Showing posts with label The Taking series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Taking series. Show all posts

April 24, 2015

The Replaced Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

http://www.memyshelfandi.com/2015/02/mmsai-tours-presents-replaced-by.html
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for REPLACED! Today I have my review of the book to share with you - and don't forget to enter the giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.


The Replaced (The Taking #2)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Genre: YA Fantasy/Science Fiction
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen

Description:

Romantic and action-packed, The Replaced is the gripping second installment in the Taking trilogy.

Kyra hasn't been the same since she returned from her mysterious five-year disappearance. Now, on the run from the NSA, Kyra is forced to hide out with others who, like her, have been Returned. Yet she is determined to find Tyler, the boy she loves who was also abducted—all because of her. When her group intercepts a message that Tyler might still be alive but is in the hands of a shadowy government organization that experiments on the Returned, Kyra knows it's a risk to go after him. What if it's a trap? And worse, what if the returned Tyler isn't the same boy she lost?

Perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and the Body Finder series, The Replaced is both chilling and explosive, with creepy, otherworldly elements and twisty, psychological thrills that will have you questioning what exactly it means to be human.
 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21522102-the-replaced?ac=1
The Replaced is the thrilling second installment in a young adult science fiction trilogy. Our main character, Kyra, is finally back after being taken for five years. She's on the run from the NSA and seeks out others like her who have been returned. Kyra is dead set on finding Tyler - the guy she's in love with who was also taken. So when her group finds a message stating that Tyler might be alive but captured by an underground government organization - one that experiments on people who have been returned. Kyra knows she's risking her life by going to find Tyler. She might be walking right into a trap they've set for her, or worse, Tyler might not be the same person she fell in love with. Will she be able to find Tyler and save him? Or will the people she's running from finally catch up to her?

I've read several of the author's other books, so I have to admit that I had some pretty high expectations and hopes for this one. Once again, the author knocked it out of the park. The book surpassed all of my expectations and hopes - and then continued on to blow my mind. It's hard to write a review after reading a book that sticks with you long after you're done reading it - my mind is scattered all over the place, so I apologize if I ramble on or don't make much sense. First off, I'm going to say it again - I absolutely loved this book. Sometimes the second book in a series can tank and end up ruining the series. In my opinion, this sequel was just as good as the first. The author's talent is clearly evident from the very beginning of the story - I found myself sucked back into Kyra's world from the first paragraph. It was like I had never left. The book was fast paced and gripping - it had me reading as fast as I could to see what would happen next. There were lots of twists and turns in the story that I totally didn't see coming, which - in my opinion - made the novel even better. This book has something for everyone - science fiction, fantasy, paranormal/supernatural elements, action, suspense, and lots of thrills - and lovers of all types of fiction would surely enjoy this book and series.

Kyra is a great main character for the series/book. She's strong - mentally and physically - and can take on serious bad guys and obstacles that get in her way. Once she has her mind set on something, she's determined to see it through and will go to any length to make sure it gets done. She matures even more in this book and I really enjoyed watching her character grow. She has to make hard decisions and do things she never thought she would just to stay alive. I'm excited to see what she'll do in the final book and where things will end. The plot continued to be unique and exciting - I was riveted from the beginning and didn't want the book to end. The author continues to surprise the reader with each passing chapter. I can't wait to see where the final book will go and what surprises await us. I very highly recommend this book (and series) to fans of all genres, as there's a bit of something for everyone - especially those who enjoy science fiction, fantasy, aliens, and thrillers.

Kimberly Derting is the author of the award winning THE BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, and THE TAKING and THE REPLACED (the first two books in The Taking trilogy).

Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find things they say buried in the pages of their mother's books, or on Twitter for the world to see.

You can learn more about Kimberly and her books at www.kimberlyderting.com, or follow her on Twitter: @kimberlyderting. 

Website: www.kimberlyderting.com / www.thebodyfinder.com

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo

 (1) Winner will get an iPad Mini 16 GB Wifi (US Only)
or
a $200 Gift Card to the Online BOOK retailer of their choice
 

Open internationally. See Terms and Conditions in form more more info. 












 

March 13, 2014

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Collide (The Taking #3) by Melissa West

Today Melissa West and Entangled Teen are excited to reveal the cover for Collide, the thrilling conclusion to The Taking series releasing in December 2,2014! Check out the gorgeous cover, exclusive excerpt, and enter to win an eARC!



Collide (The Taking #3)
Author: Melissa West
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication date: December 2, 2014

Description:
Military legacy Ari Alexander has survived alien spies, WWIV, and a changing world order. But when the new leader of Earth uses Jackson—the only boy she's ever let herself care about—to get to her, Ari has no choice but 

to surrender. To free Jackson, she agrees to travel to the national bases to train others to fight. 

What she discovers is a land riddled with dying people. Ari has the power to heal by turning the fighters into aliens—half-breeds like her. If she succeeds, together, they have a chance at overthrowing the alien leader, Zeus. But if she fails, everyone she holds dear will be wiped away forever.


Once again, everything Ari’s come to believe is thrown into question. In a world of uncertainty, loyalties are tested, lies are uncovered, and no one can be trusted. If Ari and Jackson have any hope at survival and at preserving a life for the future, they must fight the final war with their eyes wide open.
Find Collide Online:

Exclusive Excerpt:

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“Wake up!”

I feel as though someone has pinched my mind, shaken my brain around, and asked it to work again. I try to open my eyes, but they’re heavy and clouded and I begin to worry that maybe they are open. I just can’t see.

“Wake up!”

I flinch at the sound, so close to my ear, yet far away. Or maybe it’s my understanding that’s far.

“Ari. We’re out of time. Wake up!”

My mind flashes into focus, but I don’t open my eyes. I can feel, sense, everything around me. The beeping sounds that alternate in succession. The breathing in and out of the person beside me, yet I can’t make out who the person is. Even if it’s a he or she. But what I can sense is danger, danger so intense that the hairs on my arms are at full attention and the xylem in my body has sparked, causing me to instantly want the person beside me dead. If he or she—it—is dead then I am free to escape, even if I have no idea what or who I am escaping from.

“Fine. Just call this payback.”

I have one second to realize that the person is Cybil, before a gut wrenching pain slices through my left arm. My eyes snap open and she’s in front of me, so pale and rattled that she looks like a ghost of herself. I glance down at my arm to see that Cybil ripped out my IV and is now holding it in her hand like a toy.

“I warned you. Look. This likely triggered an alarm. We have to get out of here. Right now.”

I try to nod, but my body is sluggish and I’m not sure that I’ve moved at all. Cybil loops her arm under my back to help me sit up, and instantly the room begins to move in and out of focus. “What happened to me?”

“They happened. Now move.”

I start to climb off the table I’m on, when Cybil’s eyes round out and her body begins to quake. “Cybil? What is it?” I reach out for her, just as her body collapses to the ground and a metal door behind her slides open. Two men dressed in thick white suits rush in, followed by a shorter man. A man I recognize.

“Hello, Ari. Nice to see you awake,” Kelvin says. Kelvin Lancaster. I remember him from the talks with Earth, how he seemed to be in control, how everyone around him acted uneasy in his presence. Like he was more enemy than friend. I start to respond to him, when I feel a sharp pinch in my arm. I look up to see another white-suited person behind me, syringe in hand. I try to push the person away. I try to open my mouth to scream. But suddenly my lips feel tingly, my arms limp. I focus back on Kelvin, on the grin on his face, and then the world around me disappears, and I’m once again alone in the darkness.


Melissa West writes young adult and new adult novels for Entangled Teen and Embrace and Penguin/Intermix. She lives outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband and two daughters and spends most of her time writing, reading, or fueling her coffee addiction.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and a M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.

 Connect with Melissa at www.melissawestauthor.com or on Twitter @MB_West.

Find Melissa Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

  Want to win your very own eARC of Collide?  Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.  Good luck everyone!

  


December 3, 2012

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Hover (The Taking #2) by Melissa West!

 

Hover (The Taking #2)
Author: Melissa West
Genre: YA Dystopian
Expected Release Date: August 6, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Publishing   

Description:

Book two in the heart-stopping new series by Melissa West. The follow-up to the acclaimed Gravity, Hover is another thrilling dystopian romance and is perfect for fans of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, Veronica Roth's Divergent, and Marie Lu's Legend. (From Goodreads)



Pre-Order Buy Links:
Amazon
Chapters
Book Depository


Check out my review of Gravity, Book 1 in The Takers series here!



About the Author:

Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.

Represented by Louise Fury of L. Perkins Agency.






Author Links:




 The publisher is generously offering a paperback copy of Gravity, the first book in The Takers series!

 
   a Rafflecopter giveaway




What do you think of the cover? Leave a comment! 

October 28, 2012

Gravity Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway



Gravity (The Taking #1)
Author: Melissa West
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopian
Expected Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Purchase Link: Amazon 

Description:

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.
  




 

Everything about Ari's life has been determined for her without her consent or opinion, including what job she'll have and who she'll marry. The only problem is that Ari doesn't want that life. On top of that situation, for years Ari has been visited nightly by an Ancient - an alien being - who takes vital nutrients from her so he can survive. One night, Ari breaks all the rules and looks up at her Ancient, only to discover the most popular boy from her school - Jackson Locke - hovering above her. Everything Ari thought she knew - about her life, her history, her entire world - will be changed forever. She learns that there is about to be a war between the Ancients and the people of Earth, and only she has the power to stop it.

Gravity is a fresh, original voice in the young adult dystopian genre. It is entirely captivating with a unique concept and lots of twists. The novel is fast-paced and packed full of everything from action and adventure to romance and mystery. There never seems to be a dull moment during the story, which made it hard for me to put down. The characters are realistic and likable. I easily felt like I knew Ari and her friends and empathized with their mission and obstacles. The romance between Ari and Jackson was sweet and utterly swoon-worthy, without being super mushy or corny (which is always a plus for me). The setting of the post-apocalyptic world as well as the story of what happened was really detailed and interesting. I liked how the Ancients and the people of Earth were both shown throughout the book, so it wasn't a completely one-sided narrative. The events that happen in the story are thrilling and intriguing, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book to come out so I can see what will happen next! 


 



 
Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle. 

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange. 

Official links:






  a Rafflecopter giveaway