The Little Reapers

A Dance with Darkness Cover Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:34:00 +0000

guys, guys, GUUUUYS.

Title: A Dance with Darkness

Author: Courtney Allison Moulton

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release date: January 2, 2013

At the end of the fourteenth century, angelic reapers struggle to defend London against a legion of the demonic who have their sights set on claiming human souls and ancient relics for a dark purpose. Madeleine, a young but powerful warrior, is duty-bound to fight the demonic, and she lives for this pursuit above all else. Then, on a routine night of tracking, she is ambushed by a cadre of reapers and, though she defeats them all, she is left wounded and at the mercy of their lord, the notorious Bastian.

Madeleine is astonished when Bastian lets her live. She goes deeper into the world of the demonic and is shocked to meet him again-this powerful reaper whose touch makes her restless and gives her a thrill unlike anything else. When they fall into a dangerous clandestine affair, her head and her heart must wage their war: can their love overcome his demonic nature? Will her dance with darkness burn her or bring Bastian into the light?

With scorching romance and fantastic action, this original novella is a prequel to Courtney Allison Moulton's gripping and epic Angelfire series.

Pre-order: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Amazon UK | iTunes | eBooks.com
Oh my gosh. Major freaking out just occurred. I love it so crazed and I cannot wait to read this one! Actually, I just can't wait to read more about Bastian because in the Angelfire series he's so bad ass that I just want to know more! And hello, Madeleine sounds so fierce that I can't wait to meet her!

Courtney Allison Moulton on the cover:

Isn't it cool? It perfectly demonstrates the dark atmosphere of this book and I love how the red sunset bleeds into the night sky. It's so Madeleine and Bastian! Don't miss this prequel out January 2, 2013!

What do you guys think?! Are you guys loving the cover? What are your feels? Let me know while... I freak the freak out! ;)

Don't forget to enter to win a galley of Shadows of the Silence!

The Angelfire Prequel Novella: A Dance with Darkness

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Title: A Dance with Darkness
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release date: January 2, 2013

There were shadows in this alley that no light touched, and where there was no light, anything could hide.

At the end of the fourteenth century, angelic reapers struggle to defend London against a legion of the demonic who have their sights set on claiming human souls and ancient relics for a dark purpose. Madeleine, a young but powerful warrior, is duty-bound to fight the demonic, and she lives for this pursuit above all else. Then, on a routine night of tracking, she is ambushed by a cadre of reapers and, though she defeats them all, she is left wounded and at the mercy of their lord, the notorious Bastian.

Madeleine is astonished when Bastian lets her live. She goes deeper into the world of the demonic and is shocked to meet him again-this powerful reaper whose touch makes her restless and gives her a thrill unlike anything else. When they fall into a dangerous clandestine affair, her head and her heart must wage their war: can their love overcome his demonic nature? Will her dance with darkness burn her or bring Bastian into the light?

With scorching romance and fantastic action, this original novella is a prequel to Courtney Allison Moulton's gripping and epic Angelfire series.

Pre-order now: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Amazon UK | iTunes | eBooks.com

Courtney Allison Moulton on A Dance with Darkness:

I know, right? It has been excruciating to keep this a secret. I've said before how much I'd love to tell Madeleine's and Bastian's story, and I'm still jumping for joy to know my amazing publisher HarperCollins is as excited as I am. ADWD is dark - very dark - and more adult than my other books. It's also blisteringly sexy, so sexy that I'm pretty surprised I got away with this. But it's also heart-wrenching, and if you've read my previous books then you know what becomes of these characters in the end. While ADWD stands on its own quite well, those who have read my previous books will appreciate this story even more.

I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed writing from Madeleine's perspective and I totally have a girl crush on her now. She is badass through and through, and probably the strongest character I've ever written. She's so smart and resourceful - not to mention a little fireball of asskickery - but she learns when to take what she wants and when to make sacrifices for the good of others. Without being too spoilery, her son is a main character in the Angelfire series, and they are so much alike. There are very subtle things here and there that I think may make readers smile, thinking of him. Madeleine lives for battle and for heart-pounding thrills - the most of which she finds in Bastian. Talk about a forbidden affair.

Read the rest of CAM's post here. | CAM's book release dates.

Don't forget to enter to win a galley of Shadows of the Silence!

Shadows in the Silence Teasers + Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 22:00:00 +0000

*wipes away cobwebs and dust bunnies* Whew, has it been a while or what? Lately, CAM's been posting a ton of Shadows in the Silence teasers on her Facebook and her Twitter that I decided, why not post them all here in one place for the fans? Plus, I've got a treat for all of you!

And here's a super awesome teaser picture from the Shadows in the Silence trailer shoot.

Eep, the red hair, the Khopesh swords, and the boy.

Giveaway Deets:

MUST HAVE READ ANGELFIRE AND/OR WINGS OF THE WICKED TO ENTER.

MUST ANSWER QUESTION BY LEAVING A BLOG POST COMMENT.

1. One entry per household.

2. There will be one winner.

3. You must be 13 or older.

4. Giveaway is open to United States, only.

5. Contest ends at 9:01 p.m. Pacific on Friday, November 23, 2012.

6. Winners will be chosen by Random.org through Rafflecopter and announced on November 24th in this post.

7. Winners will have 48 hours after notification to respond.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reap the Tease #1

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Every week, I'll post a teaser from Angelfire, Wings of the Wicked, or Shadows in the Silence as we count down the months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds to Shadows's release.

The wait until the next book releases in a series always kills so in my attempt to lessen the wait, I'll post snippets of Shadows to ease the hunger or...make it worse. ;) I'll also post lines from the first two books as well to remind ourselves why we love this series as much as we do.

"It's never too late to start over," he mused. "After eight hundred years, this dog can still learn new tricks."

That made me smile a little, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "I wish the same had been true for Bastian. There had to have been something good in him." I remembered what he had said to Will—that he loved Will's mother, Madeleine. If he could love, could feel true love, then there was hope that he could've changed. But now it was too late to save him, and considering what could have been only weighed on my heart even more.

REMINDER: Enter to win an ARC of Shadows in the Silence. Ends 9/30

Shadows in the Silence Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:50:00 +0000

The Little Reapers has been relatively quiet, hasn't it? Well, it is back with a couple of things. For one, today's giveaway--woot! Also, starting next week, twice a week, I'll be posting little teaser lines, paragraphs, etc. from the whole trilogy leading up to the release of Shadows.

I am still bummed that it's going to be over already but I guess, like Dr. Seuss once said:

So I have finally come to terms with it and am now ready to say bye to quite possibly my most favorite characters ever! Just to celebrate you guys being such huge fans of the series and reading The Little Reapers, here's a giveaway for all of you!

The Deets:

-Leave a comment, answering this question: If you were able to write the tagline for Shadows, what would it be?
- Must be 13 years or older to enter.
- Winner(s) have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.
- Open to US only.
- Giveaway ends Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 12:01am EST.
- Winner will be announced on Monday, October 1st, 2012.
- Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Angelfire Trivia

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Here's a little trivia quiz I put together to test how well you think you know Angelfire. BWAHA! ;)

Take the quiz and see how many you don't get stuck on! It's just for fun and at the end of...however many days, I'll post the most missed, more correct, etc.

Have fun and good luck!

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Shadows in the Silence Jacket Description + A Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Finally, after anxiously waiting for the jacket description of Shadows in the Silence, we now have it to share with everyone! But let me first warn everyone that it is extremely SPOILERY. As spoilery as spoilery can get. SO, if you haven't read book one and even book two, you might not want to read what is going to go down in Shadows!

Also, I am so giddy to announce that today, The Little Reapers will be giving away the very first ARC of Shadows in the Silence--eep! Can you hear my excitement!? I can hardly contain myself! So, stick around because you do not want to miss it! No way, Jose! ;)) And now, without further ado...

Title: Shadows in the Silence

Author: Courtney Allison Moulton

Publisher: HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: January 31st, 2013

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.

RIGHT!? Seriously, CAM is bringing the epic in Shadows in the Silence! I am dying to read it already; the wait is going to kill me so bad! What do all of you think of that!? Any ideas about what might be happening!? I know a lot of people will die, the world will come close to being no more, and more people will die! LOL :))

Onto how all of you can win a copy of this epic conclusion to the Angelfire trilogy! Shadows in the Silence is the third and final book to this series so I want to be absolutely positive that you'll want to read it ASAP--right when it comes in through the mail. So, because of that, you must have read book one, Angelfire!

The Deets:

- Must be 13 years or older to enter.
- Winner(s) have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.
- Open to US only.
- Giveaway ends Friday, August 31st, 2012 at 12:01am EST.
- Winner will be announced on Saturday, September 1st, 2012.
- TAKE THE ANGELFIRE TRIVIA
- Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, don't forget that TLR is hosting another giveaway of a signed, personalized set of Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked that will be ending on August 1st! Don't miss out on it!

Giveaway: A signed set of Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

This concludes our fifth week for the debut of TLR! I hope you guys are still sticking around! What are some of your guys' favorite guest posts? If you guys haven't read the books yet, I hope that during this debut, you guys get excited enough to go pick 'em up and read 'em!

Another big round of applause to Riv Re for writing up some really great guest posts that I totally enjoyed reading! Thank you so, so, so, so much for taking part in The Little Reapers's launch!

Riv Re's blog posts that were featured on TLR this week:
Monday: Riv Re's Reviews
Tuesday: Riv Re's Favorites
Wednesday: Riv Re's Movie Cast
Thursday: Riv Re's Theories
Friday: TLR interviews Riv Re

Hang in there! We have just a few more weeks left of this super long launch, haha! Normally, they're only a week long but this launch is like...two months long, lol, so bear with me!

Just like the last two giveaways, Courtney Allison Moulton will be signing and personalizing a set of Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked to one really lucky person. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter widget below.

Details:
- Must be 13 years or older to enter.
- Winner(s) have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.
- Open to US only.
- Giveaway ends Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 at 12:01am EST.
- Winner will be announced on Wednesday, August 1st, 2012.

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TLR Fan Feature (25): Interview with the Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today's post features TLR's fan interview with Riv Re.

About Riv Re:

Riv Re has been blogging about books for over two year, but she's been cracking lame jokes for a lifetime, which, if you ask anyone who's ever met her, is a lifetime too long. She enjoys avoiding her mounds of homework by writing, daydreaming faeries (she's convinced she is one), and pretending she's a real New Yorker with a Newsies accent. She passes her free time looking at pictures of Pomeranian puppies, staring into space, and researching ancient weaponry. Riv tries to be angsty, but she's just an eccentric younger teen.

Find Riv Re Online: Blog

TLR: In one word, describe Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked (if you’ve read it).
RR: Mind-blowing.

TLR: If you could trade places with any of the characters from the book(s), who would you choose? Why?
RR: It would have to be Ellie. Yeah, there's the whole Preliator thing, but there's also Will. And Cadan.

TLR: What are three things you loved about Angelfire and/or Wings of the Wicked?
RR: Wings of the Wicked had this insane emotional roller coaster thing going on, which is a favorite of mine. All of the characters are put in really intense situations; they're limits are tested and then passed, making them all stronger. And the top reason: There's more Cadan.

TLR: If you were Ellie, how would you have reacted the first time you saw a Reaper?
RR: "I can call flaming swords into existence whenever I want? Look at that hilt. And the balance...Oh HAI it's a big scary thing. Sorry, could you hold on just a minute? These blades are amazing. That gut-hook! *swoon* Okay, Mr. Reaper. I'm ready to fight now, with my awesomesauce new knives."

TLR: If you went out to hunt with Will, what would your outfit look like?
RR: Saying it's a cold night, I'll have on Skechers, leggings, a short black skirt (love skirts), a t-shirt, and a hoodie (zip-up on slightly warmer nights). I'll be breaking out in a sweat soon enough.

TLR: How would you spend your life in the 500 year time span that Will waited for Ellie to reincarnate?
RR: This is easy. I'd write! And tour the world! And collect random things that I can sell for millions in a few centuries.

TLR: Besides swords, what other weapon would you choose to use to fight/kill reapers with?
RR: I'm assuming that "sword" means "all sharp metal shiny objects like daggers," so my answer is a crossbow. I like longbows better, but they'd be a pain to carry around in a hand-to-hand battle. Like, if I were to roll, a bow would make a deathly sickening (that made no sense whatsoever) crack, while I could just tuck a crossbow against my chest. I'll hit those baddies right in the neck. Or eye. Or heart. Or something.

TLR: If you had just found out that you were the Preliator, how would you have reacted?
RR: "I'm a Prelia-what-now? Like, I go to high school during the day, and fight reapers at night? I feel like Teen Batman! Fighting teachers during the day, and soaring through the streets of Gotham at night to fight crime...except my petty criminals are body-eating, soul-stealing mutated creatures of the Underworld.

TLR: If you could possess one superpower, what would it be?
RR: Definitely mind-reading. It's just so...useful.

This or That: Angelfire Edition

TLR: Nathaniel or Marcus?
RR: Cadan.

TLR: Hair up or hair down?
RR: Up, I have terrible hair.

TLR: Green or blue?
RR: Green-SLYTHERIN

TLR: Winter or Summer?
RR: Spring....*pause* Fine, summer.

TLR: Merodach or Kaelno?
RR: Cadan

TLR: Angelfire or Wings of the Wicked?
RR: Wings of the Wicked!

TLR Fan Feature (24): Theories About Shadows in the Silence

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today's post is all about Shadows in the Silence, the final book to the Angelfire series. Riv Re shares with us what she thinks of the cover and the title.

About Riv Re:

Riv Re has been blogging about books for over two year, but she's been cracking lame jokes for a lifetime, which, if you ask anyone who's ever met her, is a lifetime too long. She enjoys avoiding her mounds of homework by writing, daydreaming faeries (she's convinced she is one), and pretending she's a real New Yorker with a Newsies accent. She passes her free time looking at pictures of Pomeranian puppies, staring into space, and researching ancient weaponry. Riv tries to be angsty, but she's just an eccentric younger teen.

Find Riv Re Online: Blog

Hey y'all,

I'm back, as you can seen. I've got you trapped here for another day! *cackles* And now I get to totally fangirl over this cover in front of all of you, and no one can stop me except Momo!! *cackles* *cackles* *cough* *hack*

Ahem. I'm better now. I mean, I can't choke before I get to this cover, it's too cool!

Seriously.

The Shadows in the Silence cover? Absolutely EPIC. (I warned you that I say "epic" a lot.)

First, a refresher of the first two covers:

And now....

Absolutely gorgeous, right?

So. Onto my thoughts, very neatly and efficiently organized with bullet points and hysterical ~~rambles~~ commentary:

The clothes. I'm a girl, so some sort of social stigma or something says that the first thing I have to comment on is Ellie's outfit. But, just this once, I will bow down to societal conformism (yes, that's a word, I Googled it!) because that shirt is so cute and American Apparel told me that if I advertised that top and those boots (those boots!!) they'd give me a gift card. (Wait. I wasn't supposed to tell the readers about that? It's not payment, it's just a "gift"? Oh, whoops! Forget all about that, readership!)
The sword. Because I'm a sword kind of girl. Ellie's Khopesh have been captivating me for two books now, and supposedly they're in the HarperCollins building in Manhattan right now. (I asked Courtney if I could break in and steal them--maybe nab a Crown of Embers ARC on my way out--but supposedly, and I quote, that place "is built like Fort Knox.")
The color. My favorite color is green. (And yes, the Sorting Hat does sort you according to favorite color. My favorite color used to be blue, and I had myself convinced I was a Ravenclaw. But then my allegiance switched to green, and guess where the Pottermore sorting hat put me? Yup, SLYTHERIN! And yeah, we're epic.)
The text. I absolutely loathe when fonts change between books. But these all match perfectly! I love the little thingy-thingy over all the i's.
The scenery. Because who doesn't love the woods?*
The stance. Ladies and gents, we have a female model on the cover in a full-body shot, and she is NOT displaying her assets! (except for that gorgeous hair.) WIN!
The only flaw. Yes, this cover has one tiny flaw, something you wouldn't really notice at first, because you're overwhelmed by the epicosity. But, although I love that the model is facing forward-ish, I don't like the face so much. I loved the obscurity of Ellie, picturing her in my mind, having those side-views on the first two books. BUT, the #sadness is still outweighed by the #epicness.
The flaps. Yeah, I know you can't see them on this picture, but Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked both had these absolutely epic side flaps (or whatever they're called). They were a gorgeous grey and blue, and they looked like wings. And I'm going to assume that we're going to have beautiful dark green wings here as well. And, well, I'm psyched for that tiny little detail.

And now, let's see all three covers next to each other!

I think I just died.

Peace,

Riv

*okay, so some people don't love the woods so much, and there are things majorly wrong with them.

TLR Fan Feature (23): Movie Cast for the Angelfire Series

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today, Riv Re is here with us again as she shares with us who she thinks the perfect actors and actresses are to play CAM's characters if the Angelfire series ever became a movie!

About Riv Re:

Riv Re has been blogging about books for over two year, but she's been cracking lame jokes for a lifetime, which, if you ask anyone who's ever met her, is a lifetime too long. She enjoys avoiding her mounds of homework by writing, daydreaming faeries (she's convinced she is one), and pretending she's a real New Yorker with a Newsies accent. She passes her free time looking at pictures of Pomeranian puppies, staring into space, and researching ancient weaponry. Riv tries to be angsty, but she's just an eccentric younger teen.

Find Riv Re Online: Blog

Yeah, Angelfire isn't being optioned for a movie. Yet.

But I take every opportunity open to me to stare at pictures of hot actors, so behold my dream cast if Angelfire would be turned into a movie. Yeah, they'd all need weird green contacts so we could CGI their irises and make them blaze prettily.

BUT, I risked swooning. All for YOU. Yes, YOU. No, not you, YOU. So you should be thanking me for putting my health at risk (that's not grammatically correct, is it?) for you all. And I did swoon a few times.

So...

Warning: I have minimal knowledge of young, talented actresses. I mean, the first person that comes to mind is Jennifer Lawrence, the second is Kristin Stewart (and for her I need to stretch the definition of "actress"). Yeah, I don't watch nearly enough movies or TV. Mostly, I stick to my British cinema. (If I could, I'd be casting Benedict Cumberbatch somewhere in this. And DAVID TENNANT. *swoon* But, no, too British.)

So. Onto it!

ELLIE

To embarrass myself, I will go with the obvious. This actress is absolutely adorable, kick-butt and talented. I don't doubt her ability to mimic Ellie's playfulness. Also, she's already pretty good at survival and when she dyes her hair it's nearly impossible to recognize her. (I vaguely remember Regis of "and Kelly" fame calling her a chameleon because of her hair. I really want a chameleon. They're so epic, but they cost, like, 100 bucks.)

Yeah, it's Jennifer Lawrence. Seriously, imagine that girl with red hair. Perfection.

Darn you, Ian. Are you
trying to stop my heart?

WILL

Reaper, vampire, same thing. They live a long time, are super hot, have eyes that darken randomly, and are creepily interested in girls centuries younger than them. (Marcus, I'm looking at you!) There are just some minor differences. For example, vampires sparkle in the sunlight, and reapers sparkle all the time, especially when they're about to kill you. Vampires can get hurt by fire, but reapers are supercool and can only get [permanently] injured by angel- or demon-fire. There's also the whole blood thing, but we're not even going to bother getting into that. Reapers are clearly superior, seeing as they're incredibly epic. But there might be some strange people out there who are still on the fence, and there's only one way to prove the epicosity of reapers. And no, Will is NOT a Hufflepuff*. Ian Somerhalder's most famous portrayal is definitely a Slytherin.

That stare. That spiffy outfit.
That voice.

CADAN

Will and Cadan were by far the hardest to cast. I spent hours pouring over swoon-worthy young actors to find the perfect cast. So refer to the above .gif, because you're welcome. I spent so long on Cadan because I love him, and whoever I pick is half the face of Team Rivdan. I couldn't find any beautiful actors, because people just prefer handsome and "hot." BUT, I was able to find the next best thing for Cadan--the voice. Cadan has that silky voice that makes me swoon hard. And who can do the swoon-voice better than Ed Westwick? No one, that's who.

See! Someone agrees with me!

NATHANIEL

When I went looking for Nathaniel, I saw this actor and stopped. He's absolutely perfect. He's usually in more comedic movies, but it's not super-bad if I cast him in this slightly darker one, right? You know who it is. And as soon as I say his name, you're all going to jump up and down, because there's no better Nathaniel than Michael Cera.

"Alright. I didn't want to

have to do this, but you

leave me no choice.

Here comes the smolder.

BASTIAN

I don't actually remember much about Bastian. All I know is that I would cast the most epic man in the entire universe. Seriously, this dude trash-talked his beard on Youtube. He makes me swoon. Hunting down that link, I rewatched the video, slowly dying as I did. He made me love him, even though his character was ebil. Wes Bentley, BE MINE.

MARCUS

There was not a shadow of a doubt in my mind as to who should play Marcus. He was the first person I cast. I'll give you a hint. He's got a goofy smile, is adorable, and he already has experience killing the...how should we say this?...the supernatural.

Jensen Ackles is 102% Marcus.

THE 'RENTS

For dear old dad, we all know that this actor has a temper to match Mr. Monroe. He could pull off the most adorable, swoon-worthy, New York accent when he musical'ed in the 90s, and he flew around wearing little bat ears for a while, but he's free now.

And Mommy has experience playing supportive side character. She was super-helpful from the late 90's to the early 2000's, taking on beasties as a slayer.

You guessed it! Chistian Bale and Alyson Hannigan. AND they're the same age, which makes up for the major creep factor of Jennifer Lawrence and Ian Somerhalder. Christian is only two months older than Alyson.

WRITER/DIRECTOR

I'm not big on this stuff, but Joss Whedon. That's all I'm going to say. Just: Joss Whedon.

Wow. This post took an obscenely long time. I've spent hours researching (really! research, I promise! Having Google images open with "Jensen Ackles shirtless" was an important part of the process!) these people.

Peace,
Riv

*Scratch that. Will is totally a Hufflepuff. But his actor isn't. Mmm, I love me my Slytherins.

TLR Fan Feature (22): Favorites from the Angelfire Series

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today, Riv Re is here with us again as she shares with us some of her favorites from the world of Angelfire.

About Riv Re:

Riv Re has been blogging about books for over two year, but she's been cracking lame jokes for a lifetime, which, if you ask anyone who's ever met her, is a lifetime too long. She enjoys avoiding her mounds of homework by writing, daydreaming faeries (she's convinced she is one), and pretending she's a real New Yorker with a Newsies accent. She passes her free time looking at pictures of Pomeranian puppies, staring into space, and researching ancient weaponry. Riv tries to be angsty, but she's just an eccentric younger teen.

Find Riv Re Online: Blog

*waves* I'm back, y'all. (Sorry.)

Momo made me promise to keep my Cadan posts PG-13, even though, if my wallpaper (I'm going to leave you guessing about whether I'm talking about my room or my computer) is anything to go by, I'm a little bit obsessed with him.

Sure, Will is adorable. (Prom scene, anyone? I legit squeed.) Nathaniel is lovely. Marcus is...I can't even begin to describe him... And don't get me started on Ellie, but that girl is, suffice to say, epic.

But now I'm here to tell you all about my favorites in these two books.

Favorite character: Cadan. In case you couldn't tell by now. When Ellie first meets him, they're at a Halloween party.

You should know that I nearly swooned hunting this down. The things I do for you...

"He was wearing a white mask that concealed half his face like the Phantom of the Opera. The half of his face I could see was breathtaking. I had never seen any boy so beautiful. His pale gold hair was combed neatly back with only a few escaping wisps, and he wore a black tuxedo beneath a cape...I looked nowhere but up into his eyes, which were the most fiery opalescent hazel I had ever seen, practically inhuman. His dancing was like water, powerful and unyielding, yet fluid and smooth through every movements, like a river following its predetermined course...I wanted to take off his mask to reveal the beauty beneath. We danced until the end of the song, and still he held me to his chest, his mouth curving into a delicious smile........his fiery opal eyes capturing mine. As I stared into them, I could have sworn I saw golden flames flickering in the irises." (Angelfire, hardcover pages 290-292)

There are so many more bits and pieces on Cadan. But if I don't shut up now, I'll go on forever. The most intriguing part about him is how he is so light and yet so dark. That picture over there, of Cadan. I dressed him like that on purpose. Usually, white is associated with good, and black with bad. Cadan is a good guy, he's on Ellie's side. But he's a demonic reaper. Can he really be trusted?

Favorite Quotes: How can I pick? Okay. One from each book, one Will quote and one Cadan quote. That's what I'm restricting myself to.

Angelfire:
“I scowled and stabbed begrudgingly at the stack before scooping up a bite with my fork, but it toppled over and plopped into my lap. I groaned and banged my head on the counter.
Mom frowned, 'You have to be smarter than the pancakes, Ellie.”

WotW:
“Don’t be mad” was the first thing he said. He really was terrified, as if the most frightening reaper on the planet was no scarier than a mouse, and yet put him in a tux and it was the Apocalypse.”

Will:
“I hate... I hate when you die. It destroys me. I know i have no right to be so upset, because I'm not the one losing my life, but it breaks me apart inside. I'm not very good with words, and i dont know how to explain to you how i feel. I get lonely when you aren't with me. I miss you. And every time you die, a little piece of me dies with you.”

And, last but not least, a Cadan quote that stopped my heart.

Cadan:
He tilted his head at me with a silly, adorable smile. "I'll be your Valentine."

Oh Cadan, please be mine.

Favorite Scene: There are so many amazing scenes in these books, but the scene I'm picking is actually a continuation of that Cadan quote. I'm only going to post a small snippet, so you can enjoy it with the book right in your hands. (Unless you read ebooks on your computer, in which case I'll save it so you can at least have some context.)

That sly smile crept back into his sculpted lips. "I meant it when I said I'd be your date. I love parties. We first met at a party. Don't you find that oddly romantic?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Odd, yes. Romantic, no."
He frowned. "That hurts. Really."
"I'm sure you'll survive."
"Speaking of romance," he started, "are you going to tell me about this book you were so engrossed in that you barely even noticed me?"
I gave him a sidelong glance. "You really want to know?"
"I'd like to understand what captivates you," he said. "So that I may aspire to do the same."
"Would you like a little wine to go with all that cheese?" I asked.
"Would you like me better if I were gloomy and morose?" He grinned, his eyes teasing.
"I wouldn't like you very much at all if you were either of those."
He leaned back and lazily put his elbows up on the back of his
chair. "Then what is the appeal of your Guardian? He is quite definitely gloomy and morose."

I'd let Cadan have one point. "Don't you think morose is a little severe?"
"You must agree that is rather moody and glum."
"He's not glum."
His grin widened. "So you admit that he's gloomy and moody."
"I never said that."
"But you don't deny it."
I exhaled in annoyance. "You're obnoxious."
"But at least I'm not morose."
"Will isn't morose."
"Tell me about the book you're reading."
I blinked in surprise. Was he serious? He sat beaming with self-satisfaction. Playing games with my head was apparently hilarious. He was insufferable.
"Please?"
I stared at him. He was serious. "Okay then." (Wings of the Wicked, hardcover pages 131-132)

I'm dying here. And I'm going to sign off before I swoon.

Peace,

Ri--

*swoons*

TLR Fan Feature (21): Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

For this fifth week, I have some super duper awesome posts brought to you by Riv Re from Riv Reads to share with all of you Little Reapers!

About Riv Re:

Riv Re has been blogging about books for over two year, but she's been cracking lame jokes for a lifetime, which, if you ask anyone who's ever met her, is a lifetime too long. She enjoys avoiding her mounds of homework by writing, daydreaming faeries (she's convinced she is one), and pretending she's a real New Yorker with a Newsies accent. She passes her free time looking at pictures of Pomeranian puppies, staring into space, and researching ancient weaponry. Riv tries to be angsty, but she's just an eccentric younger teen.

Find Riv Re Online: Blog

Riv Re's Angelfire Review:

First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

My Thoughts:

This is going to be a weird review. I really liked the book, but I was a bit...disappointed. I expected so much more. I've heard these fantastic, raving reviews, about the awesome action and romance and humor and, of course, Root Beer Float Kisses (as well as peopleburgers). But I wasn't seeing it. And the religiosity towards the end...Wait. Let me back up a bit.

The Characters: Ellie-she was awesome. Absolutely hysterical, strong, with the perfect amount of resistance when she originally finds out who she is. I've read books in which the main character takes this new outlook on life in stride, but not Ellie. She completely refuses to believe it at first, but is finally convinced in a normal span of time. She's such a strong main character, a go-getter not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.

Will-I've always hated the tragic main male characters, coming into the picture with a killer smile and baggage. Now, Will's got these awesome green eyes, which I love, and funky tattoos, but you'll have to read the book to know more about them. I ain't telling. But Will...well, he wasn't that swoonworthy. I'm glad he didn't seem to have as much baggage as I expected, and as much as everyone loves in YA, but he just didn't work for me. Angsty and all, but...meh. He did everything he thought was right, very noble, and he really connected with Ellie, but <3Puck<3 still has my heart. But... Cadan-On the other hand, Cadan, an evil reaper who you only meet for a few minutes, I found more interesting. He seems pretty deep, and I have some other suspicions about him, which I won't share for fear of spoileryness. One thing I loved-hated was the thing with Ellie's dad. He was verbally abusive, and I hated the drastic change from what Ellie said he used to be. And I absolutely love the way Ellie reacts to his abuse. Instead of taking it, she fights back. What did bother me about it, though, was the way his personality changes. Ellie's getting ready for a party, and she sees her father on the way to the bathroom, but instead of avoiding each other, they actually speak. Not deep, or friendly, but more than I expected.

The Fighting: It was pretty impressive, though I really expected more. I love fight scenes, especially well-written ones. And they were well-written, but I didn't feel like they were that good. Maybe I'm just taking them for granted, it's possible CAM spent hours writing and rewriting those scenes, and it's only because they come so naturally to me that I'm being too harsh.

The Writing Style: It was interesting, and took some getting used to. I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of description in the beginning, and everything happened. Don't get me wrong, I love how we were thrown straight into the action, and it's an interesting writing style, but not a favorite.

The Humor: Peopleburgers, root beer float kisses, biffles, and all. They're all so sweet and cute and funny. I mean, come on, Ellie actually said Biffles! And Will likes Root Beer Floats! So cute! And, my favorite, peopleburgers! I'm seriously considering buying a peopleburgers t-shirt (pictured). And she named her car Marshmallow!

The Ending: I felt, in one of the final scenes, it got a bit too religious for me. The same thing happened at the end of Fallen by Lauren Kate. I have no problem with fallen angels, and I love how the fallen aren't the center of this book, but it got iffy for me, personally. But, as self-centered as I am, I know CAM didn't write this for me. ;)

I feel like this whole review is coming across negative, and I really don't want it too, because I really liked this book, and I advise you to go find some more reviews, because they'll all show you just how wrong I am. Because this book is awesomeness, it just...disappointed me a bit.

Overall rating: 4*

Riv Re's Wings of the Wicked Review:

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

My Thoughts:

Hi y'all,

So I already have an Angelfire review over on my blog, but my Wings review was miniaturized, and I can't confine my love to this book is 200-ish words. So you guys are stuck me with me. (Oh, and by the way, I use the word "epic" in this post way more times than I should.)

Wings of the Wicked was absolutely phenomenal. Mind=blown.

Source

CHARACTERS

By this time, we've gotten much more familiar with the characters, and much more attached to them. They're all just amazing and adorable (in Will and Cadan's cases). I'm a total "Wellie" shipper. They're there for each other through thick and thin, balancing each other out perfectly. When tragedy strikes, they present a united front. When Ellie screams and cries, Will holds her. He doesn't let go, even when she gets so mad she tries to hurt him. Their love is, pun intended, undying. And absolutely adorable and sweet. The Wellie scenes are absolutely amazing.

Of course, you can't talk about epic characters in this book without talking about Cadan. He's just...epic. In so many ways. He's witty, charming, devoted, and a smooth-talker that just makes you swoon. He almost makes me Team Callie (yes, I just made that up on the spot), but I'm too firmly stuck in a dream world, where Team Rivdan exists. Just like Lenny Kravitz, as Cinna, had instantly chemistry with every character he shared a scene with (I dare you to watch that movie and not ship Cinniss at least a little bit), Cadan connects deeply to Ellie. Almost enough to make me want a them. Almost.

There are a lot of side characters, like the adorable Nathaniel, the dark Ava, and Marcus who's just...Marcus. I could go on and on, but I loved them all.

OTHER STUFF

Source

The plot was insane. The fight scenes were epic. They were decent in the first book, but Courtney has really stepped it up since Angelfire. They're thrilling, nail-biting. The entire book moved so fast, if this was a movie, I would have missed major things each time I blinked. (But on the topic, Angelfire would make a pretty epic movie.) This book is also much more mature than Angelfire. A lot of the characters deal with capital-i Issues, and these are, for the most part, dealt with very well.

My only critique I can make is that when Ellie suffered, I didn't feel her pain. Some really bad...stuff...hit the fan, and it practically destroyed Ellie (emotionally. just emotionally), but there was a disconnect, and I didn't feel her agony as much as I wanted to.
The book ends on a killer cliff-hanger.

In summary, I was blown away. And I need book 3, Shadows in the Silence, STAT.

Rating: 8 out of 5 stars
Song I connect to this book: Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (CAM has a Youtube playlist of all of her WotW songs)

TLR Fan Feature (20): Interview with the Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today's post features TLR's fan interview with Gianna.

About Gianna:

-Many of you know me as Gianna around the blogosphere, but that's actually not my real name.
Odd, right? I have a name much much similar to Gianna, but I figured to change it around just for fun. So yes, Gianna is an alias. And now, that you're wondering, my real name is actually Gianne (gee-yan).
-I seriously love books. Well, currently, the YA genre. I'm a lover of fantasy and all its sub-genres. (YA high fantasy? SIGN ME UP!) I also adore mythology of any kinds.
-I love cats so much that I blog about it. Well, I do blog about cats on Tumblr but that's not entirely what my Tumblr is about.
-Anime is my druuug. I'm addicted to anime, and I don't think I can stop it! If you like anime too, we'll be instantly good friends. (Not that we wouldn't be good friends if you didn't like anime.) If you WANT to get started in anime, ask me for some recommendations! I love giving anime recs to people.
-I'm a Twitter freak.
-I'm actually super shy in real life, but once I start talking, I don't stop!
-I'm a teenager. (LE GASP!)
-I LOVE making new friends, especially on Twitter and IRL (in real life).
-I'm currently aspiring to be an author. I'm in the middle of writing something for the YA genre.
-I really like playing Pokemon.
-I'm a Virgo, guys! :) (My birthday is in September.)
-I'm Asian. *-*

Um, well, I've run out of things to say. ._.

Find Gianna Online: Blog | Goodreads | Twitter

TLR: In one word, describe Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked (if you’ve read it).
BtIaB: Amazeballs.

TLR: If you could trade places with any of the characters from the book(s), who would you choose? Why?
BtIaB: Um, obviously, Ellie! She’s a butt kicking heroine who has one insanely adorable and smexy guardian named Will. ♥

TLR: What did you think of Courtney Allison Moulton’s (CAM) twist on the angel mythology?
BtIaB: Can you say UNIIIQUE? The twist on this angel mythology is the bombskies! It’s a completely refreshing, different take on angels and demons. I can’t get enough of it! (In fact, I think Moulton should write a book solely devoted to explaining her awesome take on the angel mythology. That and a book on hot Will x Ellie scenes.)

TLR: What are three things you loved about Angelfire and/or Wings of the Wicked?
BtIaB: Will. Will. Will. Will. (Both Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked.) Oh my goodness. This guy right here is just near perfection. I’m in love with him! ♥ (Sorry, Ellie…)
- The smexy times in Wings of the Wicked. Like seriously, they made Angelfire’s romantic scenes look like a G-Rated Disney movie. (Angelfire had those cutesy, sweet romantic scenes that made me swoon.)
- THE TWISTS AND THOSE HEARTBREAKING SCENES. Goodness gracious. I felt like my heart was going to stop at any moment from those twists. It totally threw me in for a surprise. If that wasn’t enough, Moulton practically stomped on my heart and then proceeded to burn it with a flamethrower during those emotional scenes. The tears would just not STOP.

TLR: What do you think of Bastian?
BtIaB: I think there was more to him than meets the eye, but perhaps that was just me. He still sucks major butt, especially with all the things he did. I wouldn’t be surprised if he kicked kittens for fun.

This or That: Angelfire Edition

TLR: Strawberries or carrots?
BtIaB: Strawberries for sure!

TLR: Nathaniel or Marcus?
BtIaB: I think Nathaniel and I would get along a lot better, but Marcus seems to be calling my name…

TLR: Tennis shoes or sandals?
BtIaB: Sandals!

TLR: Hair up or hair down?
BtIaB: Down.

TLR: Lake or ocean?
BtIaB: The lake.

TLR: Ability to be invisible or read minds?
BtIaB: Tough one. It’d probably be…reading minds!

TLR Fan Feature (19): Theories About Shadows in the Silence

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today's post is all about Shadows in the Silence, the final book to the Angelfire series. Gianna shares with us what she thinks of the cover and the title. Also, she will be sharing with us her theory as to what will be going down in the conclusion to the amazing Angelfire series.

About Gianna:

-Many of you know me as Gianna around the blogosphere, but that's actually not my real name.
Odd, right? I have a name much much similar to Gianna, but I figured to change it around just for fun. So yes, Gianna is an alias. And now, that you're wondering, my real name is actually Gianne (gee-yan).
-I seriously love books. Well, currently, the YA genre. I'm a lover of fantasy and all its sub-genres. (YA high fantasy? SIGN ME UP!) I also adore mythology of any kinds.
-I love cats so much that I blog about it. Well, I do blog about cats on Tumblr but that's not entirely what my Tumblr is about.
-Anime is my druuug. I'm addicted to anime, and I don't think I can stop it! If you like anime too, we'll be instantly good friends. (Not that we wouldn't be good friends if you didn't like anime.) If you WANT to get started in anime, ask me for some recommendations! I love giving anime recs to people.
-I'm a Twitter freak.
-I'm actually super shy in real life, but once I start talking, I don't stop!
-I'm a teenager. (LE GASP!)
-I LOVE making new friends, especially on Twitter and IRL (in real life).
-I'm currently aspiring to be an author. I'm in the middle of writing something for the YA genre.
-I really like playing Pokemon.
-I'm a Virgo, guys! :) (My birthday is in September.)
-I'm Asian. *-*

Um, well, I've run out of things to say. ._.

Find Gianna Online: Blog | Goodreads | Twitter

On June 5, 2012, Moulton revealed the awesomeness which is the cover and TITLE for book three of the Angelfire series! DOUBLE EEEP!

I present to you this epic cover and its title! Honestly, I feel like it has more of this Amazonian battle princess in the vast wild, but it still looks awesome nonetheless.

So, I'm here today to just make my guesses about what will happen in the final conclusion to this amazing series!

Shit is going to go DOWWWNNN!

Final book equals epic conclusion of course! There's going to be more at stake than ever, and I'm pretty sure Ellie will be kicking butt and making some major emotionally, mentally, and/or physically challenging decisions in this book.

Bring me the sexy times!

Angelfire was pure cuteness, Wings of the Wicked definitely had some steamy moments, so naturally, Shadows in the Silence will have even more sexy times! If not, I can settle for just cute Will x Ellie time. <3

"Someone gonna diiiie!"

Horrible use of grammar, right there, I know, but it's true! Moulton, just to crush her readers' hearts until it turns into dust, will kill off a major character. I just know it. I'm mentally preparing myself for the heartaches and sorrow that's bound to come with this book.

And, well, yeah! That's pretty much all of my guesses for Shadows. I seriously cannot wait for this book to come out, but of course, it's going to be released in 2013. </3 I still have a lot of waiting to go!

TLR Fan Feature (18): The Battle for Ellie's Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

CAM has stated various times that there is no love triangle in the Angelfire series. But even with that said, you can't help but root for Will and/or Cadan. So, in the battle for Ellie's heart, who do you see her ending up with? Will or Cadan? Who do you want her to end up with? Today, Gianna takes a stand on the guy she's rooting for for Ellie.

About Gianna:

-Many of you know me as Gianna around the blogosphere, but that's actually not my real name.
Odd, right? I have a name much much similar to Gianna, but I figured to change it around just for fun. So yes, Gianna is an alias. And now, that you're wondering, my real name is actually Gianne (gee-yan).
-I seriously love books. Well, currently, the YA genre. I'm a lover of fantasy and all its sub-genres. (YA high fantasy? SIGN ME UP!) I also adore mythology of any kinds.
-I love cats so much that I blog about it. Well, I do blog about cats on Tumblr but that's not entirely what my Tumblr is about.
-Anime is my druuug. I'm addicted to anime, and I don't think I can stop it! If you like anime too, we'll be instantly good friends. (Not that we wouldn't be good friends if you didn't like anime.) If you WANT to get started in anime, ask me for some recommendations! I love giving anime recs to people.
-I'm a Twitter freak.
-I'm actually super shy in real life, but once I start talking, I don't stop!
-I'm a teenager. (LE GASP!)
-I LOVE making new friends, especially on Twitter and IRL (in real life).
-I'm currently aspiring to be an author. I'm in the middle of writing something for the YA genre.
-I really like playing Pokemon.
-I'm a Virgo, guys! :) (My birthday is in September.)
-I'm Asian. *-*

Um, well, I've run out of things to say. ._.

Find Gianna Online: Blog | Goodreads | Twitter

Will versus Cadan: The Battle for Ellie's Heart

I AM TEAM WILL all the way, baby! I will admit, Cadan is definitely swoon worthy, but Will beats him by a mile! Does anyone realize how awesome he is?

Why Will Just Wins:

A) Dick moves is not in his arsenal for making Ellie swoon over him.

Okay, well, I think he makes Ellie swoon over him naturally since he is just that good, but not once have I seen him play any jerk moves to Ellie. He's definitely not hot and cold like the usual set of male love interests and their bipolar ways. Even if he is cold to Ellie, he always has a reason and it is always legitimate.

B) Despite the many layers of wanting to just please Ellie like any cute puppy would, there's an underlying sexy beast inside of Will (Oh my God, this sounds so dirty but I swear, no pun intended) and this boy knows HOW TO KISS.

Will is just freakin' seductive when he wants to be. You need proof? Read Wings of the Wicked and check out that kitchen scene with Ellie and him. Caution: major steamy time awaits you! I recommend you bring a fan, it's going to get hot!

C) Wouldn't you want a man who would go out of his way to make you happy?

Well, honey please, going out of his way to ensure Ellie's safety and happiness is his job and his life. Talk about dedicated! <3

I hope those three reasons convince you to be on Team Will just as much as they have convinced me! ♥

Momo here! Normally, I wouldn't step in to interrupt an already super awesome post, but I just wanted to say really quick, before I ruin Gianna's fab post:

Happy Independence Day

To you and yours from The Little Reapers ♥

TLR Fan Feature (17): Favorites from the Angelfire Series

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today, Gianna is here with us again as she shares with us some of her favorites from the world of Angelfire.

About Gianna:

-Many of you know me as Gianna around the blogosphere, but that's actually not my real name.
Odd, right? I have a name much much similar to Gianna, but I figured to change it around just for fun. So yes, Gianna is an alias. And now, that you're wondering, my real name is actually Gianne (gee-yan).
-I seriously love books. Well, currently, the YA genre. I'm a lover of fantasy and all its sub-genres. (YA high fantasy? SIGN ME UP!) I also adore mythology of any kinds.
-I love cats so much that I blog about it. Well, I do blog about cats on Tumblr but that's not entirely what my Tumblr is about.
-Anime is my druuug. I'm addicted to anime, and I don't think I can stop it! If you like anime too, we'll be instantly good friends. (Not that we wouldn't be good friends if you didn't like anime.) If you WANT to get started in anime, ask me for some recommendations! I love giving anime recs to people.
-I'm a Twitter freak.
-I'm actually super shy in real life, but once I start talking, I don't stop!
-I'm a teenager. (LE GASP!)
-I LOVE making new friends, especially on Twitter and IRL (in real life).
-I'm currently aspiring to be an author. I'm in the middle of writing something for the YA genre.
-I really like playing Pokemon.
-I'm a Virgo, guys! :) (My birthday is in September.)
-I'm Asian. *-*

Um, well, I've run out of things to say. ._.

Find Gianna Online: Blog | Goodreads | Twitter

Favorites of the Angelfire Series

Okay, so, the Angelfire series is probably one of my favorite series of all time. So, naturally, I have favorites of my own from this series!

-- FAVORITE CHARACTER --

Okay, shit, well this is most definitely a tough cookie. I have so many favorite characters, it's ridiculous! Cadan, Will, Nathaniel, Ellie, and many more. I'm even digging Marcus. Goodness me.

Just barely, I think Will takes the cake though. Seriously, with all due respect, all the men in the Angelfire series don't come close to Will's awesomeness. He's just the best! The way he's so fiercely protective of Ellie, how gentle and understanding he is with her, how he can kick BUTT, and all those swoon-worthy lines he says to Ellie? This boy is dripping with so much sweetness, he'll give anybody a cavity!

-- FAVORITE SCENES & QUOTES--

In Angelfire, the scene that'd have to take the cake would be... none. Why none? Because there's too many to name! Being the romance fanatic that I am, I adored all of the Will x Ellie scenes. Here's a few quotes that got my heart racing (and made me laugh):

“His fingers traced the curve of my shoulder softly, as his gaze fell. I gasped sharply. If he tried to kiss me, I'd slap the crap out of him. Bond or no bond.”

Romantic tension is just OOZING in that scene! I love how Ellie didn't let her emotions take over her logical thinking.

“Ellie, you need to understand," he said softly. "I exist only to serve you and fight by your side. Whether that fighting is to preserve your life or to make sure you smile, that is what I am built to do. You're all I have, and I will watch over you forever.”

Aww, Will! You make me swoon for you! ♥

“He reached forward to cup my cheek, the touch surprising me. 'Please understand that no matter what I am or what has happened in the past, I am yours. I am devoted to you above all else, including my own life.'

I exhaled after holding my breath for what felt like forever. 'That's pretty heavy, Will.'

His expression was impassioned, and the backs of his fingers brushed the side of my neck.

"It is a burden I am glad to carry.”

Will is just like a puppy. An adorable, really sexy puppy. Ew, wait, puppies aren't sexy. Scratch what I just said, he's just adorable. ♥

Okay, just wow. I practically should have just devoted this whole post to Will. BUUUUT, what can I say? He's just that awesome. And before I leave, here's a really badass picture of Will and Ellie.

Will's and Ellie's weapons! ♥

TLR Fan Feature (16): Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:55:00 +0000

For this fourth week, I have some super duper awesome posts brought to you by Gianna from Books to Infinity and Beyond to share with all of you Little Reapers!

About Gianna:

-Many of you know me as Gianna around the blogosphere, but that's actually not my real name.
Odd, right? I have a name much much similar to Gianna, but I figured to change it around just for fun. So yes, Gianna is an alias. And now, that you're wondering, my real name is actually Gianne (gee-yan).
-I seriously love books. Well, currently, the YA genre. I'm a lover of fantasy and all its sub-genres. (YA high fantasy? SIGN ME UP!) I also adore mythology of any kinds.
-I love cats so much that I blog about it. Well, I do blog about cats on Tumblr but that's not entirely what my Tumblr is about.
-Anime is my druuug. I'm addicted to anime, and I don't think I can stop it! If you like anime too, we'll be instantly good friends. (Not that we wouldn't be good friends if you didn't like anime.) If you WANT to get started in anime, ask me for some recommendations! I love giving anime recs to people.
-I'm a Twitter freak.
-I'm actually super shy in real life, but once I start talking, I don't stop!
-I'm a teenager. (LE GASP!)
-I LOVE making new friends, especially on Twitter and IRL (in real life).
-I'm currently aspiring to be an author. I'm in the middle of writing something for the YA genre.
-I really like playing Pokemon.
-I'm a Virgo, guys! :) (My birthday is in September.)
-I'm Asian. *-*

Um, well, I've run out of things to say. ._.

Find Gianna Online: Blog | Goodreads | Twitter

Gianna's Angelfire Review:

First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

My Thoughts:

Dear Courtney,

~~I think I have an author crush on you...~~ I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU (in the way one loves an author).

Now, before you think I'm a stalker and call the cops, please read my reasons as to why I'm so in love with you:

You wrote about a badass heroine named Ellie.

In a lack of better words, she was awesome. I admire you for coming up with someone so strong yet vulnerable... someone so real. Who else has the power to tell a hot guy to eff off? (Okay maybe Ellie didn't say it like that but I don't even have the strength to tell a really, really hot guy to go away!)

Another reason why she's a cool cat? She's not annoying! Oh yes, yes, YES. Hallelujah. I can totally relate to her (not her hunting life though). If I ever met her in real life, I think we have a possibility to be best friends.

Another reason why she's awesome? She can KICK BUTT. Big time. I loved the way you described her inner conflicts when she fought monsters, that incredibly real lack of confidence that nagged at her throughout the book. It just made her all the more real.

You created a really hot guy... that's not a jerk.

I've seen so many love interests in the YA department of paranormal romance that are cocky and smexy. Don't get me wrong, I love them all (in fact, I'd steal them if I could) but it is so rare to find the one guy who's protective, adorable, sexysexysexy, strong, and not a total asshole! Will is perfect in a sense, but his actual character isn't. He's tortured, which I adore, and having inner wars within himself. To me (and Ellie), he's perfect.

Favorite quote from him [Read at your own risk!]:

"Please understand that no matter what I am or what has happened in the past, I am yours. I am devoted to you above all else, including my own life." - page 240 of Angelfire.

Good LORD, how can you not go on a swooning rampage from THAT?

Your writing is just stupendous, and so is the plot!

This story was so much fun to read. The descriptions are vivid and genuine, I felt like I was practically there! You threw some stuff at me that I did not expect, which I most certainly loved however. Unpredictability is best for keeping me and any reader surprised!

I especially loved the conversations throughout this whole book. The witty remarks and banters between Ellie and Will, the girl to girl conversations with Kate and Ellie, Landon and Chris' boy talk, everything was fantastic. In some books, I feel like the author is trying too hard to write like how teens talk but you, Courtney, write like a wizard with mad writing skills. Total love. ♥

Also, thanks for not leaving me hanging that much at the end of the book. The ending was total epitome of badass-ness in all its glory.

To sum up how I felt about your book...

Gianna's Wings of the Wicked Review:

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

My Thoughts:

Guys, breaking news, Courtney is now officially one of my all-time favorite authors. She amazed me with Angelfire but with Wings of the Wicked, she blew me away! It was fantastic in every aspect: the heart-pounding fights, the sizzling romance (Oh good God was it hot), those jaw-dropping twists, and the brilliant cast of characters.

The plot was just so good, up to the point where it's just indescribable. There were some very dark, emotional scenes in this book that you do not see coming. I don't want to spoil anything but in one word, it was heartbreaking. I didn't realize that by the time I finished one of the chapters, tears were pouring out of my eyes. Worry not though, this book wasn't all doom and gloom. It had some light hearted moments which I really enjoyed.

In Wings, I must admit that the romance was probably one of my favorite parts. After reading Angelfire and seeing the sweet, innocent love between Will and Ellie, I was so shocked that the romance in Wings was anything but that! Not that it wasn't sweet and heartfelt, it was just a lot more steamier and appealed more to my...let's say "bad side" of me. ;)

Jokes aside, the relationship between Ellie and Will is just so adorable. It only strengthens and deepens in this novel, and it never ceases to make me squeal with giddiness when Will just does...anything! He's devoted to the girl he loves and is determined to make her happy whenever he can, he's the perfect guy! (Plus, he's oh so very sexy when he tries.)

Warning though, the ending may kill you. With a cliffhanger ending like this, I was ripping my hairs out! I'm still dying to know what's going to happen next, but I guess I'll have to wait till early 2013. :( That's right, you heard me. EARLY 2013. I think Courtney's trying to indirectly kill her fans here.

Heed my advice: If you haven't read Angelfire, you should because it's just that good (in fact, read my review). If you have read Angelfire and thought it was so-so, read Wings and you will be stunned. If you have read Angelfire and thought it was great, then why the heck have you not picked up a copy of Wings?! Buy a copy immediately!

Giveaway Winner #2: A signed set of Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 08:05:00 +0000

The winner of the second giveaway for a signed set of Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked is...

LAUREN G. || Original post where winner is announced.

She has been emailed and notified and I have already received a response! But have no fear, little reapers! There's another giveaway on right here.

Lots of good luck to all of you!

Giveaway: A signed set of Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000

This concludes our third week for the debut of TLR! I hope you guys are still sticking around! What are some of your guys' favorite guest posts? If you guys haven't read the books yet, I hope that during this debut, you guys get excited enough to go pick 'em up and read 'em!

Another big round of applause to Nicole for writing up some really great guest posts that I totally enjoyed reading! Thank you so, so, so, so much for taking part in The Little Reapers's launch!

Nicole's blog posts that were featured on TLR this week:
Monday: Nicole's Reviews
Tuesday: Nicole's Theories
Wednesday: Nicole's Favorites
Thursday: Nicole is Team Just Call Me Will
Friday: TLR interviews Nicole

Hang in there! We have just a few more weeks left of this super long launch, haha! Normally, they're only a week long but this launch is like...two months long, lol, so bear with me!

Just like the last two week's giveaways, Courtney Allison Moulton will be signing and personalizing a set of Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked to one really lucky person. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter widget below.

Details:
- Must be 13 years or older to enter.
- Winner(s) have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.
- Open to US only.
- Giveaway ends Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 at 12:01am EST.
- Winner will be announced on Wednesday, August 1st, 2012.

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TLR Fan Feature (15): Interview with the Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today's post features TLR's fan interview with Nicole.

About Nicole:

Hi there! My name is Nicole Mainardi and I'm addicted to reading. I am a college student with an English major, and an avid reader, mostly of young adult paranormal novels. I'm living in the Los Angeles area, though I've lived in Arizona and Michigan. I play soccer, but that's about the only exercise I can stand. The first book website I belonged to was Goodreads where you can find many more of my book reviews. Since then I've become a member of netGalley and Librarything. I am currently finished with a very rough draft of my first novel of 103,000 words, which is a YA paranormal romance, tentatively called Of The Broken. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me on the blog, on my Goodreads page, or at mainardi.nicole(at)gmail(dot)com.

Find Nicole Online: Twitter | Facebook | Blog

TLR: What captivates you the most about this series?
TRA: It's so unique. When I first started reading it, I couldn't believe that no one had thought of having a YA series with reapers like Courtney Allison Moulton did. Ellie is a great heroine. She's fierce, but she's forced into this world that she's expected to remember, so she's still an American teenager from the 21st century. And Will is... well, he's kind of everything you want in a guy. This series captivates every one of my senses.

TLR: If you could trade places with any of the characters from the book(s), who would you choose? Why?
TRA: Well the obvious answer is Ellie. One reason is because she can kick butt all of a sudden and I would love to be able to just punch walls in. Sounds weird, I know, but in dreams, whenever I'm trying to beat someone up (yes, this is totally normal) my punches and kicks are always really soft and don't do anything and it's really annoying... Too much? Okay. The other reason is the obvious one: Will. Being a reader and a writer, I know that authors write about the perfect boy that they would want or would have wanted at that age. Courtney Allison Moulton has created the perfect male to swoon over. Will is definitely one of my fictional boyfriends.

TLR: What did you think of Courtney Allison Moulton’s (CAM) twist on the angel mythology?
TRA: I'm always looking for a unique book that has angel mythology. I hate when it's all the same. A lot of YA authors are coming up with creative ways to bring out certain aspects of the angel mythology, but with this series it's almost like they're not angels. I mean, they are because they have wings, but they don't fight like the typical angels. And they don't fight demons or just some sort of human-paranormal bad guy, but they actually fight reapers. Which is awesome. Obviously.

TLR: What are two books you would recommend to Angelfire fans?
TRA: Hmm good question. The first series that comes to mind is Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. While Nora doesn't kick as much butt as Ellie does (because, really, who can?), she's still a very likeable heroine. And Patch is just as yummy, and maybe even yummier, than Will. I know hard to believe, but this book is definitely on par with Angelfire. Another one is Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly. I kind of recently discovered this series and I love it. The heroine, Willow, is actually the angel this time, although her angel self is kind of detached from her human self. It's definitely a fresh take on the angel mythology. And Alex is pretty sexy as well, even though he's just a human. Although he is angel-killing human, so that gets pretty crazy when he meets Willow. There are other angel books that I would recommend but these were what I thought of.

TLR: If you were Ellie, how would you have reacted the first time you saw a Reaper?
TRA: Umm... I would totally freak out. I wouldn't believe it for one second, even upon seeing the bad reapers. It kind of helped Ellie that she had Will there to help her through it. If I didn't have someone to help me, I think I would have found myself in an insane asylum. Hmm, that may have been an interesting twist to this series... Anyway, not the point. If I saw one, I think I might even pass out. I've only passed out once, but I think it could be a reality in this case.

TLR: If you went out to hunt with Will, what would your outfit look like?
TRA: I like this one! I'm not as girly as Ellie, so I wouldn't think to dress as cute as her. Let's see, I'd wear black skinny jeans that are able to stretch a little (you know, for kickability) and a tight black t-shirt that's either short-sleeve or long-sleeve depending on the weather. I would wear kick-butt black boots with a light heel that lace up. And that's it! Yes, I have thought long and hard about this outfit. Guys like a girls in tight black clothes; it's statistically sound.

TLR: Besides swords, what other weapon would you choose to use to fight/kill reapers with?
TRA: This might sound weird, but there's this really awesome sword that they use in the game Halo. There's a sort of handle and two swords come out of both ends of it. But instead of metal blades they're blue energy blades. Now put Angelfire on that and you'll be gold.

This or That: Angelfire Edition

TLR: Strawberries or carrots?
TRA: Definitely strawberries.

TLR: Hair up or hair down?
TRA: If I'm fighting? Up. Normally? Down.

TLR: Lake or ocean?
TRA: Depends on my mood. I used to live in Michigan (I know pretty much every nonfictional place that she's talked about), and so lakes are really cool with bonfires and night-boating. Oceans are great during the day when you want to get away from the inland heat (I know this because now I live in California about 8 miles from the ocean). So both are pretty awesome for different reasons.

TLR: Puerto Rico or Minnesota?
TRA: Puerto Rico would be a great place to vacation or have my honeymoon at. Minnesota is also a place you visit, but only if you have family. I love snow, but it's really frickin' cold there.

TLR: Ability to be invisible or read minds?
TRA: Definitely invisibility. Harry found out so many things with his invisibility cloak. And he didn't need the ability to fly because he had a broom. Ellie obviously doesn't to fly either because she has Will and her swords. Invisibility would suffice for her to get the better of her enemies.

TLR: Green or blue?
TRA: GREEN!

TLR: Winter or Summer?
TRA: Winter. I know, I'm weird. But I love snow, and here in California you actually have to drive to the mountains to be in snow. Cold weather is more my friend than warm weather is.

TLR Fan Feature (14): The Battle for Ellie's Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000

CAM has stated various times that there is no love triangle in the Angelfire series. But even with that said, you can't help but root for Will and/or Cadan. So, in the battle for Ellie's heart, who do you see her ending up with? Will or Cadan? Who do you want her to end up with? Today, Nicole takes a stand on the guy she's rooting for for Ellie.

About Nicole:

Hi there! My name is Nicole Mainardi and I'm addicted to reading. I am a college student with an English major, and an avid reader, mostly of young adult paranormal novels. I'm living in the Los Angeles area, though I've lived in Arizona and Michigan. I play soccer, but that's about the only exercise I can stand. The first book website I belonged to was Goodreads where you can find many more of my book reviews. Since then I've become a member of netGalley and Librarything. I am currently finished with a very rough draft of my first novel of 103,000 words, which is a YA paranormal romance, tentatively called Of The Broken. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me on the blog, on my Goodreads page, or at mainardi.nicole(at)gmail(dot)com.

Find Nicole Online: Twitter | Facebook | Blog

There's the question of the battle for Ellie's heart. Apparently, Courtney Allison Moulton has said that Will and Ellie are meant to be (obviously). And that' good enough for me. I still had to consider though: Will or Cadan?

Well, I am definitely Team Will. It might not seem like it, but under that harsh, toned, muscular, sexy... wait, where was I? Oh yeah, under that impenetrable exterior that Will has is a gigantic loving soft spot for Ellie. We've gotten to see it a couple times, but if it's hard for Ellie to get him to open up, then we likely won't see more than she does. But it's so obvious how much he cares about her. He would throw his life down for her a million times over and not even give it a single thought. Cadan, I'm not so sure about.

Cadan can't even begin to compare. He hasn't been there for Ellie through all of her lives and deaths. I think she's kind of made a good guy out of a bad boy, but she will never love him like she loves Will. She might turn to him now that Will is in such peril from the end of book 2, but it won't ever be real with Cadan. Ellie knows where her heart belongs, and I think Cadan does too. He's willing to take what he can get, but again it won't be real. I love Cadan as a character; he's added a great element to the series. But he will never be with Ellie... Sorry to burst your bubble there Cadan.

TLR Fan Feature (13): Favorites from the Angelfire Series

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today, Nicole is here with us again as she shares with us some of her favorites from the world of Angelfire.

About Nicole:

Hi there! My name is Nicole Mainardi and I'm addicted to reading. I am a college student with an English major, and an avid reader, mostly of young adult paranormal novels. I'm living in the Los Angeles area, though I've lived in Arizona and Michigan. I play soccer, but that's about the only exercise I can stand. The first book website I belonged to was Goodreads where you can find many more of my book reviews. Since then I've become a member of netGalley and Librarything. I am currently finished with a very rough draft of my first novel of 103,000 words, which is a YA paranormal romance, tentatively called Of The Broken. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me on the blog, on my Goodreads page, or at mainardi.nicole(at)gmail(dot)com.

Find Nicole Online: Twitter | Facebook | Blog

My favorite part (and a few favorite quotes) of this whole series is in Angelfire right near the end. The reason I love this part is because this is when we finally find out how Will feels about Ellie. And it takes place in Detroit Metro and I've been there, so it's really easy for me to visualize it all. We all want this to happen to us in an airport. There's a finality about it, but also the chance for a new beginning. I've gone back and read this part dozens of time. Here are the highlights (taken from pages 439-443):

"I hate...," he started, his shaking voice trailing off. "I hate when you die. It destroys me. I know I have no right to be upset, because I'm not the one losing my life, but it breaks me apart inside. I'm not very good with words, and I don't know how to explain to you how I feel. I get lonely when you aren't with me. I miss you. And every time you die, a little piece of me dies with you."

"I'll always come back to you," I promised as a warm flood rushed through me.

"I love you, Ellie," he breathed, his words lighting my skin on fire, and something inside me disintegrated, leaving a rushing feeling behind. "God, I've always loved you."

"All this time," he breathed. "I've always loved you and never said a thing."

He kissed me hard and folded his arm around the small of my back, pulling me even more closely to him. I wrapped my own arms around his shoulders and felt his other hand on my waist. I drew a nail down his biceps and the muscle trembled reflexively beneath my touch. He broke away and his lips grazed my jaw. I shivered and pulled him closer to me.

"I will die for you one day."

"Don't say that," I begged. "Will, I'm in love with you. You're the only one who understands what I go through every day, the only one I can share this world with. You're my best friend, and I can't take it if you're going to shut me out like this."

He closed his eyes, squeezing them tight. His hands balled into fists and his wings gave a shudder. I felt like I was dying inside.

"You can't love me," he said, his voice pained. "And I can't love you either. You're not mine to love."

"I am yours--"

"Ellie--"

"No!" I shouted, tears stinging my eyes. "You can't get this close to me and then push me away."

"I have to."

Sigh, swoon, any other kind of noise you might make after reading this. I actually read this book in Michigan while I was there and even bought a signed copy of the book when I went to a separate signing. I also had dinner with Courtney, but it was before I read the book. I think I would have totally fan-girled if I had read it prior to meeting her. Either way, CAM writes the best romance scenes. This was also the first big incident where she decided to tear our hearts out. We should have known it wasn't over.

TLR Fan Feature (12): Theories About Shadows in the Silence

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Today's post is all about Shadows in the Silence, the final book to the Angelfire series. Nicole shares with us what she thinks of the cover and the title. Also, she will be sharing with us her theory as to what will be going down in the conclusion to the amazing Angelfire series.

*Note: The title and cover for book three was recently revealed last week but I had ask the fans what they thought the title and cover were going to look like before the reveal happened.

About Nicole:

Hi there! My name is Nicole Mainardi and I'm addicted to reading. I am a college student with an English major, and an avid reader, mostly of young adult paranormal novels. I'm living in the Los Angeles area, though I've lived in Arizona and Michigan. I play soccer, but that's about the only exercise I can stand. The first book website I belonged to was Goodreads where you can find many more of my book reviews. Since then I've become a member of netGalley and Librarything. I am currently finished with a very rough draft of my first novel of 103,000 words, which is a YA paranormal romance, tentatively called Of The Broken. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me on the blog, on my Goodreads page, or at mainardi.nicole(at)gmail(dot)com.

Find Nicole Online: Twitter | Facebook | Blog

We were asked what we thought the third book would be titled and what the cover would look like. Well, since it's already titled... I love the title Shadows in the Silence. It's really provocative. But the cover doesn't go with it at all, mostly because I was expecting a much darker cover. The title has shadows in it after all, and I get the feeling this is going to be the darkest book of all the Angelfire series. So I love the title, but I think at least the background of the forest could have been darker. Maybe at night. That would have been cool.

I really don't know what's going to happen. I know that CAM is going to rip out our hearts and souls before this is all over. She knows what we want most, and she's going to make us suffer before she gives it to us and even then it'll be in pieces. There's also going to be a showdown between good and evil that not everyone is going to live through. But without Will, I'm not sure how well that's going to turn out. Ellie will be a force to reckon with to be sure, but she'll also be distracted. I guess it just really depends on how far CAM will make us suffer before she cures Will. Either way, it's going to be awesome and beyond heartbreaking.

TLR Fan Feature (11): Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Momo (Books Over Boys)) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000

This week TLR will be featuring a bunch of really awesome guest posts by Nicole from The Reader's Antidote.

About Nicole:

Hi there! My name is Nicole Mainardi and I'm addicted to reading. I am a college student with an English major, and an avid reader, mostly of young adult paranormal novels. I'm living in the Los Angeles area, though I've lived in Arizona and Michigan. I play soccer, but that's about the only exercise I can stand. The first book website I belonged to was Goodreads where you can find many more of my book reviews. Since then I've become a member of netGalley and Librarything. I am currently finished with a very rough draft of my first novel of 103,000 words, which is a YA paranormal romance, tentatively called Of The Broken. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me on the blog, on my Goodreads page, or at mainardi.nicole(at)gmail(dot)com.

Find Nicole Online: Twitter | Facebook | Blog

Nicole's Angelfire Review:

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

My Thoughts:

5/5

Angelfire is a great new take on the whole fallen angel genre. As all YA reader's know, there are at least a couple books a year that involve fallen angels. I was hoping this one would be different, and it definitely was. It was witty, action-packed, and filled with a sweet romance that I couldn't help devouring and then promptly weeping over. Courtney Allison Moulton, what have you done to me?

The first time I read this book was just after I had been to a signing where she made a guest appearance (Dark Days tour). I got to know Courtney a little and she's just so amazing and sweet. And I don't know if she realizes it, but her and Ellie are a lot alike. No, she's not a red-head like Ellie and her skin is so NOT pale (how she gets such a great tan in Michigan I will never know, I have tried). But their personalities are similar in that they're pretty frickin' awesome!

Soon after that (in an event completely unrelated) I started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm now very deep into season 3, and reading this book again, I realized that this series is a lot like Buffy. But instead of vampires and stakes, it's demonic reapers and angelfire swords. She kind of has a Watcher (Nathaniel) and Will is a lot like Angel; they both think they're monsters and they're trying to do good by it. They also both know that they shouldn't be with the Preliator/Slayer. But I think that's why this series really works. It's not a rip-off by any means. Everyone who's ever watched Buffy has fallen in love with the show, so it would only make sense that I would fall in love with this book.

Ellie is totally a kick-butt kind of girl even before she comes into her powers. She has friends and is a generally nice person, but she doesn't take crap from anyone, even her friends. And then the mysterious Will comes along and changes everything. She realizes that the world is not what she thought it was, and it turns out that she's actually a very ancient being that kills what are called reapers. Only they don't have cloaks and scythes; they range from big beastly things that are like overgrown bear-dogs to human-like ones with claws and can be very pursuasive. And Ellie has faced them all in her past lives. Not only that, but one of them can consume her soul, so that when she dies this time, she can't ever be reborn.

Sounds fascinating right? Add a building romance that turns beautiful and serious, that makes your heart break and mend itself a thousand times and you've got yourself an amazing YA debut. Angelfire is one of my favorites of this year, and Will and Ellie and one of my favorite YA couples. I can't wait to see more of them and more of Ellie's powers in the next one, Wings of the Wicked.

Nicole's Wings of the Wicked Reviews:

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

My Thoughts:

5/5

If you haven’t started this series, there’s something seriously wrong with you. It’s one of my favorite series, and Wings of the Wicked is already on my list for my favorites of 2012.

I have been in love with this series since the beginning, and I’ve always been surprised by how many people haven’t read it. I actually got to meet the author in Lansing, MI on one of the Dark Days tour stops last summer. It wasn’t actually her tour stop, but since she lives so close to the bookstore, she and Aimee Carter (The Goddess Test) decided to stop by. It’s one of the best signings I’ve ever been to. But, back to the book. Angelfire really blew me away. Not much is written about Reapers and I felt like I could really connect with Ellie. And then of course there’s Will, who is as swoonworthy as they come. We get a lot of these two in Wings of the Wicked.

I won my copy of this book from the author by writing a story, starring a new vir reaper, and my story was one of the three that she picked. Needless to say, I can’t remember the last time I was so excited about getting a book. I feel like I have been waiting forever for it, and it was all I’d hoped it’d be and more. Moulton really knows how to break your heart, lovingly stitch it back together, and then shred it again. And believe me when I say that. My heart physically ached for Ellie. She fights for so much and gets little in return. Not everyone in Wings of the Wicked survives, and there are even a few unlikely heroes. Ellie nearly loses everything she’s ever known, and from that ending, it’s about to get worse.

Speaking of the ending, it’s totally unfair and I demand a rewrite! She can’t honestly expect us to wait for the next book to see what happens. It’s not even titled for god’s sake! After I finished this one, I stared at it with a mix of anger and disbelief, placed it carefully back on my shelf, and fought the urge to punch a wall. I can't wait for the final (?) book in the series!!