Silence

O.M.G.
Click HERE for a little sneak peek at Silence!

Are you ready for the Hush Hush Saga book 3 title?

Becca and Fallen Archangel have just announced the new title for the Hush Hush Saga book 3 (previously called Tempest)! Obviously, I am terribly excited and can hardly contain my squeal! I thought I might share it with you guys because I know you're all bound to be as excited as I am. Here's a little snippet of what Becca has to say:

"... I was surprised to find, in the end, the title I chose isn't flashy or loud or culminating. Instead, it's a haunting word, quietly powerful, filled with mystery and beauty. A word that means to put doubt, fear and anxiety to rest. A word that is synonymous with stillness, secrecy and all that is forgotten."

Think you can guess?

For more of that, a snippet of what to expect from book 3 and of course ... the long-awaited title,  check out Fallen Archangel and find out now!

Book Review: Crescendo (Becca Fitzpatrick)

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Sequel to Hush Hush, Crescendo is undeniably my most awaited book of the year. I'm pleased to say it is indeed worth the wait. Missing Patch was dreadful, so reading Crescendo felt like an indulgence - needless to say, I treasure this book!

Crescendo is a build up of everything in Hush Hush, only a whole lot more complicated. The complexity in Crescendo, including the surprising and sometimes jaw-dropping twists had me flipping the pages back and forth to re-read key parts of the plot. Compared to its predecessor, Crescendo has a lot more of these surprises, a fuller background story and a stronger mythology. I was thrown off balance by some turns I had not expected, but it is all amazingly well handled. I'm certain Tempest will answer some of these questions, just as Crescendo answered those from Hush Hush.

There are more fantastic characters in Crescendo too, and I'd highlight two I have had fun reading. Scott Parnell and Marcie Millar. Oh, I hate Marcie Millar alright - there's no use denying that. Her character develops more in Crescendo, and we understand a lot more as to how she came to be Nora's archenemy. At points I thought she was going to redeem herself, but she never does, and worse still, taunting Nora seems to be her regular past time. She is evil. I felt Nora's emotions about Marcie and Patch strongly, and I stubbornly refuse to like Marcie!

Now - Scott is a different case. Scotty the potty, how cute is that? He is an absolute delight of a character and I'm glad he's a strong presence in the book.No one can ever be better than Patch, but Scott does terribly well :)  He's arrogant, but he seems quite unsure of himself, in a very very cute way - which makes him such a darling. Next to Patch, I am most looking forward to him in Tempest.

Speaking of the angel, Patch does a lot of disappearing in Crescendo. I was not happy about it, but it was necessary as Nora grows and develops a lot on her own. I also seriously miss Patch's bad boy image in Crescendo. I wanted more of his might-as-well-drive-me-insane lines and his general hotness. Then again he is a guardian now, right? He gets to behave :)

Crescendo is essentially Nora's story - it's about her journey to discovering herself and finding her place in the world. She makes mistakes, yes, but she grows more confident, more outgoing and infinitely matures more.

I believe no review is quite complete without talking about the ending. Crescendo ends explosively, and leaves a lot of questions unanswered, both implicitly and explicitly. This book gnaws at you. I kept turning the page in the vain hope that it will somehow procure the continuation I was so direly looking for, but that will have to wait until Tempest. Here's an interesting bit: just before the explosive ending, readers get a very brief sense of satisfaction which I'm sure everyone is yearning for since the first chapter. It's a second away from the chaos that is the cliffhanger, but caution: you might be tearing your hair out with it.

I loved Crescendo, though I am not as crazy for it as I was with Hush, hush. But then again, I was ridiculously insane with the first book in the series. I waited eight months for this book, but waiting a year for Tempest? UNBELIEVABLE.

PS. You'll find out Patch's real name in Crescendo! I found myself being ridiculously crazy about that name afterwards, so girls, your hearts beware!


Four Stars.

Crescendo Trailer plus Free Torment Poster!

The eagerly awaited trailer of Crescendo debuted last Saturday, courtesy of Fallen Archangel. The official fansite has a brand new look (which I love) by the way, so head over and check it out!

In the mean time, if you haven't seen it yet, here's the Crescendo trailer:

Do you want a free Torment poster?

I was not very pleased with Torment, but I know a lot of you are or are still waiting for it, so this should be a gem! Amazon is currently having a promotion in which you can buy the book for £6.49 and get a free poster!

I'm not sure if it's available to other countries outside of the UK but I think for the rest of the EU, yes. I'll leave the link below, have fun!

Torment (Amazon Exclusive Poster edition)

Will there be a third book in the Hush, Hush series? YESSS!

It's been killing me to keep silent about this very very exciting news, which I found out back in early August when I chatted with Becca and the lovely Jenn and Rebbeca from Fallen Archangel. I can't tell you how very glad I feel to have been privy to the news! And no, I haven't told a soul - now I can, now I can! It was not made public yet then, but now it finally is.

Oh boy, oh boy! To everyone who have read Crescendo, I've heard the ending can cause a heart attack - but now you can restart the heart and look forward to...

TEMPEST! 

Visit Becca's post about it HERE.

Crescendo: Countdown!

OH YES.

CRESCENDO: Prologue and Chapter One preview!

I was in the middle of a revision break earlier when I popped in at Fallen Archangel and almost died hyperventilating when I read that they are exclusively posting the prologue and the first chapter of Crescendo!

(Even better than the Crescendo prologue which is the bonus material included in the Hush Hush paperback release d in the UK on 27th May!)

If that isn't enough to excite you lot, there is more fabulous news! Whilst the Brits have always been proud to have an earlier release date for Crescendo (14th Octover as opposed to 16th November in the US), our lead has dramatically been lessened as Simon and Schuster have moved-up the US release date of the Hush Hush sequel to October 19th!

Now, I know you're excited, so why don't you head over to www.fallenarchangel.com for your Crescendo preview? Don't forget to head over to the Ezine Newsblog to comment your reactions! :D

(Now back to revising maths...)

CRESCENDO: The Cover Revealed!

Alright!

So I spent most of my day with the rest of the Hush, Hush fandom waiting for and watching artist Laurie Maves draw it for us in chalk. We also had the chance to speak and greet Becca, who was as excited as everyone in Crescendo's cover reveal!

It was a very fun day tweeting and guessing what the cover might hold. Some of the (hilarious) guesses were as follows:

1. Nora and Patch making out.
2. Patch's hotness wings surrounding Nora.
3. More Nora-Patch making out photos.
4. Patch's sexy back with wings.
5. Nora in a bikini. ( I cannot believe this!)

We were all super excited when half-way through, Becca and Laurie sent the admin @ Fallen Archangel pictures of the cover half-done, which they immediately shared with us (thank you guys!). But we were a lot more excited when we saw the finished cover! Without further ado, here it is!

How awesome is that? Laurie, you're amazing! And of course, here is the real cover for CRESCENDO!

Doesn't it just make you beg for a copy? :D

We don't have Patch's sexiness but hey, Nora (it is Nora, isn't it?) is most welcome! So we have two matching covers, one of Patch and the other of Nora - and we're hoping there's more! I am intrigued however, as to the symbols. What might the lightning mean? And the lone feather? Could it probably mean Patch's absence, as taken from the blurb?

Damn, the excitement is killing me. I just have to have this book!

Thoughts?

CRESCENDO Summary and Cover reveal deets!

Becca just FB-ed this news - it literally made me jump out of the chair I'm currently perched on and scream. Hell, yes. I have been patiently waiting, and I just about had it!

OMG OMG OMG. Here we go!

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy, Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The further Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim bloodline has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Marcie Millar? Seriously? No way. No, no way. Oh hell, I can't think properly. All I know is, this HAS to be good! 

Thoughts?

Book Review: Hush, hush (Becca Fitzpatrick)

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen -- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

Oh Patch!

Yeah, that pretty much sums up what I sighed after I read the book. And probably what I was sighing throughout my entire read. Really, Patch is the character. The one. My literary boyfriend.

So now it's obvious I'm hooked to this book, I'll try to write a not-so-bias review.

The concept of fallen angels is currently the new trend in YA fiction. I love how Hush, hush rides the wave and tweaks it to really get into the badass nature of fallen angels. Afterall, they have fallen for a reason - this book does not make you forget that. Becca Fitzpatrick manages to convey the alienation of these fallen angels while effectively giving them their humanity. By doing so, she has highlighted their weakness and the distance that makes Nora and Patch's love story very difficult, at the same time very enticing. Now, who doesn't love forbidden love?]

And I luuuurve the sexy interactions between Nora and Patch and the whole concept of fallen angels Becca created. Gripping, thrilling, and tucks you in the story as if you're part of it.

I won't gush over the super sexy, amazingly laid out, drool-worthy falling Drew Doyon Patch Cipriano cover. Instead I'd rather cut this review short before I ended up spoiling the plot to those who haven't read it yet (like my sister *evil laugh*).

So, if, like me, you're into YA fiction with a sexy, dangerous romance, complete with the seductive-perfect-bad-boy love/lust interest and a fast-paced, plot that will have you turning the pages until you're breathless and exhilirated and screaming for more, get Hush, hush!

Crescendo (which by the way will reveal Patch's real name) tops my can't-wait-to-read books of 2010, and I think I might actually beg Becca Fitzpatrick for an ARC soon.

Definitely five stars!