The happiest rejection letter on earth... and more! XD

So today I log onto my emails in a whim to see if I have anything interesting and among the inbox emails is a reply to my manuscript submission to Penguin. I open it, expecting nothing of interest but it was sent from the managing editor from Penguin stating although they cannot offer me a publishing contract not to stop writing and to keep sending to other publishers. :) So that's why it's the happiest rejection letter on earth, and it's the only rejection letter I have.

PLUS I have been waiting forever to get Fallen In Love by Lauren Kate and Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare and I finally got them today. My room is slowly turning into a library but it's a little hobby of mine.

Book Review: Kate Smith's 'Illumé'

‘Now that’s new. People tend to receive death threats, not undeath threats.’ 

‘Try to convince me it’s the same as threatening not to kill someone.’

In folds of light there are always shadows and this boutique novel delves right into them, providing an interesting read of the gothic, macabre story of Thane da Silva in the city of Paris. A great read, Kate Smith has provided a novel of the highest quality with her amazing ability to capture words into a story with the linguistic grace of a poet.

The cover: Purely beautiful, the cover really sets itself apart from the other novels with its falling petals and the elegant font with which the word Illumé was composed. A simple cover, one is left to consider why there is a petal with a stain in its middle. The darkened edges give the impression of a source of light in the middle of the cover with shadows creeping in from the sides. This gives a large clue to what is featured in the novel without readers realizing until they read the novel and thought about the cover. An intelligent choice in the way of book covers.

Stars: 

The Characters: The poetic way in which the characters are introduced confused me in some places; however, I simply am not used to reading boutique novels. Despite my own setback the author provided meaningful characters and they each have a distinct purpose.

Stars: 

The Plot: Definitely a great read with poetic grace throughout but not a recommended read for adolescents who read text language all day long. This is a great third-person plot that really involves the reader in a world of shadows and intrigue. The particular beauty of the book is that while many novels involve focusing the main character’s attention on a love interest this novel focuses mostly on Thane’s journey.

Stars: 

Overall Comments: If you enjoy whimsical, gothic novels this is definitely a read for you. The words will weave you deep into the novel as you explore the shadows in the City of Light, undertaking an intriguing journey. This novel does not disappoint, however, the intense language used may confuse younger adolescent and adult audiences.

Stars: 

Book Review: L.A. Weatherly's 'Angel'

If you have a sweet-tooth when it comes to devouring books you will love L.A. Weatherly’s Angel! L.A. grabs readers in an enticing page-turner worthy of bestseller-dom leaving you wanting more.

The Cover: I am usually a girl who severely dislikes the colours of sky blue, green and orange together but this cover is definitely interesting. The font is beautiful and timelessly elegant and the model’s partly shadowed face indicates there is more to the story than a pretty face. The quote “The only good angel is a dead angel” is a great hook and admittedly helped convince me to buy the book. When I first looked at the cover it intrigued me and I put it down but couldn’t stop thinking about it during the week. Eventually I went back to the store and bought it when I had the money and couldn’t stop reading it. I spent the duration from 3pm that afternoon until 4am the following morning reading L.A.’s fascinating tale.

Stars: 3/5

The Characters: Thoroughly developed these characters have soul and I felt there was more to Willow’s mother than she’s given credit. There is very little that can be faulted on this front with a witty heroine, her handsome love interest and angels more terrifying than one can imagine.

Stars: 5/5

The Plot: The plot overall was fantastic but got a little lacklustre in a few small places leading up to the climax. L.A. presents the novel with a great beginning and I particularly loved the slow rate at which Willow and Alex trusted each other. The necklace… well that was just a stroke of genius tying the two characters together. A refreshing novel, the plot combines sweet-tooth romance with great levels of nail-biting action and a conclusion leaving readers waiting for more.

Stars: 4/5

Overall Comments: This is sincerely a novel for YA romance fanatics mostly but really applies to a wide range of audiences. Beware though if you don’t have a sweet-tooth as you will be bombarded with lovey-dovey moments between the main characters. The only improvement I could point out was the very small lacklustre moments – every writer gets them at some point – but definitely a novel worth checking out. I am sincerely looking forward to the reading Angel Fire and furthermore Angel Fever coming this year.

Overall Stars: 4/5

Book Review: Rebecca Lim's 'Mercy'

     Mercy ‘wakes’ on a school bus bound for Paradise, a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business… or thinks they do. But Mercy has a secret life. She is an angel, doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, taking on a new ‘persona’ each time she does, in an effort to resolve a cataclysmic rift between heavenly beings. The first of a brilliant new series sees Mercy meeting Ryan, an eighteen-year-old whose sister was kidnapped two years ago and is presumed dead. When another girl is also kidnapped, Mercy knows she has to act quickly and use extraordinary powers to rescue her, even if it means exposing her true identity.

      All I can say is wow. Rebecca has started a compelling series; from the cover to the intricacy of the story line, the novel will envelope you in the world of Mercy.

Le Cover and Story: Okay, it is quite easy to see that the cover is amazing, is it not? The moment I picked it up I got this jolt of excitement and hoped that the story inside would be just as fabulous as the cover. Rebecca has not let me down! Mercy takes readers on a roller-coaster of emotion as she struggles to remember the things the Eight have blocked her from and fits into the life of yet another teenage girl. It spins old with a sense of new as an age-old story line is given completely new life! A very talented author she has created a page-turner novel with two epic novels - Exile and Muse - already published in continuation of the Mercy series and I sincerely look forward to reading Fury when it is published!

Three cheers for Rebecca Lim! Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray!

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews... And More! ;)

    Marking the beginning of a fabulous list of books to read today I have decided to begin another blog solely dedicated to reviews, reading, authors, tips and other fun stuff. I'll be posting sometimes about my own writing, other times I'll be reviewing books I've read/ am reading. This is a sort of trial at the moment, to see if things can kick off smoothly and continue going forward in the meantime. If you wish to read some of my writing you may go to my other blog, rissabooks.blogspot.com, and search through the posts/archives.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Enjoy!

Rissa... :)