It's been a while since we've posted (June has been super busy for both of us), but hopefully this coming month will be better! To kickstart us getting back into blogging on a regular basis, we're really excited to be participating in the blog tour for Erica Crouch's most recent release, and the last book in her
Ignite series,
Infinite!
We've got Ashley's review for you, as well as an excerpt (so that you can see exactly what all of the (much deserved) hype is all about), and a giveaway that you should definitely enter!
So before we get to the review and the excerpt, how about a little bit more about the book and Erica?
About the Book
Infinite by
Erica Crouch
Series: Ignite #3
Published by Patchwork Press on June 16, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Goodreads
Synopsis: There are infinite ways to die, and the fates are calling for blood. After evading Azael since her betrayal, it’s finally time for Pen to stop running and face her desperate brother. But she won’t have to challenge him alone: the rebel army of New Genesis is ready to stand strong and fight to secure the future they believe in.
As Azael spirals deeper and deeper into darkness, and Pen grapples with her new leadership role, a familiar name rises to power whose decisions have the potential to rewrite everyone’s future. Dangerous secrets, silent traitors, and unraveling fates means that time is running out. There’s no telling who will survive the final battle.
In this thrilling conclusion to the
Ignite series, Pen and Azael return to finish what they started over a millennia ago.
Add
Infinite on
Goodreads, and order it on
Amazon,
B&N, or
Kobo. Or, start from the beginning of the series with
Ignite and buy the ebook bundle of the series for just $6.99 from
Amazon,
B&N, or
Kobo.
Let us know what you think of the cover — and what you’re most excited to see in
Infinite — in the comments!
About Erica Crouch
Erica Crouch is a young adult and new adult author from Baltimore, Maryland. She has a strange blended aesthetic of cute and spooky, and her books reflect her ever changing mood. (You may find romance, you may find gore—sometimes both in the same book, but probably not at the same time. Probably.)
Erica is the cofounder of Patchwork Press — an indie publishing collective that produces middle grade, young adult, and new adult titles in all genres — and Weapenry — a resource for writers. She is the head of editorial services and design, with over fifty projects to her name.
Read an Excerpt!
Descending the stone stairs of the tower, I shove all thoughts of Jeremy aside. When I crash out into the courtyard, I see her. It’s like running into a wall. It stops me dead in my tracks, seeing my sister for the first time since she betrayed me.
She’s dressed in dark, sturdy leather, and her skin is the color of the spidering ice beneath her. Her shoulders are back—the slump she’d held herself in over so many years ironed away by defiance. There’s a new strength about her that I can’t quite pin, and when Michael reaches out to touch her, a roaring begins in my ears. I’ll cut his fingers off one by one. Then maybe I’ll feed them to the birds.
The wind tosses Pen’s hair across her face for a moment before I can see her more clearly. She’s dark and deadly, her eyes bright and her weapons at the ready. All of her muscles are poised to strike at anything that comes near her, and I drink in the picture of my warrior sister. This is who I always wanted her to be: a fighter, forged from iron and bathed in blood. She could rule Hell by my side. If others saw this version of her, they’d understand.
But no one’s seen this rendering of Pen. They saw the weak girl splashed with ink. The small demon who ducked her head and spoke to herself too often. They see a traitor, a coward, an angel-lover.
I want to kill her. I want to save her.
I don’t know which one will win out tonight.
Ashley's Review
You guys. THIS BOOK. I mean, I loved the rest of this series. Everything about the story and Erica's gorgeous way with words made Pen, Azael, Michael, and the other characters come alive and jump out of the pages. I always felt like I was right in the middle of their world and the battle, and I often feared for their lives as if I had known these characters all my life. I am SO sad this series is over, although I'm content with where things are now.
I went into this book pretty much knowing that Erica was going to basically just break my heart in every single way possible. I mean, it wouldn't be right if I read one of her books and didn't cry big, ugly tears at least once (see Madly, Deeply). There's Gus' prophecy hanging around, that Pen and Azael will destroy each other. And then there's crazy Lilith, who keeps throwing a wrench in the bucket and making things so, so strange and weird and wonderful. I really enjoyed reading sections from Lilith's point of view, especially knowing things she knows that Pen and Azael don't yet. I love having more information than the characters and watching things unfold.
Don't get me wrong - I love seeing things from the conflicting viewpoints of Pen and Azael. I mean, Pen just wants everyone to have the option to make their own choices and Azael just wants to be the king of Hell and rescue his sister from the crazy angels. But there's so much more beneath all of that, and it was such a thrill to be along for the ride on both sides. And Lilith... she's all over the place and doesn't give two craps about what anyone else does as long as it benefits her. I thought Pen was a great female lead - smart and strong-willed and always looking for the good in people, yet still with her vices and weaknesses and just so very real. But Lilith is power-hungry and willing to do whatever it takes to claw her way to the top. I mean, you go girl! But maybe slow down a little bit, you crazy woman.
Although I have wanted a happy ending for Pen and Michael, and even Az, from the very beginning, I kind of always figured in the back of my mind that things were not going to work out for everyone and someone was going to get screwed in this whole war and my heart would be in a bazillion pieces all over the floor. I don't want to give anything away, but I ended up in an okay place by the end of the epilogue. It wasn't what I was hoping for, and it wasn't what I was expecting at all, but Erica made it work. And I was able to put myself back together a little bit, so that was a bonus.
All of the supporting cast is fantastic too, and I never felt like anyone was superfluous or just there to be killed off or anything. Erica somehow manages to give every single character a well-rounded story and makes them important to Pen, Az, and Michael. Kala and Ana and Eligor, and all of the other angels and demons in New Genesis, and even Az's group of demons all had their purposes and their places, and were all very true to themselves throughout the entire book (actually, the whole series).
So, TL;DR, you need this book in your life. Now. If you haven't read Ignite or Incite yet, or either of the novellas, go get them ASAP so that you can read Infinite. I'd say that anyone who loves paranormal books with a romance that's important but not overwhelming should definitely read these books, but really anyone who enjoys a great story with amazing characters and absolutely wonderful world building should pick up this series RIGHT NOW. Erica is incredible, and I can't wait to find out what she's got up her sleeves next! 5/5, but I'd give it higher if I could!
Enter the giveaway, and tune into the live chat 6/30 at 7:30PM EST!
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