Review-Spellcaster By Claudia Gray and a Signed Book Giveaway!!!

So normally I just post a review but today’s a special day! I am Claudia Gray’s Dark Days Blogger! What does that mean?? Well besides being Robin to her Batman I get to give a signed copy of the book away! Also stay tuned because on March 5^th I’ll be posting an interview with Claudia! So check out my review and then enter the giveaway below! Thanks Harper Teen for both!

Spellcaster

Claudia Gray

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Hardcover: 400 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN:  0061961205

Source: ARC from the publisher

Rating: Loved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

From Goodreads.

When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.

 I love Claudia Gray’s books! I read her Evernight series before I started blogging and I still suggest them to readers today! Lucas and Balthazar will always have a soft spot in my heart. But I have to say move aside boys because there’s a new Claudia Gray character and he’s moving in! His name is Mateo and he’s a beautiful (I mean super-hot), tortured, cursed, soul. And he is so sweet and loving he takes my breath away!

Ok enough about Mateo let’s talk about this story! I was so thrilled when I heard that Claudia was going to write a witch story! I mean she has already taken on vampires, wraiths, and werewolves on the Titanic and they all rocked so I knew this was going to be amazeballs too! And yep peeps IT SO WAS!!!!!

Claudia has written another amazing story with vibrant characters in a beautiful setting with a backstory that just screams “I need a novella!” and her MC Nadia is as kick ass as her other heroines. She’s so brave that she’d rather be hurt herself than others around her and I admire that about her! I also fell in love with Verlaine (yep girl crush big time) the reluctant BFF her parts in the story had me cracking up and smiling and I can’t wait to find out more about her history in book 2! Oh speaking of I can’t wait for book 2 lol!

Ok so to leave with a parting passage I normally go with the swoon but since I loved Verlaine so much I just had to share this one!

“It’s not going to happen for us,” Nadia said, trying to push aside the swell of anger within her. “So forget it. Never mind. Don’t be freaked.”

Verlaine had evidently gone from beging excited at the possibility to relieved that it was unlikely. “Ok, I get it, you were just—giving me the ‘in case of emergency’ speech. Like on a plane. They always tell you where the life jackets are, and show you how to calmly put on the oxygen masks—like if those masks fell out of the plane ceiling you wouldn’t all be screaming bloody murder.”

Nadia had to laugh. “Yeah, pretty much.” She pointed with her whole hand, flat like a blade, the way stewardesses did. “That way is the emergency exit.”

“Got it. Okay, so—show me what you got.”

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Jaime's Review of Balthazar by Claudia Gray

From Goodreads.
Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own.

In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray’s New York Times bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

Jaime’s review….

First thing I said when I found out about this book was “Heck Yes!” Balthazar was my favorite character from the Evernight Books. Second thing? I hope it’s a series! Well I’m not sure now if it will be one but I can still hope because she left the ending open with plenty of potential for one. J

When reading Balthazar I thought I’d miss Bianca and Lucas in the story but they were both there for small parts and, I really wished a few of the other characters I loved from the Evernight books would be as well but alas they weren’t. I loved getting to know Skye better though she’s so much more than I thought she would be and she’s pretty kick ass on her own. I enjoyed her spunk and willingness to do whatever she needed to do to stay safe and beat the bad vampires.

The best part of this book though was all the things Balthazar I fell in love with this guy even more than I thought I could. I loved seeing glimpses into his past which made him what he was in the present. I absolutely loved his protectiveness over Skye and him falling in love with her was awesome! He tried to fight it to protect her but she didn’t make it easy and I found myself saying “You go girl!” in a few different places. Skye knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go for it. I loved Balthazar’s internal struggles and it was quite funny when he got flustered he made me giggle.

The story itself was really engrossing I couldn’t wait to see what would happen with this Redgrave fellow and what Balthazar’s crazy sister Charity had up her sleeve. I can honestly say after what she did to Lucas I wanted her dead but Balty being well, Balty he couldn’t kill his damaged sister. Redgrave is seriously one smart bad guy he’s calculating and cruel but, he’s also gorgeous and suave which makes him even more dangerous.

So back to why I think this should be a series I love Balthazar and I could read many more books about him! We barely scraped the surface on his past and what makes him tick and like I said Claudia left enough on an opening at the end there. Also by the end of the book we knew what Skye was and what she could do but, we didn’t get to explore it much and if there’s not a strictly Balthazar series I would love to see one with the both of them. There are so many places it could go!

For my teaser passage I decided to use one with Skye where she’s talking to an old friend from Evernight because I thought this was freaking hilarious J

“Nothing else has happened.”

“He kissed you!”

“Once. And I kissed him once. That’s it.”

“You need to jump his bones.”

“Clementine!”

“You know you do!”

“No,” Skye said, trying to sound more firm than she felt.”Chasing a guy like that only gets you hurt. Any guy who really cares about you should want to be with you. Once he knows how you feel, He should step up.”

“And you feel like Balthazar’s not stepping up?”

Balthazar comes out March 6^th so pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or The Book Depository.

Make sure to add it to your Goodreads lists and make sure to check out Claudia’s website!

Thanks again to the amazing people at Harper Teen for the Advanced Readers Copy!