Every Never After by Lesley Livingston

 

Published: March 12th, 2013

Publisher: Razorbill Canada

Pages: 256

Copy: Publisher via Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

 

 

Despite their vow to each other at the end of Once Every Never, best friends Clare and Allie once more find themselves in trouble—and travelling in time. Indulging in a low-key vacation at Glastonbury Tor, taking part in an archaeological dig while soaking up the sights of summertime England, the girls have promised each other: no time travel shenanigans; no involvement with dangerous Druids or villainous museum thieves; and definitely no weirdness about the fact that Clare is now seriously dating Milo, Allie's super-genius hottie cousin!

But when Allie makes an unexpected discovery at the dig site—a skull—the grisly artifact sends her spiralling back in time to a Roman encampment besieged by rampaging Celts. Caught between the Legions and the war band, Allie is rescued from certain death by Marcus, a young Roman soldier with a secret. As she struggles to survive in the past, Clare and Milo race desperately against time in the present to bring Allie home...before she loses her head OR her heart

There are some books that you just have to write a review of immediately. They are sooooo good, that you don't want to forget any of the amazing comments that are running through your head.  Every Never After is one of those books for me.  Regular readers may remember that I am such a dorky fan-girl where Lesley Livingston is concerned. (This is extremely embarassing for me when you consider my age!) Her writing style clicks with me in every way, and this follow-up to Once Every Never was no exception.  I LOVED it - every minute of it. 

Every Never After takes us back into the lives of Clare, Allie and Milo and quickly throws them, and us, back into the convoluted workings of a time paradox circle.  This time it's Allie who gets catapulted backwards into the past and Clare and Milo are left behind to try to bring her back. Time shenanigans ensue and the hoops that Clare has to jump through to bring her back will have you almost in tears - most of them involving laughter I might add.

Speaking of laughter, I have to add in a couple of quotes, with the caveat that these are from the e-arc and may not make it into the finished book.  However if they don't, I will be extremely sorry.

Allie seeing Marcus in the river:

' .... She thought of the one and only time she'd seen male buttocks that hadn't belonged to a toddler - when her brothers had thrown her into the guys' locker room at school after football practice for a joke - but, really? No comparison. None.
     Somehow her fingers slipped and she accidentally snuck another peek.
     Now that is what I call a tight end, she thought.'  (p170?)

Milo meeting Marcus for the first time:

' "Nice to meet you. You're a terrible liar."
"Nice to meet you, too. Your cousin's a total babe."
Milo eyed Marcus's Roman tunic and leathers. "Wicked party dress."
Marcus took in Milo's spiral Druid marking. "Bitchin' body paint."'  (p226?)

The characters are so very real and I just love them all - even nasty Stuart Morholt, who remains the villain of the piece, right up to the very end. And what an ending.  Had I actually been holding a physical book and not my Ipad, I would probably have thrown it at the wall. So ....  How could she do this to me?  Another year to wait until I find out what happens!  Every Never After is an amazing and thrilling blend of mystery, humour, time travel and romance that captures the imagination and lets it soar. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.  


 Ms Livingston's love for this era shines through in her writing, and makes it so enjoyable to read. I couldn't find a video for Every Never After but this one for Once Every Never shows Ms Livingston talking about her love of Celtic history.

Same Book, Second Look - Starling by Lesley Livingston

Summary:
Mason Starling is a champion fencer on the Gosforth Academy team, but she's never had to fight for her life. Not until the night a ferocious, otherworldly storm rips through Manhattan, trapping Mason and her teammates inside the school. Mason is besieged by nightmarish creatures more terrifying than the thunder and lightning as the raging tempest also brings a dangerous stranger into her life: a young man who remembers nothing but his name--the Fennrys Wolf. His arrival tears Mason's world apart, even as she feels an undeniable connection to him. Together, they seek to unravel the secrets of Fenn's identity as strange and supernatural forces gather around them. When they discover Mason's family--with its dark allegiance to ancient Norse gods--is at the heart of the mystery, Fennrys and Mason are suddenly faced with a terrifying future.

Set against the gritty, shadowed back-drop of New York City, this first novel in award-winning author Lesley Livingston's epic Starling Saga is an intoxicating blend of sweeping romance and pulse-pounding action.

Review:
Have you ever read a book, loved it and then gone back to write a review but were blank for an explanation?  That is what I'm experiencing today.  I'm blank for an explanation because I loved enjoyed this story so much!  I love Lesley Livingston.  Not only is she a brilliant Canadian writer but she seems to write across varied topics.  I first had an opportunity to preview Starling via NetGalley.  Unfortunately I only had access to the first few chapters (that was mean!).  Right off the bat Livingston begins with a pulse-pounding action scene which leaves you feeling, quite frankly, out of breath.  Mason Starling leads a very mysterious life and as the story develops, things are not quite as they seem.  Supernatural beings are beginning to pop up at the most unusual times and Mason must figure out why with the help of Fennrys Wolf, a man who literally fell out of the sky! 

Lesley links her English background with an interest in folklore and mythology in this fantastic first series novel.  One of the things I love best about Ms. Livingston's work is her writing style.  She writes beautifully and I was able to envision myself in Mason's world.  The theme of Starling also has a different twist than the titles I have been reading this year.  She expertly combines the supernatural with folkfore, romance and adventure, appealing to all of my book senses.  Well done Lesley! I look forward to reading Book #2! 

By the way, for those of you who have read Once Every Never, the second book in the series was announced at the beginning of October - Every Never After with a release date of March 2013.

If you happen to be in the Ontario area, you might want to check out Chapters Brampton (November 17th)  and Chapters Barrie (November 24th) for appearances by Lesley Livingston, Leah Bobhet, Megan Crewe, Maureen McGowan and Cheryl Rainfield!  See the link for details.



Starling sampler - Lesley Livingston

Published: August 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 352

Copy provided by: Sample by NetGalley

Summary: Goodreads 

Summary:


"Love is just the beginning... of the end."

Mason Starling is a champion fencer for Gosforth Academy, but she’s never had to fight for her life. Until now. When a ferocious storm rips through Manhattan and unleashes terrifying creatures onto Gosforth’s campus, Mason barely escapes alive. Without help from the mysterious stranger who appeared in the midst of the storm, she might not have made it at all. But now, in the aftermath, Mason’s life begins to spin dramatically, mystically out of control, and the only one who seems able to help her is the stranger who can remember nothing but his name: Fennrys Wolf.

As Mason and Fenn uncover more about Fenn’s past and the strange events that surround them, they realize that Mason’s family — and its dark allegiance to the ancient Norse gods — is at the center of everything. A predetermined fate seems to be closing in on Mason, but is it possible to change one’s destiny?

Readers who fell in love with Lesley Livingston’s Wondrous Strange trilogy and those who love Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series will be captivated by the sweeping romance and pulse-pounding action of Starling.


Review:


You know, I'm thinking that I shouldn't even call this a review.  More of a teaser.  I was lucky enough to receive a sample of Starling from NetGalley and it was AWESOME!  Ms. Livingston does not hold anything back when she dives into her heart-pounding adventure.  Starling is one to watch in the coming month and after reading just a couple chapters of this title, I can guarantee you it is making its way to the top of my TBR pile in August when it is officially released.  One last thing, shame on you HarperTeen for only letting us have a sneak peek at this book!  Talk about a book tease!

Fantastic Fairytales - Wondrous Strange Series by Lesley Livingstone

 

 17 year-old Kelley Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what she thinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelley's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.

Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt.

Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself.

When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power.

Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.

With breathtakingly high stakes, the talented Lesley Livingston delivers soaring romance and vividly magical characters in Darklight, the second novel in the trilogy that began with Wondrous Strange.

"I don't love Sonny Flannery."  

That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

The intrigue and romance that began with Wondrous strange and Darklight come to a stormy head in Tempestuous, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston's ravishing urban Faerie trilogy.


If you haven't given yourself the treat of reading these yet, start now.  Ms Livingstone writes with wit and humour, but also with a tension that is palpable.  Her fairies are NOT nice, in fact if you get close enough to see what they look like they'll probably "eat your face off!" (her own words), but they do seem incredibly real.  Lots of mystery and romance happening to wonderful characters.  Give them a try.

Check out this post about her visit to CPL and my review of her new book Once Every Never

Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston

Published: July 2011

Publisher: Penguin Canada

Pages: 312

Copy: from Library

Summary: Goodreads

Clarinet Reid is a pretty typical teenager. On the surface. She’s smart, but a bit of slacker; outgoing, but just a little insecure; not exactly a mischief-maker… but trouble tends to find her wherever she goes. Also? She unwittingly carries a centuries-old Druid Blood Curse running through her veins.

Now, with a single thoughtless act, what started off as the Summer Vacation in Dullsville suddenly spirals into a deadly race to find a stolen artifact, avert an explosive catastrophe, save a Celtic warrior princess, right a dreadful wrong that happened centuries before Clare was even born, and if there’s still time—literally—maybe even get a date.

This is the kind of adventure that happens to a girl once every… never.

'Once Every Never' is the first volume in Lesley Livingston's new trilogy.  I just loved it.  It was fast-paced, exciting, mysterious, magical, romantic and funny.  How could a book with a main character called Clarinet Reed not be at least a little funny?

Clare has been banished to England for the summer, albeit with her best friend Allie, so that she can stay out of trouble.  NOT!  In a very short time she finds herself transported back to Celtic Britain, where she becomes embroiled in the lives of Boudica and her daughter - .Along the way she meets mighty warriors (who just happen to be handsome), wild druid sorcerers, and a host of other characters, savoury and unsavoury alike.

Back in the here and now, she's also trying to sort out her feelings for Milo - whom she remembers as a forgettable nerd - and is now anything but forgettable.  Any guy who can walk around looking hot wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, gets my vote. I just loved Milo - be still my beating heart.  Allie and Milo are both amazingly smart and I loved the way that Clare keeps up with them in her own 'average' way. Clare's aunt Maggie was wonderfully distracted with her work at the museum and the historical aspects of the museum visit were very educational, without being in the least bit boring.There are romances going on in two different time periods, as well as mysterious bad guys who just keep popping up out of the woodwork. 

It is incredibly obvious that a lot of research went into creating 'Once Every Never', and the results are make for a seriously engaging read.  When talking to Ms Livingston last week at CPL (check post here) she told us that the next two books are very tentatively called 'Every Never After' and 'Now and For Never' -of course since she hasn't actually written them yet, that could definitely change, but I love the possible titles don't you?

For anyone who likes a touch of history with their romantic mystery, you just have to find a copy of 'Once Every Never'.  It was originally published just in Canada and I'm not sure if that has changed yet, but it is well worth hunting down a copy.  You will not be disappointed.

Author visit, CPL Newcastle Branch - Lesley Livingstone.

I was absolutely thrilled on Thursday night to be present at the author visit that Lesley Livingstone paid to Clarington Public Library.  The visit was part of the Canadian Library Month celebrations.

I have been a fan of Ms Livingstone since I read her first book 'Wondrous Strange', several years ago now, and I have been thoroughly enjoying the follow-ups, 'Darklight' and 'Tempestuous'.  Her newest book ' 'Once Every Never' was released just a few weeks ago and I managed to finish it on my lunch break on Thursday afternoon, just in time for the visit.  (Look for my review soon)

This is a picture of her reading from 'Darklight'.  What many of you may not know is that Ms Livingstone is a trained Shakespearian actress and consequently has a wonderful voice, phrasing and diction, with great characterization and accents.  It was wonderful hearing her bring her characters to life as she read.  As I was listening I realised that I had heard her before - when I was listening to her books on audio.  Yep, she narrated all three of them, at the speed of light according to her story, and they were wonderful.  I had forgotten just how much I had enjoyed them.  If you haven't already listened to them, give them a try.

Ms Livingstone is a very lively and amusing speaker and there were lots of laughs throughout the visit.  Here are just a few tidbits to whet your appetite:

'Once Every Never' will be followed by 2 more books very tentatively titled, 'Every Never After' and 'Now And For Never'  since she hasn't written them yet and of course those titles could change - I hope not, but who knows.

She has a new trilogy in the works, set in the same world as Wondrous Strange and with the first volume 'Starling' coming out in summer 2012  To quote Ms Livingstone, this new series 'will do for Wondrous Strange what Angel did for Buffy'.  For those of you who don't understand that, let's just say it should be great!

She was once kicked out of theatre school, but went on to start her own Shakespearian theatre company!

Several of her own personal experiences have found a way into her books - changed a little, or a lot perhaps, but definitely based on actual events.  She also does a huge amount of research for her books and finds many obscure facts that she finds uses for, one way or another - such as Andrew Haswell Green's name translating to 'green man in a wild place' - check out 'Darklight' for the significance of that one.

Wondrous Strange has been optioned for a movie/tv show - but as we all know, nothing happens until it happens (her own words) so don't hold your breath waiting.  Just keep your fingers crossed.  I for one would love to see either.

She told a wonderful story about her last production of Romeo and Juliet where she was playing the nurse and realised part way through a scene that she was seriously channelling Maggie Smith in her role as Professor McGonigal in Harry Potter.  It was absolutely hilarious listening to her and I actually had tears of laughter.  After another very funny story about interviewing Hugh Jackman on Wednesday night at the preview of his new movie 'Real Steel' I had to bring out my hankie to wipe my eyes. 

Thanks to Pither Python for the photos, I really like this one.  All in all I had a wonderful time and got all my books signed, yeah, and I apologise Ms Livingstone for being a total fan girl, but I really did enjoy 'Once Every Never'.   Thanks for a great evening and good luck with your future books.

Oh, and by the way, if you're reading this, you forgot to leave that envelope!