Mundie Moms

Friday, January 24, 2014

Pretty in Pearls (Fins #3.5) by Tera Lynn Childs, Book Review


By: Tera Lynn Childs
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books / Harper Teen
Released on: 1/7/2014
Series: Fins 3.5
Source: purchased e-novella
Rating: 3 Stars, It Was A Good Read
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Undersea romance with captivating merboys, deep friendship, and spectacular pearls.

Set in Tera Lynn Childs’ fin-flicking world that began with Forgive My Fins, this 100-page digital novella focuses on Periwinkle Wentletrap, Princess Lily’s best friend, and is perfect for fans of mermaids, light romance, and mythology retellings.

As Princess Lily’s emissary, Peri works hard to make sure her best friend knows all the goings on in the underwater kingdom of Thalassinia. The upcoming Sea Harvest Dance means plenty of fun for them, too, including shopping for jewels, trims, and dress making supplies. Peri especially loves the pearls she finds at Thalassinia’s marketplace—and she might be falling head over fins for Riatus, the thoughtful pearl trader who looks like a dashing pirate.

When Lily realizes her friend has a crush, she is determined to help them get together in time for the dance—except her matchmaking efforts backfire, sweeping Peri into dangerous depths and tangled in confusing tides. Should Peri give up on Riatus and find a different date to the Sea Harvest Dance, or will they finally find a way to float along the same current?


 Normally I'm not a huge e-novella fan, but there are times I can't help it, and I want to dive back into a series I enjoyed. While I loved the books more than the e-novella, this was still a good read. I liked reading more about the characters from the Fin series, though I missed Quince. What? I can't help it, I loved him in the series. Luckily his girl, Princess Lily, her best friend Peri, who's point of view this book is told in, and a few others are in the book. If you loved the series, you'd enjoy this short story.

Shadowhunters! Here's the Excerpt from 'City of Heavenly Fire & EW's Q&A with Cassandra Clare!


While we are all waiting anxiously for City of Heavenly Fire  to release,  we now have a tease of the book that was posted on EW. They  sat down and talked to Cassie about the cover, the series, a TV project, books - and everything in between.

What do you think about the cover?
 I really love this cover. Cliff [Nielsen] has done all of my covers since the beginning, and I think he has created a unique look that is specific to the series. We talked back in the beginning about deciding who was going to go on what cover, and that this cover was going to end up with Clary and her brother. This is the big face-off. This is the book where she goes up against her brother Sebastian, and he is the big villain. It’s kind of like a Batman/Joker cover. … And in a way, there’s a play of light and dark going on on the cover, and that sets up a big battle between good and evil with Clary standing for good and Sebastian standing for evil. There’s also little clues for the readers who have been reading the series a long time in the weapons that they’re holding, in the necklace that Clary is wearing, and especially in the landscape that they’re standing on. It gives a hint about what’s coming and what’s going to happen in the book.

Any other cover tidbits?

This cover is exciting and really beautiful, but a really cool thing about it that hasn’t been revealed yet is that it actually wraps around to a whole back of the jacket. If you take the jacket off, the whole image wraps around to an interior image that shows all of the rest of the other characters. They’ve never gotten their own covers, so this is a chance to see them for the last time. I think it’s something that people are really going to love. It makes the jacket a piece of art.

What can you tease about the book?
I can definitely say that the characters go to a location that we’ve heard about, but we’ve never seen in any of the books. There is a death of a major character really early on in the book that I think will surprise people. And there are two weddings.

How does it feel to finally be at the end of this series?

Wrapping up a series that’s been going on for so long — and it’s the year after the movie came out — you really feel like this is the most highly anticipated book I’ve written and will maybe ever write. So it’s certainly an incredibly odd feeling.

Now that you’re finished with The Mortal Instruments, what other projects are you working on?

One of the things I’m super excited about is a TV project. I can’t say that much about it because it’s super secret. But it’s been really fun, and I’m really excited. Sorry I can’t say more.

 On TV Project...
One of the things I’m super excited about is a TV project. I can’t say that much about it because it’s super secret. But it’s been really fun, and I’m really excited. Sorry I can’t say more.

What else she's working on...
Well, City of Heavenly Fire comes out in May. Then in September, I have a book coming out called The Iron Trial which is co-written with Holly Black. It’s written for a slightly younger audience. And after that, we’ll get into The Dark Artifices, which is another series set in the same world of The Mortal Instruments that takes place five years after. It picks up with the story of a group of characters who are actually introduced in City of Heavenly Fire. We get to know them, and then we’re going to follow their adventures. That should be out next year.

Don't miss the sneak peak!  Click here to read it. Trust me guys - its all the feels! Don't forget to read the entire interview when over on EW.

FREEBIE FRIDAY: Exclusive THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY Giveaway!!!

We're a mere couple weeks away from the Vampire Academy hitting theaters! I know, I can not wait to see this movie. Before I do, I need to re-read the book. I've got a copy of Vampire Academy to giveaway to one lucky winner! Enjoy reading about Rose and Lissa's friendships and dangerous adventures before you see the movie.

 Check out the trailer below:



About The Movie:

The director of  Mean Girls and the writer of Heathers  are the force behind this adaptation of book 1 of author Richelle Mead's #1 international bestselling series. The books are published in over 30 countries and have sold 8 million copies in the US alone. 


In a school of mortal Moroi vampires, their Dhampir bodyguards must guard them from threats both near and far, from evil and immortal Strigoi vampires to vicious classmates and high school politics. One of those high school threats can be seen in the latest movie clip seen here.


Rose, Richelle Mead's beloved half vampire/half human protagonist, is not Bella, Buffy, or Elena or a facsimile of other popular YA characters. She's a profoundly strong, sometimes out of control, defender of her best friend Lissa. And the core of the  Vampire Academy  series is that friendship. 

About the Book:


Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires--the ones who never die.

The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's--but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...

About the Author


Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

The Giveaway
One lucky winner will win a copy of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy. To enter, please fill out the form below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Sullivan & Partners for the giveaway!

City of Heavenly Fire Except To Be Revealed Today via EW's ShelfLife


Exciting news for The Mortal Instruments fans, EW Shelf Life will be sharing an interview Associate Editor of EW, Breia Brissey had with Cassandra Clare, along with a City of Heavenly Fire excerpt TODAY! 

Breia had this to say on Twitter about today's reveal: 

"Get excited! On Friday, check @EW's Shelf Life. I'll be revealing an exclusive excerpt from #CoHF with a @cassieclare Q&A. Spread the word!"

We can't wait to see what Breia shares with TMI fans!

Source: TMI Examiner / TMI Source

Fan Art Friday

It's Friday, Mundie Moms, so you know what that means? Yup, we're catching up with all the gorgeous fan art Cassie's posted this week.

These banners are breathtaking.


Shadowhunter Family Banners by the-manila-institute

Shadowhunter Family Banners by the-manila-institute

And Cassandra Jean has some unbelievably beautiful, newly posted artwork for all of us to sigh over. You know I'm going to start with Tessa and Jem, because, well, look:

Jem and Tessa by Cassandra Jean


And again, this is for all the Team Will MMs. Yes Katie, I'm looking at you because this couldn't BE any cuter:

The Year of the Wooden Horse.
(A little wooden horse that Will has made for Tessa upon hearing of their incoming infant!) 

And our Malec. These two, oh, the feelings they cause. Cassandra Jean captured the very reason our hearts are breaking.


Malec by Cassandra Jean

Mercifully, aegisdea countered The Sads inspired by Cassandra Jean's above art with a more happy Malec moment. Notice Alec's stamina rune? Love it.


Malec by aegisdea


And ah, MAGNUS! 

The High Warlock of Brooklyn by shaima-i

Happy Friday, Mundie Moms!!!


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