Mundie Moms

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Falconer by Elizabeth May, Book Review & Giveaway


By: Elizabeth May
Published by: Chronicle Books
Released on: May 6, 2014
Series: The Falconer #1
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It!
Source: arc/book from the publisher to review
Ages: 14 and up
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

Edinburgh, 1844. Beautiful Aileana Kameron only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. In fact, she’s spent the year since her mother died developing her ability to sense the presence of Sithichean, a faery race bent on slaughtering humans. She has a secret mission: to destroy the faery who murdered her mother. But when she learns she’s a Falconer, the last in a line of female warriors and the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity, her quest for revenge gets a whole lot more complicated. The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller blends romance and action with steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.

A must read debut! Elizabeth May's The Falconer has it all. A fierce heroine, an exciting storyline, unforgettable characters, romance, a rich history, and an enchanting faery lore. Unlike any other fae book I've before, this book is just awesome! I LOVED it!

Lady Aileana has become one of my favorite heroine's from this year. She is fierce, loyal, and will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, as well as avenge the murder of her mother. In the process, this brave fighter risks her life, her status in high society and so much more. Aileana would much rather be out hunting faeries than be stuck in a stuffy ball room, or attend picnics in the park. She has an incredible gift, she's a Falconer. The last in line of incredible women who were also faery assassins. One of the things I loved about Aileana is how strong she is. Despite the fact that she's a women in a society where choices were made for them, her gift/power allows her a secret freedom to do otherwise.

The characters in this book are fabulous! Lady Aileana has three men who all play important, and very different roles in her life. Her ever present side kick, Derrick, a pixie and lives in her dress room,  is often times her voice of reason, but more importantly he's helped her see that not all fae are bad. Then there's Gavin, the brother of her best friend, and the boy she's grown up with. No, there's no love triangle in this story, but I loved how these two came back into each other's lives, and the love they have for each other. Both have secrets, with Gavin being a Seer, someone who can see the far, and Aileana's abilities, these two learn to rely on each other in a much different way. Then there's Kiaran.

Oh Kiaran! I loved his character. There's so much to him. He's the complex character we learn enough about in this story, and yet there's so much more I'm dying to find out. There's this element of danger, and excitement about Kiaran. Being a fae, who not only trains Aileana, he also hunts fae with her. The chemistry these two have is awesome! It's intoxicating as it leaves me feeling satisfied and leaves me wanting more of them. I love finding out about the history he and Kam (Lady Aileana) have. It was evident from the moment he's introduced into the story, that these two have something unique. There's also a mutual respect, and a bit of danger mixed into it.

 Oh my romantic heart. I loved the romance! It's one that makes you yearn to have the characters together, and when they are, I wanted more. It's a slow burning romance that has snark, sizzling chemistry, history, and danger. It's the kind of romance that fans of Cassandra Clare and Jennifer L. Armentout will love!

You know you've read the perfect book for you when you get to the end and find yourself craving more. The Falconer has a beautiful mix of paranormal, steampunk, and historical elements. Elizabeth May does such an awesome job at mixing all these elements together. I loved how they were all infused to tell Aileana's story. The setting was fabulous! Steampunk historical Scotland! I absolutely loved it! The rich history this beautiful country has was the perfect back drop for the story and the romance. I can not wait for book two. I NEED MORE!

Be sure to check out my interview with Elizabeth May here. Watch the trailer below.

  

Thank you Chronicle Books, I've got one copy of the book to giveaway! To enter, please fill out the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Birthday Sophie!

(This artwork is everything that is Sophie! All that is missing are some books. Source)

I'm totally sneaking this on the blog so that Sophie can't find it until it's too late... *evil laugh* As some of you may know, when it's birthday time here on Mundie Moms, Sophie and I try to get back at each other by posting Happy Bday posts on each other's birthday's. Today is my favorite Mundie Mama's Birthday!!


Sophie has become my closet and most trusted friend. Infact we often joke that there's a reason why we live states away from each other, if we lived closer we'd spend every day together hanging out talking about books, and so forth, and nothing would get done. We talk just about every day on the phone. Whether it be about books, mama stuff, or what have you, I always look forward to chatting with her. She's become like a sister to me, and I don't know what I'd do without her.

In celebration of Sophie's birthday, I've "gotten" her a few of her literary favorites, or you know, real life favorites like,


Ben Barnes in a tie *snickers*,


macarons, 


a trip to England, 


Mr. Darcy, 


 and THE Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth)

and last but not least WILL! 


Er, I mean Jem. ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIE!!! I wish I was there with you to celebrate your wonderful day. xo's!

#TMITuesday

2 weeks until City of Heavenly Fire is out and I swear Cassie is trying to kill us with today's post. Here's what she shared on Tumblr:




We all know that Cassie loves to tease us..... I'm really, REALLY, really hoping this picture of Sebastian and Jace isn't what it seems to be.

Here's what she said:
It’s another  #TMITuesday! First, double art art from Cassandra Jean. In the first picture is Maia and Jordan survey the aftermath, while in the second Jace and Sebastian face off in a snowy wasteland.

Then, It’s time to reveal the beginning of the prologue of City of Heavenly Fire! For those who have been asking questions about the Dark Artifices characters, here you get some insight into them.

Just go to the page, and tumblr or tweet or email the link. That will open up content #5 for you. Hope you like!

If I'm allowed to, I'll share the first half of the CoHF prologue that will be revealed today via Shadowhunters.com.

Cassandra Clare's COHF Giveaway

Hi Shadowhunters! Just in case you missed it, Cassie posted about a CoHF giveaway she's doing. Here's what she posted & how you can enter to win a SIGNED copy of her upcoming release. 



If you’re a US Shadowhunter, zip to your local Barnes and Noble to see the Jace standee they have counting down to the date of the #CoHF release. Send me a link with a photo on twitter and I’ll pick one of you to send you a signed book!
Sourced from http://instagram.com/p/n3tp5UlVLq/

A Downworlder Bouquet

Check out the latest installment in the TMI Flower Project, Cassie has shared. The Downworlder Bouquet.


 

City of Lost Souls Read-A-Long: Chapter 12


Hello & welcome to day #12 of our City of Lost Souls Read-A-Long. You can find out more about the read along and find the schedule here. There is no right or wrong way to participate. Your comments can be as long or as short as you'd like them to be. 

Today's discussion is about the Chapter 12: The Stuff of Heaven

Chapter 12
  • During a conversation that Sebastian and Clary are having, she remembers something the Seelie Queen told her, which she said to Sebastian, "Love makes liars of us all." Do you agree? Why do you think this quote is so fitting for this book?
  • Maryse surprised during her visit with Brother Zachariah. He tells her, "try not to let fear for Jace devour you. He is a Herondale, and they are survivors-" She snaps at him, and reminds Brother Zachariah that he's not a Herondale, but a Lightwood and her son. Did her outburst surprise you? Do you agree with her? 
  • The surprises keep coming.... in one scene Sebastian not only protects Clary, he reminds the demon that he is more powerful than his father was. First, why would he protect Clary? He know he has a motive for everything he does, just like Valentine did. Two, what's he hiding that makes him more powerful than Valentine?
Please DO NOT POST SPOILERS. There's some fans who are joining the read-a-long who are reading Clockwork Prince for the first time. 

Labels