Acknowledging that she was different from everyone else wasn’t difficult for Wendy Everly – she’d always felt like an outsider. But a new world and new family is a hard for any girl to accept easily. Leaving behind the mysterious country of her birth, she is determined to fit back into normal life. But the world she’s left behind won’t let her go that easily.

Kidnapped and imprisoned by her true family’s enemies, Wendy soon learns that the lines between good and evil aren’t as defined as she thought. And those things she’d taken for granted may have been lies all along. With the help of the dangerously attractive Loki, she escapes back to the safety of Förening – only to be confronted by a new threat.

It’s time to make a choice – can she put aside her personal feelings for the sake of her country? Torn between duty and love she must make a choice that could destroy her one chance at true happiness.

Torn is the second book in Amanda Hocking’s best-selling Trylle trilogy which is being released for the first time in paperback in the UK this year. As I said in my review of Switched, I love the covers for this series and the cover picture on the left really doesn’t do this one justice. Those leaves and Amanda’s name are all picked out in shiny red in the paperback version and it’s just gorgeous!

The story in Torn follows on straight away from the ending of Switched as Wendy tries to escape from her newly discovered Trylle life and go back to the life she knew before. But of course Wendy can’t escape that easily and in an action packed start to the novel falls into the enemy Vittra hands. I liked that the story got straight into the action and introduced a whole new dimension to Wendy’s world very quickly. Through Wendy’s capture and imprisonment we learn a lot about the Vittra and there are a number of great twists to the plot that I wasn’t expecting. Torn presents the other side of the story depicted in Switched and adds a lot of detail to Wendy’s background and the Trylle world as a whole. After a promising and action packed start, I found the middle section of the book a little slow, however, the final third of the book had me racing though the pages again and overall this was another unputdownable book for me.

I was pleased to see many familiar faces from Switched but also enjoyed the additional characters introduced; particularly those on the Vittra side of the story. They made a good contrast to the inhabitants of Forening and I was surprised when Hocking added another possible love interest into the mix with bad boy Loki. The romance side to Torn is excellent and for me is one of the most gripping elements of the story. The events and obligations that Wendy faces in this novel take Wendy’s relationships in a direction that I didn’t see coming and there is one revelation in particular that totally surprised me – I love it when a book does that!

I often worry that a sequel or second book in a series won’t live up to the first, particularly if I enjoyed the first a lot. Thankfully, Torn delivers and is equally as good as Switched, moving the story on and setting the scene perfectly for the final novel, Ascend. There are so many questions left unanswered that it had  me wishing I could read Ascend right now. Thankfully I havn’t got long to wait until the final novel is out next week!

4/5

Torn is out now and I’d like to thank publisher Tor (Pan Macmillan) for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Amanda Hocking and her books on her blog at: http://www.amandahocking.blogspot.com/ and at http://www.panmacmillan.com/author/amandahocking where you can find an extract from Switched.

666 Park Avenue featured in my ‘Six most anticipated paranormal romance books of 2012‘ and I’m eagerly awaiting its UK release so I was excited to see the new cover which is very different to the US cover (I’ve shown them both below – UK first then US – and I honesty can’t decide which I like best!). The book will be released by Canvas (Constable and Robinson) on 19th July.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Fairwick Chronicles series, Incubus, which was released last year and have been eagerly awaiting details of the sequel so I was excited to see that the cover for Water Witch has been released. It’s a great cover and I can’t wait to find out what happens next to Callie and the residents of Fairwick. Water Witch will be published on 13th September by Ebury Press.

In the town of Fairwick there is a dark wood, and in the wood there is a stream. And in that stream the Undine live…

Descended from a longline of ‘door-keepers’, Callie McFay has become the guardian of the last gateway between the world of Faerie and mankind.

But unbeknown to Callie there is another door in Fairwick to the world of the Fae – a watery portal that she must now open in order to allow the Undine – juvenile water nymphs – to return to their Faerie world.

If Callie fails in her task, the Undine will die. But they are not the only watery creatures looking for a way to cross the borderlands between the two worlds…

Schuyler’s hunt for the Gates is becoming more intense as the vampire world is beginning to show cracks. The New York Coven’s ancient lore and the desires of young vampires keep coming into dangerous conflict that could have repercussions worldwide. The course of forbidden love never did run smooth…

I’ve had this book on my ‘to read’ pile for a little while so when the urge to read something ‘paranormal’ came on last week, I went straight to my favourite vampire series. This is the sixth novel in the Blue Bloods series and the penultimate; the final book The Gates of Paradise will be releasd in January next year. Although I love this series, I’m pleased it is coming to an end; I enjoyed Lost in Time but not as much as some of the earlier novels in the series and at times I felt like the plot and mysteries were just going round in circles with very little being reveled that moved the story on.

As I’ve said in previous reviews, it’s hard to comment in depth on a particular installment of the series without giving away spoilers to those who haven’t read the earlier books so I’ll keep my comments short and please don’t read on if you are planning to read the other books in the Blue Bloods saga first.

Lost in Time is actually three separate stories which interconnect but involve separate groupings of characters. The first story is that of Schuyler as she hunts for the Gate of Promise. This part of her quest takes her to Egypt and also tells the next part in the tale of Schuyler and Jack’s relationship. For me, this was the least gripping of the three plots in Lost in Time and at times I got quite confused as to who was who and what had happened before.

The second strand to the story is led by Mimi and Oliver. Regular readers will know that Oliver has always been one of my favourite characters in the Blue Bloods novels so I was really pleased to see that he had a significant presence in this book. I’m still hoping that Oliver will get a happy ending! Mimi’s character has undergone a dramatic change as the series has progressed and I think her true character really comes out as she descends into the depths of Hell in Lost in Time to search for Kingsley Martin. I’m always surprised by the amount of humour Mimi brings to the plot and this novel was no exception.

The final storyline was the one that had me most intrigued and gripped as I was reading, telling the story of Schuyler’s mother Allegra and her relationship with Schuyler’s father. The beginning of this story was told in the Bloody Valentine novella and I was so pleased to see that the full story has now been told – it filled in a lot of gaps for me and finally answered some of the questions I had!

As with all of the novels in this series, Lost in Time ends on a cliffhanger which left me wishing I had the seventh book to read right now. I’m already looking forward to reading the final installment and can’t wait to find out how the series ends. Lost in Time reminded me how much I enjoy Melissa de la Cruz’s books – I always read them quickly and I love the worlds she creates so I’ll be turing my attention to her new adult series The Witches of the East, which takes place in the same world as the Blue Bloods, while I wait.

4/5

You can find out more about Melissa de la Cruz and her novels at: http://www.melissa-delacruz.com/

The lovely Choc Lit gang revealed the cover for Jane Lovering’s next novel Vampire State of Mind over on their Facebook page the other day. Isn’t it gorgeous? And such a fab title too. Described as “Choc Lit’s version of Buffy”, I can’t wait to read this one. Vampire State of Mind is out in August – perfect timing for your beach reading list!

Check out One More Page’s Facebook page for more book news and gossip!

In the second part of my ‘hot picks’ for 2012 I’ve chosen the paranormal and fantasy books that I’m most looking forward to reading. Are your favourites on the list?

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (Razorbill, March)

I love witch stories and am looking forward to this new YA series. I’ve shown the US cover here – isn’t it lovely?

Our mother was a witch too, but she hid it better.

I miss her.

To me, the magic feels like a curse. According to the Brothers, it’s devil-sent. Women who can do magic-they’re either mad or wicked. So I will do everything in my power to protect myself and my sisters. Even if it means giving up my life – and my true love.

Because if the Brothers discover our secret, we’re destined for the asylum, or prison . . . or death.

Romance, magic, and an age-old prophecy.

The Reckoning by Alma Katsu (Century, June)

The second book in The Taker series – no synopsis yet for this immortal love story but the series has undergone a striking cover change for this release!

666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce (Canvas, June)

I’m very excited about this series which definitey falls into the chick lit side of paranormal – it sounds brilliant.

Welcome to New York City, where the socialites are witches Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, Jane Boyle has been living a fairy-tale. When he proposes, Jane can’t believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job as a fledgling architect and make a new start with Malcolm in New York. But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan’s most feared and revered families, Jane’s fairy-tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world-and herself-is upended. Now Jane must struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them. What if your mother-in-law turned out to be an evil, cold-blooded witch … literally?

Shadow of the Night by Deborah Harkness (Headline, July)

The long awaited sequel to A Discovery of Witches. Enough said

Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown.

Shortly after Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont timewalk to London, 1590, they discover that the past may not provide a safe haven after all. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy Matthew Roydon, the vampire falls back in step with a group of radicals known as the School of Night who share dangerous ideas about God, science, and man. Many of his friends are unruly daemons – the creative minds of the age who walk the fine line between genius and madness – including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot.  Matthew, himself, is expected to continue to spy for Queen Elizabeth, which puts him in close contact with London’s cutthroat underworld.

Together, Matthew and Diana scour the bookstalls and alchemical laboratories of London where they follow the elusive trail of Ashmole 782 – and search for the witch who will teach Diana to control her powers.

Wake by Amanda Hocking (Pan Macmillan, Autumn)

Having just read Switched I’m looking forward to reading the first in Amanda’s new Watersong series.

Beautiful. Fearless. Dangerous. They’re the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Thea, and Lexi have caught everyone’s attention, including the eye of practical Harper. But it’s her sister, Gemma, they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma seems to have it all – carefree, pretty, and falling in love with the boy next door. But her greatest passion has always been the water. She craves late night swims under the stars, where she can be alone yet belong to the sea. Lately she’s had company. Penn, Thea, and Lexi spend their nights dancing, singing, and partying on the cove–and one night Gemma joins them. When she wakes up groggy on the beach the next morning, she knows something has changed.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. As she uncovers the truth about her new mythical powers, Gemma is forced to choose between staying with those she loves or entering a dark world brimming with unimaginable secrets.

The Water Witch by Carol Goodman (Ebury, September)

No synopsis yet for this book which is the second novel in the Fairwick Chronicles series. I loved Incubus and can’t wait to find out what happens to Callie next.

Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her and accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she’s not the monster her mother claimed she is – she does feel that she doesn’t quite fit in . . .

The new girl in High School, she’s bored and frustrated by her small town life – and then there’s the secret that she can’t tell anyone. Her mysterious ability – she can influence people’s decisions, without knowing how, or why . . .

When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night – her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers to her strange powers and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist. Förening, the home of the Trylle. Everything begins to make sense to Wendy. Among the Trylle, she is not just different, but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring – not only to separate them, but to see the downfall everything that Wendy cares about. The fate of Förening rests in Wendy’s hands, and the decisions she and Finn make could change all their lives forever . . .

My new year has started with cover love; Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy has been beautifully packaged with two sets of covers to choose from (Adult and Young Adult versions), all of which are gorgeous. Many of you will have already heard of Amanda Hocking but for those who haven’t; she self-published her first book less than a year ago and has now sold over a million ebooks so I was very intrigued to see what all the fuss is about!

Switched is the story of seventeen year old Wendy who lives with her Aunt Maggie  and brother Matt after her mother tried to kill her when she was six. Not surprisingly, after a traumatic childhood, Wendy has ‘issues’ and finds it hard to fit in. As a consequence, her family has moved around a lot and as we meet her, she is once again the new girl in school. The story is told from Wendy’s point of view and I enjoyed that she knows she’s different but as the novel starts, doesn’t really understand why although she’s beginning to notice that she has some special abilities. Wendy finds herself drawn to mysterious new boy Finn and it soon becomes clear that he holds the key to finding out who she really is.  Switched is predominantly the story of Wendy’s discovery that she is a Trylle and what this means for her future. I enjoyed following Wendy on her voyage of discovery and despite her supposed ‘issues’, I found her a likeable character, if a little immature for her almost eighteen years.

If you’d told me I’d be so gripped by a book about Trolls I probably wouldn’t have believed you but I couldn’t put this book down. I can certainly see why it has been a huge hit. The story gives an original spin to the Troll folklore and feels fresh and magical at the same time. As a mum I wondered if I could enjoy a story about babies being switched at birth and if I’m completely honest, that part of the story didn’t sit very well with me at the beginning but as the book progressed the ‘switch’ element was explored from a number of angles with Wendy often voicing my thoughts about the changeling practice and and I found myself more intrigued as to how it would all play out than anything else.

The romance element to the story is good with several possible love interests popping up and dramatic events when Wendy realises who she really wants to be with! Hocking has created a detailed fantasy world in the Forening, with its own royalty and strict hierarchies. She has also created the requisite darker Trylle, The Vittra who are determined to use Wendy to thier own ends. Switched is fast paced and at just under 300 pages, the story has a huge amount packed into it meaning that I didn’t want to put it down. Amanda and the Trylle have a new fan in me and I can’t wait to add Torn and Ascend to my shelves in March and April!

4/5

Switched is released today and I’d like to thank Bea at Thinkjam for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Amanda Hocking and her books on her blog at: http://www.amandahocking.blogspot.com/ and at http://www.panmacmillan.com/author/amandahocking where you can find an extract from Switched.

This year I read 76 books  – that’s two more than last year! To end the year, I’ve chosen my ten favourite books that were published in 2011 and have provided links to my reviews where possible. I found it really hard to narrow my choice down to just ten books this year and even more impossible to pick an absolute favourite as I enjoyed different novels at different times for very different reasons. This year I’ve expanded on the top ten with some ‘favourites’ categories and a ‘readers’ choice’ section for the most popular (most visited) reviews this year. So without further ado, my books of the year, in release date order are:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (published in January by Headline)

Vampires, witches and daemons; a magical manuscript, rich historical detail and fascinating characters. This was a brilliant paranormal romance to start the year with and  I can’t wait for the follow up Shadow of the Night to be released in July 2012.

The Taker by Alma Katsu (published by Century in April)

A dark and gripping paranormal romance with no vampires! The Taker is a very original take on the immortal love story with the driving force behind most of the action being unrequited love. I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel The Reckoning in June.

The Beauty Chorus by Kate Lord-Brown (published by Corvus in April)

I love the title for this book which was the nickname given by fighter pilots to the women who volunteered to fly planes like Spitfires from factories to British airfields during World War Two. In The Beauty Chorus Kate Lord Brown skillfully combines the true historical facts (166 women joined the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) risking their lives to ferry planes across the country) with the fictional story of three very different women to create a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking novel.

From London With Love by Jemma Forte (published by Penguin in July)

A fun summer chick lit read that had me gripped and one of my favourite covers of the year too. The Bond theme adds a touch of A-list glamour to the story and as Jessica ties herself in knots trying to keep her identity a secret, From London with Love has a great message about not judging a book by its over and being who you really are.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield (published by Harper in July)

Jenny Wingfield’s debut is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve read it and 11 year old Swan Lake is one of my favourite characters of the year. Set in 1950′s Arkansas, the story is heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measures and beautifully written following the trials and tribulations of the wonderful Moses clan. My full review will be coming in January.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline ( published in August by Century)

A suprise hit for me! Ernest Cline has created a brilliantly thought out and detailed future dystopian world; combined it with a fantastic virtual reality treasure hunt based on music, film and gaming nostalgia from the 1980′s and underlined it all with (the biggest surprise for me as I read) a really sweet coming of age love story.

Netherwood by Jane Sanderson (published in September by Sphere)

Netherwood is a thoroughly enjoyable historical saga and a fantastic debut from Jane Sanderson. I was completely drawn in to the world that Jane has created, loving both the historical detail and the variety and depth of characters that populate this book.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (published by Harvill Secker in September)

A gorgeous book and an amazing debut from Erin Morgenstern. I loved the story of the mysterious black and white Circus which only opens at night. The book is packed with magic and intrigue. I’ve only just finished reading this one but it shot straight into my top ten!

Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris (published in October by Simon and Schuster)

Another of my favourite covers of the year. A classy story filled with vintage glamour. Miracle on Regent Street is Ali Harris’s debut novel and what a debut. Heartfelt, warm, romantic and a lovely Christmassy story too.

It Started with a Kiss by Miranda Dickinson (published by Avon in November)

Last but by no means least, Miranda Dickinson’s third novel is Chick lit perfection from the sparkly pink cover to the brilliantly romantic ending and I thoroughly enjoyed every page in between as Romily Parker goes on a year long search for the handsome hero who kissed her and vanished!

2011 Favourites …

The whole package: The Night Circus

Although I love my Kindle, it will never replace physical books for me and books like this are the reason why. I splashed out on the gorgeous hard back when it was published and I love the book design as much as the story!

Cover love: Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris

The cover for this book is really striking and picks up the tone of the book perfectly.

Heroine: Gracie Flowers from (Un)like a Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes

Gracie had me smiling from the first page with her wry observations on her job, her boyfriend, friends and family and she’s one of my favourite leading chick it ladies of all time!

Hero: Prince Richard from To Marry a Prince by Sophie Page

I thought this book was a real gem of a romantic comedy and I loved Prince Richard who comes across as a fab leading man – by no means perfect, he has some brilliantly funny and romantic scenes but never seems over the top.

Support: Uncle Dudley and Auntie Mags from It Started With a Kiss by Miranda Dickinson

Dispensers of love, wisdom and support from their narrow-boat home to Romily as she undertakes her quest. They are instrumental in keeping Romily going but are also responsible for much of the book’s warm humour and I loved Aunty Mags’ ‘Cake Therapy’!

The perfect ending: Breakfast At Darcy’s by Ali McNamara

Ali McNamara retains her crown for queen of the romantic ending with a beautiful finale to her latest novel that left me with a big smile on my face.

Readers’ choice: Top five most read reviews of 2011

1. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

2. To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell

3. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

4. The Taker by Alma Katsu

5. Beautiful Creatures by Lulu Taylor

So that’s my year in books; are your favourites on the list? I’m looking forward to sharing many more reviews with you during 2012 and wish you all a very happy and bookish New Year! x

The winner is …

Revd Frank Julian Gelli

Congratulations! I have sent you an email. Thanks to everyone who entered.  Please check out the ‘Giveaways’ link at the top of the page for lots more chances to win as part of my Countdown to Christmas.

Today I’m giving away a copy of possibly my favourite book of the year (I say possibly because there are still a few weeks of the year left and you never know!)  I read this book way back in January and loved it straight away. You can read my review here.

I’ve been lucky enough to end up with two copies of the book so I’m offering one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of the paperback edition which was released at the end of September. A Discovery of Witches was a Sunday Times bestseller and Warner Bros has acquired the film rights. The sequel Shadow of the Night will be out in July 2012 so enter now to find out what all the fuss is about!

It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with a discovery of witches.

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it’s an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she’s kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana’s discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels…

To enter just leave a ‘pick me’ comment in the box below and I’ll draw a winner using random.org after the closing date.

UK entries only please. Entries will close at midnight on Monday 5th December. Good luck!