Review: Trial By Fire - Josephine Angelini

Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini, published by Macmillan Children's Books on 28th August 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted...which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily's life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem - one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian . . . Lily's identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn't understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

Review:
This is quite a difficult review to write because I loved Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed trilogy and have been anticipating this new series for ages now.  Unfortunately 'Trial By Fire' and I got off to a bit of a shaky start and never really recovered by the end of the book.

The first in the new Worldwalker trilogy centres around the main character Lily, who is allergic to everything.  This means that her life is restricted by all the things that she can't do.  Lily lives in Salem and after a difficult situation at a party with her best friend Tristan, she ends up disappearing.  When she wakes up she is in a different Salem altogether where her whole existence begins to change and she discovers things that she could only ever have dreamt of before.

Two things feature heavily in this book: witches and parallel universes.  I don't have a good track record with books about witches at all for some strange reason, even though I'm always hopeful that a story will make me change my mind.  Sadly, 'Trial By Fire' didn't.  I found it too heavily leaning towards fantasy and although the world building in the book was extremely well done, I just couldn't connect to the story itself or the characters.  It was only when I got about half-way through that things started to pick up and I became more engaged.   

Lily is normally a character that I would have loved but I never fully warmed to her or her predicament.  The romance which developed between her and Rowan was  a bit lacklustre and not enough to get me wanting to pick this book up either.

I'm really disappointed because I was dying to read this one and was expecting to be raving about it but this book and I just didn't click. 

The second in the trilogy 'Trail of Tears' will be published in 2015.  I haven't made up my mind yet whether I want to continue with Lily's journey but I know there are lots and lots of fans of this book out there who loved it, so if you think it sounds like your kind of read then please give it a go.    

Hotly Anticipated Reads 2013: Macmillan Children's Books

Macmillan are one of my favourite publishers and I always look forward to seeing what new books they have out each year.  There's always plenty to get excited about!  Plus they are the UK home of Meg Cabot whose books I absolutely adore.

Here's a selection of some of the titles they have in store for us lucky readers in 2013!

All links go to Goodreads where you can add them to your wishlist

Vortex by Julie Cross, published 3rd January

Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, allthat changes when Holly—the girl he altered history to save—re-enters his life. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents find themselves under attack and on the run.

One Crow Alone by S.D. Crockett, published 31st January

The long, bitter winters are getting worse, and a state of emergency has been declared across Europe. In Poland, the villagers are subject to frequent power cuts and fuel shortages. After the death of her grandmother and the evacuation of her village, fifteen-year-old Magda joins forces with the arrogant, handsome Ivan and smuggles her way onto a truck bound for London - where she hopes to find her mother. But London, when they reach it, is a nightmarish world, far from welcoming. Riots are commonplace and the growing chaos is exploited by criminals and terrorists alike. Magda's mother is not to be found, and as the lost girl struggles to come to terms with her changing situation, she eventually becomes friends with a rag-tag group of travellers planning a new home and future. They will need all the cunning and know-how they possess as they realise that the frozen wilderness of Britain has become just as lawless as the city.

Unremembered by Jessica Brody, published 14th March

Sixteen-year-old Jena is the only survivor of an explosion on a plane. She wakes up in hospital to find that she has no memory. The only clue to her identity is a mysterious boy who claims she was part of a top-secret science experiment. The only adult she trusts insists that she shouldn’t believe anything that anybody tells her. In a tense and pacy novel exploding with intrigue and action, Jena must work out who she is and where she came from. Eventually she will learn that the only thing worse than forgetting her past is remembering it.

Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin, published 11th April

Reluctant heir of a Mafia boss. Star-crossed lover. Paparazzi darling. Hitman’s target. Anya Balanchine’s amazing story continues in the second part of the Birthright trilogy.

Abandon: Underworld by Meg Cabot, published 25th April

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead.  Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance . . . on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there . . . and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.  And unless Pierce is careful, this time there'll be no escape.

Goddess by Josephine Angelini, published 6th June

She must rise, or they will fall . . . Helen's powers are increasing—and so is the distance between her and her mortal friends. To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a dangerous traitor is lurking among them, and all fingers point to Orion. Still unsure whether she loves him or Lucas, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, or risk all-out war.

Comment and let me know which books you're most looking forward to in 2013!

Guest post: Dreamless - Josephine Angelini

Today on the blog I have a fabulous guest post from the wonderful Josephine Angelini, author of 'Starcrossed' and the recently published 'Dreamless'.

Helen Hamilton Vs. Two of My Favorite Heroes!
The hero of my Starcrossed trilogy, Helen Hamilton, is a late bloomer. She starts off clueless, grows to be only semi-informed by the start of Dreamless, and barely manages to pull of some pretty nifty problem solving by the end of it. In the final book, Goddess, her hero-skills grow even more, but she still manages to make a ton of mistakes along the way. Helen may be a demigod, but she’s also extremely human. Those are the kind of characters I like—the ones that make mistakes, but keep going anyway. You know, the human ones.

Usually when someone asks me to reference my favorite books or characters I end up referencing stories that are about forty years old and that no teen has ever heard of. So this time around, I’m going to talk about characters that I know all of you know—Harry Potter, for starters.

Let’s face it. Harry isn’t the brightest bulb on the branch. Neither is Helen. Harry isn’t the best wizard. Helen has a ton of power and only a vague idea how to use it. In pretty much every situation that both Harry and Helen find themselves in, they need the help of their friends to get through it. But get through it they do, and to me that’s the most important part. They keep at it. They may not like the situations they find themselves in, but they never stop fighting. That’s a hero.

Another favorite hero (or heroine) of mine is Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. Like my misguided Helen, Elizabeth is another girl that gets it all wrong. She’s wrong about Mr. Darcy, she’s wrong about Mr. Bingley and her sister, and she’s totally wrong about Mr. Wickham. But despite misreading just about everyone in the cast of characters, our Lizzy B is willing to grow and change without changing who she is as person. Okay, so she’s wrong, like, a lot. By the end of the book she has to apologize for some of her mistakes, but even still, I never get the sense that she’s lost an ounce of her spirit. In fact, when she stands up to Mr. Darcy’s rich and over-bearing aunt, it seems that she’s only grown stronger because of the things she’s been through. That’s the way it’s done. That’s the way a hero does it.

We don’t love heroes because they are never wrong. We love them because they learn from their mistakes and grow stronger. We love that they aren’t perfect, but that they keep trying anyway. We love them because they are like us. 

Find out more about Josephine on her website and follow her on Twitter@josieangelini

Review: Dreamless - Josephine Angelini

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini, published by Macmillan on 5th July 2012

Goodreads synopsis:
Can true love be forgotten?

As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Review:
*There may be spoilers from the previous book in the series.
‘Starcrossed’ by Josephine Angelini was one of my favourite books of last year so understandably I’ve been unbelievably excited about the sequel ‘Dreamless’. Ever since reading the final page of the first book in the trilogy I’ve been looking forward to returning to the series and catching up with all the characters. This is a book that really will leave you “dreamless” because you’ll be up all night reading it and like me, probably won’t get any sleep at all!

The storyline focuses mainly on Helen’s nightly descent to the Underworld and her quest to defeat the Furies. Determined to end the blood debt once and for all, she endures extreme torture and pain during her nightly ritual, and even with her health failing, she won’t stop. In the Underworld, Helen meets Orion, who has been sent to protect her. Through their ordeal, the two share a powerful bond and knowing that she can never be with Lucas, Helen finds herself drawn towards him.

The Underworld setting was quite literally hell for Helen. I thought the descriptions of it were absolutely perfect and it gave me a chill every time Helen had to go there. She comes across some really scary things and has to endure unimaginable horrors.

Orion is one of my favourite new characters in the series. He’s had a really tough life but he’s still a very positive and upbeat person and becomes Helen’s saviour in the Underworld. The two are linked together from the start and whereas I don’t normally like the guy that becomes the third person in a love triangle, for Orion I’ll make an exception! He’s kind and understanding and pretty irresistible, but of course, Helen is still fighting her feelings for Lucas. I did love all the phone texts which went back and forth between Helen and Orion and the way that even when they weren’t together, thinking about Orion always made Helen feel better.

There definitely isn’t as much Lucas in ‘Dreamless’ which is a shame as I missed his presence in the story. It’s heartbreaking to see him struggle to stay away from Helen when he’s quite obviously head over heels in love with her.

I also enjoyed getting to see the developing relationships between Helen’s friends and the other Scions. I’m a big fan of Claire and Jason and I liked the way he was so protective of her because he was worried that as a ‘human’, she would get hurt.

The plot is fast paced and complex and plunges the reader straight back into the action from the get-go. If I’d had time I would have liked to have re-read ‘Starcrossed’ first to remind myself of everything that had happened previously but saying that, it didn’t take me long to pick up the threads of the story again.

There is a massive cliffhanger at the end which means that I now have another long and impatient wait until the third book is published.

Guest post: Josephine Angelini - Inspirational women

'Starcrossed' by Josephine Angelini is one of my favourite debuts of the year.  It's a divine mix of mythology, romance, mystery and action and is an addictive and compelling read.  It's sure to be a massive summer hit and there are already legions of fans waiting for the next magical installment.

If you haven't read it yet, then don't wait!  Go and pick up a copy now!

If you're a sucker for gorgeous cover art then take a look at these amazing covers for the book.  You will definitely want these prettying up your bookshelves.

'Starcrossed' features some amazing female characters.  There's the incredible Helen Hamilton, the main character of the novel, her best friend and resident badass Claire Aoki, as well as Cassandra and Ariadne, the beautiful and powerful members of the Delos family.  These women are all tough, feisty and independent individuals and stand out as being among some of the best female protagonists I've ever read about.  Josephine herself grew up with seven siblings, six of them sisters and I'm lucky enough to have her here today talking about the amazing women that have influenced her throughout her life.  

So, without further ado, over to Josephine! 

I have a lot of women in my life.  I always have.  I was born the youngest of eight siblings and there's only one boy nestled right in the middle of all of us.  For those of you who don't like to do math while reading (like me) I'll translate.  I have six big sisters, and I do mean big.  I'm 5'9" and I'm the littlest of the bunch. 

We Angelini girls are all tall, and since we're half Italian, we all have a ton of hair.  When you ask most people to list what homey smells bring them back to their youth they usually say things like cookies baking in the oven.  Not me.  My childhood smells like hairspray baking on a curling iron.

And it sounds like Led Zeppelin.  I was the only eight-year old I knew that could recite all the words to "Stairway to Heaven".  That's because my sisters raised me right.  In the morning when I would get up to pee, they would lock me out of the bathroom, turn off the tape recorder (this was the 80's) and make me sing the next line of whatever Led Zeppelin song they happened to be playing at the time in order to get in.  I learned fast.  

I've noticed that people comment a lot about my female characters, saying that I write strong women.  There's a very simple explanation for why I do this, one very near and dear to me.  My sisters would pummel the daylights out of me if I wrote a weak one.

Of course, now that we're all grown-ups and pretty much civilized, the pummeling isn't physical.  It's much, much worse.  It's "the look".  There's nothing like six girls, all raised ultra Catholic, to shame the pants off someone.  Get them all in the same room - giving "the look" together - and I'm pretty sure they could glare a perfectly healthy person to death.

I'm no dummy.  I know my sisters have a very good reason for forcing me to respect women on the whole.  it's because they want me to contribute to a world where women are valued as much as men.  They want me to dig a little deeper and question the way women in our society are treated and demand better for the future.  They love me with all their hearts, and they want me to respect myself as a woman. 

I write strong women because I love and respect the strong women in my life. 

I write strong women because my sisters raised me right.   

Trailer: Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini

'Starcrossed' by Josephine Angelini hits shelves in the UK today.  Yay!  I read this book a few weeks back and loved it.  You can read my review here  

 

How do you defy destiny?

 

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

 

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

To celebrate, here's the amazing UK book trailer for 'Starcrossed' which is sure to have you rushing out to get hold of one of this summer's biggest hits.

Review: Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini, published by Macmillan on 3rd June 2011 

Goodreads synopsis:
Set on the island of Nantucket, Starcrossed tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

Review:
Want a book which combines elements of mythology with a sizzling hot romance?  Want a book with a stunning plot and fabulous characters?  If the answer to both is yes, then look no further than 'Starcrossed' by Josephine Angelini.

The story centres on Helen Hamilton who lives on the small island of Nantucket.  She's painfully shy and doesn't have many friends except for her loyal sidekick Claire.  For as long as she can remember it's just been her and her father ans she's happy with things that way.  Everything changes when the Delos family arrive on the island and Helen finds herself experiencing overwhelming feelings of hatred towards Lucas Delos; feelings that she can't explain and can't resist.  As the two are drawn towards each other Helen eventually discovers the secret surrounding the Delos family and as everyone knows, there's a fine love between love and hate.

I really loved the whole concept of 'Starcrossed'.  Angelini has interwoven elements of Greek tragedy into the story which is a spin on the classic tale of Helen (the face that launched a thousand ships) and Paris of Troy.  I'm a big fan of the classics and Greek and Roman tragedies so this really appealed to me.  There are further similarities with the famous starcrossed lovers of  Romeo and Juliet, with Helen and Lucas desperate to be together but afraid of starting a war if they give into their feelings for each other.  However, although the book reminded me of elements of other stories, it's also totally unique and unlike anything else I've read in the YA paranormal romance genre.  It's incredibly intelligent and clever which means that you do have to follow the plot carefully as there are quite a lot of different plot threads combined and a hefty back story to understand.

Although I found that the story started off a little slow in the first few chapters, it soon picked up the pace, so it's worth persevering if you find it difficult to get into at the start.  The ending blew me away and concluded with such a big cliffhanger.  Josephine Angelini certainly knows how to leave you in suspense!   

This is the first book in a trilogy and I can't wait for more!  I have a feeling that I'm going to get absolutely addicted to this series.  'Starcrossed' is going to appeal to a wide-audience of readers as the book contains something for everyone.  Action, mystery, romance and an intriguing and gripping plot are all combined to make this one of the hits of the year.

Visit Josephine at: http://www.josephineangelini.com/ or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/josieangelini