Review: Ballad

What can I tell you that you haven't already heard about Ballad?

It is mesmerizing, fluid, and hypnotizing. Like the lilting ballad in the book, once it started I was like a moth to a flame.

What can I tell you about Maggie's writing that you don't already know?

She manages this amazing balance between lyrical prose and realistic emotions.

2¢ Worth: I finally read Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater. Ballad starts where Lament left off. A slightly broken Dee & James try to start over at a new school only to find the fae battle has followed them there. But the best part of Ballad is James. He is tired of being Dee's lackey and he's not gonna take it anymore. Yay James! The new love interest (Nuala) was a joy to meet and I loved witnessing her transformation. At first I regarded her wearily but slowly (through her true devotion to James) she won me over. The ending was stupendous, had some twists I did not see coming, and left me desperate for more. 5 stars

Whine: My only regret about Ballad is that I waited so long to read it.

Whippersnappers: The keeper of the dead is ultra dark and creepy.

Wrapping: Check out some Ballad international covers at Foreign Cover Friday: Ballad.

Wondering: Have you read Ballad? What did you think? Any word on when the next book is due out?

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

Review: Eden

2¢ Worth: Eden doesn't race to it's destination but that doesn't keep it from being compelling. I hungrily devoured this tale of surviving a futuristic world where robotic limbs and artificial organs evolved into an infection that (with one touch) turns mortals into robotic drones intent on spreading their virus. At it's core, Eden is about a young woman trying to learn what it means to love and be human. 4 stars

Whisper: Eden's message seems to be that is our actions that really determine what we are made of and who we are.

Wire tip: Eden is available in paperback but the real deal is in the eBook. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Amazon UK, and Smashwords carry the eBook of Eden for only $2.99 *Plus, for a limited time, the eBook is only 0.99¢ at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Whippersnappers: Mostly clean with only a few minor mentions to nudity and some descriptive hunting.

Word to the wise: I would recommend Eden by Keary Taylor to fans of The Host.

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

Wishin' and Hopin': The Future of Us

Goodreads Blurb: "It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM. Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out."

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler is due out November 21st

I am no Spring chicken. I graduated from high school in 1995 so I remember this time very well. Therefore, I can not wait to get my hands on it and I hope I find it under my Christmas tree this December.

Well Said: Beyond

"There are things beyond human understanding...Things we have to accept, because we can never explain them. Your dad believed that, and it was important to him that I do too." ~ Elixir by Hilary Duff

Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Whine: What I'm about to say may shock you but I think the prequel (The Strange Case of Finley Jayne) sort of ruined me for The Girl in the Steel Corset. Wild right? That has never happened to me before. You see I fell in love with the pace and fluidity of The Strange Case of Finley Jayne. So I immediately purchased The Girl in the Steel Corset. But when The Girl in the Steel Corset took her time developing, I got bored.

Wooed: While the pace wasn't for me, I wholeheartedly admit the detailed descriptions of the automatons and garments were exquisite. Kady Cross brings the romanticism and machines of steampunk to life. I have never enjoyed reading about machines this much. Plus, I loved the romantic tension between Finley's two equally sexy and intriguing suitors.

Word to the wise: Don't let my review sway you. Try this series.

Wrapping: While there is no denying the cover gown is gorgeous, it doesn't match the gown in the book.

Wholly: The Girl in the Steel Corset is a 3 star descriptive and unique steampunk journey with a serious fab dash of Jekyll & Hyde.

What's what:

• Did you know the original novella that first introduced Jekyll & Hyde was called the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and was first published in 1886?
• Automatons (from the Greek word meaning "acting of one's own will") is an old term for a robot or machine. Click here to learn more about automatons.

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

First Words: Friday

"I was home alone on that Friday evening. Those who survived know exactly which Friday I mean. Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing, in the same way my parents remembered 9/11, but more so. Together we lost the old world, slipping from that cocoon of mechanized comfort into the hellish land we inhabit now. The pre-Friday world of school, cell phones, and refrigerators dissolved into this post-Friday world of ash, darkness, and hunger." ~Ashfall by Mike Mullin

By the third line this author evokes emotion, curiosity, and fear. That is some serious skill.

Wee-view: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne

2¢ Worth: When I grabbed this prequel freebie I was expecting something mildly interesting that would give me a little taste of The Girl in the Steel Corset. What I wasn't expecting was to really admire and cheer for Finley Jayne. Finley has some inexplicable superpowers that don't exactly fit into polite society. Powers she manages to keep well tucked under her skirt until someone is in danger. Then all bets are off and she can't help but turn into a fabulous, butt kicking, steampunk She-Ra in a corset. The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is swift, believable, mysterious, and engaging. So if you haven't grabbed this 5 star freebie, do so immediately!

Whippersnappers: While there are some dodgy no good fellows up to eerie business, it is pretty much clean.

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

Wishin' and Hopin': A Million Suns

This week I can not stop thinking about the upcoming sequel to Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I need to know what is going on with Amy and what (if anything) Elder is hiding. A Million Suns is due out January 2012. Click here to read my review of Across the Universe.

So what are you craving and wishing for this Wednesday chickadees?

Well Said: Believing

"Do you believe in the supernatural?"

"I'm a Christian. Believing in stuff I can't see or explain kind of goes with the territory."

Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguié is a Christian Fiction vampire novel. While I can definitely see how this quote might offend, for me it sort of rings true and I really think it helps set the tone of the novel.

First Words: Something Very Wrong

"There's something very wrong with me. I can't remember who I am or how old I am, or even how I got here. All I know is that when I wake up, I could be any age or anyone, all over again. It is always this way." ~ Mercy by Rebecca Lim

So I will admit, I wasn't sure about this book when I won it over at Confessions of a Book Addict. But when the booked arrived today and I cracked it open to find these opening lines, I got sucked in. And now for another confession...I couldn't help thinking of 50 First Dates when I first read these lines.

Click here to check out Mercy's international covers.

Well Said: Chauvinistic

"And that insulting, chauvinistic order he'd give her to say on the school grounds? What was this, the nineteenth century? It crossed her mind that maybe Daniel had spoken to her like that centuries ago, but - like Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet - Luce was certain no former self of hers would ever have been cool with that. And she certainly wasn't now." ~ Torment by Lauren Kate

I love this passage. It really sets the defiance that permeates this story.