Top Ten Tuesday: New to Me Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we talk about a bookish topic in the form of lists!

This week's topic is: Top Ten new authors to us of 2013

I love discovering new authors, and this year was full of them!

1. Rainbow Rowell: Fangirl, Eleanor & Park
2. Richelle Mead: Vampire Academy
3. Chelsea Pitcher: The S Word

4. Stephanie Perkins: Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door
5. Daisy Whitney: The Mockingbirds
6. Rachel Alpine: Canary

7. Jenny Han: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always Have Summer
8. Tiffany Schmidt: Send Me A Sign
9. Kasie West: Pivot Point
10. Holly Black: White Cat, Red Glove, Black Heart

I hope to discover more amazing authors in the new year (though I have no doubt I will!) Who have been some of your faves this year?

Review: Shadow Kiss

Shadow Kiss
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: November 13, 2008
Paperback, 443 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all... might be seeing ghosts.

As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line - and choose between the two people she loves most.

I was super excited going into this book. Frostbite was so good and I couldn't wait for more Rose. It started with a bang with Rose having dark thoughts since killing her first Strigoi. Things aren't feeling quite right and she's pretty sure she's seeing Mason, her could be boyfriend who got killed during the attacks in the last book. Not only that but Lissa is experimenting with her magic with Adrian, causing friction between Lissa and Christian, and Victor Dashkov may be released from jail soon. Shit just keeps hitting the fan in Rose's life but she doesn't  have time to deal with any of it as she is now in her field practice for becoming a guardian, protecting someone she didn't think she'd be paired with. 

There was so much going on in this book, it was hard to put it down. I loved the field practice, where the dhampirs have the chance to put everything they've learned to practice and fight off the Guardians as though they are real Strigoi. Rose's practice starts off rough, but we all know how strong she is and she eventually proves it again to everyone around her. This book is a game changer. Everything that happens in it is sure to make an impact on the rest of the series. Lissa's powers are getting stronger everyday, but this is bad news for Rose since she is sucking up all the madness coming off of Lissa. Victor is still alive, though locked up for good, but I have a feeling he'll be back. Rose has finally discovered what being Shadow Kissed really means and it may not be a good thing at all. The ending is flawless and unexpected. Everything was written well and sucked me in and there was no way I was letting go. 

Rose and Dimitri's relationship also changes drastically in this book. I got chills every time they spoke, hoping for another kiss to add to the two they've shared so far. Dimitri is a good match for Rose. He knows how to calm her down but also understands that if she wants to do something, she'll do it. The age difference barely registers with me when they are together and the moments they spend together in the cabin were swoon worthy. I'm not sure what I'll think of the next book, Blood Promise, since the ending to this one may have scarred me for life, but I'm eager to find out what happens between Rose and Dimitri now that everything has happened. Rose is such a refreshing heroine, and I can't wait to see what other trouble she gets into. 

“Even I make mistakes." I put on my brash, overconfident face. "I know it's hard to believe—kind of surprises me myself—but I guess it has to happen. It's probably some kind of karmic way to balance out the universe. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to have one person so full of awesomeness.” 

Review: Frostbite

Frostbite
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: April 10, 2008
Paperback, 327 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... 

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. 

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

This series is quickly becoming one of my favourites and I'm only two books in. Mead's world of vampires is believable and refreshingly different than what I've seen in YA lately. The first novel, Vampire Academy, began the thrilling tale of Rose Hathaway and her best friend Lissa Dragomir, a vampire elite whom she'd do anything for. Rose's job in life is to protect Lissa from the Strigoi, an immortal race of vampires out to destroy the Moroi. When an attack on one of the royal families causes alarm, the academy takes to a sheltered ski resort in hopes of keeping everyone safe. The students spend their days making out, and falling in love. Rose desperately tries to get over Dimitri while hanging out with Mason and deciding whether he's worthy of her love. But some students aren't satisfied with just hiding in the shadows, some want to go out and fight the Strigoi themselves, and unfortunately for Rose, those students also happen to be her friends. 

The story weaves itself so tightly it's hard to put it down even at chapter breaks. I found myself halfway through it in one day and wishing I didn't have to sleep so I could keep going. The tension between Rose and Dimitri only heightens in this book, making me want to tear the pages until they finally kiss. There's no doubt those two are meant for each other, and I love that it's going to take them until the end of the series to finally get together (just a prediction). The friendship between Rose and Lissa is lovely to watch. The way that they act is very realistic. They love each other but still keep secrets and don't tell each other everything, as most of us do. It's the kind of friendship I know will transcend every awful thing that happens to them, and I know there will be more terrible things if these first two books are anything like the rest of the series. 

Mead just has a way with words. There is nothing special about her writing. The prose does not roll off the page and stay with you long after you've finished the page, but I like that about it. I don't need fancy words and metaphors galore, in fact I prefer the simple writing of hers. She tells the story as Rose, a straight forward girl who doesn't have time to dream about the flowers or gaze into the stars as she thinks about Dimitri. But Rose is more memorable a character than most I've read. She is loyal, loving, and determined to protect those she loves. She hasn't had an easy life, her mother wasn't around and she never knew her father. It may be impossible for her to find love and start a family as her role as a Guardian means protecting Lissa above all else. But you don't feel sorry for her, in fact you fear her. She is strong and brave and snarky. My kind of girl. Every character i this book stands out on their own, begging for attention from the reader. Dimitri is tortured and dreamy but it's never annoying. Lissa is in more pain than Rose, but does not want to burden her friend even though she fears for her life. And even those characters you want to hate, like Rose's mom and Adrian Ivashkov are likeable in the way that their characters are well rounded and real. Everyone has good and bad in them, and that's what creates a remarkable character.

Each book gives more information about these vampires and what it means to be them and fear them. Rose has a lot to learn and Lissa still has to figure out her powers. The need to find out how this series ends makes me crave the next chapter, Shadow Kiss, which I'll no doubt start shortly.

“There's nothing worse than waiting and not knowing what'll happen to you. Your own imagination can be crueler than any captor.” 

Review: Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: August 16, 2007
Paperback, 332 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Normally I shy away from vampire books. Ever since Twilight, I've been worried about how YA authors look at these supernatural creatures. I prefer books like Interview With the Vampire if I want some blood sucking fun, but Mead took these creatures and created something new that hit the mark on the head and I'm glad I decided to read this book. Mead's vampires are different, kick ass, and strange all at once and it made for a solid read.

Rose is a Dhampir, ahalf vampire, half human, who's sole purpose in life is to protect the Moroi, full vampires that are being hunted by Strigoi, immortal dangerous vampires. There are a lot of different vampires in here and that's what makes it so unique. Rose and her Moroi best friend, Lissa, have a bond that not many other Dhampir/Moroi pairs have. She can feel everything Lissa feels and this brings them very close together. After being dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy after being away for two years, Rose suddenly finds herself fighting to be near Lissa and defending the rumours that start spreading throughout the campus about the two of them. Throw in some hot boys, forbidden romance, and dead animals, and you've got yourself a vampire story for the ages.

Rose is not your typical YA Mary Sue. She's hardcore, kicks serious butt, and doesn't let anyone step on her or Lissa. It's refreshing to read a voice like hers, where, yes, even though she thinks the guy is cute, she doesn't let this get in the way of everything else going on in her life. In no way does the romance take centre stage and the rest of the plot get pushed into the background. In fact, I wanted more romance. I craved Rose and Dimitri to just make out and get the tension over with. Dimitri being her fighting instructor and five years older than her doesn't make for an easy romance. At no point did the age difference seem weird and gross, and the way it was handled throughout the book was spectacular. I'm certainly not done with the two of them. Rose and Lissa's friendship was comforting and nice to see in a YA series. Normally it's all about the romance, but I'm glad their friendship took the forefront and was challenged and put to the test throughout the book. The personal bond between the two was realistic and well written. It came off as best friends would, even though the differences between the girls could have meant quite the opposite. 

The book is set at a boarding school, therefore there will be drama between the students. The mean girls were there, threatening Rose and spreading rumours, but it never got too focused on that drama. What I loved about this book was that them being vampires wasn't the only responsibility they had. They were very much human, but still had the vampire characteristics. School took place at night and there were feeders for the Moroi to feed on. The differences between the Dhampirs and the Moroi was interesting to read about, given that the Dhampir were more human and did not have to drink blood and could go out in the sunlight. They are treated differently and it came off like racial slurs at some points and this made it feel very real. It's never about humans versus vampires in this book, it's vampire versus vampire and it came off very well. I'm curious to see where this series will go and how Rose and Lissa's relationship will evolve. I also can't wait to watch the movie, out next year!

“Only a true best friend can protect you from your immortal enemies.”