YA Review and Giveaway: Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman

ABOUT TRAITOR ANGELS:

Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.

Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.

Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s man arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?

When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

Review:
Once again, Anne Blankman has blown me away with her fascinating historical fiction tale.  With her other series, Prisoner of Night and Fog, I was totally grabbed by the version of Hitler told from kind of the other side, the Germans, the ones who did want him to be in charge, at least at first.  Traitor Angels brings me to a period of history that for the most part, I didn't know much about.  I'd heard of the poet John Milton, but never read much by him.  What I was most familiar with in this story was all of the scientists that were talked about.  I knew about Galileo and how he was in trouble with the church for his theories.  As a science teacher, those science bits really intrigued me and were part of what I loved about the story.  I didn't actually know much about the state of England at that time, and what was going on with their monarchs.  But the way this author tells a story, I know that I will now be researching and looking for other books or information on the history in this story.  

Not only is the story great, she really writes characters that just jump off the page.  That you can grow to love, and then to feel betrayed by or for.  The main character, Elizabeth Milton, well, she was a really strong character to follow and have lead us through this time in history.  Antonio, the Italian apprentice, how could anyone not fall in love with him?!  Then there was the king's illegitimate son, Robert.  He came into help them, but would he want to use the secrets to only help himself, or would he see the sense in what both Antonio and Elizabeth feel needs to be done.  And in the end, will it be Antonio or Robert who will still be on Elizabeth's side, or will one or both of them betray her?  

And remember how I said that Blankman's stories make me want to go learn about the history in them?  I also want to go read John Milton's works now, to know something more about them.  Another great historical fiction, by an author that I believe is one of the best, if not the best, in the historical fiction genre.  I cannot wait till I have budget money to purchase this and put in my school library for my students to read.  Thanks to Balzer and Bray and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley of this. 

ABOUT ANNE BLANKMAN: 

Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.

After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway:

• 3 Finished Copies of TRAITOR ANGELS (US Only)  

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:
Week 1:
4/25: Love At First Page - Guest Post
4/26: Paperback Princess - Review
4/27: Live Love Read - Playlist
4/28: Supernatural Snark - Review
4/29: No BS Book Reviews - Q&A

Week 2:
5/2: The Irish Banana Review - Top 10
5/3: Lisa Loves Lit - Review - *You are here*
5/4: Alexa Loves Books - Q&A
5/5: The Petite Book Blogger - Review
5/6: A Book & A Latte - How I Write

Review and Blog Tour: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman (And Giveaway)

First, thanks to Balzer and Bray and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley of this book.  I requested it clear back in November, as soon as I saw it available because I LOVED the first book, Prisoner of Night and Fog, and you can go read my review of that one HERE.  What I love about this series is that it is about Hitler, but it starts after World War I, and we are seeing his rise and leading up to World War II.  I have always been fascinated and had to read all things about World War II. Rarely did I ever really get my interest peaked by World War I history. But the first book did that for me.  To see how they really were all connected, and one really led to the other, and that is why I love this book, and now its sequel, so much. 

BOOK DETAILS
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2)
by Anne Blankman
416 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 21st 2015

At the end of the first book Gretchen and Daniel had escaped from Germany and Hitler.  Gretchen had always looked up to Hitler, he had been her Uncle Dolf.  But when she fell in love with a Jew, and found out that Hitler was behind the murder of her father, she was now no longer his darling.  She lost her mother by having to run away, and her mother had to go live with her parents.  Her brother was now dead, also because of Hitler.  Daniel had to leave his family as well.  This book begins with Gretchen staying with her friend that had lived in the boarding house her mother ran in the first book.  He is a psychologist, and had been there to try to learn more about Hitler and study him.  He's now invited Gretchen to live with his family and continue her schooling.  Daniel is working for a paper in England, only instead of the hard-hitting reporting that he was used to, he is now doing the social/gossip page.  He gets a message that someone in his family needs him and he goes back to Germany, even knowing it will be dangerous for him there.  When Gretchen gets a coded message saying that Daniel has been charged with a murder and is on the run, she knows that she must go back and help him.  Back in Germany they must try to prove Daniel's innocence while staying out of the hands of Hitler and his men, who will probably execute them on sight.  It is a very suspenseful story, but so much stuff to learn about the time period.  German gangsters, how the police became part of Hitler's group, how all the political parties used to get along in the country.

I really just love how the author weaves true historical facts and events in with wonderful fictional characters that you really care about.  Characters that don't make it through everything unscathed, they suffer tragedies and losses and even permanent debilitating injuries.  And for the most part, they do act the way you would think people really act.  Even if there is still some of the silly stuff that people in love in books seem to do.  And it was like watching the Titanic movie, you rooted for the people, even knowing that in the end the really bad things, like the boat sinking or in this case Hitler rising to power, are still going to happen.  Even though you know if they do prove what they try to prove, it won't actually end up saving Germany and all the people in the Holocaust, you still root for them to do what they can.  So irritated that the copy of the first book I ordered for the school library where I work hasn't arrived yet, because reading this sequel made me want to talk and share the first one again with teachers and students. 

BOOK LINKS:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22838220-conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke?ac=1
Amazon paperback: http://tinyurl.com/l8ecbco
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke-anne-blankman/1120020441?ean=9780062278845
Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Conspiracy-Blood-Smoke-Anne-Blankman/9780062278845
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke/id903967365?mt=11
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/es-ES/ebook/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Prisoner of Night and Fog: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668473-prisoner-of-night-and-fog

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.

After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.

Anne Blankman is the author of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, the first in a three-book deal slated for publication in spring 2014 from Balzer + Bray | HarperCollins. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://www.anneblankman.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012378.Anne_Blankman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneBlankman

TOUR SCHEDULE:
 http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2015/02/tour-schedule-conspiracy-of-blood-and.html

GIVEAWAY
Details: 3 prizes
GRAND PRIZE: Win a signed ARC of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG and a signed ARC of CONSPIRACY OF BLOOD AND SMOKE (US Only)
FIRST PRIZE:  Win (1) of (2) signed ARCs of CONSPIRACY OF BLOOD AND SMOKE (US Only)

Starts: April 13th, 2015
Ends: April 22nd, 2015


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday - Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman

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 the sequel to a book I LOVED!!  Prisoner of Night and Fog got me really thinking about a period of history I hadn't really thought about before.  Between World War I and II.  And right about the time I read this, I think the History Channel put out a show talking about the two World Wars and kind of postulating that really they were all one big war.  Now that there is a cover for the 2nd book, I'm ready to use it for my Wednesday post.  And here is the blurb from Goodreads.com: 

The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first?

I really cannot wait to read this book!  And it's not out till April!  I'm hoping that once again I can get an e-galley to read.  I loved the first one so much I made sure to immediately put it on my list to order books for my high school library this year. And this will be the same.  

So what are you waiting on this week?