn't a very long list, but the list of series I do want to start unfortunately is: 

24. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead 

25. Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin

26. Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss 

27. Partials Series by Dan Wells 

28. The Amber House Trilogy by Kelly Moore 

29. The Adoration of Jenna Fox Trilogy by Mary E. Pearson

30. Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu 

31. Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce 

32. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Faeryland by Catherynne M. Valente 

33. Robert Langdon Trilogy by Dan Brown 

34. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson 

35. Outlander Series by Dianna Gabaldon

36. Dreamblood Series by N.K. Jemison 

37. The Wallflowers Series by Lisa Kleypas

38. Ender's Saga by Orson Scott Card

39. Charley Davidson by Darynda Jones 

40. Ship Breaker Series by Paolo Bacigalupi

41. Sirantha Jax by Ann Aguirre

42. Crown and Court by Sherwood Smith

43. Shades of London by Maureen Johnson

44. The Native Star Series by M.K. Hobson

45. Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness

46. Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan 

47. Ashbury High Series by Jaclyn Moriarty 

48. Reapers Series by Alden Bell

49. October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire

50. Books of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater 

Yeah...a lot of series to start, eh? I, thankfully, enjoy stand-alones even more than series, so now for a list of stand-alones that I hope to tackle sometime soon, especially since I keep hearing how brilliant they all are! 

51. Life of Pi by Yann Martel 

52. Madapple by Christina Meldrum

53. Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 

54. Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Amy McNamara 

55. No and Me by Delphine de Vigan 

56. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

57. Paper Towns by John Green 

58. Ask the Passengers by A. S. King

59. Please Excuse Vera Dietz by A. S. King

60. Gone Girl by Jillian Flynn

61. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

62. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

63. How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

64. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

65. Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

66. Graveminder by Melissa Marr

67. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

68. The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge

69. Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

70. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

71. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers 

72. A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

73. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer 

74. Between Shades of Grey by Rita Supetys

75. Small Damages by Beth Kephart

76. Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor

77. Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz

78. The City's Son by Tom Pollock

79. Alif the Unseen by Willow G. Wilson

80. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
81. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

82. Dead to You by Lisa McMann
83. Sisters in Sanity by Gayle Forman

We all have our favorite authors and we have authors whose every novel we've read and will continue to read, so here's a list of the authors I desperately need to read or need to finishing reading ALL of their works - because they're just that good.

84. China Mieville

85. Alison Goodman 

86. Rachel Neumeier

87. Juliet Marillier

88. Courtney Summers

89. John Green 

90. Diana Wynne Jones

91. Khaled Hosseini

I never get to read a whole lot of classics every year, so I doubt I'll get to these within the next decade knowing me and the amount of inner persuasion it takes for me to sit down with a classic, but I do hope to read all these for sure sometime: 

92. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway 

93. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

94. Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

95. Lolita by Vladimir Nobokov

96. 1984 by George Orwell

97. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyesky

98. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey 

99. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

100. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

101. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

102. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 

Last, but not least, a few novels that were recommended to me by dear friends and which I'm sure I'll love:

103. The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher
104. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

105. Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson

106. The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

107. Maze Runner by James Dashner 

108. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

109. Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

110. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Numerically speaking, 110 books isn't a lot. After all, I read roughly 300 books a year, so I should be able to finish this whole list by the end of this year, but I can't. In between these novels, I have review copies, sequels releasing this year, new debut novels to pick up, not to mention that when I add all the series books together, I have nearly 200 books, and with classics that take a good month to read, I'll probably only read all of these by 2015/2016. Still, I wanted to share this list with you all because - admit it - we all wish we had more time to read, and especially more time to read those books that we're told are brilliant. Thus, perhaps I'll take on fewer review copies this year and truly get more "older" reading accomplished...we'll see! What are some of the books that you have every intention of reading?