Reviews: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead & Blood Phantom by Rhiannon Hart

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead
Release Date: November 19, 2013 / Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When Richelle Mead said that The Fiery Heart would be her hottest novel yet, I had a good idea of what would happen between Sydney and Adrian. Thing is, I didn't realize exactly how often the hotness would sizzle through the pages, if you know what I mean. Since they are one of my favorite couples, it made me extremely happy.

I absolutely loved getting inside Adrian's head. I was surprised by how many of the romantic moments were in his perspective. He really has a way with words, and it was great getting his thoughts on Sydney because she seemed to be one of the very few bright spots in his life. His ever-growing relationship with Sydney may have been the focus of the novel, but of course there's more revelations about the Alchemists, Sydney's magic, and Adrian's spirit ability. I'm looking forward to seeing all that and more collide in the next book.

The ending of the book was heartbreaking. What happened was something that many of us may have been anticipating, but how it goes down is emotional and unexpected. I already can't wait to read more about Sydney and Adrian's growth in book five Silver Shadows.

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Blood Phantom by Rhiannon Hart
Release Date: December 9, 2013 / Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

It's been over a year since I read book two in Rhiannon Hart's Lharmell trilogy. With it's devastating cliffhanger, it's been a long wait for the final book Blood Queen. Thankfully it looks like it will be published next year, and I'm already counting down the days to the release.

In the meantime, the author has recently given readers Blood Phantom, a prequel novella to the series from Rodden Lothskorn's perspective. I've loved Rodden since the first book, and after what happened in book two, it was nice getting a quick look inside his head and finding out what he was up to right before he met Zeraphina. It may be a short read (hey, it's a novella for a reason), but since I'm a big fan of the series and Rodden, I didn't mind at all. It just left me craving more.

If you've been eagerly anticipating the release of Blood Queen, Blood Phantom might ease the pain of waiting just a bit. Although it's a prequel, I think those who have read the series will be able to appreciate it more, so I highly recommend reading at least book one, Blood Song, before reading Blood Phantom.

Blood Song Guest Post + Giveaway: Rhiannon's Favourite Quotes from Blood Song‏

Australian author, Rhiannon Hart, is here today to share one of her favorite quotes from Blood Song, which is book one in her Lharmell series! This series is a definite favorite of mine. You can read my review for the first book Blood Song here and my review for the second book Blood Storm here. Now, check out Rhiannon Hart's favorite quote and why she likes it:

Beautiful quote! Not many readers have been able to get their hands on these books because they've only been published in Australia. I'm happy to announce that Random House Australia has made the first two books available for purchase worldwide as ebooks! You can buy Blood Song HERE and Blood Storm HERE via Amazon. If you use a different eReader device, I bet you'll be able to buy both books through the site where your device sells ebooks. If you're a fan of YA fantasy with action and romance, I think you should definitely give this series a try! :)

And now it's time for an awesome giveaway! The author is graciously giving away one ebook copy of Blood Song to one lucky person on my blog! She will be purchasing it through the ebook vendor of your choice. The giveaway is international and ends December 5. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Review: Blood Storm by Rhiannon Hart

Title: Blood Storm (Lharmell, #2)
Author: Rhiannon Hart
Pages: 364
Publisher: Random House Australia
Release Date: August 1, 2012

The rain wanted to be ocean; the ice in the mountain caps wanted freedom. I never knew that water held such longing. The clouds above my head rumbled like a growling wolf, impatient to release their burden. I held the rain there a moment longer. I turned to Renata, heard her gasp and knew my eyes glowed blue.

I spoke a single word. 'Rain.'

In the Second Book of Lharmell, Zeraphina and Rodden must travel across the sea to find the elusive ingredients that will help them to win the coming battle against the Lharmellin – but shadows from Rodden’s dark past may come back to haunt him. And while she learns to harness her new abilities, Zeraphina still fights the hunger that makes her crave the north – not to mention avoiding her mother, who wants to see her wayward daughter married to a prince at all costs.

My Thoughts: Wow, I almost don't even know what to say. I'm just really impressed and shocked right now. I loved the first novel in the series Blood Song, but man... Blood Storm definitely topped it! Everything I hoped to find in this sequel was there and a whole lot more. It was all freaking awesome, and much praise to the author for writing such a fantastic and mesmerizing read!

Blood Storm begins five months where Blood Song left off. Zeraphina and Rodden are still bickering companions, and Rodden is as mysterious as ever. But they continue to look out for one another. After everything they went through, I thought their relationship would have evolved into something slightly more romantic by now. However, that wasn't the case at all. Zeraphina obviously has feelings for Rodden. She won't tell him, though, especially since he acts more distance towards her for reasons not even she can figure out. It may have been frustrating for her, but as a reader, I didn't find it frustrating in the least. I loved that there were plenty of interactions and development between them. What I realized is that they didn't need to be in a romantic relationship for us readers to know that they both had strong feelings for each other and that they would do anything to protect the other. It really made the wait for even just a hint of romance much more rewarding and satisfying.

When I finished Blood Song, one of the things I wanted to know more about was Rodden's past. All the answers about him I was looking for were eventually revealed in this book. But what got to me was how truly heartbreaking his past was. He suffers from tons of guilt and regret. And it explained why he kept secrets and why he tried to stay emotionally distant from Zeraphina. He's an amazing person with so much depth to him, and I just wanted to comfort him right along with Zeraphina. Not only was Rodden's past dark, but the entire novel felt a whole lot darker than Blood Song. Zeraphina and Rodden went through many terrifying ordeals in this novel. It wasn't an easy journey, and they had to work hard to survive and keep each other safe. Zeraphina proved yet again how strong and determined she is. She's an awesome heroine that I admire. I really just adored both these characters; they no doubt make a perfect team.

I'm already counting down the days till the final book Blood Queen. Blood Storm was completely captivating and addicting, and definitely one of my favorite books and sequels this year. It had everything I loved about Blood Song and other aspects that made me love it even more. It was darker, filled with nonstop action and adventure, and had a believable and gradually developing romance. And unlike Blood Song's ending, this ending pretty much killed me! It was a huge cliffhanger! I have no idea how what happened is going to be fixed, but it makes me desperately want the next book right NOW. Seriously, a wonderful series that I can't recommend enough.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart

Title: Blood Song (Lharmell, #1)
Author: Rhiannon Hart
Pages: 290 (ARC copy)
Publisher: Random House Australia
Release Date: September 1, 2011

I wanted to turn but I was held captive by the song on the wind. I’m coming, I told the voices. Please, wait for me.

When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated.

Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more.

Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares?

My Thoughts: Blood Song first came to my attention after finding out it was written by an Australian author. (If you don't already know, I love to read Australian YA!) I became even more curious after reading some great reviews. Fantasy seems to be one of the genres that I tend to pay less attention to. I'm not sure why. I have read some young-adult fantasy that I really love and are some of my favorite books. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to read Blood Song because I'm finally able to add another YA fantasy and Aussie novel to my favorites!

For the past few years, sixteen-year-old Zeraphina has had a strange craving for blood. Although she has never tried any, there are times where she can't stop thinking about it. What's worse is that she has felt an urge, a pull to go North. She practices archery to keep herself distracted, but it's in the back of her mind all the time and every day these urges and cravings seem to slowly intensify, causing her immense pain. She finds relief when her older sister becomes engaged to a prince from Pergamia, a northern country of Brivora. By accompanying her sister to Pergamia, Zeraphina has a chance to figure out why she's drawn northwards and why she hungers for blood. But the answers she desperately wants and eventually finds end up making her life much more complicated than before.

As soon as I read the first chapter, I knew I was going to love Blood Song. Zeraphina and her sister Lilith and mother Renata were making me laugh with some of the things they said. I love when a book gets me to laugh! I didn't even know there would be a bit of humor, so it was a nice surprise. (Other readers might not find it quite as hilarious I did, but oh well, maybe it's just the kind of humor I like.) What I loved about it is that it showed how close they were as a family. It was so great to read about two sisters actually getting along. There was no rivalry between Zeraphina and Lilith, and while Renata is just a little overbearing, it's obvious she cares deeply for her daughters and only wants the best for them.

"I knew what you were the minute I saw you [...] and you seemed so fierece, so...human, that it gave me hope."

That is part of one of my favorite quotes in the book. I couldn't include the entire quote and the next line because it might be a bit spoiler-y. But I can say that is was Rodden Lothskorn speaking to Zeraphina. Rodden is the 22-year-old advisor of the Pergamian king. He's mysterious and intriguing but also arrogant and infuriating. From the moment Zeraphina meets him, they can't seem to get along. Zeraphina is clever and pretty sarcastic and she can hold her own, so her clashing with someone like Rodden wasn't surprising. Their bickering kept me laughing, and I loved it.

Zeraphina doesn't know if Rodden can be trusted and he seems to feel the same way about her. I can understand Zeraphina's frustration, since Rodden is part of the reason why her life gets even more complicated. He hints at having the answers she wants but avoids giving them to her...until she starts figuring him out. I'm very happy it didn't take the entire book to get some answers. There is still a bit of mystery from Rodden, though, because he never goes into detail about his past. I really look forward to knowing more about him in the next book, and hopefully there will be more moments between him and Zeraphina because their connection was something that I really loved about the book.

I recommend Blood Song to Kristin Cashore fans and fans of Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. And if you're not a huge fantasy fan, you should still give this book a read! It's hard not to get sucked into the story from the very beginning. There's enough suspense and action, and the world in Blood Song is beautiful but not overwhelming. Plus, who doesn't like awesome and kickass characters? Blood Song is the first book in a trilogy, and I'm already anxious and excited for the second book. So, if you get the chance, be sure to read it!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Huge thanks to Nomes @ inkcrush for sending out her ARC!

(FYI: Blood Song can be ordered at FishpondWorld with free shipping worldwide.)