Blog Tour: Seeker by Veronica Rossi

 

Hello there! Welcome to my stop in the blog tour for SEEKER by Veronica Rossi. I'm really excited to be part of the tour, hosted for the awesome Jean BookNerd. For more info and the tour schedule make sure to go HERE.

 

THE BOOK

 

Praise for SEEKER

"The feeling of imminent danger and the constant battles with terrifying creatures help bring this vivid story to life. However, the depth of characterization is what will make readers connect to this small group of teens on a mission to save humanity. Gideon and Daryn display a powerful chemistry from their very first meeting, while the personality conflicts between Gideon and his fellow horsemen keep this adventure both intense and humorous."―RT Book Reviews, Top Pick!

 

Series: Riders #2

Publisher: Tor Teen

Buying links: Amazon/ B&N/ TBD

Add to Goodreads

Summary:

 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Veronica Rossi's new fantasy adventure in the Rider series—Seeker .

When Daryn claimed she was seeing visions during her sophomore year of high school, no one believed the truth. She wasn't losing her mind, she was gaining the Sight the ability to see the future. If she just paid attention to the visions, they'd provide her with clues and show her how she could help people. Really help them. Daryn embraced her role as a Seeker. The work she did was important. She saved lives.

Until Sebastian.

Sebastian was her first and worst mistake.

Since the moment she inadvertently sealed him in a dark dimension with Samrael the last surviving demon in the Kindred guilt has plagued her. Daryn knows Sebastian is alive and waiting for help. It's up to her to rescue him. But now that she needs the Sight more than ever to guide her, the visions have stopped.

Daryn must rely on her instincts, her intelligence, and on blind faith to lead the riders who are counting on her in search of Sebastian. As they delve into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems and where Samrael is steadily amassing power, Daryn faces the ultimate test. Will she have to become evil to destroy evil? The very fate of humankind rests in the answer.

 

My Thoughts.

I read Riders, the first book in this series (duology, maybe?) as soon as it came out last year. I didn't remember much of what happened in that first adventure, but Seeker takes place about eight months after the events in the ending of Riders and that helped.
For starters, Veronica Rossi did a great job bringing us back to this world with bits of information about those past months and Daryn deciding to fight to get Bas back. 

While I felt Riders was a little slow, Seeker is an action packed and fast paced story. Sometimes it was creepy and sad and sometimes it was funny and light. Rossi balanced this amazingly, creating the perfect atmosphere for her characters' interactions. 
I don't remember feeling this way with the first book, but Seeker reminded me a little of the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent. The demon's dimension was creepy and lividly described, like that in the SS series.

I also loved the romance between Gideon and Daryn, after everything I wasn't sure I really shipped them, but these two are adorable and it made my heart happy to see them together. And just to say it, I LOVE a good romance with no love triangle!

I'm being really vague with this review, because I'm one of those people who love discovering everything while reading the book. But if there's something I can tell you is that Seeker is an emotional roller coaster with amazing characters, unforgettable friendships, amazing action packed scenes, creepy demons and a very neat and fast paced writing. 
If you're a fan of the Under the Never Sky series (like me!) I'm sure you'll enjoy this one. And since I've heard many people disliked Gideon's POV in the first book, this one has way more Daryn's. 

THE AUTHOR

 Veronica Rossi is a best selling author of fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, was the first in a post-apocalyptic trilogy. Released in January 2012, it was deemed one of the Best Books of Year by School Library Journal. The series appeared in the NY Times and USA Today best seller lists and was published in over 25 foreign markets.

Her second series for young adults will begin with RIDERS (published February 16, 2016), the story of four modern day teens who become incarnations of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and the prophetic girl who brings them together.
Veronica completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She is a lifelong reader and artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she has lived in Mexico, Venezuela, and all over the United States, to finally settle in Northern California with her husband and two sons.
When not writing, Veronica enjoys reading (it’s worth repeating), painting, and running. She does NOT like anything involving numbers, the addition of them, subtraction of them, you name it. They terrify her. Her obsessions generally lead to fictional works. Currently, she’s exploring New York City during the Revolutionary War.
Don’t tread on me. (If you know what that means, then you are my people!)
What else? This is getting more fun, isn’t it?
She–okay, I–am a huge fan of the SF Giants and the Golden State Warriors. I know, I know. Book types and sporty types shouldn’t be one in the same, but what can I say? I’m breaking the mold. Continuing. I have an irrational love of elephants. They make me cry, but it’s the best kind of cry. On other end of the spectrum, I abhor the shrill squeak styrofoam makes when it’s coming out of a box. Just typing that sentence made me want to scream. Needless to say, Christmas is great, but also really tough on me.
It’s probably time to wrap this up. If you’re here, it’s likely because you’ve read one of my books, or because you’re thinking about reading one of my books. Either way, thank you. Writing fulfills me like nothing else and I feel exceedingly fortunate to also call it my profession.

You can find her: Website/ Twitter/ Goodreads/ Facebook/ Instagram
Photo Content Taken from Veronica Rossi

GIVEAWAY

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

10 Winners will receive a Copy of SEEKERS and Swag (Glow in the Dark Bracelet and Stickers) by Veronica Rossi

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

ARC Review: Riders by Veronica Rossi

Riders (Riders #1)  

by Veronica Rossi

My Rating: 4 stars

ARC provided by the Publisher. Thank you!

Preorder: Amazon/ TBD/ B&N

Summary:

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can't remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen--Conquest, Famine, and Death--are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now--bound, bloodied, and drugged--Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he's fallen for--not to mention all of humankind--he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

****

I love Veronica Rossi’s Under The Never Sky series.  That’s why when I heard about Riders I knew I have to read it. Fortunately, I got a review copy thanks to the publisher.

Riders is nothing like Under The Never Sky. For starters, it’s told in first person POV, by a male narrator. And it’s told like a “narration”. The book starts with the main character in an interrogation room. It shifts from present to past, while Gideon tells the interrogator the things that happened that lead him there.

So, Gideon is the representation of War, one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse. He narrates what happened after the accident that killed him, how he met Daryn, the mysterious girl that told him he was War, how he meet the other horsemen and everything after that.

I like to be honest and say that I wasn’t impressed in the first chapters of the book. Though, Veronica Rossi’s writing is amazing. I loved how real Gideon’s voice was. He sounded angry and… well, male. He sounded like a military guy.

The only thing didn’t love was how fast he agreed to follow Darryn. I understand he was used to accept orders and needed answers, but still, it felt too easy.

Except that, the plot felt good. The characters were well developed and the fantasy… or mythical? aspects of the story were fantastic.

While I’m not crazy in love with Riders (I wasn’t crazy about UTNS, either. It was until Through the Ever Night that I fell in love), I’m sure I will enjoy the sequels. I did enjoy this one a lot.

Riders is a good start for this series. 

Read More

Book Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue

Series: Under the Never Sky #3

Pages: 392

Order: Amazon/ B&N/ TBD

My rating: 5 stars

Summary:

Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do--and they are just as determined to stay together.

Within the confines of a cave they're using as a makeshift refuge, they struggle to reconcile their people, Dwellers and Outsiders, who are united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival--he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her earth-shattering Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

 

 

First off:

I want to thank Ari @ Reading after midnight for bringing me back to this series.

And thanks to Jen @ YA Romantics, because I won this book in her blog.

To be completely honest I wasn't the hugest fan of Under the Never Sky, but after reading Ari’s reviews of the sequels I got the urge to read Through the Ever Night… and I loved it, I adored it to pieces. It made me want to read the last book as soon as possible.

Now that I read Into the Still Blue I just can say that this is one of my favorite series of all the time. These characters are the best I read in a long time.

They’re well created, they’re unique, they’re mature and they’re strong and loyal.

I am deeply and completely in love with the world of Under the Never Sky.

Into the Still Blue was the perfect ending. It was all that I expected and much more. I admit that the last chapters felt a little rushed for me, but except that, everything else was wonderful!

“You have to talk to me. We have to tell each other the little things, the bad things. Maybe they’ll hurt for a while, but at least they won’t become big things. If we don’t, we’re just going to keep hurting each other. And I don’t want to do that anymore”

Now, that’s a true relationship. Aria and Perry have ups and downs, but they always figure out a way to stay together and make the romance realistic and strong.

And what I love even more is that there isn’t a love triangle. Couples like the ones in this book are what the YA-dystopian books need.

And what can I say about the friendship? The family?

Aria, Perry and Roar are the best team I ever met. Their friendship is so beautiful, so complete.

And the Tides are like the biggest and more wonderful family ever!

Okay, I won’t say anymore, because everything I could say is the same. I loved this book. I adored it. I enjoyed it.

It made me laugh and cry. It made me feel how amazing is to be a reader.

Read More