Review and Giveaway - Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa by Michelle Madow

 
Filled with magic, thrilling adventure, and sweet romance, Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa is the latest installment in Michelle Madow’s exciting Elementals series. Follow Nicole and her fellow Elementals as they journey to the end of the world, unsure of who to trust, and facing choices that will put their lives and the entire world at risk. Will they all survive the mission? And if they don’t, will the ones who do be able to find the strength to continue?

About Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa :

Title: Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa

Author: Michelle Madow

Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing

Release Date: June 29, 2016

Series: Elementals #3

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Format: eBook and paperback

ISBN: 978-0997239416

The epic story of witches, gods, and monsters that USA Today called a "must read" continues in the third book of the Elementals series! 

When Nicole Cassidy moved to a new town, she discovered that she was a witch descended from gods. But that was nothing compared to learning that it was up to her and four others with mysterious elemental powers to help save the world from the Titans, who would soon return to Earth. 

Now her relationship with Blake -- the fire Elemental -- is finally heating up. But she must remain focused, because Typhon, one of the deadliest creatures in history, has escaped from the weakening prison world. Only one object can destroy him -- the head of Medusa herself. 

Follow the Elementals as they journey to the end of the Earth, facing choices that will put their lives and the entire world at risk. Will they all survive the mission? Find out in the riveting third book in the Elementals series, The Head of Medusa.  

Buy Links:  Amazon

 Add to your TBR List:  Goodreads

The adventure began in the first book in the series, Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows. Visit www.michellemadow.com to get the first Elementals book for FREE!

The Elementals series is available on Kindle Unlimited, so subscribers can read it for free.

Short Excerpt:

“So we need to portal to Antarctica, fight our way past the ice nymphs, talk Chione into giving us the Golden Sword of Athena, hunt down Medusa, cut off her head using the Golden Sword, and then bring her head to Mount Etna so we can turn Typhon to stone—all before the spring equinox.”

My Review:

Once again I was lucky enough to get a copy of this e-galley from Dreamscape Publishing, Barclay Publicity, Netgalley, and from being a part of the author's street team.  You can check out my reviews of the first two books here:  Elementals, The Blood of the Hydra.  

The synopsis is above, so I don't need to rehash that for you, I'll just give you my opinions here as I did for the last two books' reviews.  

This one ended up feeling quite a bit like a much quicker read than the first two.  Not in a bad way necessarily, just seemed to go pretty quick.  It was something that when you picked it up, you had trouble putting it down.  The different tasks the Elementals had to face in this book where definitely good ones, and the first one especially was pretty unique, well, compared to other books like this that I've read.  And then of course the part of dealing with Medusa, that was great!  We have our five normal members of the gang, and then we had someone come back from the last book. Someone that I just wasn't sure if they should trust him, no matter how much he tried to convince them he was there to help.  

In the battle with Medusa there is a shocking turn of events for one of the five, now six.  At the beginning of the book we had a little bit of help from a surprise person.  And at the end of this one we have a little bit of a setback, something that will cause a problem for not only one of the five, but for all of them who have to try to solve this big event without them to help.  While I kind of had a good idea of what could possibly happen, I didn't know exactly how it would unfold, and I definitely didn't see just who would be behind it overall.  

Once again Madow has written a really fun book, with unique takes on the Greek mythology and putting it into modern day, like the Percy Jackson series.  Definitely another highly recommended book in a highly recommended series!

About Michelle Madow :

Michelle Madow writes fast-paced YA (young adult) fiction that will leave you turning the pages wanting more!

She grew up in Baltimore, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she writes books for young adults. Some of her favorite things are: reading, traveling, pizza, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle went on a cross-country road trip from Florida to California and back to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.

Visit her website, www.michellemadow.com, to get books of Michelle's for FREE!

Connect with Michelle:  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Goodreads   

Giveaway:

Michelle is offering up a fabulous prize during her Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa Virtual Tour event. 

• One (1) lucky winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Elementals 1: The Prophecy of Shadows! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:   

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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June 29^th
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sisssy, Too! - Review
Ana Loves - Review
Beyond the Book Reviews - Review
Carries Book Reviews - Review
books and photograph - Spotlight
Happy Tails and Tales Blog - Review
Just Books - Spotlight
What Is That Book About - Spotlight
Love, laugh, and read - Spotlight
BookHounds YA – Spotlight

June 30^th
An Infinite Book World – Review
Fiona Reads and FoodSpots – Review
Kayl's Krazy Obsession – Review
Lisa Loves Literature – Review YOU ARE HERE!
Random Things In Action – Spotlight
The Secrets In Books – Spotlight
Vibin With Books – Review
What the Cat Read – Spotlight

July 1^st
Booking With Lana – Review
Julian's Book Angels – Review
Rainy Days and Pajamas – Review
Starbound with Books – Spotlight

July 2^nd
Beckys Barmy Book Blog – Spotlight
I Smell Sheep – Spotlight
St. Sisters Book Reviews – Review

July 4^th
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books! – Review
Haddie's Haven – Spotlight
Wonder Struck – Spotlight

July 5^th
A Bookish Escape – Review
Sofia Loves Books – Review
Voracious Bookling – Review
Amy's Bookish Life – Spotlight

July 6^th
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It Book Reviews – Review
Nic's Book Pics – Review
Emeraldfire's Bookmark – Spotlight

July 7^th
Dazzled by Books – Review
mythicalbatreviews – Spotlight
The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange – Spotlight
Bookish Youth – Review

July 8^th
Functioning Insanity Reviews – Review
Just Us Book Blog – Spotlight
Story For Dessert – Review
The Grace Lucy Review – Spotlight

July 11^th
deal sharing aunt – Spotlight
RoloPoloBookBlog – Review
T&L Book Reviews – Review
One Book Two – Review

July 12^th
JUST PARANORMAL ROMANCE – Spotlight
My YA NA Book Obsession – Review

July 13^th

Amanda's Book Nook – Review
Mama Reads Hazel Sleeps – Review
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Waiting on Wednesday: A World Without You by Beth Revis

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  This week I've picked a standalone by an author that is another favorite of mine. Hmm, do I say that every week?  Well, since I do love authors, they are my rock stars, I guess it only makes sense.  This one sounds like a twisty story that maybe can't be quite placed as either a science fiction, or maybe it's just a drama type of story.  I guess we won't know until we read it!  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Bo has always had delusions that he can travel through time. When he was ten, Bo claimed to have witnessed the Titanic hit an iceberg, and at fifteen, he found himself on a Civil War battlefield, horrified by the bodies surrounding him. So when his concerned parents send him to a school for troubled youth, Bo assumes he knows the truth: that he’s actually attending Berkshire Academy, a school for kids who, like Bo, have "superpowers."

At Berkshire, Bo falls in love with Sofia, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the superpower of invisibility. Sofia helps Bo open up in a way he never has before. In turn, Bo provides comfort to Sofia, who lost her mother and two sisters at a very young age.

But even the strength of their love isn’t enough to help Sofia escape her deep depression. After she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she's not actually dead. He believes that she's stuck somewhere in time — that he somehow left her in the past, and now it's his job to save her.

So, what do you think, it sounds like either it is really about kids with superpowers, or maybe they're actually in a school for kids who are troubled, and they are just actually troubled mentally.  I don't know, can't tell for sure. But I'm very eager to read it and find out just what is going on. And I know the author's writing will make it a fascinating read!

What book are you eagerly awaiting this week? Do you think you'll add this one to your TBR?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Authors I Still Need to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by The Broke and The Bookish.  This week's theme:

Freebie!

I haven't done one of these in a long time, but the freebie topic gave me an idea of something I'd been thinking about lately.  I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of awesome authors.  And meeting authors is the coolest thing in the world.  So, there are lots of authors I haven't met yet, but really, really, really want to. So I thought I would share that as my top 10.  So here are my top 10.

1.   Anna Todd

Ever since I decided to listen to the audiobook of After back in February, I think it was, I have been so  obsessed with this series.  I even got  my last tattoo because of this book.  I have got to meet her!  Unfortunately the only opportunity that I know of, is next year at Apollycon, which I can't afford to go to.  But I will be keeping my eyes open for some kind of chance somewhere else at some other time.

2.  Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am in love with Daemon Black, and the whole Lux series, as well as The Dark Elements series, and I've just started the Covenant series.  The really cool thing though?  I will be getting to meet her at the end of September at NOLA Story Con.

3.  Jay Crownover

I only began reading her books because she is also going to be at NOLA Story Con, but man, am I glad I did!  She has totally got me hooked on tattooed boys, and I LOVE her books!  I cannot wait to meet her this fall.  I've only read her Marked Men series so far, and I have one more of them.  But I've been getting to know some of the characters in her newer series, Saints of Denver, and now I'm getting excited to read about them as well.  

4.  Samantha Young

This is another author I only began reading because of NOLA Story Con. And once again, thank goodness!  I can't imagine my life without having met Nate Sawyer from Before Jamaica Lane.  As much as I love Daemon Black from JLA's books, Nate is my perfect book boyfriend.  Her books make me laugh, cry, and get really steamy!

5.  Colleen Hoover

This author I fell in love with after reading the book she is holding in this picture.  And then, I read another, and another, and now I'm just a huge fan.  Not sure when I'll get a chance to meet her, but I'm still really hoping for it!

6.  Gwenda Bond

I have been a huge fan of this author since the first book of hers that I read, Blackwood.  And I love her circus series!  Not sure when I'll get to meet her. Would be so cool if she came to a Comic-Con here in Kansas City!

7.  Anne Blankman

I first discovered this author with her book, Prisoner of Night and Fog.  I LOVED this book.  It totally made you look at the holocaust, or at least Hitler and when he came into power from a viewpoint that I don't feel I'd ever had the chance to read yet.  I am friends with her on Facebook, and I keep seeing events that she's at, but I have yet to meet her.  But one day I will!


8.  J.R. Johansson

I have been a huge fan since I first won her book Insomnia in a giveaway.  I have enjoyed all her other books so far, and hope to one day get to meet her!

9.  Cora Carmack

I've enjoyed this series by her as well.  She is yet another author that is going to be at NOLA Story Con.  And I'd also heard so much about her from other readers, so I was excited to try her books out.

10.  Dean Koontz

Now, this is an author I have loved since I was in like 7th or 8th grade.  I love his books, although recently I'm a bit behind.  But his love for dogs, and his great stories, some of the ones that I read over and over and could pick up and read again today, make him someone I wish I could one day meet.

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Black River Falls by Jeff Hirsch

About the Book:

Title: BLACK RIVER FALLS

Author: Jeff Hirsch

Pub. Date: July 5, 2016

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

 

Seventeen-year-old Cardinal has escaped the virus that ravaged his town, leaving its victims alive but without their memories. He chooses to remain in the quarantined zone, caring for a group of orphaned kids in a mountain camp with the help of the former brutal school bully, now transformed by the virus into his best friend. But then a strong-willed and mysterious young woman appears, and the closed-off world Cardinal has created begins to crumble.

 About Jeff:

Here are some things about me.

I live in an extremely Brazilian section of an extremely Greek neighborhood—Astoria, Queens, which is just to the right of Manhattan. (That's as you face Manhattan. If you were, say, lying on your back in the middle of Central Park with your head in a northerly position, we would be to your left) I live there with my wife who has a blog and our two cats who do not. One day I hope to have a very large dog that I can name Jerry Lee Lewis.

I used to write plays (I actually have an MFA in it, which is currently number 8 on US News and World Report's annual list of the top twenty most useless masters degrees) and now I write books for teens. I've written two. One was about a girl who wanted to be a rock star and could graciously be called a learning experience.

The second, is The Eleventh Plague and it came out Sept. 1, 2011, a fact I still find pretty amazing.  

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of BLACK RIVER FALLS, US Only.    

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
--> Tour Schedule:
--> Week One: -->

6/27/2016- The Cover Contessa- Interview

6/28/2016- Lisa Loves Literature- Promo Post - YOU ARE HERE!

6/29/2016- BookCrushin- Guest Post

6/30/2016- A Gingerly Review- Review

7/1/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Interview

--> Week Two: -->

7/4/2016- Michelle4Laughs: It's in the Details- Review

7/5/2016- One Night Book Stand- Guest Post

7/6/2016- Just Commonly- Review

7/7/2016- She Dreams in Fiction- Review

7/8/2016- Curling Up With A Good Book - Interview