Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Ravenous

I love a reread!

Ravenous - The Ravening #1

by Erica Stevens

What they say: The world didn’t end with a bang, it didn’t go out in a ball of fire and fury, nor did it end in ice. But in some strange way, ice was the end; or maybe it was the beginning of something more.

Bethany is stunned and horrified when she finds herself suddenly alone in a world that was alive only moments before. Terrified, she flees into the streets of her town, looking for answers, and desperate to reach her family. Panicked, she is nearly captured by the monsters hunting her until Cade steps in to rescue her. Dark and distant, most people in school are wary of Cade, yet oddly fascinated by him. They had once been close as children, but it has been years since Bethany has had any real contact with Cade. As their situation becomes even more perilous, Bethany struggles to come to terms with her past, her terrifying new reality, and her growing love for a boy that is powerful, mysterious, and perhaps even more frightening than the aliens hunting them. Aliens that want more than their lives, they also want their blood.

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Coming Soon - The Last Human

The Last Human

by Zack Jordan

What they say: The last human in the universe is on the run from a godlike intelligence in this rip-roaring debut space opera. 

Sarya is the civilized galaxy's worst nightmare: a Human.

Most days, Sarya doesn't feel like the most terrifying creature in the galaxy.

Most days, she's got other things on her mind. Like hiding her identity among the hundreds of alien species roaming the corridors of Watertower Station. Or making sure her adoptive mother doesn't casually eviscerate one of their neighbors. Again.

And most days, she can almost accept that she'll never know the truth--that she'll never know why humanity was deemed too dangerous to exist. Or whether she really is--impossibly--the lone survivor of a species destroyed a millennium ago.

That is, until an encounter with a bounty hunter and a miles-long kinetic projectile leaves her life and her perspective shattered.

Thrown into the universe at the helm of a stolen ship--with the dubious assistance of a rebellious spacesuit, an android death enthusiast on his sixtieth lifetime, and a ball of fluff with an IQ in the thousands--Sarya begins to uncover an impossible truth.

What if humanity's death and her own existence are simply two moves in a demented cosmic game, one played out by vast alien intellects? Stranger still, what if these mad gods are offering Sarya a seat at their table--and a second chance for humanity?

The Last Human is a sneakily brilliant, gleefully oddball space-opera debut--a masterful play on perspective, intelligence, and free will, wrapped in a rollicking journey through a strange and crowded galaxy.

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Spotlight - The Andromeda Evolution

The Andromeda Evolution - Andromeda #2

by Michael Crichton

What they say: The Evolution is Coming.

In 1967, an extraterrestrial microbe came crashing down to Earth and nearly ended the human race. Accidental exposure to the particle—designated The Andromeda Strain—killed every resident of the town of Piedmont, Arizona, save for an elderly man and an infant boy. Over the next five days, a team of top scientists assigned to Project Wildfire worked valiantly to save the world from an epidemic of unimaginable proportions. In the moments before a catastrophic nuclear detonation, they succeeded.

In the ensuing decades, research on the microparticle continued. And the world thought it was safe…

Deep inside Fairchild Air Force Base, Project Eternal Vigilance has continued to watch and wait for the Andromeda Strain to reappear. On the verge of being shut down, the project has registered no activity—until now. A Brazilian terrain-mapping drone has detected a bizarre anomaly of otherworldly matter in the middle of the jungle, and, worse yet, the tell-tale chemical signature of the deadly microparticle.

With this shocking discovery, the next-generation Project Wildfire is activated, and a diverse team of experts hailing from all over the world is dispatched to investigate the potentially apocalyptic threat.

But the microbe is growing—evolving. And if the Wildfire team can’t reach the quarantine zone, enter the anomaly, and figure out how to stop it, this new Andromeda Evolution will annihilate all life as we know it.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - The Burning Shadow

The Burning Shadow - Origin #2

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Out now!

What they say: When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux—only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.

Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is—and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.

Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.

And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.


#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with this steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.

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Coming Soon - The Burning Shadow

Ooh fan girl squeal!!! Gimme Gimme Gimme!!

The Burning Shadow - Origin #2

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Releases 8th Oct!!

What they say: #1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with The Burning Shadow, the steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.

When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux―only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.

Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is―and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.

Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.

And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.

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Valiant - Out Now

Valiant

by Merrie Destefano

What they say: The Valiant was supposed to save us. Instead, it triggered the end of the world.

Earth is in shambles. Everyone, even the poorest among us, invested in the Valiant’s space mining mission in the hopes we’d be saved from ourselves. But the second the ship leaves Earth’s atmosphere, our fate is sealed. The alien invasion begins. They pour into cities around the world through time portals, possessing humans, forcing us to kill one another.

And for whatever reason, my brother is their number one target.

Now the fate of the world lies in the hands of me, a seventeen-year-old girl, but with the help of my best friend, Justin―who’s suddenly starting to feel like more―maybe if we save my brother, we can save us all… 

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Released 4th Dec

Review - The Darkest Star

Holy hot alien babies everywhere, it's time to say HELLO to Luc!!

The Darkest Star - Origin #1

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What they say: When seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher is caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen...but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she'd only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head...

#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the universe of the Lux in this brand new series, featuring beloved characters both new and old. 

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I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I was absolutely flipping thrilled when I heard Luc was getting a spin off. Why I hear you ask? Because he's freaking awesome of course! *Note* After reading The Darkest Star I can confirm that he's even more awesome than I remembered/imagined!

Luc is the cheeky, sassy (yes guys can SO be sassy) and all round badass alien we all came to love in the Lux series, except this time round he's older and more powerful! Awesome, right?! Throw in a fab heroine like Evie, who could possibly even out awesome Katy, then you know it's gonna be another JLA classic!

The Darkest Star is set a few years after the events of the Lux series, so the world knows about aliens and the Luxens are kinda persona non grata because of the invasion! 

Luc is as weird and dramatic as ever but he's totally dedicated to looking after those he loves and helping anybody he thinks needs help.

Evie is a bit of a mystery. Like a lot of humans, she's wary of the Luxens left on Earth but she's strangely drawn to Luc. From the second she meets him she feels a pull towards him she can't explain.

Oh the twists!! In typical JLA fashion she likes to keep her readers on their toes and keep us fan-girls guessing! Also the ending was everything I wanted and more, but OH THE CLIFFY!!! I've reread the story several times and I'm impatiently waiting to find out what happens next - The struggle is real people!!

4.5 Stars in my Sky!

Review - Star-Crossed

Star-crossed

by Pintip Dunn

What they say: Princess Vela's people are starving.

Stranded on a planet that lacks food, Vela makes the ultimate sacrifice and becomes an Aegis for her people. Accepting a genetic modification that takes sixty years off her life, she can feed her colony via nutrition pills. But her best friend is still getting worse. And she's not the only one.

Now the king is dying, too.

When the boy she's had a crush on since childhood volunteers to give his life for her father's, Vela realizes her people need more than pills to survive. As tensions rise between Aegis and colonists, secrets and sabotage begin to threaten the future of the colony itself.

Unless Vela is brave enough to save them all…

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Releases tomorrow - Buy

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I've never read anything like Star-Crossed so I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. It's a mixture of many things and is certainly unique! 

The story is parts YA dystopia, sci-fi and even fantasy, but is a little confusing at times, to the point where I wasn't sure who I liked and disliked.

As one of her father, the King's future heirs, Princess Vela is tasked with finding a way to save him. If only the best chance of success didn't involve risking her potential love interest Carr...

The world building is quirky and dramatic. In a society where food is extremely limited we meet the Eaters and Non-Eaters. The Eaters are elite members of society who are genetically able to produce food capsules/pills to help feed society. I'm not going to go into the how  of this, I'll leave it as a surprise. Let's just say that eating is encouraged and the larger you are, the more beautiful you are. 

The concept didn't always sit well with me as it had a strange WALL-E, Jetsons or Hungry meal-with-a-pill vibe, mixed with er feeding baby birds (still with me?), but it was memorable.

I liked Vela and the writing is full of witty moments and dramatic tension. I'm not sure about food as a subject matter, but it could scarily have a real sense of potential in real life with a world facing with global warming and finite resources.

3 Stars in my Sky!

From the Sky - Tour

From the Sky (Beyond Moondust Trilogy #1)
by J.E. Niccasio

Genre: YA Sci-fi/Romance

From the Sky from best-selling author J.E. Nicassio writes the kind of close encounter that will leave readers spellbound. 

When high school junior, Samantha Hunter, and her father move to New Mexico, it’s a chance to leave tragedy behind and start over. However, the arrival of a dark-haired stranger changes everything. Lucien introduces Sam to the prospect of enjoying life again, and to the hidden world of aliens. But crazier than that, Lucien doesn’t feel entirely like a stranger. Redemption and romance follow Sam in her new life as she works to understand the alien-human romance she’s developing—a romance that feels beyond her control. There’s something bigger happening around her, and to her, too, and this is just the beginning…. 

—J. E. Nicassio packs in the action like a superhero movie— From the Sky has all the hallmarks of a Hollywood blockbuster—ready to light up the sky like a fleet of UFOs. “A must read! It had me from the very beginning to the last word. Every page had a plot twist and turn to make my imagination run wild.”  —Online Book Club.org Nicassio is a freelance writer and MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) Field Investigator in Pittsburgh, PA, where she resides with her mother, two sons, and German Shepherd, Ava. She loves writing and is passionate about creating stories that entertain and comes straight from the heart. Her Children’s book, Rocky (About Rockefeller Center and a tiny Christmas tree named Rocky) made the Amazon Top Ten Christmas Book List in 2016.

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Equinox (Beyond Moondust Trilogy # 2)

by J.E. Niccasio

"Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” Author C. Clarke. 

From the Sky Saga Continues! The day after the winter solstice, Samantha Hunter is found naked and bleeding in a remote cabin in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico. As Sam works to understand what’s happened to her, she is whisked into the Underground—a secret community of scientists, civilians, and aliens that are connected to her story and to the alien boy she’s in love with—Lucien. This is where the fight begins, and Sam must decide what price she’s willing to pay for life and love. 

“Equinox gives the reader a totally different way of thinking about extraterrestrials. Anyone with interest in the possibility of life outside this planet—and for those who love a great romance—this book for you. It is exceptionally written and will leave you wanting more!” —Kelly Fait Goodreads “American teenagers have to grow up fast because dark forces are out to get them—J.E. Nicassio gives us a fast-paced and exciting tale full of car chases, close calls, and the angst of star-crossed love. Teens and even older readers will love From the Sky." —Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

Books available on Amazon:

From the Sky * Equinox 

Smashwords free promo

Excerpt:

Equinox

Prologue

I’m not sure how I ended up there, but there I was. I used to be a normal teenage girl, worrying about boys, my looks—you name it. My life was changed forever by the intrepid, dark-haired stranger who saved me. Lucien Foster was that stranger. He was not the average, teenage boy. He was special, to say the least. He had remarkable, snowy-diamond eyes that could see into my mind and read every thought. Lucien Foster possessed certain abilities that, if known, would endanger his life—supernatural abilities. The funny thing about all this was he was an alien from a planet, billions of light-years away from Earth, and I fell in love with him. I know what you’re thinking, this girl is a nutcase. They need to lock her up and throw away the key. However, what I say is true; my boyfriend was not from this world.

At the time all of this transpired, the day after the Christmas solstice, I didn’t think my life could get more complicated than it already was. I had no idea what I was getting myself into that fateful night on a mountainside in New Mexico. Boy, did things go wrong.

Author Spotlight:

J. E. is the bestselling author of the From The Sky series and was listed as one of the top 1000 authors on Amazon in 2015, and was Amazon all-star top ten-holiday children books for Rocky: The Rockefeller Christmas in 2016. She is a freelance writer and MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) Field Investigator in Pittsburgh, PA where she resides with her mother, two sons, and German Shepherd Ava. She loves writing and is passionate about creating stories that entertain and comes straight from the heart.

Website * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook

Giveaway:

Win a copy of From the Sky!

Here

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours