Ever
since a near-death-experience on the operating table,
seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s
learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy
she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.
At
last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is
getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most
powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after
Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them
both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko
break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences
be if he did?
In A Nutshell:
Reaping Me Softly is about the things people do for love,
loyalty, strength and the ability to overcome the terrible things that can
happen in life. An enjoyable read but be prepared that the ending may not be your cup-of-tea.
My Review:
Reaping Me Softly is about the things people do for love,
loyalty, strength and the ability to overcome the terrible things that can
happen in life.
I liked Ari. I thought she was strong and while I was
annoyed with her for putting up with the bullying, I admired her ability to do
so and her values that prevented her from exposing why she was getting bullied by Darla in the first place. I liked the relationship between Ari and Ben. It was nice to have a
boy-girl friendship without the usual romantic tension that tends to show up in
YA novels as a love triangle. Theirs was a true friendship, one of honesty and
loyalty and I’m glad that this dimension was included in the novel.
I liked the reaper world and the hierarchy that Death
created. The different personalities of all the reapers made Niko’s world ‘real’,
rather than him being part of a world we knew nothing about, and in their weird
way they were family to each other. I even liked Death. His character was quite
amusing, as were Niko’s minions (Ha! ‘Minions’ still makes me laugh, maybe I’ll
just call them his helpers?).
Ari and Niko’s relationship was sweet and predictable. What
was not predictable was the ending! Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil anything. What I will say is that I loved the whole book, until the ending.
Suddenly, I was in tears. It just felt so…extreme. I mean, I know we are
dealing with Death but I kinda got to the point where I liked the guy, and then
BAM, he went all brutal!
Don’t let my shock at the ending deter you though. I know
some people think it was a fantastic ending and I really did love the rest of
the book. So I suggest you give it a go.
I also highly recommend Kate’s first novel, Taste, which was
really, really awesome. Read my review here.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This review has been part of the Reaping Me Softly Blog Tour, hosted by AToMR Tours. There are 10 ebooks of Reaping Me Softly to win so enter below.a Rafflecopter giveaway
There are lots of other people participating so click here to see what others thought of Kate Evangelista's latest book.
I'm very excited to help AToMR Tours reveal the cover of Kate Evangelista's new novel, Reaping Me Softly!
You might remember that I have been a big supporter of Kate since the very beginning and I absolutely fell in love with her debut novel, Taste, when it was released earlier this year.
Reaping Me Softly will be published by Omnific Publishing on 30th October 2012 and this is the beautiful cover...
Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.
At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?
Blurb: At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.
When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.
In A Nutshell: Taste is a reworking of the zombie mythology in a medieval setting complete with swords, corsets, a deadly virus and a government conspiracy. Throw in some smouldering-hot boys, sexual tension, a mad scientist and a hidden city, and you have one unputdownable novel.
My Review: Taste is dark, hot and sexy, and I’m not just talking about the guys. If you’ve read the samplers then you know it is an enticing story that pulls you into the world of those who yearn to taste flesh. Don’t worry, this isn’t another vampire or werewolf story, it’s a zombie, sorry Zhamvy, novel.
I’m warning you now, there is quite a bit of talk about flesh eating so if that’s something you don’t want to hear about, then this probably isn’t the book for you. I wouldn’t classify it as horror, but it’s not Disney either.
There is, however, a secret city hidden from human eyes, and a reworking of the traditional zombie mythology in a medieval setting complete with swords, corsets, a deadly virus and a government conspiracy. There is also a love triangle but it doesn’t leave you hating either of the guys and the book finishes with a satisfying outcome concerning them both.
I love the Zhamvy world that Kate Evangelista has created. It is beautifully imagined and made me want to be part of the story. I love that our main character Phoenix is gutsy and stubborn, but smart, and it really made me want to be best friends with her. I love the mad-scientist, the ex-princess who likes to fight in lace and ribbons, and god did I love the sexual tension between Phoenix and Demitri. Yikes I blushed a lot.
I discovered Kate almost two years ago and have been following her progress as she found an agent, got herself a publishing deal with Crescent Moon Press, and finally released her debut novel Taste. I am so happy for her and can’t wait to read her future books.
Today I am very excited to share with you an extract from Kate Evangelista's forthcoming debut novel Taste, which will be released next month. I've been following Kate's progress over the past couple of years and was so excited to hear when she officially signed with Crescent Moon Press.
~Taste~
At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.
When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.
I mentally stomped on the intimidation their perfection brought into my mind and said, “Excuse me.”
The group froze, startled by my words. The girls had their brows raised and the boys stopped mid-speech, mouths agape. They stared at me with eyes the shade of onyx stones.
I smiled and gave them a little wave.
The boy a step ahead of the rest recovered first. His stunning features went from shocked surprise to intense interest. He reminded me of a hawk eyeing its prey. I gulped.
“A Day Student,” he said, his eyes insolent and excited.
Something about the way he said “Day Student” made my stomach flip. “Excuse me?”
They snickered. The boys looked at each other while the girls continued to stare, muffling their laughter by delicate hands. I seemed to be the butt of some joke.
“You broke the rule.” The boy’s grin turned predatory.
The students formed a loose semi-circle in front of me. My gaze darted from face to face. Hunger filled their eyes. The image of lions about to chase down a gazelle came to mind. I mentally shook my head. I was in the mountains not the Serengeti for crying out loud.
I took a small step back and cleared my throat. “Can any of you give me a ride back to the dorms?”
The boy wagged his forefinger like a metronome. “Ah, that’s unfortunate for you.”
One of the girls pinched the bridge of her nose. “Eli, you can’t possibly—”
“It’s forbidden, Eli,” another boy interrupted, pronouncing the word “forbidden” like a curse.
The nervous murmur at the pit of my stomach grew louder. Six against one. Not good odds. Instinct told me to cut my losses and run. Bad enough I faced expulsion, now it seemed like weird, beautiful people who’d suddenly appeared on campus wanted to beat me up. No, scratch that. Judging from the way they studied me, beating me up wouldn’t satisfy them. Something more primal prowled behind their looks.
I definitely wasn’t going down without a fight. Years of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes had me prepared. While other children from rich and important families got bodyguards, I got defense training. But I think my father meant for my skills to go up against potential kidnappers, not against other students who may or may not be crazy. Oh God! Maybe I stepped into a parallel universe or something when I reentered Barinkoff.
“None of the students are supposed to be on campus,” I said. Then, realizing my mistake, I added, “Okay, I know I’m not supposed to be here either. If one of you gives me a ride back to the dorms, I won’t say anything about all this. Let’s pretend this never happened. I didn’t see you, you didn’t see me.”
“We’re not ordinary students,” Eli answered. “We’re the Night Students.”
He’d said “Night Students” like the words were capitalized. I didn’t know Barinkoff held classes at night. What was going on here?
Eli smiled with just one side of his mouth and said to the group, “She’s right, no one will have to know. We’re the only ones here. And it’s been so long, don’t you agree?”
The rest of them nodded reluctantly.
“What’s been so long?” I challenged. I fisted my hands, ready to put them up if any of them so much as twitched my way.
“Since the taste of real flesh passed through my lips,” Eli said. He came forward and took a whiff of me then laughed when I cringed.
“Flesh.” Yep, parallel universe.
“Yes,” he said. “And yours smells so fresh.”
Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and yanked me back before I could wrap my mind around the meaning behind Eli’s words. In a blink, I found myself behind someone tall. Someone really tall. And quite broad. And very male.
I realized he wore the same clothes Eli and the other boys did. Not good. He was one of them. Although… I cocked my head, raking my gaze over him. He seemed born to wear the uniform, like he was the pattern everyone else was cut from. My eyes wandered to long, layered, blue-black hair tied at the nape by a silk ribbon. Even in dim light, his hair possessed a sheen akin to mercury.
I looked down. The boy’s long fingers were wrapped around my wrist like a cuff. His fevered touch felt hotter than human standards, hot enough to make me sweat like I was standing beside a radiator but not hot enough to burn.
“I must be mistaken, Eli,” the boy who held my arm said in a monotone. “Correct me. Did I hear you say you wanted to taste the flesh of this girl?”
A hush descended on us. It had the hairs at the back of my neck rising. How was it possible for the atmosphere to switch from threatening to dangerous? Unable to help myself, I peeked around the new guy’s bulk. Eli and his friends bowed. They all had their right hands on their chests.
“Demitri, I’m sure you misheard me,” Eli said.
So the guy standing between me and the person who said he’d wanted to taste me was named Demitri. I like the sound of his name. Demitri. So strong, yet rolls off the tongue. Definite yum factor.
“So, you imply I made a mistake?” Demitri demanded.
“No!” Eli lifted his gaze. “I did no such thing. I simply wanted to show the girl the consequences of breaking curfew.”
“Hey!” I yelled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”
Demitri ignored my protest and continued to address Eli. “So, you threatened to taste her flesh.” His fingers tightened their grip around my wrist. “In the interest of investigating this matter further, I invoke the Silence.”
All six students gasped, passing surprised glances at one another.
Before I could ask about what was going on, Demitri yanked me down the hall toward the library. But why there? Oh, maybe we were getting my things. No, wait, he couldn’t have known about that. Everything was too confusing now.
Eli and the others didn’t try to stop us when we passed them. Demitri’s cold command must have carried power. Handsome and powerful, never a bad combination on a guy.
We reached the heavy double doors in seconds. He jerked one open effortlessly. I’d needed all my strength just to squeeze through that same door earlier. To him, the thick wood might as well have been cardboard. I raised an eyebrow and mentally listed the benefits of going to gym class.
“Why are we here?” I asked after my curiosity overpowered my worry. I’d almost forgotten how frightened I’d been right before Demitri showed up. I wasn’t above accepting help from strangers. Especially from gorgeous dark-haired strangers with hot hands and wide shoulders.
Demitri kept going, tugging me along, snaking his way deeper into the library. I had to take two steps for every stride his legs made. I tried to stay directly behind him, praying we didn’t slam into anything.
He stopped suddenly and I collided with him. It felt like slamming into a wall.
“Hey,” I said, momentarily stunned. “A little warning would be nice!”
He faced me, and I gasped. His eyes resembled a starless night, deep and endless. Their intensity drilled through me without pity, seeming to expose all my secrets. I felt naked and flustered beneath his gaze.
“You could have died back there,” he warned.
A lump of panic rebuilt itself in my throat.
_____________________________________
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.
Some of you may remember the post I did a while back introducing you to writer and fellow blogger Kate Evangelista. You may recall that Kate has been searching for an agent. I'm very excited for Kate, because, yes, she has found herself one! Yay!
Congratulations Kate! I look forward to having your books on my shelf :)
To visit Kate's blog and to read all about her exciting news, click here.
I recently stumbled across the website and words of Kate Evangelista, the author of one completed novel and two that are currently under construction. Her novels have not yet been published and she is seeking an agent but I have no doubt that one will latch on to her soon.
Lunar Heat Seventeen-year-old Phoenix Mckay is about to get expelled from the ultra-exclusive Barinkoff Academy for breaking the number one rule, no students on campus after five, but when she meets a beautiful yet bossy boy named Demitri after sunset, she realizes rules are meant to be broken.
Hunter's Moon Sixteen-year-old Selena Fallon is clairvoyant, and after dreaming of her death, the last thing she needs is to fall in love with the mysterious Dillan Sloan, but little does she know that he is the one who will make her dream come true.
Impulse
In Mob-ruled United Regions of Aurora, wars are settled through the brutal sport of Mini Cooper racing, and sixteen-year-old RC finds herself forced to join the dangerous races to pay off her father’s gambling debt to one of the most notorious Mob families within the regions.
Intriguing wouldn't you say?
You can have a read of chapter one excerpts for each title on Kate's site by clicking here.
Blurbs and cover art have been taken from Kate's website. For more information on Kate and the cover artists and designers, please click here.
