Review: Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington + Giveaway

March 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

EmblazeTitle: Emblaze

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: March 5th, 2013

Interest: Series continuation

Source: E-ARC received via NetGalley from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice … and the consequences are unimaginable. 

Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix – the exiled angel who betrayed her – will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too. 

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn’t take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to…

First, if you haven’t read Embrace or the second book, Entice, do not read this review.

It’s becoming more and more difficult to write these reviews because I’m constantly worried about including a spoiler unintentionally, so I’m going to write my review as a list.  Here it goes…

  • Once again, Jessica Shirvington delivers tons of action.  It’s almost on a constant loop in Emblaze.
  • The angst!  The forbidden love!  It hasn’t died down, that’s for sure!  A plus to this is that Violet never strikes me as whiny.  In fact, that’s a major plus.
  • I love how Stef’s character is developing.  I have some predictions about her and some questions as well.  She balances Violet and keeps her grounded which I love.
  • I kind of wish Spence played a bigger role in Emblaze.  He’s in the story, but I missed the large part he played in Entice.
  • Embrace and Entice kept me hooked the entire time, but there were times during Emblaze that really dragged.  Most of those scenes are between big action scenes when the characters are sort of at a stand still and spending too much time discussing strategy or history.
  • I was hoping for more development between Lincoln and Violet.  Their relationship needs to move along more (in one way or another) considering this is the third book in the series.
  • I loved the surprise ending.  I’m really looking forward to where that takes the story in the fourth book.
  • Overall I really enjoyed Emblaze and am looking forward to passing it on to my diehard fans in class :)

Win a copy of Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

*Open to US and Cananda only
*Giveaway provided by the publisher–Thank you, Sourcebooks Fire!
*Must be 13 years or older to enter
*Only one entry per person
*Giveaway ends 3/26/13 at 11:59 EST
*Winner will be notified via email & have 48 hours to respond

 

Filed Under: Contests and Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Cover Reveal: Entice by Jessica Shirvington

May 31, 2012 by 2 Comments

Angels in the paranormal romance genre have been a big hit lately, and this year I was introduced to a new angels series.  A few months ago I read and loved Embrace by Jessica Shirvington, and today I get to reveal the cover for her second book in the series Entice!  You’ll probably notice the cover for Entice has changed quite a bit from Embrace, which Sourcebooks Fire editor Leah Hultenschmidt  explains: “For Entice, we really wanted to have the cover reflect the darker edge of the story and Violet’s toughness.”

I’m excited to catch a glimpse of what lies ahead for Violet:

“Two tutors and three students from the Grigori training center in New York were arriving in two days and I couldn’t be happier.  I was going to be able to learn from the experts and have people my own age to train with, something I really needed.  I was sure with their help I would be able to get over whatever it was that had been holding me back. 

 Griffin had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the two senior Grigori –the intelligence, resources and backup they could provide was much needed.  The Scripture that can decipher the identity of all Grigori, even those who have not yet embraced and are therefore defenseless, was at stake. 

 I would not stand by and watch it fall into the hands of exiles.  If they found they key to destroying all Grigori and gained the upper hand, the slaughter would not stop until all the humans knelt before them, worshipping them as gods.”

Summary (From the Publisher): Seventeen-year-old Violet Eden’s is back! With a destiny to protect humans from the vengeance of exiled angels it becomes clear that it won’t be easy as even her partner, Lincoln, is hiding something.  And now she has to learn to live with her feelings for him while they work together to stay alive and stop the exiles from discovering the key to destroy all Grigori.  It isn’t easy. Especially when the electricity between her and  Phoenix ignites and she discovers his hold over her has become more dangerous than ever.  Violet’s power will be pushed to the extreme with a race halfway across the world to find the one artifact that could tilt the balance of power between Angels and Exiles.  And the ultimate betrayal will be exposed.

So are you ready for the cover?!  Entice by Jessica Shirvington releases from Sourcebooks Fire on September 4th, 2012.

Exciting Extras!

Check out Jessica’s brand new video blog post where she sits down with a cup of coffee and invites us into her home.  From her favorite chair to her love of befriending characters in a series, Jessica chats with us about her perfect setting for a good read!


You can read the first two chapters of Entice here!

Exciting News!!  Jessica Shirvington will be traveling to the U.S for a two-week national book tour for Entice starting September 18.  Keep an eye on www.embracetheseries.com for more details.

Filed Under: Upcoming Releases Tagged With: , , , , ,