Blog Tour: Embrace

I'm really excited about today's post, because not only do I have a review for a fantastic upcoming release for you but I have a guest post from the author, Jessica Shirvington telling you more about her book AND PSST~ pay attention to the bottom of this review, because I have a giveaway for you readers too!

Embrace (Embrace #1) by Jessica Shirvington
Release Date ~ March 6, 2012
Sourcebooks Fire ~ Sourcebooks
ISBN13: 9781402268403
ARC received from Raincoast Books and Sourcebooks for review/blog tour

Goodreads Synopsis:
It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Embrace has received so much hype and I was instantly curious about this new Angel paranormal- especially since it's a re-release which made me inclined to believe that this would be one book to watch.

Embrace completely delivered, with the things I love featuring fascinating mythology, an well-done love triangle, and a kick ass heroine. These three things are key in great books that I enjoy reading, and I loved seeing all of them present in Embrace, leaving me wanting more from the series!

1. Intricate and interesting angel mythology:
   There's no shortage of angel paranormals in YA, so in order to really stand out for me as a good read, a book has to showcase the author's creativity when it comes to the mythology behind the whole story. Because this is what really sets the stage for the plot, I'm hoping for something unique with a new spin on things and I loved how Jessica Shirvington took a familiar paranormal genre and made it all her own- and boy, does she ever own this one!
2. A difficult love triangle:
   I know that there's a lot of talk out there regarding love triangles, and most people aren't fans... but honestly, I don't get sick of good love triangles. But that means, for me, that it can't be overly angsty. It can't be the sole purpose of the book. And both guys have to come across as great options- that's what makes a good love triangle. And I really don't understand how Violet is ever supposed to choose between Lincoln and Phoenix- that's just cruel! It's like the Iron Fey series all over again, sigh. (And I mean that in a GOOD way!)
3. Violet as a strong heroine:
   Violet's determination and bravery endeared her to me; she's definitely become one of my favourite YA heroines just for her strength and will power that she uses to better herself and those around her. It seems as if next to NOTHING can get this girl down, even if she did seem to wind down a bit in the middle of the book.

I have to say though that she definitely made some rather dumb decisions in that middle part that I couldn't understand. But she grows and changes from that, and I was glad that by the end she had returned to her normal strong self. And I really loved how things came together (without a huge cliffanger) at the end, and the decisions she made. I wish we could see more characters like Violet (and Lincoln, and Phoenix...) in other books, so I guess it's a good thing we get 3 more from this series!

And... I know I said I like both guys in the love triangle, but can we just acknowledge for a minute how awesome Linc is? I know there are plenty of Phoenix fans out there but... come on! Lincoln is just all smart and strong and protective (but  not OVERLY so, because he does cut Vi some slack at times) and good. And cute. Totally cute. I just know he is. I think I have a new book crush <3

Brand New Embrace Book Trailer from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.

Guest Post by Jessica Shirvington ~ Angels Have a Pecking Order

Researching for EMBRACE, I discovered the entire subject of Angelology to be truly fascinating. In the
end, I chose to go with the most popular theory, that there are 3 choirs of angels and within each choir,
3 ranks.

At the top of the angel hierarchy sit the Seraphim. They are the angels that are supposed to burn with an
all-consuming white flame and who perform the all-important role of maintaining the source of Existence
within the physical world.

Following the Seraphim come the Cherubim, and Thrones. I always like the descriptions of the Thrones –
bringers of justice.

In the second choir are Powers, Dominations and Virtues. And in the third choir – Principalities,
Archangels and Angels (guardians).

In writing EMBRACE, discovering each of these ranks and their purpose on earth was what led to the
development of my characters powers. Each character is specifically placed within a rank of angels and
then given powers accordingly. For example: Griffin is parented by a Seraph angel, meaning he is a
leader and his unique power is a mind power (that of reading and delivering truth) to correlate with the
description of the Seraphim’s function in the universe. It is a great way of keeping order to the power
pool!

Each angelic rank also has a different appearance and different color that represent them and I found
this really interesting. Any time I describe an angelic image, it relates back to this research in some
way. Additionally, combining this research with things like the Chakra has led me to the use of color as
a representation of power and also gemstones as a link to old mythology. For example: Phoenix’s hair
is like opal – so black that it shimmers with purple and it catches the light exposing streaks of dazzling
silver. First, I loved the idea of his hair being different, but also, it linked to the significance to his power,
and his heritage in the story.

Basing the story around the bones of angel mythology and hierarchy gives me a solid structure to use as
my foundation. It anchors the story and gives me direction any time I think the story might be straying.

Also, it allowed me to develop one of the big mysteries within the series: what rank is Violet from?

ONE of you lucky readers is going to win a copy of Embrace from Sourcebooks! They have very generously offered to sponsor this giveaway, so a BIG thank you to the wonderful people over at Sourcebooks who have worked so hard to put this all together!

Rules are straightforward. Winner must be from US or Canada and be 13 years of age or older. And all you have to do is leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address! I'll choose a winner on March 8th.