Showing posts with label Cassandra Clare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cassandra Clare. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday - 3.9.16


I'm waiting for...

Lady Midnight
(Book #1 of The Dark Artifices)
by Cassandra Clare
-Fantasy, YA
Release date: March 8, 2016
Amazon | Goodreads | Excerpt

The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?



=====> The print book just came out. BUT I really want to get the audio version (available March 15, 2016). BECAUSE it is read by actress, Morena Baccarin! Morena was most recently in the film, Deadpool (currently in theatres). I loved her in the tv series, Firefly.



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* Waiting on Wednesday is sponsored by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

* image source: Morena

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't/Want To Read

Top Ten Tuesday
meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish -details

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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February 3: Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't/Want To Read From X Genre (for example I feel like I'm pretty well read in contemporary YA but there are some STAPLES I can't believe I haven't read. Or if you just want to list books you WANT to read in a particular genre..not necessarily long overdue)

~*~

I selected books that are the first book in a YA series that I have been meaning to get to.

Perhaps this will be the year I finally get these books out of the TBR/wish list pile and onto my nightstand.

Avalon
by Mindee Arnett
Amazon | Goodreads

Clockwork Angel
by Cassandra Clare
Amazon | Goodreads

Half Bad
by Sally Green
Amazon | Goodreads

The Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
Amazon | Goodreads

Legend
by Marie Lu
Amazon | Goodreads

Red Rising
by Pierce Brown
Amazon | Goodreads

Throne of Glass
by Sarah J. Maas
Amazon | Goodreads

The Girl in the Steel Corset
by Kady Cross
Amazon | Goodreads

The Madman's Daughter
by Megan Shepherd
Amazon | Goodreads

Vicious
by V.E. Schwab
Amazon | Goodreads

Thursday, June 16, 2011

clockpunk pt2


clockpunk:
here are my picks that incorporate springs and clockwork that follow the definition more loosely

Authors include:

The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man:
(Burton & Swinburne In)
by Mark Hodder

It is 1862, though not the 1862 it should be...
Time has been altered, and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the king's agent, is one of the few people who know that the world is now careening along a very different course from that which Destiny intended.

When a clockwork-powered man of brass is found abandoned in Trafalgar Square, Burton and his assistant, the wayward poet Algernon Swinburne, find themselves on the trail of the stolen Garnier Collection—black diamonds rumored to be fragments of the Lemurian Eye of Naga, a meteorite that fell to Earth in prehistoric times.

His investigation leads to involvement with the media sensation of the age: the Tichborne Claimant, a man who insists that he's the long lost heir to the cursed Tichborne estate. Monstrous, bloated, and monosyllabic, he's not the aristocratic Sir Roger Tichborne known to everyone, yet the working classes come out in force to support him. They are soon rioting through the streets of London, as mysterious steam wraiths incite all-out class warfare.

From a haunted mansion to the Bedlam madhouse, from South America to Australia, from seances to a secret labyrinth, Burton struggles with shadowy opponents and his own inner demons, meeting along the way the philosopher Herbert Spencer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Florence Nightingale, and Charles Doyle (father of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).

Can the king's agent expose a plot that threatens to rip the British Empire apart, leading to an international conflict the like of which the world has never seen? And what part does the clockwork man have to play?

Burton and Swinburne's second adventure—The Clockwork Man Of Trafalgar Square—is filled with eccentric steam-driven technology, grotesque characters, and a deepening mystery that pushes forward the three-volume story arc begun in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack.

The Brimstone Key
Grey Griffins: The Clockwork Chronicles #1:
by Derek Benz and Jon S. Lewis

A brand new adventure starring The Grey Griffins!
Max---the leader
Natalia---the brains
Ernie---the changeling
Harley---the muscle

A year ago, the Grey Griffins were just regular kids from Avalon, Minnesota. That was before they learned about the existence of evil fairies, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. Now they are monster-hunters, celebrated heroes, and allies to the legendary Templar knights---but even heroes have to go to school.

When the Griffins enroll at Iron Bridge Academy, a school to train young recruits in the fight against the forces of evil, they find themselves at the center of a whole new adventure. The Clockwork King, a Templar foe from days past, has returned to finish the plan he set in motion decades ago. A plot to steal the souls of changelings---humans infused with fairy blood and supernatural abilities---in order to power his army of clockwork war machines.

In The Brimstone Key, authors Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis deftly blend the mystical wonder of steampunk with magic and adventure to create an action-packed thrill ride.

Clockwork Prince
(Infernal Devices)
by Cassandra Clare
Release date: December 2011

The situation at the London Institute has never been more precarious. With Mortmain and his clockwork army still threatening, the Council wants to strip Charlotte of her power and hand the running of the Enclave over to the unscrupulous and power-hungry Benedict Lightwood.

In the hope of saving Charlotte and the Institute, Will, Jem, and Tessa set out to unravel the secrets of Mortmain’s past—and discover unsettling Shadowhunter connections that hold the key not only to the enemy’s motivations, but also to the secret of Tessa’s identity. Tessa, already caught between the affections of Will and Jem, finds herself with another choice to make when she learns how the Shadowhunters helped make her a “monster.” Will she turn from them to her brother, Nate, who has been begging her to join him at Mortmain’s side? Where will her loyalties—and love—lie? Tessa alone can choose to save the Shadowhunters of London…or end them forever.

The Clockwork Three
by Matthew J. Kirby

An enchanted green violin, an automaton that comes to life, and a hidden treasure . . . THE CLOCKWORK THREE is a richly woven adventure story that is sure to become a classic!
Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician from Italy, who was sold by his uncle to work as a slave for an evil padrone in the U.S. But when a mysterious green violin enters his life he begins to imagine a life of freedom.

Hannah is a soft-hearted, strong-willed girl from the tenements, who supports her family as a hotel maid when tragedy strikes and her father can no longer work. She learns about a hidden treasure, which she knows will save her family -- if she can find it.

And Frederick, the talented and intense clockmaker's apprentice, seeks to learn the truth about his mother while trying to forget the nightmares of the orphanage where she left him. He is determined to build an automaton and enter the clockmakers' guild -- if only he can create a working head.

Together, the three discover they have phenomenal power when they team up as friends, and that they can overcome even the darkest of fears.

~*~

* Let me know in comments which of the books above captures your interest.

* image source

-=+ other punk schedule +=-


Saturday, July 17, 2010

SteamBoyz: Lovelace device


Incoming transmission...

To: Crew and Passengers of Tiny Bubble
From: vvb, Society headquarters

YA steampunk heading our way in August...

Clockwork Angel
The Infernal Devices, Book 1
by Cassandra Clare

Release date: August 31, 2010

Description from the amazon:
Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.


Jem: Brought up in the Institute in Shanghai, Jem's parents were killed by a demon who allowed Jem to live—but with a terrible price to be paid. Frail and silver-haired, Jem seems an unlikely demon-killer, but his skills and swift intelligence make him a formidable foe. He finds a kindred spirit in Tessa as both of them feel they are torn between two worlds, neither belonging completely to one or to the other. As Jem's affection for her grows, will Will have to hurt the only person in his life he's ever seemed to care about?

Read about the other characters at the author's site.

View more of Val Freire's book artwork here.

Peekabook: Cassandra reads from Clockwork Angel



*** Steampunk book giveaway ***

Signup to win this book here or at Cecelia Bedelia's (if you haven't already).

::= SteamBoyz schedule =::


Monday, June 1, 2009

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare


City of Ashes
by Cassandra Clare
Genre: Supernatural
Published: 2008
Hardback: 464 pages
Rating: 4

Inspiration: book 2 of series

Description from Simon and Schuster's site (you can hear an excerpt here too):

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

My thoughts:
In-a-word: Runes-speak
As with the second book in trilogy series, you're in for more action, more character development and a cliffhanger ending. The book did well in describing and pulling me into the Shadowhunter world. Also, the hints of Jace's true lineage is enough for me to pursue book 3.

The Mortal Instruments Series:
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass

Friday, April 17, 2009

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare


City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Genre: Supernatural
Published: 2007
Paperback: 485 pages
Rating: 4

Inspiration: release of City of Glass (book 3 of the series)

Description from book:
Suddenly able to see demons and the Shadowhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.

My thoughts:
In-a-word: reunion
Being the first in a series this book does a great job of drawing the reader into its world. It is filled with action, betrayal, love, good, evil, twists and turns. What I enjoyed the most from the book is the engaging dialogue sequences. By the end of the book, you'll find yourself screaming for more. On to book two...

The Mortal Instruments Series:
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
 
Imagination Designs
Images from: Lovelytocu