Book Trailer: Tell the Wind and Fire - Sarah Rees Brennan

I've been browsing YouTube book trailers recently & I thought it would be fun to start highlighting some of the books that I really want to read but haven't quite got around to yet. Some of these have been on my to read pile for months (or even years!) but these trailers make me want to read them ASAP.

I loved Sarah Rees Brennan's Demons Lexicon trilogy but for some reason I've never got around to her standalone book Tell the Wind and Fire. My only excuse is that my to read pile is currently the size of a small mountain but I know I'm not the only bookworm with that issue.

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets.

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised.

Lucie alone knows of the deadly connection the young men share, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

Celebrated author Sarah Rees Brennan tells a magical tale of romance and revolution, love and loss.

Review: The Demon's Surrender - Sarah Rees Brennan

The Goblin Market has always been the centre of Sin's world.

But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin's place is in danger.  Keeping secrets from the market she loves and struggling with a friend who has become a rival, Sin is thrown together with the Ryves Brothers, Nick and Alan - whom she has always despised.  But as Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the demon brother he loves, she begins to see both brothers in a new light.  But how far will brother go to save brother - and what will it cost them all?

The Demon's Lexicon Trilogy
The Demon's Lexicon
The Demon's Covenant
The Demon's Surrender

For more information visit Sarah Rees Brennan's website

Review:
Sin grew up in the Goblin Market, she's always been the best dancer and has always believed that she will become their leader when Merris leaves.  It turns out she has a rival though - she may like Mae but she is shocked that someone so new to the market might take over.  But Sin has been keeping secrets from the other market people, a secret that will destroy everything if it is discovered, and she has nowhere to turn for help apart from to Alan and Nick, the brothers that she has hated for years.  Can Sin take her rightful place as the leader of the market or will she lose the job to her friend?  The war between the market and the magicians won't wait while the new leadership is decided though so can the friends find a way to work together to beat their enemy once and for all?

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Demon's Lexicon trilogy so while I have been looking forward to reading the final installment I am also sad to reach the end of the series.  Luckily Sarah Rees Brennan manages to end on a high note and I think The Demon's Surrender was my favourite book of the series.  I love the way the narrator changes with each book, we had Nick's POV for The Demon's Lexicon, Mae for The Demon's Covenant and now in The Demon's Surrender it's Sin's turn.  I have to admit I was expecting the story to be told from Alan's POV, he seemed like the obvious choice but I think the story worked better with Sin taking charge of the narration.  Sin was able to give us an insider's view of the Goblin Market and I really enjoyed seeing her thoughts about the place she grew up in.

The story had plenty going on to keep me gripped, there were laugh out loud moments (particularly when Nick and Mae were together), heart breaking moments when I could hardly bear to carry on reading and a satisfying end that left a smile on my face.  I grew to really like Sin's character, I never disliked her in previous books but I didn't particularly care for her either.  We only ever really saw the surface of her character before and with her as the narrator we get to find out a lot more about her past, things haven't been easy for her since the death of her mother and the fact that she is caring for her siblings just makes it harder.  She was more vulnerable than I expected her to be but she was strong when it came to protecting those she cares about.  I have to admit there were times when I really started to dislike Mae which I wasn't expecting but I was glad that the rivalry between the two of them never overtook the rest of the story.  They may both want to be leader of the market but they both like and respect the other and I think in the long run the decision made at the end was probably the right one.

I still love Nick but this book was the one where Alan really started to shine for me.  I've liked him throughout the series but he was never my favourite character, this time I connected to him much more and I loved the way Sin was able to see through his different masks.  I thought the two of them were well suited as they are both performers - albeit in different ways - who only show the world what they want it to see.  Because they are both capable of displaying different persona's to others they were able to see through the other's lies and bluster to the real person underneath.

I don't want to say anymore about the plot for fear of spoilers so I'll just say if you're a fan of the series you're going to love the conclusion.  If you haven't started the series yet you definitely need to start with the first book The Demon's Lexicon, you wouldn't get the full experience if you pick it up at the end, but I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.  I'm excited to see what Sarah Rees Brennan comes up with next!

Source: Received from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Foyles Event with Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan - 26th October 2011

Me with Cassandra Clare

I was very excited when I first heard that Foyles would be hosting an event with Cassandra Clare, I have only read the first 2 books in the Mortal Instruments series so far but I really enjoyed them.  I'd already bought the next 2 books and Clockwork Angel so I jumped at the chance to get them signed.  It was also a great excuse to meet up with some of my blogging friends and I was very excited to have Kirsty come and stay with me for a few days so we could go to the event together.

Kirsty had spotted on twitter that Cassandra Clare was going to be visiting Waterstones in Piccadilly signing stock before the event (thanks for the heads up Nicole!) so we decided to head up early and try stalk her  *cough* meet her there.  We made it to Waterstones with about half an hour to spare and found ourselves pacing around the YA section waiting for her to arrive.  After asking a couple of staff members who had no idea where she would be we decided to wait on the ground floor to see if we could spot her coming in.  I'm sure anyone who was watching us would have laughed at our crazy stalkerish fan girl behaviour, especially after we saw her get in the lift and went running up the stairs back to the YA section to wait for her.  Honestly, we aren't really crazy (well perhaps a little lol).  Luckily Nicole came to find us and tell us that Cassie was up in the restaurant signing stock and invited us to go up and join them. 

Kirsty with Cassandra Clare

We couldn't believe that there were no other fans there waiting to get their books signed but were both very excited that we got to chat to Cassie.  We had a very random conversation about Misfits and US remakes of British TV shows and Cassie was absolutely lovely.  Even though she had a huge stack of books to sign for Waterstones she seemed happy to take a few minutes out to speak to us and sign the books we'd brought with us.  We thought we should leave her in peace to get on with signing the stock though so headed towards Foyles to get ready for the event.

In the end we had time to stop for a bacon butty on the way - yum!! - before meeting up with more blogging friends in the queue for the event.  I think all of us were a little hyper by the time we met up, as you can see from the pictures below we were more than a bit excited (I don't think the caffeine in my coffee helped lol).  Yes, I hate to admit it but it's true - bloggers are bonkers (at least most of us are anyway)!

As we walked into the event we were all issued with Halloween masks (I wish I'd thought to take pics with all of us wearing them) and some of us found out we'd won goodie bags full of books, swag and Halloween treats.  The room was all decked out in spooky decorations and Cassie's books which looked fab.  Foyles really know how to throw amazing events!

There was a lot of excitement in the room when Cassandra Clare entered with Sarah Rees Brennan, we were all looking forward to hearing them talk and getting the chance to ask them questions.  They started the event by quizzing the audience though & even had prizes for the people who knew the correct answers.

Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Then it was time for audience questions, I have to admit I was nervous about picking up spoilers because I haven't read the last 2 Mortal Instruments books yet so although I took notes for some of the answers I didn't write everything down (I'm hoping to forget what I don't write lol).  They started off by chatting about the lengths they go in the name of research.  Cassie was even dedicated enough to tie up Holly Black in the boot of her car so that Holly would know what it felt like!  Sarah & Cassie nearly got themselves arrested for trespassing when trying to take pictures of an old abandoned building but I think the funniest story was of them taking pictures of a Victorian house and realising there was a naked man standing in the window cooking his dinner!

Cassandra Clare
• Would you ever consider writing a book for the adult market?  Cassie said she would if the right idea came to her.  She did mention that whenever she thinks about adult characters she asks the question "what is their job" and at that point she gets bored and falls asleep so it doesn't seem likely she'll be writing an adult protagonist anytime soon.
• Who is the inspiration for your characters?  Cassie said they tend to be mash ups of people she knows, fictional and historical characters.  Even if a character is based on someone she knows she said by the time the book is finished they end up completely different.  People never recognise themselves in the character that was based on them but often think that they are someone different in the book.
• What can you tell us about the Dark Artifices series?  The series will be set in LA and later in time than the Mortal Instruments series (The MI books are stuck in 2007 because that's when she started them and the time line hasn't moved very far in the story).  She chose LA because it's a city she knows well and she doesn't see many urban fantasy stories set there.  The series will follow one of the younger shadowhunters from the MI series (Sarah pointed out that we're looking at 12 year old characters now who will be grown up by the time the DA series starts).  She did confirm that some characters from the MI books will make appearances in the new series so we will be able to see how things are going for them in the future.
• What is the scene you're most looking forward to in the movie?  Cassie is really excited about Magnus' party, it's the first time you meet Magnus you get to see weres and vampires and of course there is also the motorbikes.
• What books would you recommend?  Holly Black's White Cat Series, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness, oh and Sarah Rees Brennan's Demons Lexicon trilogy of course lol.
• How hard was it to link the family trees for the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series?  Cassie said it was complicated but fun to work out who was related.  She had to create 5 different generations to tie the two series together and she didn't want it to be too obvious who was related when you first start reading the books.
• How do you plan what happens to your characters?  She has a vague idea of what will happen but she gets together with other writer friends to micro plot the whole book before she starts writing.  They will go through each and every situation to work out exactly what happens and why.  There has to be a good reason for every scene or it doesn't make it into the book no matter how much she may want to include it.
• Who would you like to meet and what would you do with them?  Sarah immediately said she would go on a date with Sebastian while Cassie chose a safer answer and said she would go shopping with Magnus. 

Sarah Rees Brennan

There were lots more questions but like I said I didn't write down all of the answers because I was giving myself spoilers.  Cait has written an awesome report though & has much better notes than I do (you can find a link to her write up below).  We all had a fabulous time at the event, Cassie and Sarah were both great, they bounced off each other and had us all laughing a lot.  It was great to find out more about their books and I'm looking forward to catching up with the MI series and getting started on Clockwork Angel.  I have to give a massive shout out to Neil and the other staff at Foyles for a fantastic event.  They worked really hard to make a success of it and I really appreciate the effort they put in, especially when a lot of the author events they host are free to attend.

After the event had finished and we had collected the goodie bags we'd won it was time to go downstairs for the signing.  Luckily Kirsty and I had already got our books signed so we didn't need to join the massive queue and Caz very kindly got my copy of The Demon's Surrender signed by Sarah for me.  Kirsty and I decided to wait in the pub for the others while they were in the queue so we spend a relaxing hour waiting for some of the others to meet us for dinner.  I have to say I'm really relieved that we didn't have to stand around in the queue (another big thanks to Nicole from Waterstones!).  It was a fab day and it was great to have time to catch up with blogging friends I already knew and of course meet some new faces too.  I really do love the UK blogging community :o)

Who Was There?

Cassandra Clare - Website

Sarah Rees Brennan - Website

Foyles - Website

Andy - The Pewter Wolf - Event Report

Cait - The Cait Files - Event Report

Casey - Dark Readers

Caz - Big Book Little Book - Event Report

Kirsty - The Overflowing Library

Laura - Sister Spooky: Book Fangirl

Leanne - District YA

Lynsey - Narratively Speaking

Viv - Serendipity Reviews

Review: The Demon's Covenant - Sarah Rees Brennan

Mae's life has spun out of control.

She's just learned that her brother Jamie is a magician and Nick, the boy she'd set her heart on, has an even darker secret.

Jamie has been meeting with the new leader of the Obsidian Circle, who is hell-bent on persuading Jamie to join the magicians.  When Mae calls on Nick and Alan to save her brother, the Circle sets in motion a plot to bring Nick down - by convincing his own brother to spring a deadly trap.

With brother set against brother and everyone's loyalties divided, Mae sees a chance to save them all - but it means approaching the mysterious and dangerous Goblin Market alone...

The Demon's Lexicon Trilogy
The Demon's Lexicon
The Demon's Covenant
The Demon's Surrender

For more information visit Sarah Rees Brennan's website

Review:
The Demon's Covenant continues the story a few weeks after the ending of The Demon's Lexicon.  Nick and Alan are still on the run from the magicians but Mae and Jamie have returned home to continue their lives as normal.  Mae is very worried when she discovers that the new leader of the Obsidian Circle has been secretly meeting her brother trying to convince him to join the magicians.  The only people she can think of to help her are Alan and Nick so she turns to them for advice.  What she doesn't expect is for the magicians to convince Alan to betray Nick and it seems like she is the only person who can stop it from happening.  She has no choice but to ask for help from the Goblin Market but will they be able to stop Alan in time?

I really enjoyed The Demon's Lexicon which I thought was a fab debut novel but The Demon's Covenant was even better and I can't wait to see what Sarah Rees Brennan has in store for us in the final book of the trilogy.  I've found before that the second book in a series doesn't always match up to the first but that was definitely not the case this time - The Demon's Covenant was everything I loved about The Demon's Lexicon and then some.  I enjoyed hearing the story from Mae's perspective - she has a great voice and is completely different from Nick who was the narrator in the last book.

After the shocking twist at the end of the first book I was on the look out for hints at similar revelations in this book but I still didn't spot most of them coming so I was really kept on my toes again.  I loved Nick in the first book but the more you get to see of him the more I love him and the same goes for Alan, Mae and Jamie too.  It is unusual to read a book where you have such strong feelings for all 4 of the main characters but the way this series is written it is impossible not to like them all.

I love a book that can make me laugh out loud one minute and then have me fearful of what the future holds in the next.  I feel really invested in the story and don't know how I'm going to survive the wait for book 3 to come out.  If you've not already started this series then I'd highly recommend going out and getting a copy of The Demon's Lexicon.  If you have read and enjoyed it then The Demon's Covenant is a must read book!

Source: Recieved for review from publisher Simon & Schuster

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: The Demon's Lexicon - Sarah Rees Brennan

Sixteen-year-old Nick knows that demons are real.

Magicians call up demons in exchange for their power.  The demons can appear in any shape, show you marvels, promise you anything - until you invite them in and receive their mark.
What happens next?
First you get possessed.
Then you die.

Nick's been on the run his whole life, ever since his mother stole a charm from the most feared magician of them all, and the only person he trusts is his brother Alan.  Alan's just been marked by a demon.  Only Nick can save him, but to do so he must face the magicians - and kill them.  The hunt is on, and Nick's going to discover things he never dreamed were out there...

The Demon's Lexicon Trilogy
The Demon's Lexicon
The Demon's Covenant
The Demon's Surrender

For more information visit the Sarah Rees Brennan's website

Review:
Nick and Alan have been on the run for as long as Nick can remember.  Their Dad died trying to keep them safe from the magicians who have been chasing after them and their Mum ever since their Mum stole a powerful charm.  Since then it has been Alan and Nick who have had to work together to keep their Mum safe.  When Jamie and his sister Mae come to them for help because Jamie has been marked by a demon Nick doesn't want to have anything to do with them - as far as he's concerned they have enough of their own problems.  It is Alan who convinces him to help them although Nick is furious when Alan ends up marked too.

Nick is very loyal to Alan, who is the only person in the world he can trust, so he is devastated when he finds out Alan has been keeping secrets from him.  When he sets out to uncover the truth he ends up finding a lot more than he bargained for - nothing will ever be the same for him again.

I thought this was a great debut from Sarah Rees Brennan - completely different from anything I've read before.  I found it interesting that the magicians are shown as evil and that in order to use their magic they have to give human sacrifices to the demons.  Nick may not be a perfect hero, he doesn't seem to have any compassion or empathy and the only real emotion we see from him is anger but he does care for his brother and it is obvious he will do anything to keep Alan safe.  The other main characters are likeable but I found Nick was definitely my favorite.

The story is a little slow to start but I think this is usually to be expected at the start of a series where the author is introducing their world & the rules.  Overall I really enjoyed the story and the twist at the end knocked me sideways - I really didn't see that one coming!  I can't wait to see how this is going to play out over the next 2 books, I'm sure Sarah Rees Brennan has some more shock up her sleeves for us!

Source: Recieved for review from publisher Simon & Schuster

Other Reviews:
The Bookette
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.