Review: Entice - Carrie Jones

Entice by Carrie Jones, published by Bloomsbury in January 2011

Goodreads synopsis:
Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned. She's Astley's queen.

Review:
I was so excited to get an advance review copy of this book from Bloomsbury, who very kindly sent me this one.  I'm such a massive Carrie Jones fan and I've been telling anyone who'll listen (and plenty of people who don't as well!) that they must read this series.  I couldn't wait to pick it up and get stuck in but I also wanted to prolong the enjoyment of starting it.  Finally, I had to cave in because the suspense was killing me!

Zara is now the Pixie Queen after being turned by Astley and she's having to cope with not only the reactions of her friends and family but also her own feelings about what she has become.  She's made a monumental sacrifice to try and save her boyfriend Nick, but now she's not even sure if he'll want her anymore.  He obviously dislikes pixies intensely and she worries that he'll be horrified by the fact that she is one.  I love the way that although she's scared she still goes out there and not only kicks some pixie butt but also never gives up on finding a way to get Nick back.  She's determined and brave and not afraid to do what she believes is right, even when people tell her otherwise.

My only disappointment with 'Entice' was that although the book is about Zara's hunt to find Nick, there is very little of Nick himself.  I love his character so much and although Astley has definitely grown on me, there's only one true soulmate for Zara and that just has to be Nick!  I'm hoping that book 4 will deliver all the Zara/Nick scenes that I'm craving.  If they don't end up together then I'm going to be so disappointed!

Astley's character is definitely developed more throughout.  He's protective and caring towards Zara and not only does she get to see another side to him, but we, as readers, also get to see the softer, more fragile, aspects of his personality.  He's got serious mother issues too which come to the fore in the story and we learn about some of his backstory before meeting Zara which was interesting and intriguing.

Zara and Astley, with the help of Issie, Devyn and Cassidy, are looking for a way to Valhalla, where they hope to rescue Nick.  Their journey unfolds throughout the book as they have to overcome a multitide of obstacles in their path.  Zara never becomes defeated though and through her struggle to be reunited with Nick, she learns a lot about herself and her new responsibilities as the Pixie Queen.

Just like in 'Captivate' there are a lot of unexpected plot twists and I love the fact that I can never predict what's going to happen.  I've given up trying to guess - I just sit back and enjoy the ride!  Carrie Jones is an incredible writer.  I love the world she's created and the characters that inhabit it and I'm going to be on tenterhooks waiting for the next installment.  I hope she writes quickly!

Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending this one.

Review: Captivate - Carrie Jones

Captivate by Carrie Jones, published by Bloomsbury in 2009

Goodreads synopsis:
Zara and her friends thought they'd solved the pixie problem. And they had - sort of. They're locked away, deep in the woods. But the king's needs grow stronger each day that he's in captivity, while his control over his people weakens. Who will fill the power vacuum? Astley. He claims he's different. He claims that it doesn't have to be violence and nastiness all the time. Zara wants to believe him...until Astley also claims that she's fated to be his queen.

There's not way Zara would ever turn pixie. And she's got good friends who'll make sure of that. But besides, she and Nick are so in love they're practically inseparable. But when the very thing Zara most wants to protect is exactly what's at risk, she's forced to make choices she never imagined.

Review:

Amazing.  Incredible.  Exciting.  Phenomenal.  Brilliant.  Stupendous.  There aren't enough adjectives available to describe just how mind-blowingly fantastic this book was.  I found myself savouring every single word on the page and reading slower and slower as the story progressed because I just didn't want it to end.  I am so in love with this series.  'Need', the first book in the series, is one of my favourite reads of the year, but if possible I think Carrie Jones has done the impossible and written an even more amazing installment, that was so gripping it literally made my heart pound.  

'Captivate' picks up where 'Need' left off.  Zara and her friends are still battling against the evil pixies, while also trying to protect the people around them.  There are several new challenges which now face them and some new characters are introduced into the story.  Astley and Cassidy in particular are great additions.  Astley is the new pixie King, who wants Zara to be his Queen.  He causes Zara to question some of notions she has about pixies and shakes up the romance between Zara and Nick.  Oh Nick!  He has to be one of my favourite male characters ever!  I love the way that he's protective and heroic and is always there looking out for Zara and making sure that she's safe.  My stomach kept fluttering as I read some of the scenes between them because they are so cute and perfect for each other.  They are destined to be together even though there are several obstacles which look like getting in the way.  

I really like the friendship between Zara, Nick, Issie and Devyn.  They are always there to back each other up and support each other.  They have complimentary strengths and each bring something to the table which will help them in the fight against the pixies.  You know that they're always going to watch each other's backs.  Zara is also one of my favourite protagonists.  She's determined to make sure that her friends and family are safe, she's self-sacrificing and brave and she's not one to back down from a challenge.  She's also smart, self-assured and stubborn and her character comes alive off the page.  I really felt like I was experiencing everything she was going through as I read the book.     

There are some awesome twists and turns in the story too.  Some of these completely took me by surprise and I'm so excited about the direction in which Carrie Jones is taking the story.  She's not afraid to take risks and to shake things up and I don't think there's any risk that the series is going to stray into predictable territory.  Everything is very fresh and original and some parts had me gasping with shock and amazement.

I can't really describe just how much I'm loving this series - but trust me when I say that if you haven't discovered Carrie Jones yet then what are you waiting for!  You won't be disappointed!  I've already started book three which is entitled 'Entice' and I have a feeling I won't be getting much sleep tonight!

You can read my review of 'Need', book one in the series, here.        

Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending this one for review.

Entice - Carrie Jones book trailer

I am so excited about this book! I adore Carrie Jones and I can't wait to find out what happens next to Zara and Nick in the third installment of the 'Need' trilogy.

I stumbled across this book trailer for 'Entice' today which is absolutely beautiful. It's making me long for the book to be released even more!

Waiting on Wednesday #1: Entice - Carrie Jones

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly awaited upcoming releases.  Head on over there to take part or to check out all the other fabulous books that people are looking forward to reading! 

This week is the first time that I'm taking part!

Entice by Carrie Jones
Book #3 Need series
Published December 7th 2010 
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Zara and Nick are soul-mates - they're meant to be together for ever. But that's not quite how things have worked out. For starters, Nick is dead, and has been taken to Valhalla, a mystical resting place for warriors. If they can find the way there, Zara and her friends will try to get him back. But even if they do, Zara has turned pixie - and now she's Astley's queen! Meanwhile, more teenagers go missing as a group of evil pixies devastates the town of Bedford. An all-out war seems imminent and Zara and her friends need all the warriors they can find...

This just sounds amazingly good!  Roll on December!

Carrie Jones - Captivate book trailer

Okay, since reading 'Need', I think I'm in love with Carrie Jones writing.  I rushed out to buy 'Captivate' the 2nd book in the series straight away so to celebrate I thought I'd post the awesome trailer.

'Entice' is published on 3rd January 2011 and in even better news, there will definitely be a book 4.  News which I very happily read on Carrie's website: http://www.carriejonesbooks.com/

Review: Carrie Jones - Need

Goodreads synopsis:
Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.
 

Review:
God, I loved this book!  I literally had to read it in one sitting because I couldn't tear myself away.  I am in love with Carrie Jone's incredible writing.  I feel the immense need to go out and buy all of her other books immediately, including 'Captivate' the follow-up to Need.  I'm even more thrilled that there's going to be a third book too called 'Entice'.  I must have them now!!  Plus everything else that Carrie Jones has ever written.
 
The story centres around a young girl called Zara, who goes to live with her grandmother in Maine, after the death of her step-father.  She soon becomes embroiled in the mystery of a strange stalker who seems to be following her everywhere but is distracted by the even more mysterious boy at school, Nick, who she's attracted to immediately.  Instead of wallowing in the feelings of emptiness and fear she's been experiencing since her father's death, she finds herself welcomed into a friendship at her new school, battling with her emotions for hot guy (no, make that very hot guy) Nick and trying to get life back on track...even with her stalker following her every step.
 
This book is described on the back cover as a fusion of Stephen King with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series but I think it stands on it's own as a truly wonderful read.  If you want a generous dash of the paranormal, served up with a whole heap of romance then you need to go and get yourself a copy of this book pronto!  I loved how mysterious and magical it felt and I literally could not put it down because I had to keep turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.  It was a real rollercoaster ride of a book, with no chance to gather yourself before the next twist and turn.

I loved the way in which Jones perfectly captured the cold and misery of Maine, reflecting Zara's initial feelings on arriving in the small town.  It made me want to shiver alongside her and curl up into a ball under my duvet!  The characterisations were brilliant and I also liked the way in which each chapter was named after a particular phobia - very different and inventive.

This is an outstanding start to the series and I have a feeling I'm going to be heading out tomorrow to buy book 2!