Wicked Series by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie Spotlight + #Giveaway! #TipsySpooktacular

 

Welcome back lovelies! Today we're doing a Spotlight on one of my favorite series. 

The Wicked Series is one I picked up around 9 or so years ago. After reading the Witch & Curse compilation I was hooked. The next weekend I moseyed on over to Barnes & Noble and bought the next compilation and devoured it. The I freaked out because there was no book 5, no prospective release date and no definitive news stating that there even WOULD be a book 5. I followed the news as frequently as I could. The book got the red light and I calmed down some, excited to know that there would be an ending soon... but in true fashion, I forgot to jot down the release date.

Then one day, I was browsing the selves and I saw it. It was a no brainier, so I added it to my every growing pile of books that made even the employees look at me funny (I'm super short, 5'0 ft short and the book pile reached my chin when held directly in front of me. I know this cause there may or may not be a picture xD). 

This series, single-handedly got me into this type of paranormal books. I couldn't stop ready all the 'witchy' books I could find. I loved how the story while completely original did include some aspects of actual pagan lore. Its a really interesting series full of emotional highs and lows and lots of unexpected twists & turns.

This is my first spotlight of the month and its a book series I loved and completely recommend. Don't be surprised if you get invested in the characters, or if you get angry with them, besides the whole magic and paranormal aspects they do come off as realistic.  

 

Witch & Curse

Wicked Series

Books 1 and 2 

Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

Publisher: Simon Pulse

ISBN: 978-0760783207
Pages: 672
Goodreads Rating: 3.59

Book Description:

Complete text of Witch and Curse in a single volume.

Holly Cathers's world shatters when her parents are killed in a terrible accident. Wrenched from her home in San Francisco, she is sent to Seattle to live with her relatives, Aunt Marie-Claire and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole.

In her new home, Holly's sorrow and grief soon give way to bewilderment at the strange incidents going on around her. Such as how any wish she whispers to her cat seems to come true. Or the way a friend is injured after a freak attack from a vicious falcon. And there's the undeniable, magnetic attraction to a boy Holly barely knows.

Holly, Amanda, and Nicole are about to be launched into a dark legacy of witches, secrets, and alliances, where ancient magics yield dangerous results. The girls will assume their roles in an intergenerational feud beyond their wildest imaginations...and in doing so, will attempt to fulfill their shared destiny.

Legacy & Spellbound

Wicked Series

Books 3 and 4

Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié 

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Publisher: Simon Pulse

ISBN: 9780760789407
Pages: 655
Goodreads Rating: 3.87

Book Description:

Complete text of Legacy and Spellbound in a single volume.  

Holly Cathers is not the same person she was almost a year and a half ago. After discovering her connection to an ancient legacy of witches, Holly has accepted her destiny as a descendant of the House of Cahors. She is determined to end an intergenerational feud that has plagued her family for centuries.

Holly will have to overcome unworldly obstacles as she battles to protect her loved ones -- including Jer, a member of the rival House of Deveraux and her one true love. A war of magical proportions is being waged, and Holly is at the center of it all.

Lives will be lost, and sacrifices will have to be made...

Resurrection

Wicked Series

Book 5

Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié 

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Release Date: July 7, 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse

ISBN: 978-1416972273
Pages: 402
Goodreads Rating: 3.95

Book Description:

Who is Alex Carruthers? That is the question Wicked fans have been asking for nearly six years. Spellbound, the fourth and seemingly final book in the Wicked series, originally published in 2003, left readers on the edge of their seats with a classic cliffhanger ending. But now, as new fans of the bind-up editions of the series begin to ask the same question, the true and final conclusion to the Wicked series will emerge. And all their questions will be answered in this heart-stopping, magical adventure about witches, destiny, and the beyond.

 

About The Authors

Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her

father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.

Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.

She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.

Connect with Nancy:

Website | Goodreads

Debbie Viguié is the New York Times Bestselling author of more than three dozen novels including the Wicked series co-authored with Nancy Holder. In addition to her epic dark fantasy work Debbie also writes thrillers including The Psalm 23 Mysteries, the Kiss trilogy, and the Witch Hunt trilogy. Debbie also plays a recurring character on the audio drama, Doctor Geek’s Laboratory. When Debbie isn’t busy writing or acting she enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, visiting theme parks. 

Connect with Debbie:

Website | Goodreads

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Tipsy-Ink's Halloween Spooktacular Blast Off Review + #Giveaway (Month Long Event)

Hello My Lovelies

Welcome To the #TipsySpooktacular Month Long Giveaway

During this month I'm going to be hosting a giveaway for a paperback of 1 or 2 of the novels I read and review as well as some eBook copies. The giveaway, as always, will be hosted with rafflecopter.The paperback portion will be US only and the eBook portion is open internationally.

Growing up I was sick a lot, the books were a staple in my home. What started off as me emulating my sister turned into me falling in love with literature. By the time I was in fourth grade I'd read every book that wasn't research in the school library. So we started making trips to the public library. And books and books and books and then I'd ask my dad to buy me some.

One author that we were proud to display was R.L. Stine. It was Michael to read an hour every Goosebumps book. Honestly, I don't think I ever did. But I do know that I read a sizable portion of books by R.L. Stine. As I got older and my sister had a child, she started falling in love with books and just last year I gave her every Goosebumps book I owned but 2, Careful What You Wish For and Camp Nightmare.

Some of my favorite R.L. Stine books, come from the Fear Street line. In particular, I was and still am a big fan of The Fear Street Cheerleaders Series, The First Evil, The Second Evil and The Third Evil still sit proudly on my bookshelf.

So when I walked in to Barnes and Nobles with my best friend and I saw 2 new Fear Street novels my heart went pitter patter and I think I may have squealed. Actually... now that I think about it, I am pretty sure I did squeal because I vaguely remember my best friend telling me to keep it down. I remember him giving me that look, the one that says oh here we go again.

I decided I was going to kick off my October Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway Month by reading these two books and then easing into some other stay up late and hide under your covers books.

Now, without further ado, my review on the newest Fear Street Books.

Fear Street Super Thriller: Party Games / Don't Stay Up Late

Fear Street Relaunch Series

R.L. Stine

Genre: YA Horror
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: August 4, 2015

ISBN: 978-1250076939

Goodreads Rating: 4.26

My Rating: 4.5

Book Description:

In one volume, R.L. Stine presents two bone-chilling stories of teens in terror in his worldwide bestselling Fear Street series, which has sold 80 million copies around the world.

In Party Games, Rachel is thrilled to be invited to Brendan Fear's exclusive birthday party on Fear Island. When Rachel arrives at the island, a scavenger hunt turns up some horrifying surprises. Soon, Rachel has to fight to survive the deadliest game of all -- the game of murder.

In Don't Stay Up Late, Lisa is plagued by nightmares and hallucinations after a horrible accident that landed her in the hospital for weeks. Lisa is happy to take a babysitting job to get her mind off of the terrible events of the past. But then her friends begin dying one by one. Are Lisa's nightmares coming true?

With double the fear and double the fun, this Fear Street Super Chiller will appeal to fans of the original Fear Street series as well as the countless young adults who have grown up reading R.L. Stine.

Party Games

When I first started party games, I had so many different theories. And I honestly enjoyed the introduction, I thought it was pretty cool, it was kinda like the opening dialogue that one would expect in a movie a sort of foreshadowing of the events to come. I genuinely liked these characters I felt like they had a realistic quality to them.

It was really fun to cells back into the world of Shadyside and Fear Street and I was particularly fond of the inclusion of an actual Fear character in this book as a main character of sorts.

I found Rachel to be a likable lead with pretty realistic reactions for the most part. But I didn't find this book particularly terrifying, not even the littlest bit scary. It was more kitschy not really how I remember these books. Sure it had a surprise ending, but it wasn't gruesome or gory. I had some predictable moments but nothing that really stood out to me.

That's not to say that I did not enjoy the book. I found the book to be very enjoyable, it was funny and very much a book that takes place in a high school type environment and unique. I thought Brendan Fear was a very intriguing character, one you definitely want to learn a little more about.

4.5 Quills

I like the character interactions and I loved the setting. All in all I feel like this was a pretty interesting dive back into the Fear Street world.

Don't Stay Up Late

This book, definitely took me down memory lane. This was exactly what I remembered from the Fear Street novels. It was a little later than what I was accustomed to but the premise of the story was for sure 110% Fear Street.

There was a lot that you can predict the story, its not hidden from you if you pay any amount of attention to the details but that doesn't mean you don't second guess yourself. It's not as dark of a thriller as I was expecting, having grown up with The Cheerleaders, Dangerous Girls and 99 Fear Street but it did have it holy crap moments.

Out of the two, hands down don't stay up late is my favorite. My only big complaint is the main character. I was not, in any way shape or form a fan of Lisa. Sure, I was rooting for her not to die and to solve the mystery but her character traits and personality irked me. I found her annoying and pretty unappealing, I couldn't create a bond with her whereas I loved Rachel in Party Games. It's also funny because I really liked Nate, and I get the feeling that I wasn't supposed to.

5 Quills

This rating is based off of story content alone. I also have to point out that the ending was pretty inspired. I can't say for sure how this new line of Fear Street novels will go. I don't know if they will continue down this lighter road or slowly make a descent back into the spooky dark place most of us have come to love but I will say that the nostalgia alone is enough for most of us to pick up these books and read a couple of the next ones. I for one hope that we get a bit more of the darker side of Fear Street.

About The Author

Robert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.

Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Macmillan

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