Teaser Tuesday: Shadowplay (Pantomime #2) by Laura Lam {49}

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Title: Shadowplay (Pantomime #2)
Author: Laura Lam
Release date: January 4, 2014
Pages: 400

The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes.

He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates. People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus--the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he's perfecting...

A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey.

My teaser, from 17% in the egalley:

But the feeling lingered still, as I sat there bathed in the soft cobalt glow.

I did not sleep the rest of that night.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the first book, so I'm super excited to read this! I love circus-themed things! :)

I'll be visiting around and visiting back, so leave me links to your teasers! Have a lovely Tuesday!

Review: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Release date: November 26, 2013
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 296
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided through Netgalley
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

YOU CAN BE A VII IF YOU GIVE EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked - surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed, and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

I keep reading that the dystopian trend is waning, that people don't want to read them anymore. I don't know about anyone else, but that's not the case for me. I haven't read many recently, but I still love 'em. The only problem with the number of dystopians that have been published in the past couple of years is that it's harder and harder for them to feel original. And while I feel like Pawn is certainly an enjoyable enough read, I don't feel that it's adding something terribly original to the mix. There are bright spots, but they aren't quite enough to make Pawn more than pretty good.

Kitty has modest dreams. She only wants to take her assessment and get a IV, enough to live a comfortable life with Benjy, her boyfriend. But when she gets a III, she takes things into her own hands. Soon, she's meeting the prime minister and he's giving her a chance to become a VII. When she wakes up, it's been weeks and she's been Masked--made to look exactly like Lila Hart, the prime minister's niece, who was secretly murdered. Quickly Kitty is being pulled in two directions--either help the revolution Lila was fostering and endanger Benjy and herself, or help out those who are suffering, just like she did.

Though I didn't find Pawn to be life changing, I did find it pretty darn entertaining. The plot never stops and we're fed information slowly but surely, which kept me engaged the entire book. I was fascinated by the idea before I even picked up the book and that never stopped.

There is almost a love triangle, but Kitty always loves Benjy and she never wavers, so not really. I'd like to see more of both Benjy and Knox and really get to know a little more about each of them, since I feel like we didn't get hear all that much from them. Kitty herself is an interesting character, and she has a lot of potential that I'd like to see expounded upon in the next book. It's a very different idea that she's got something akin to dsylexia and can't read, which is really what sets off the story, since she has to have someone read the test to her.

So, there's good and bad. No, this is not likely to become the next dystopian sensation, but Pawn is ridiculously entertaining and has a lot of potential to become more than that. I had a lot of fun reading it, especially as the plot started to twist and turn like a maze. Here's to the next book being even more fun!

Stacking the Shelves {43}

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we get to share the books we've bought, been gifted, or received for review!

How was everybody's week? Mine's been pretty good! ALMOST THANKSGIVING. :)

For review:

The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver

A big thanks to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for this! 

Purchased:

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

A recap of the week here on Paper Cuts:
Monday - I helped reveal the cover for Seeking Her by Cora Carmack.
Tuesday - I teased from The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine.
Wednesday - I'm waiting on A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller.
Thursday - I'm thankful for you! And to celebrate, a giveaway!
Friday - I reviewed The Girl With the Iron Touch by Kady Cross.

Books I read this week:
The Girl With the Iron Touch (The Steampunk Chronicles #3) by Kady Cross

I'm currently reading:
Pawn by Aimee Carter

So that's been my week! Two classes and then I'm freeeeee. That means food, family, friends, and reading! Hoorah! :) Anyways, I'd love to see what y'all got, so leave me links! I'll be visiting about in just a little while. Have a lovely Sunday and a fabulous week!

Review: The Girl With the Iron Touch (The Steampunk Chronicles #3) by Kady Cross

Release date: May 28, 2013
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 384
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided through Netgalley
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken.

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has...

It took me forever, but I am so happy I finally picked up The Girl With the Iron Touch! This is one of the most fun series and while this isn't the last book, just thinking about it being over with the next book just makes me sad. What's great about these books is that each is its own mostly contained episode even as it furthers the stories of the characters. While the villain recurs, each book ends with a kind of finality, never leaving us feeling cheated, but also making us want more.

With each book, it seems that Kady Cross is having more and more fun with this world. I thought the goings on in the last couple of books were pretty crazy, but the automatons are just getting out of control! Even on the verge of death, the Machinist proves to be a formidable opponent for Griffin, Finley, and the gang. But now his automatons are gaining a will of their own, one that allows them to think and reason. And yet, this spurs a huge development that I believe we've only seen the beginning of, and I am crazy excited to see how it turns out in the last book.

Although I love the world, what keeps me coming back are the characters and this book is so gratifying in that department. Sam and Emily continue to be ridiculously adorable but also so real and strangely communicative, considering Sam's nature. And finally Finley actually puts into words what we've known all along regarding a Mr. Jack Dandy. FINALLY. If you're all about Finley and Griffin, this is the book for you. I do wish Jasper had been around more. It felt like he just popped into scenes here and there with no real purpose aside from being sad. Blerg.

As a third installment in a series of four books, The Girl With the Iron Touch could have fallen prey to second book syndrome (even as it's not a second book, but you know what I mean!) and simply been a stepping stone between the group's adventures in New York and their ultimate showdown with the Machinist, but it's not. Not only do we get so much development in terms of the world, plot, and characters, but it's just such a fun read. There's not a lagging moment, and it'll only leave you even more excited for the last book, The Girl With the Windup Heart.

I'm Thankful For You Giveaway!

So, it's almost Thanksgiving! (At least in the US. Otherwise I guess it's just getting close to the end of November...) I've been thinking about what I'm grateful for, and one important thing on the list is this blog and those who read it. I realized I hadn't done a just-because giveaway in quite a while, and I thought I'd change that.

I just had to use him. Snoopy's so cute. :)

It's hard to believe I've been blogging for two and a half years now, but I love it just as much now (if not more) as I did when I began. Checking on the blog and seeing your comments, or just that I had a good day in page views, can make a bad day better. :)

I'm making this giveaway pretty simple. One winner will be randomly chosen to win the book of their choice, up to $15, from The Book Depository (or Amazon/Barnes & Noble, if in the US). Pick anything you choose, an old book, a new book, a pre-order of something you're dying for. I want you to get something you really want, and the best way to do that is simply to let you choose.

Rules, as always:

• You must be 13 years of age or older to enter--or have express permission from your parents. (Honor system, y'all.)
• Giveaway is international, so long as The Book Depository ships to you!
• The giveaway will run until the end of December 5.
• The winner will be contacted via the email they sign into Rafflecopter with (if you want to use a different one, let me know somehow--comment, whatever.)
• The winner will have 48 hours to respond or I will pick another winner. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday: A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller {21}

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly awaiting!!

Title: A Mad, Wicked Folly
Author: Sharon Biggs Waller
Release date: January 23, 2014
Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.

After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

I'm so excited for this!! I love love love the sound of it, and I will read almost anything set in the early 1900s. :)

So what are you guys waiting on this week? :)

Teaser Tuesday: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine {48}

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Release date: December 31, 2013
Pages: 384

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

My teaser, from 41% in the egalley:

"You made it," he said, shaking it vigorously over his shoulder.

That mouth.
Had been.
On mine.

"Yeah, pretty crazy."

I'll be starting this soon, since I'm part of the blog tour coming up! I'm so excitedddd. :) And isn't the cover adorable?

I'll be visiting around and visiting back, so leave me links to your teasers! Have a lovely Tuesday!