Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Publish Date: Out of the shelves!

Reviewed by: Honorary Sister Beth

Sister says: Fun, Feral, and "Fang"tastic!

Summary by: www.goodreads.com

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

I had so much fun reading this book! It was fun; it was entertaining; and it was just bloody "fang"tastic! OK, I know that was cheesy, but, trust me, the book is good. There were so many things I liked about this book that it is hard to know where to even begin....

The book starts off with Calla, an alpha werewolf on her "protection" duty, saving a human boy named Shay. Personally, I do not like "world" set-ups; I loved that, as the reader, I was just dropped into the story and had to learn the "rules" of the society as I went along. Andrea Cremer is able ease you into the life of the "Guardians" and slowly peel back and expose the secrets of the society.

I love the setting of this book.....It is set just outside Vail, Colorado. I actually just got back from near Vail for vacation and am now wondering if I walked by a werewolf!!!!! Seriously, though, as I read the book, I could picture the backdrop which made the story come alive.

When Calla saves the human, it is not hard to figure out that what Calla is doing is "against the rules", but who doesn't like a little rebellion in a heroine?!?! Throughout the book, it was easy to relate to her as she is torn between duty and desire. I am not one who likes to told what to do, so I was at one point screaming at the book when her mother told she need to start dressing nicer. I kid you not, I walked around in shorts and a tee-shirt with my hair in a ponytail for three days just to show solidarity with Calla. (that is until my mom asked me why I was dressing like a slob and told me start looking more presentable!) She's an interesting character who has to deal with the pressures of leadership, societal expectations, and an arranged marriage. I definitely felt her inner turmoil and dilemma and completely sympathized with her.

One of my favorite characters in the book is Calla's best friend and Beta of her pack....Bryn. Throughout the whole book, you see her loyalty, her friendship, and her love for Calla and Calla's family. *****SPOILER***** I also really appreciated the secondary love story of Bryn and Calla's brother. It really helped put in perspective the "rules" of love and courting within the pack.

*********WARNING*******SPOILER ALERT************

But, I have to say, OMIGOSH, if I was told I had to marry Ren......sign me up!!!! He is HOTTT!!!! He is all tough on the exterior, but just a broken boy who wants to be loved at the heart of it. And, I am sorry, but if I was kissed like Calla was in the bathroom scene.......sorry, I just fainted for minute there.....well, let's just say, I would be RUNNING to the alter! Ok, so at the beginning of the book, I thought he was a male chauvinist pig, but then we peel the onion and find out that he is sweet, he is sensitive, and he is just down right wonderful! It is no wonder Ren was one of the top 25 crushes for our crush tournament.

Then, there is the human boy, Shay. First, I have to say that I absolutely cannot take a male character named Shay seriously. The only Shay's that I know are girls! So, it was a little difficult for me to take a boy named Shay serious as a love interest. But, I do realize that is my own issue that I must get over. At first, when Calla saves him, I absolutely loved him and could not figure out why some of my friends did not like him. But, as the book goes on, I start liking him less and less. It is hard to put a finger on it, but it just seems like he a bit immature and hasty, and likes to unnecessarily push people's buttons. There is also a scene where he just walks up to Calla and asks to sit at her lunch table with her pack mates and Ren (who Shay's knows she's engaged to); what is that about!?!?!? It is like he is just asking for Ren to be the crap out of him!

**********WARNING MORE SPOILERS**********

Speaking of which, when the two guys got in a huge fight over her......totally sexy! I'll take two HOT guys who are amazing kissers fighting over me any day!

***********END OF SPOILERS************

Speaking of kissing, this book has some sexy make out scenes!!! Some of them made me blush they were so good! Deep down I am a sappy romantic, so give me stolen kisses in the night any day!

Sometimes, I feel like all I talk about is hot boys and kissing. Well, that is because mostly that is all I talk about. But, this book has action too and plenty of it. Andrea Cremer leaves you no room to relax. There is action and adventure with each new chapter. So much so, one night, I had to force myself to put the book down so I could go to bed. Cremer throws curve balls and fights to leave you unable to stop until everything is resolved. What an adventure!!!

Finally, the villains....oh, the villains. I don't know who I hate more....Bosque, Efron, or Logan. They are all part of the "Keepers" who are enslaving the "Guardians" and forcing them to abide by their every command. About the time, I said, "Come on, just stand up to them", the book explains why they can't and I am left speechless. So good, it gets me mad as I am writing this!

All in all, I would have to definitely recommend this book. I was a bit "werey" of a book about werewolves. Personally, I have NEVER been "Team Jacob" (Edward will always hold my heart....well, besides my husband, of course) so I did not want to start to like werewolves, but I really liked it. It is a different twist on an old folklore and refreshing to see it presented in a different light.

If you are looking for a good book to finish out your summer with, pick up Nightshade. It will be the perfect book to read on the beach by the light of the full moon!

Be looking for our teaser and review of the second book in this series, Wolfsbane. The teaser will be on Tuesday and the full review will be sometime next week.

If you have read the book, I'd like to know.......are you Team Ren or Team Shay?

1st Annual YA Crush Tourney Awards Blog-emony

First off let me start by saying thank you, thank you, thank you to all our wonderful advocates!  You were UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE!!!  You guys turned this tourney it to something we could have never dreamed up in our wildest imaginations!!!  You sacrificed sleep, time, money, your book collections, and so much more, all for the love of these amazing characters!  We love you and are counting down the days until the next tourney starts!  We can't wait to spend another month and a half with all of you!  Anyone want to meet for a YA Crush Tourney reunion?!?!?

We love our advocates, but not one of us would be here if it wasn't for our amazing authors!!!  Every author in this tourney has created characters that are so much more than fictional!  If only there was a spell to make them literally step off of the page!  Between teasers, deleted scenes, dirty sexy scenes not just from Cassandra Clare (I seem to remember reading a certain shower scene), donations to charities, donating books and other swag, signing books, staying up all night, and crazy other incentives, the authors brought this tournament to a whole new level!  Words simply cannot express how thankful we all are!

Now onto to the awards!  We have collected quite a little stash of amazing gifts!  Some of these are from us, others from advocates and some from the authors!  Thank you to everyone who donated these wonderful prizes!  This is what we have for the advocates:

A signed Mortal Instruments Boxed Set (1st 3 books) donated by YA-Sisterhood & Cassandra Clare
Signed Copies of Shade and Shift donated by Jeri Smith-Ready
Signed set of Soul Screamers (1st 4 books) donated by Fiktshun & Rachel Vincent
Signed copy of Iron King by Julie Kagawa donated by Julie Kagawa
Signed copy of Hourglass by Myra McEntire donated by Myra McEntire
Signed copy of Die for Me by Amy Plum donated by YA-Sisterhood
Signed copy of Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer donated by Brooke Reports
2 ARCs of Until I Die by Amy Plum when they come out donated by Amy Plum
Arc of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi donated by Fiktshun
Arc of Eve by Anna Carey donated by Fiktshun
Arc of Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday donated by Fiktshun
Arc of Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupalla donated by Fiktshun
Plus a whole slew of signed posters, buttons, bookmarks and reading guides which were donated by Cassandra Clare, Jeri Smith-Ready, Becca Fitzpatrick, Myra McEntire, Amy Plum, and Veronica Roth

All of our Tournament advocates will be receiving a little something, though we do have some larger, more significant prizes for the standouts!  Be on the lookout for our email!

Without further ado, we'd like to honor first the advocates of our Elite 8 characters! 

Amy Green- Jace's Advocate- Amy (YA-Sisterhood) was not only an advocate for Jace, but was constantly spreading the word about each and every match via twitter.

Fictitious Delicious - Zachary's Advocate- Amy and Jen were goddesses of Rhyme, foreign language tweets, creative voting techniques, and the fearless leaders of Team Kilt!  They took their lastly seated Zach all the way to the finals!!!

Fiktshun-Tod's Advocate-Rachel was a force to be reckoned with!  Tod was seed 20, and she brought him all the way to the final 4!  That is such an amazing feat!  And, and big thank you to her for donating so many books for prizes!

Two Chicks on Books- Ash's Advocate- Jaime and Patricia were freezing out the competition with their boy Ash!  They also were crazy twitterers (is that a word) staying up all night cheering on Team Kilt!

Bookish Bethie- Kaleb's Advocate- Bethany L led her "sexy pirate" all the way to the elite 8!  Plus, Kaleb does not even show up in the book until half way through it!  Pretty dang impressive!

Bethany S (YA-Sisterhood)-Michael's Advocate- Anyone who compares Michael with Mr. Darcy in their defense definitely gets to be in the top 8!  I need a fan just thinking about both of them!  (Also a big congrats to Myra McEntire for having 2 crushes in the Excellent 8!)

Books over Boys- Patch's Advocate- Momo is the General of all Armies especially Patch's Army!  Plus, between videos, photoshopped pics, live actions pics, Momo also gets the Multimedia award!  You are definitely the most tech-savy of us all!

Deanne-W.W. Hale V's advocate- Deanne wins the coolest librarian I've ever met award!  Seriously, what other librarian do you know that would be in the YA Crush Tourney?  Greatness!!!

***All of our Elite 8 advocates will be receiving an email about your prize, so be on the lookout!

And now for a few miscellaneous awards: 

The Numb Thumbs Award- For the voting machine that is Brooke Reports (Jule's advocate)!

The Incentive Queen Award- In a true act of sacrifice for Team Kilt, Melissa (St. Clair's advocate) (@3fixedhearts) offered to wash cars in a bikini in exchange for guy votes! Now that is commitment!

Advocate
Wins
Award with
Rocking
Descriptions-
Marylee Carney represented FOUR with a series of Acrostic Poems! She basically defended her guy, but only with words that started with F, O, U, or R. Talk about working within confined limits!

The Articulate Advocate Award goes to Claire, Will Herondale's advocate! Despite losing out in the first round to Zachary (the 2nd place winner), Claire's defense was well-written, simple, and convincing! Bravo!

The Author Appreciation Award goes to Carli, (@Emberchyld)! Amy Plum herself was so pleased with her defense of Vincent that she is offering up an ARC of Until I Die for Carli's excellent defense!

The Verbose Advocate Award for the lengthiest defense goes to Alice, Peeta's Advocate!

The Pinch Hitter Homerun Award goes to Amanda, Jack's Advocate. She stepped in at the last minute, delivered a defense that was just as strong as those who had days and weeks to prepare, and led Jack to a victory!

The Buffy Award goes to Amy D-- Tucker's Advocate! She took a relative unknown, and helped him to slay the famous sparkling vampire that is Edward.

Award Winners-- you'll be receiving an email soon about your prizes! Congratulations!

***Also, be sure to check back often!  We will be posting an interview with Jace soon, speaking with him about winning the YA Crush Tourney!  You know that you don't want to miss that!!!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along. Here's what you do:
Pick up your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Publish Date: October 19, 2010

"I could feel every contour of his chest, the press of his thighs against my hips. I lifted my chin and his lips were on mine. The light touch speared my body and exploded deep within me. I shuddered and took his lower lip between my teeth, biting gently. He groaned, digging his fingers into my back. His lips parted mine, exploring, lingering." (page 170)

"When he whispered, his warm breath brushed over my lips. 'Just let me kiss you, Calla. You don't know how long I've wanted to. No one has to know.' My lips parted as I drew a sudden, startled breath and in that instant his mouth was on mine, soft as velvet. I closed my eyes against the rush of a hundred wings that suddenly beat in my chest and soared through my body. His scent was all around me. Leather, sandalwood, bonfires in autumn. He pulled back, but only for the sake of moving his lips to trail over my neck. My blood was on fire and I was shaking. Is this really happening? I couldn't stop thinking about Shay in the clearing. About asking him to kiss me. The electric touch of his lips on mine." (page 197)

Oh man! I really think I might faint! Ladies, I didn't even put the best scene in there because I didn't want to spoil it!!! Be looking for my full review of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer this coming Thursday. Remember, if you have a TT please leave it with your blog URL in the comments sections. We'ld love to know what you are reading.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Release date: November 15, 2011
Published by: Harper Teen
Received from: Brooke @Brooke Reports


Summary from goodreads.com

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. 

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. 

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. 


For the love of all things holy, I really just don't know what to say!!!  This book blew me away or in other words Shattered Me...yep I went there!  I'm so ecstatic that I was able to read this before it came out (thank you Brooke)!  I am predicting it to be one of the next big ones!  It combines the world of supernatural in a dystopian background!  Two popular sub-genres combined into one book!  There were so many wonderful aspects to this story, but I will narrow it down to just a few without going on for the rest of the day!

The first thing you notice when you open the book is the strike marks!  It's such a phenomenal idea!  Shatter Me reads like a diary, so the strike marks make sense.  Juliet will say something that she doesn't really want to think, then she strikes through it!  For example: I am a monster.  We all have those deep, dark, ugly thoughts that we wish we would not think, and it's reassuring that our character has them too!  In my eyes it made her real and gave her legitimacy as an actual person!  The words under the strikes give us a deeper insight into who Juliet is and how she works.  With that, the characters in this book have such a genuineness and believability about them.  I found myself routing for them!  Cheering them on in their love for each other and their fight against the enemy!

I know in most reviews, the reviewer will usually mention how great the characters were in a particular book!  But now, having read Shatter Me, I am ashamed I have said that so readily.  Truly, truly, truly, Ms. Mafi's characters are amazing!  There's a deepness to Juliette, I think we all yearn for.  She such a selfless character, but not once does it enter into your mind that she's a Mary Sue.  Life has dealt her a horrible hand, and she has borne it brilliantly!  She hasn't let the pain of her childhood or the abuse she's been subject to mar her soul in any way.  All I can say is, she is a lovely, lovely character!

Now onto the boys Adam and Warner! Two more opposite guys cold not exist!  Oh sweet Adam, my internal temperature raised a few degrees by just thinking his name (and thinking of those very special shower scenes, yes people, I said SHOWER)!  If you are a fan of Peeta, Xander, or Vincent then you are going to fall hard and fast for Adam.  I love him, really I do!  I love that he is dependable and determined to the point of which we rarely see in YA books or even real life.   He's the ideal hero.  He's willing to face all obstacles constantly looking death in the face for the people he loves!  On the other hand, there's Warner.  There's something broodingly sexy about him!  People always say there is a fine line between love and hate, and this book makes that line more interesting!  One moment Warner embodies the definition of evil and the next he's insecure and vulnerable.  I really don't know what to think!  All I now is I like him!!!  He's a bloody brilliant character!!!

Lastly, this is such a beautiful story.  The writing is so clean and precise.  The metaphors Tahereh uses bring the book life in your fingertips!  Plus, I can't think of a more appropriate title of this book, Shatter Me!  It took on several different nuances as I read.  I dare anyone to read this book and not see that at one point or another, the reader, Juliet, Adam, and all the other characters are a sliver away from shattering.  Several times I could feel the adrenaline rising up in my body and making my hands shake!  I implore you as a fellow reader to go pre-order this book right now!!! You will not regret it!!!

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird
Release date: April 18, 2011
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Received from: Netgalley
Reviewed by: Sis-in-law Sarah

Summary from goodreads.com

In seventeenth-century Scotland, saying the wrong thing can lead to banishment—or worse. Accused of being a witch, sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair is sentenced to be hanged. She escapes, but instead of finding shelter with her principled, patriotic uncle, she brings disaster to his door. 

Betrayed by one of her own accusers, Maggie must try to save her uncle and his family from the king’s men, even if she has to risk her own life in the process.

Originally published in the UK, this book has a powerful blend of heart-stopping action and thought-provoking themes.

It's been so long since I've read a historical fiction novel that I found this very refreshing in the paranormal dominant YA fiction world.  This book is very different from the usual fiction out there...and I LOVE that!

Here's a couple of things I really loved about this book:

-The story is set in Scotland in the 1600s. Oh. My. Gosh. Who doesn't wish that they could live in Scotland?!?! I felt like I not only journeyed back in time, I journeyed to gorgeous Scotland where the waters are crystal blue and the highlands make your spirit soar! I have to admit...seeing that it was set in Scotland is what made me WANT to read this book.

-This book should be called the Many Adventures of Maggie Blair.  Seriously, this girl does more in her 16th year than most people do in a lifetime.  The witch trials the above summary talks about...that's only...like...the first 1/3 of the book.  Just a little sneak peak of other things she encounters (I don't think this will give anything too important away):  crazy close to death encounters, crazy religious persecution, and crazy thank-God-they-don't-have-these-where-I-live prisons.

-There's no love story. I know what you're thinking..."WHAT?!?!" How can this BE?!?!" I know...I kept waiting for it...like...the whole book.  However, it was so refreshing to see a young heroine triumph over all these super-intense things WITHOUT the confusion of a boy in the mixture. Let's face it...being 16 is hard enough without throwing boys in the mixture. It was kinda fun to see Maggie succeed without one. And that's coming from a romantic-to-the-core...so believe me...even without the romance, it's still REALLY good.

-Great writing...no seriously. Laird has an amazing way of sweeping you into the story in an easy-to-read yet still descriptive way.  Sometimes, I believed I could really hear Tam's bagpipes singing.  I really enjoyed her style.  There was zero cheesiness. Definitely a fan.

-Maggie's story is based on one from Laird's ancestors.  How cool is that?!?! The whole time I kept wondering if MY ancestors had some of these things happen to them...seeing as I have family from Scotland...all to find out at the end that that's what inspired Elizabeth Laird to write this story.  To me...that makes this book crazy cool.  Stuff like this actually happened!

So thanks, Elizabeth Laird, for this awesome book! I really enjoyed it!

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (Final book of the Wolves of Mercy Falls Series)

Reviewed by: Baby Sister Brittany

Release Date: Already on the shelves!

The Sisters say: Beautifully written, but somewhat underwhelming

I received an ARC of this book in conjunction with a book tour from “I Read Banned Books” 

This Review is for the third book in the series, and does contain spoilers. Read at your own risk!

The Winner of the YA Crush Tournament

The first annual YA Sisterhood "Summer Crushin" YA Crush Tourney has come to an end. We've had amazing characters, wonderful authors, and hardcore fans supporting the tournament for almost a month! We've seen websites crash, underdogs overcome, and hundreds of dollars donated to charity in support of the tournament. We couldn't have asked for a better turnout for the first tournament! But enough about us...

THE WINNER

IS

NONE OTHER

THAN

THE AMAZING

GORGEOUS

OH SO CRUSH-WORTHY

JACE WAYLAND!

CONGRATULATIONS TO CASSANDRA CLARE, THE AUTHOR OF THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES!

AND AMYG, JACE'S ADVOCATE!

Jace will be featured on our blog as the Tournament Winner until a new winner is crowned next summer. We'll also continue to honor him with frequent posts about him, the MI series, and Cassie Clare. We will throw the full support of the YA Sisterhood behind him for the next year! 

We'd also like to extend a HUGE Congratulations to the 2nd place Winner! Hottie McScottie himself! 

Congrats also to his creator, Jeri Smith-Ready, his advocates FictitiousDelicious, and the epic army that is #TeamKilt! You guys did Zachary proud! What a journey it was from 25th seed to 2nd place! Think you guys can come back and do it again next summer?

Don't forget to follow our blog or sign up for email alerts for information about future Tournaments! 

And Come back next Wednesday to the Advocate Awards to honor the advocates who worked so hard to make this Tournament a success! 

Peer into the Future... of YA Sisterhood

First, Thank you all for a tremendously successful 1st Annual YA Sisterhood Summer Crushin' Tournament! You all have been beyond amazing, and we are so thankful! If your favorite crush didn't make the cut, never fear! Come back next summer for the 2nd Annual Summer Crushin' Tournament!

But before we get to next summer, we have a very important decision. We're going to do a second, smaller tournament in the winter, and we need your help picking what it will be! The Winter Tourney will change every year, so we'll get to them all eventually, but help us pick what to do first!  If you're interested in participating in this tourney in any form, be sure to follow our blog and subscribe by email, and we will keep you up to date on all the Winter Tournament Plans!

survey hosting

The Grande Finale: Jace vs Zachary (Match #24) goes to Jace!

And the winner is...

JACE!

With a final tally of 

Jace: 24,250  votes

Zachary: 21,385  votes

We have reached the final match in the 1st Annual Summer Crushin' Tournament! What started out as a silly, fun thing to try between my sister and I has exploded, and been more popular than we could have every imagined. And it's all thanks to you guys! Please, if you haven't already, see the post above this one to give us feedback on future YA Sisterhood Tournaments! 


Two very important things:


We are so excited to have Zachary and Jace in the finals! We couldn't have asked for two better guys! The winner will receive glory and praise and will reign as the YA Crush of all Crushes, and will be featured prominently on this blog until it's time for the next YA Crush Tourney! That winner, will go down in history (erm... our blog history?) as the 1st winner of the Tournament, but after that will no longer be eligible to compete in future YA Crush Tournaments. Both of these boys are epic and amazing enough that they could take it every year, and we'd like to spread the love. So vote for who you want to rule the world of Crush-dom for the next year! 


Also, the characters aren't the only ones up to win something! We've been blessed to have some amazing bloggers and online friends act as advocates for these characters. They've sacrificed their sleep, time, energy, and thumbs to vote and spread the word for this tournament, and we want to thank them! Next Wednesday, August 17th, we'll be announcing the Advocate Awards for advocates we believe have gone above and beyond the call of duty for the Tournament! We've got signed books, arcs, posters, and plenty of swag, so make sure you come by and support this years' advocates. They rock! 


I think you guys know the drill on the rest of this stuff, but one last time: 

There may be some spoilers in the following post. We've tried to keep it fairly general, but overall, this Tourney will not be spoiler-free. So beware.

Secondly, You are welcome to write your own comments about either character in the comments section, but we will not tolerate rudeness. The minute it crosses over from logical argument into character bashing, your comments will be deleted and your vote canceled.  Voting will be open for 24 hours, 8am to 8am.  Without further adieu, let the match begin!!!


Jace Wayland (Seed #2)

Jace Wayland is rep'd by me, AmyG, from YA-Sisterhood.  You can check out my blog here, and follow me on twitter @YASisterhood.  Jace is from the Mortal Instruments series by the talented Cassandra Clare.  You can find out more info about her and her books by clicking on her name on our side bar.

Personality

I am going to borrow from the fabulous JKR and say, "JACE WAYLAND IS MY KING!!!"

I'd like to at first say that I began reading City of Bones in early 2008, and from that day forward Jace has been my number 1.  Other YA characters have come close, but none have been able to usurp Jace off his thrown!  The thing about Jace is he's that guy that comes across as cool, suave, good-looking, sarcastic and snarkie when in all actuality, on the inside, he's torn to shreds.  He's from as messed up a family as you can get.  He was emotionally abused by the most evil man since Voldemort.  This quote by Cassandra Clare from City of Bones basically sums up his childhood,"The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed."  How cannot every fiber of your being cry out to help him, to give him any amount of love to make up for the life he had endured thus far.  He hides his pain and his insecurity behind a "rapier wit".  He can word duel with the best of them, slaying you with his words one minute while cracking you up the next.  Out of all the amazing guys in this tournament, Jace is the most complex of all the characters.  In his case what you see is not necessarily what you get.  To get to the core of this hero, you must look deep and read between the lines.

"My rapier wit hides my inner pain." -Jace Wayland

Looks

 Close your eyes for a minute, picture a tall golden skinned guy, shirtless of course.  Across his chest and arms are these dark marks.  They look like perhaps symbols or characters from a time long ago.  His waist is lean and his chest and arms look as if they were chiseled perfectly by the gods.  His face is as beautiful as a fallen angel, angular and framed by wavy golden-blond hair.  His eyes are a piercing gold that seem ancient in his young face.  Do you need a fan yet?  Yep, that's Jace!  Pretty irresistible, huh?!?  Seriously, how can anyone turn turn down a tall golden haired bad boy with tats?  I'll take 2 please!!!

Talents

Without being too spoilery, there are some questions about the actual birth of Jace.  Who is parents are, what happened to him in womb or shortly thereafter.  These questions arise because even Jace's superpowers have superpowers! He can run faster and jump higher than any other nephilim.  He's basically like a Shadowhunter Limited Edition!  He's also one of those guys that every girl swoons over.  He walks into a room and all eyes are on him!  If your wondering why this is under talents, sit back and people watch for awhile!  You will notice that there are very few guys that actually have this talent, and Jace has it in mounds!  Lastly, I will have to mention his snarkiness under this category.  In order to be truly witty, it takes talent.  You must be fast on your feet and prepared for a comeback at any moment.

"What are all these?" Clary asked. 

"Vials of holy water, blessed knives, steel and silver blades," Jace said, piling the weapons on the floor beside him, "electrum wire - not much use at the moment but it's always good to have spares - silver bullets, charms of protection, crucifixes, stars of David-" 

"Jesus," said Clary 

"I doubt he'd fit." 

"Jace." Clary was appalled." City of Bones

Special Attributes

Jace is a shadowhunter or nephilim, part human and part angel.  He's actually descended from the offspring of angels and humans mentioned in Genesis 6.  He has incredible powers, powers enough to police the downworlders: vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, faeries, and demons.  Shadowhunters also have the ability to mark themselves with ancient runes for protection, healing, or added super-abilities.  Their purpose is to protect the mundanes, normal humans, from the downworlders.  So, they basically spend everyday saving the world!  

Why is Jace better than Zach?

I honestly don't know where to begin on this!  I have voted #TeamKilt in every match that he was in so far!  I actually had not even read these until I read Fictitious Delicious's Limerick, after that I was sold!  I totally understood afterward, why he deserved a poem!   Sadly, if I'm really going to have to pick, its Jace!  For me, its always been Jace!  Zachary is perfect!  What you see is what you get from him!  He's the perfect, nice boyfriend!  On the other hand, Jace is the broken bad boy that every girl is dying to fix!  He's the sexy male that is hard and cold on the outside but just crying out to be loved on the inside!  So, be honest with yourselves girls, you know that's what every girl wants!  Plus, he saves the world from the bad guys!  

Superhero + broken, bad boy dying to be fixed= WINNER!!!

One last thing: I dare anyone to read this scene from Jace's POV and not fall for him all over again!!! 

It is spoilery bc its from the 2nd book, so proceed with caution!!! 

http://cassie-claire.com/cms/bitter

Anything else you'd like to add?

Yes, if you have read the first Mortal Instruments you know the monstrous, gargantuan, colossal twist that occurs.  Okay, think about that for a second, and how you felt through the next books!  If you were like me, all of the great, huge, horrible sin of lets just say "I", suddenly didn't seem too bad anymore!!!  I was actually routing for it in my sick mind!  I totally just didn't care!  So, the last think I will say is that if it will make me and everyone else totally okay with "I" then he deserves to win every stinkin' contest that he ever enters or is entered into for the rest of time!!!

"I know it's wrong - God, it's all kinds of wrong - but I just want to lie down with you and wake up with you, just once, just once ever in my life."  -Jace (City of Glass)

"LOOKING BETTER IN BLACK THAN THE WIDOWS OF [HIS] ENEMIES SINCE 1234"!!!

Last round, Ms. Clare promised us The Spicy Manor House Scene if Jace won, and if you didn't see it yesterday here it is: http://cassandraclare.livejournal.com/57281.html  Whew!  I need a fan just thinking about it!!!

Vote for Jace!  Use the hashtags #Jace or #TeamJace to support him & to spread the word!

Zachary Moore (Seed #25)

Zachary is a character in Shade and Shift by Jeri-Smith Ready. You can learn more about the books by reading our review . He is represented by Amy & Jen at www.fictitiousdelicious.com  (Facebook: Fictitious Delicious Twitter: @FictishDelish)

Personality

In a city in Maryland they call Baltimore,

Is a hot Scottish boy named Zachary Moore.

He says funny words like ‘bugger!’ and ‘aye’

And has moments so sweet that it makes us cry.

He’s bold, strong, and smart, a science geek,

Writes shoddy love poems, has a competitive streak.

He’s real good at soccer, which makes him quite fit.

He’ll call you ‘bonnie’ when you’re feeling like sh… (bugger, can’t say that) …crap. 

Looks

A once ‘doughy’ lad, with eyes of green,

Has hair of dark brown that he keeps nicely clean.

He’s got giant hands, and you know what they say…

And those dimples of his?  You can’t look away!

Talents

But of all his talents we surely can’t miss

Is the way this Scotsman knows how to kiss.

Now take it to the bridge!

     Would he, could he, in a box?

     Yes, and it’ll rock your socks!

     Would he, could he, in a river?

     Yes, and it’ll make you quiver!

     He will kiss you here and there,

     Why, he will kiss you everywhere!

Special Attributes

For attributes, his accent is first on the list.

Watch him roll those R’s… yeah, you get the gist.

His mere presence will ward off those pesky ghosts

Which comes in handy when they bother you most.

And let’s not forget to mention the kilt,

Which fits on that body, so nicely built.

What makes Zachary better than Jace?
C’mon, does it really matter what we say?

Y’all love Jace like he loves Clary Fray.

And with good reason, but please keep in mind

You have another choice, for which many have pined.

So just what is it that keeps Zach in the game?

Is it the accent? His wit? Lack of shame?

Aye, it’s all that, plus so much more.

He’s one who loves deep. Down to his core.

So remember, this isn’t about popularity

A vote for Zach is one for sincerity!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Remember that Zachary is lastly seeded,

So your vote for him surely is needed!

Jeri Smith-Ready has promised a teaser

If Zachary wins! So don’t vote at leisure!

Vote NOW for TEAM KILT for best crush fictitious,

(And then see our blog, Fictitious Delicious!)

Thanks to you bonnie lasses at YA Sisterhood!!! 

Voting  is now closed, and the YA Crush Tourney has ended! Come back in the Winter for a new Tourney, and next summer for the 2nd annual YA Crush Tourney!

The Reaping (The Fahllen #1)

By: M. Leighton

Released (currently available only on Kindle): January 29, 2011

Reviewed by: Honorary Sister Marylee

This Sister says: Enthralling, frightening, sexy, AMAZING

Summary (From Goodreads.com):
Every hell has its devil. And Carson is about to become intimately acquainted with hers.

Seventeen-year-old wallflower Carson Porter has always dreamed of being something special, but what she gets isn’t what she signed up for.

Yeah, a girl’s supposed to change as she gets older, but this is ridiculous! Shiny skin, greener eyes and a run-in with the flesh-eating dead are just a few of the changes Carson has to adjust to, not to mention the arrival of very hot and very dangerous Derek Hrolf. If all that wasn’t enough to turn her once hum-drum life into something unrecognizable, a twin sister that haunts her from the shadows and a wheeling, dealing collector of souls will definitely do the trick. The question is: what will her life become? And what will she become?

As this is my first official review for the Sisterhood, I would like to be able to give a rational, coherent, balanced account of The Reaping. Unfortunately, I can’t do “balanced” because this book is just to. Freaking. Awesome. I only have positive things to say because this book was just amazingly, incredibly good. What exactly made it so good, I hear you ask? Well I'll be happy to break it down for you. I've decided to put it in a top five format. Honestly I could do a top ten or top twenty, but I’m afraid I would go into to much detail and would be spoilery. And to spoil a fantastic story like this would be a crime.

1. The Characters. Carson, oh my Carson. This lovely, once-shy girl gets a lesson in “be careful what you wish for.” Who hasn’t dreamed of getting a more exciting life while in the clutches of boredom? Well Carson does and she is rewarded with flesh-eating monsters, an evil twin, and a tale reminiscent (but more intense) of Faust. She is a strong heroine who goes through an emotionally and physically tough journey, yet she remains true to herself. And although she falls for a boy, she doesn't rely on him to save her or make her whole. She is entirely her own person and can take care of herself. But now that we’re speaking of this boy, Derek, you should know that he is really a hot piece of man with unbelievable powers of his own. His tough exterior gets shattered by Carson & he does the unthinkable to protect her. I find in most YA that the protagonist & her beau are really well-developed, but most of the secondary characters can come off as two-dimensional. Well not in this book sister. The supporting characters in this book are as flesh and blood to me as Carson & Derek became. I know Leah, I know Carson's father, I have parents like the Kirby’s, all of the characters are as well-crafted as the protagonist & it helps you fall even more in love with the book.

2. The Paranormal World that is created in The Reaping is absorbing. Mainly because it happens right on top of our normal, muggle world. It is just beyond our fingertips, almost as though we could reach out & touch the dark world that Carson finds herself thrust into. And the villain(s)! As far as villains go, Grey & Fahl are as creepy & evil as it gets! They are deliciously dark, so if you scare easy you might have to sleep with the lights on... Beyond that, there are no vampires or werewolves or anything common to YA in this story. We’re dealing with reapers here, and although I know that’s been done too, it hasn’t been handled in the same way. Leighton makes this concept all her own and had me in a fit (a good one!) with her use of the four elements and of other supernatural powers employed throughout the book.

3. Mystery & Violence are both prevalent in this story. I mean there are so many things to figure out, that your mind races with the plethora of possibilities the story could contain. It makes you think while you read! Imagine that! You are racing right along with Carson trying to make sense of the world and everything she has been plunged into. And there is violence. What Carson encounters is a very dark place & she ends up fighting not only for her survival, but for those that she loves, so there is action and there is loss. Although for me, the violence never seemed gratuitous, there is a purpose & a reason for what happens in the story. It's not just for shock or entertainment value, it means something.

4. Romance. What's a YA book without some l-o-v-e? And this book has about the steamiest & most complicated romance I've ever seen. And thank the Lord above, there's no love triangle...yet. ;) It's just Derek! (I’m actually a huge fan of love triangles, but they seem to be such a staple in YA, that I’m glad for a break from it) Some might find the romance a little too steamy, especially if you're a parent reading something before you allow your child to, but the physical stuff that Derek & Carson get into is tame to what most teenagers are doing in real life. And most importantly, everything they do comes from love, so it is not just lustful hormones Carson and Derek act on, but what is in their hearts.

5. Saving the best for last, one of my absolute favorite things about this book is the Writing. Leighton had me at the prologue, and didn’t even let go after I had read the epilogue. She writes beautifully, with depth, grace, and humor and is truthful and real to Carson. She handles dark subject matter with skill and maturity, and has a way of showing the importance of hope, love, and faith even when all seems futile. She is an independent author who has self-published several books all on her own. You can (and should!) follow her on her blog at http://mleightonbooks.blogspot.com/ or follow her on twitter at mleightonbooks. I can hardly wait to read not only the next books in the series, but all of her books. Yeah, she’s that good.

I’ve read some reviews by people who have complained that the world of The Reaping and the reason(s) that Carson's change happens aren't clearly explained enough. I can understand this, but I believe that it is because The Reaping is the first in a series. Leighton has left herself plenty of room to continue and elaborate on the world and Carson and I trust her to answer all questions one might have throughout the entirety of the series. You can't give away all your goodies in the first book!

It has been said that the best books are about either love or death. Well people, The Reaping has gobs of both! And the best book bargain you’ll ever make is that it is available for $0.99 on your Kindle (available on Amazon)! I seriously cannot recommend it enough & I hope you take the time to discover this wonderfully written story.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along. Here's what you do:

Pick up your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: November 15, 2011

"I turn to meet his eyes and regret it immediately. There are less than three inches between us and I can't move because my body only knows how to freeze. Every muscle every movement tightens, every vertebra in my spinal column is a block of ice. I'm holding my breath and my eyes are wide, loocked, caught in the intensity of his gaze. I can't look away. I don't know how to retreat." (page 37)

"He takes my hands and presses my palms to his face and I know I never knew the beauty of feeling human before this. I know I'm still crying when my eyes flutter closed. I whisper his name. And he's breathing harder than I am and suddenly his lips are on my neck and I'm gasping and dying and clutching at his arms and he's touching me touching mee touching me and I'm thunder and lightning and wondering when the hell I'll be waking up." (page 149) 

YA Crush Tourney: Jace vs Ash (Match #23) goes to Jace!

And the winner is...

JACE!

Tune in Wednesday for the finale: 

Zachary vs. Jace!

And information about future tournaments. :)

Some general rules before we begin:

There may be some spoilers in the following post. We've tried to keep it fairly general, but overall, this Tourney will not be spoiler-free. So beware.

Secondly, You are welcome to write your own comments about either character in the comments section, but we will not tolerate rudeness. The minute it crosses over from logical argument into character bashing, your comments will be deleted and your vote canceled.  Voting will be open for 24 hours, 8am to 8am.  Without further adieu, let the match begin!!!

Jace Wayland (Seed #2)

Jace Wayland is rep'd by me, AmyG, from YA-Sisterhood.  You can check out my blog here, and follow me on twitter @YASisterhood.  Jace is from the Mortal Instruments series by the talented Cassandra Clare.  You can find out more info about her and her books by clicking on her name on our side bar.

Personality:

I am going to borrow from the fabulous JKR and say, "JACE WAYLAND IS MY KING!!!"

I'd like to at first say that I began reading City of Bones in early 2008, and from that day forward Jace has been my number 1.  Other YA characters have come close, but none have been able to usurp Jace off his thrown!  The thing about Jace is he's that guy that comes across as cool, suave, good-looking, sarcastic and snarkie when in all actuality, on the inside, he's torn to shreds.  He's from as messed up a family as you can get.  He was emotionally abused by the most evil man since Voldemort.  This quote by Cassandra Clare from City of Bones basically sums up his childhood,"The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed."  How cannot every fiber of your being cry out to help him, to give him any amount of love to make up for the life he had endured thus far.  He hides his pain and his insecurity behind a "rapier wit".  He can word duel with the best of them, slaying you with his words one minute while cracking you up the next.  Out of all the amazing guys in this tournament, Jace is the most complex of all the characters.  In his case what you see is not necessarily what you get.  To get to the core of this hero, you must look deep and read between the lines.

"My rapier wit hides my inner pain." -Jace Wayland

Looks:

 Close your eyes for a minute, picture a tall golden skinned guy, shirtless of course.  Across his chest and arms are these dark marks.  They look like perhaps symbols or characters from a time long ago.  His waist is lean and his chest and arms look as if they were chiseled perfectly by the gods.  His face is as beautiful as a fallen angel, angular and framed by wavy golden-blond hair.  His eyes are a piercing gold that seem ancient in his young face.  Do you need a fan yet?  Yep, that's Jace!  Pretty irresistible, huh?!?  Seriously, how can anyone turn turn down a tall golden haired bad boy with tats?  I'll take 2 please!!!

Talents:

Without being too spoilery, there are some questions about the actual birth of Jace.  Who is parents are, what happened to him in womb or shortly thereafter.  These questions arise because even Jace's superpowers have superpowers! He can run faster and jump higher than any other nephilim.  He's basically like a Shadowhunter Limited Edition!  He's also one of those guys that every girl swoons over.  He walks into a room and all eyes are on him!  If your wondering why this is under talents, sit back and people watch for awhile!  You will notice that there are very few guys that actually have this talent, and Jace has it in mounds!  Lastly, I will have to mention his snarkiness under this category.  In order to be truly witty, it takes talent.  You must be fast on your feet and prepared for a comeback at any moment.

"What are all these?" Clary asked. 

"Vials of holy water, blessed knives, steel and silver blades," Jace said, piling the weapons on the floor beside him, "electrum wire - not much use at the moment but it's always good to have spares - silver bullets, charms of protection, crucifixes, stars of David-" 

"Jesus," said Clary 

"I doubt he'd fit." 

"Jace." Clary was appalled."  City of Bones 

Special Attributes:

Jace is a shadowhunter or nephilim, part human and part angel.  He's actually descended from the offspring of angels and humans mentioned in Genesis 6.  He has incredible powers, powers enough to police the downworlders: vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, faeries, and demons.  Shadowhunters also have the ability to mark themselves with ancient runes for protection, healing, or added super-abilities.  Their purpose is to protect the mundanes, normal humans, from the downworlders.  So, they basically spend everyday saving the world!  

Why is Jace better than Ash?

Okay, I feel like I say this every time, but this match is going to kill me!  When you read a lot of books you get attached to all the characters.  I love Ash dearly!!!  He can honestly be my knight anyday!!!  However, if I have both Jace and Ash kneeling at me feet vowing to be my knight for all eternity, and I have to pick one, it's Jace!  For me, its always been Jace!  He's the broken bad boy that every girl is dying to fix!  He's the sexy male that is hard and cold on the outside but just crying out to be loved on the inside!  So, be honest with yourselves girls, you know that's what every girl wants!  

Okay, so you say that Ash is a bad guy too!  You are absolutely right!  But, before he meets Meghan, he really is a bad guy.  He has honestly done some really terrible things!!!  Plus, he's a faerie, they toy with humans as a hobby!  Jace comes across as the bad guy, but I really believe that its just a facade to hold people at bay.  He's been burned too many times!  Also, don't forget that Jace is descended from ANGELS!!!  Plus, he saves the world from the bad guys!  

Superhero + broken, bad boy dying to be fixed= WINNER!!!

One last thing: I dare anyone to read this scene from Jace's POV and not fall for him all over again!!! 

It is spoilery bc its from the 2nd book, so proceed with caution!!! 

http://cassie-claire.com/cms/bitter

Anything else you'd like to add?

Yes, if you have read the first Mortal Instruments you know the monstrous, gargantuan, colossal twist that occurs.  Okay, think about that for a second, and how you felt through the next books!  If you were like me, all of the great, huge, horrible sin of lets just say "I", suddenly didn't seem too bad anymore!!!  I was actually routing for it in my sick mind!  I totally just didn't care!  So, the last think I will say is that if it will make me and everyone else totally okay with "I" then he deserves to win every stinkin' contest that he ever enters or is entered into for the rest of time!!!

"I know it's wrong - God, it's all kinds of wrong - but I just want to lie down with you and wake up with you, just once, just once ever in my life."  -Jace (City of Glass)

"LOOKING BETTER IN BLACK THAN THE WIDOWS OF [HIS] ENEMIES SINCE 1234"!!!

VOTE FOR JACE! USE #TEAMJACE TO SUPPORT HIM & SPREAD THE WORD!  CASSIE TWEETED THIS YESTERDAY, SO THIS MIGHT GIVE YOU EXTRA INCENTIVE:
So Jace fans .... tomorrow Jace goes up against the redoubtable Ash in the YA Crush Tourney http://bit.ly/jrwrmr and it's really getting down to brass knuckles now! So I've decided to offer up a celebratory treat if Jace wins: I'll post the Manor House scene from City of Glass from Jace's POV. And it'll be spicy. ;) So remember to vote, if you're so inclined!

Ash (Seed #6)

The hottastic Ash is from Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.  For more information on this series you can check out our review here or you can check out our Theory Thursday for Iron Knight, the 4th book in the series. Ash is being rep'd by the girls from Two Chicks on Books, Jaime and Patricia.  You can check out there blog by clicking on there button to the right.  You can also follow them on twitter @arnoldjaime13 & @1of2chicksonbks.

Personality:

Ash can come off as cold and distant but that's because he's been raised to be that way. He has had to put up persona of the cold Ice Prince of the Winter Court otherwise he would not have been able to survive in the Unseelie Court. But beneath the cold exterior there is a fiercely loyal guy and not just because he can wield a sword like nobody's business. More about that later. He has managed to fool just about everyone into thinking that his heart is as cold as the iciness that literally runs thru him. That is until he meets the girl that melts his heart. He will do whatever it takes to be with Meghan even if that means walking thru poison to help her out, even if it means that he has to put up with her annoyingly prankster of a BFF, Puck, even if it means that he will be kicked out of his court or even be exiled out of Faery.  He will do anything for Meghan!! Because as he says to Meghan: ""You made me feel alive again.""

What is sexier than a guy who pledges his life and very existence to the girl he loves? Not much. Here's a little taste of the true Ash:

"My name is Ashallyn'darkmyr Tallyn, third son of the Unseelie Court."

Though his voice was soft, it never wavered, and I felt breathless at hearing his full name. His True Name.

 "Let it be known---from this day forth, I vow to protect Meghan Chase, daughter of the Summer King, with my sword, my honor, my life. Her desires are mine. Her wishes are mine. Should even the world stand against her, my blade will be at her side. And should it fail to protect her, let my own existence be forfeit. This I swear, on my honor, my True Name, and my life. From this day on..." His voice went even softer, but I still heard it as though he whispered it into my ear. ""I am yours."

-The Iron Queen 

Looks: 

We could never do him justice but we will give you a peek of how Meghan sees him...

"...tall and lean, garbed in silver and black. A dark cape fluttered from its shoulders. Through the rain, I caught the barest glimpse of a face: young, pale, strikingly handsome..."

-The Iron King

"...He carried a sword, resting comfortably on his hip, and his face bore the fine lines of an aristocrat. But, unlike the others, he looked disinterested, almost bored, with the entire event. His eyes caught the moonlight and glittered like silver coins.”

-The Iron King

"Up close, he was even more beautiful, with high cheekbones and dark tousled hair falling into his eyes.” 

-The Iron King

Talents:

Who wouldn't want a guy with as many talents and attributes that Ash has. He's a masterful horse rider, he has mad sword skills, and he can shoot ice daggers at his enemies and centuries of knowledge and expertise. He's a bit on the quiet side, too. But don't think that he's distracted in anyway. Ash is deadly and those that cross do not live to tell the tale. He's also witty and one of his best and favorite attributes is that his sense of humor and sarcasm are intact. With lines like this who wouldn't love him:

"Touch her, and I'll freeze your testicles off and put them in a jar. Understand?"

-The Iron King             

Special Attributes:

Have we mentioned that Ash is Immortal!! So of course he's going to be with you forever and ever!!             

What makes Ash better than Jace?

Well you all know the many reasons Ash is Crush worthy so we’ll move onto why Jace isn’t.

Ok so to start we like Jace so this is going to be tough but here goes.

In the first book he’s admittedly flirtatious to an extreme. Jace knows he’s hot and he’s very arrogant . His hatred of all things Mundane (including Clary at first! ) and Downworlders is a weakness if you ask us. In CoFA not only does Jace completely ignore and basically treats Clary like crap but he actually tries to kill her and he dreams of killing her. What is crush worthy about that?

Also…

Ash is a prince of the faerie court. Jace is a shadow hunter which is cool, but it's not nearly as awesome or magical as being a faerie.

Ash while vulnerable isn't nearly as vulnerable as Jace is.

Ash although having a pretty terrible mother, was not raised by the Morgensterns. That could seriously lead to some messed up stuff in future books for Jace.

Ash is much similar to Meghan - they're both faeries and royals. Jace and Clary come from such different backgrounds. They just think differently.

But it boils down to the fact that while Ash may have pushed Meghan away he wasn't a total jerk. He did it because he had to. Jace is arrogant and selfish. And the only reason Jace is better is because of Clary. Ash was just fine on his own.

Also Patricia’s son says He’s a Jerk!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Here are a few quotes from Julie herself about Ash:

From supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com Interview with Julie.

If you were in an emergency situation (of any kind) and could call one of your characters for help, who would it be and why?

"Well, if it were something major, like the Zombie Apocalypse, I would call on Ash, because he’d be able to chop through the hoards easily. If it were something like getting my cat out of a tree…I’d still call Ash, because Grimalkin would probably mock the poor cat, and Puck might turn it into a bird or something."

From interview on enchantedinkpot.livejournal.com:

If you weren’t the creator, what team do you think you would side with?

“Oh, definitely Ash.  (Though I do love Puck, too.)  I just have a thing for dark, brooding bad boys, especially if they're a HBWS. (Hot Boy With Sword.)  It’s a weakness.  ;-)"

Also we're sure if Ash wins Julie will have something awesome to share with everyone like a teaser from The Iron Knight ;) so VOTE ASH and use the hashtags #TeamAsh and #IcePrince to support him!

He may be the Ice Prince, but he'll melt your heart!!!

*Voting is now closed*

 Please check the Crush Tournament Tab at the top for more information.