Angel Arias by Marianne de Pierres

Release Date: 3rd October, 2011

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 270pgs

The Story

Retra - now called Naif - has escaped from Ixion, the island of ever-night. She doesn't know if her friends on the island survived the battle between the Ripers and the rebels. But she does know that she must return home, behind the sealed walls of Grave, to find out why the Ripers have been seen there talking to the councillors. What links the two worlds?

First she must convince Ruzalia to help her. The fierce pirate captain saves those who face terrible fates on Ixion, but that doesn't guarantee their gratitude. Instead, she faces a revolt - and Naif is caught in the middle.

Naif will need all her courage to survive. For Lenoir, who wants to keep her safe, for her friends Suki and Rollo, if they live, for Markes, who has secrets of his own, and for the new friends she will make on this journey.

The fate of worlds depends on it.

The Review

Being a huge fan of the first book Burn Bright, I was super excited to get my hands on Marianne de Pierres's sequel ANGEL ARIAS. With yet another beautiful cover to match its predecessor book Burn Bright. It was a very interesting continuation of the storyline, and it sure didn't disappoint and I think a lot of readers will enjoy this book much, much more. And what was even cooler was that my blog Tales of the Inner Book Fanatic and part of my Burn Bright review was quoted in the praise pages at the start of the book. So thank you very much to the author and the publisher for doing that. It's great to see my blog being recognized. So, so cool.

The last time we saw Naif - a girl who was renamed and originally known as Retra - we saw her need to return to her homeland of Grave, a place we only got a glimpse of in the first book and the place where Naif was running away from. In Burn Bright, she was exploring a whole new and dangerous world that was so different from her own, on an island called Ixion, where freedom, pleasure and never-ending parties brought this island and their people to life. However in ANGEL ARIAS, Naif needs to revisit her past and return to the home she left behind in order to save her friends - and her brother who still remains on Ixion - and even her own entire future depends on this next adventure.

I loved Naif even more in ANGEL ARIAS. From the first book's events to the sequel's ones, her character had evolved so much and she's no longer the girl who holds back. Turning into a very strong young woman, I have to say that I admired her strength all through the fast-paced action that was going on and she had to face a lot of difficult decisions within the book. As for the supporting cast, while we see a few familiar characters but we are also introduced to some new and unfamiliar ones, too. There was one character that I loved - that being Jarrold, a young boy who helps out Naif. Like Naif, I admired his character a lot because even while Grave is his home, he's still willing to risk his life for mere strangers and he was far more intelligent that I wouldn't have been at his age. As well as the new characters, there was also some new kind of species of Night Creatures that we learn more about, so that was a very interesting aspect of the book also.

As tempting as it is, I won't be giving away too much of the storyline, but much like Burn Bright, ANGEL ARIAS offers another unpredictable, engaging and interesting plot, and the dark Gothic-like world that will still make readers want to devour more. While I was a little disappointed by the lack of my beloved-sexy-guy Lenoir, but Marianne de Pierres continues to surprise me with each and every book, and I wished everyone could join in and love it as much as I did. Unfortunately for international readers, this series is only available in Australia as far as I know . . . so be sure to join the Burn Bright Worldwide Campaign to ensure this book can be appreciated by everyone around the world because it's such a great book series.

The Rating

5/5 stars

Author Interview with Marianne de Pierres

I'm thrilled to present to you an interview with one of my favourite aussie authors, Marianne de Pierres! You can read my review on her upcoming YA book, BURN BRIGHT, and please do check out this book when you get a chance to...it's full of awesomeness and a world that is so very cool in its own original way!

What sparked the idea to write BURN BRIGHT? The world, the Ripers, the characters themselves?

It came from a collision of a number of things; my interest in nocturnal animals and the lifestyle, my inner Goth and my ideas on whether or not people will self regulate when they are freed from societies rules and regulations. Once I started creating, the Ripers, the Uthers and the Night Creatures just announced themselves. I did have fun researching church architecture too!

Just so you know, I absolutely loved Retra's character, especially with all the emotions she goes through in this new world of Ixion! She has a lot to adjust to! So, what inspired you to write such a compelling character? Was there anything of yourself in her?

Thank you, Erin! I think Retra's character allowed me to finally discharge some long held concerns left over from my teen years. It felt good to see her become empowered and in charge.

Out of all the characters in your book, which one did you enjoy writing the most about?

Hmmm ... Retra was very rewarding because she changes and gets stronger, but Lenoir was a bit of a favourite as well. How can you not love a mysterious, tall, dark, handsome, tortured stranger!!??

Since BURN BRIGHT is your first young adult book, was the writing process a little different from your other adult series, including the Parrish Plessis series (which I also love)? Did you use book outlines or are you one of those authors who just goes with the flow when writing?

I'm not one to write detailed outlines but I will always have a skeleton plot. That combination works best for me; enough structure to keep the story in shape but not enough to stifle creativity. Writing YA has been a joy and I'm not stopping after this! I have another series brewing called Emo Traders which I'm looking forward to getting to in due course.

As most readers are aware of, BURN BRIGHT is going to become a trilogy and the sequel is called ANGEL ARIAS. So, for those who've already read BURN BRIGHT, what can readers expect to see happening in the sequel? Will we see more of the Ripers, the Night Creatures, Lenoir (whom I have a little crush on) and more of Retra/Naif's brother, Joel?

The sequel takes place between Ruzalia's island, Sanctus, and Retra's home, Grave. Mostly Grave. This makes it a different book from Burn Bright; altogether more scary and creepy. You spend the whole time desperate for her to get out of there! She meets some new characters, and Markes is with her, which gives their relationship time to deepen. But Lenoir is never far from her mind, influencing her.

How did you and the singer Yunyu come together to write ANGEL ARIAS song? It's amazing by the way!

We were introduced by mutal friends and got talking about the possibility of working on something together. It then became a matter of the 'right' project. When I finally finished Burn Bright, I sent it to her and she was inspired enough to write three fabulous songs. In the end we could only afford to record one, though.

And finally last question - What are some of your tips for aspiring authors?

My tips can be found here (and there are also links to some other great sites): http://www.mariannedepierres.com/extras/writing-tips/

I've thought and been asked about writing a lot and this is really my best advice.

Thank you so much to Marianne de Pierres for this interview! I really enjoyed reading her answers! Be sure to check out her book, BURN BRIGHT!

Follow Marianne:

Website

@mdepierres

Facebook

Burn Bright's Website

Check out Burn Bright's book trailer!

You can also download Yunyu's ANGEL ARIAS song on itunes!

Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

Release Day: March 1st, 2011

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Publisher: Random House Australia

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Pages: 316pgs

The Story

Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures

comes a girl whose innocence maybe her greatest strength.

In Ixion music and party are our only beliefs. Darkness is our comfort. We have few rules but they are absolute...

Retra doesn't want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night. Retra is Seal - sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn't crave parties and pleasure like all the others. But her brother left Ixion two years ago, and Retra is detemined to find him.

Braving the pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she's ever known, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the night creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion?

Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures - but its secrets are deadly.

'Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.'

The Review

If Isobelle Carmody and Melissa Marr had a book baby together, BURN BRIGHT book would be the finished product! No kidding. I've been a big fan of Marianne de Pierres other books, but since this is her first young adult book, I have to say...she pretty much nailed it! It was weird (and I mean weird in a good-weird-but-interesting kind of way), adventurous, edgy, provocative, dangerous...and kind of thrilling with each and every page you turn. The author has created a world that is by far...very different from most YA books and that's why I liked it so much!

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By the end of the book, the main heroine, Retra/Naif, changed from this frightened and sheltered girl to a inquisitive young woman. What I loved about her character was how the novel focused on all her uneased feelings, the pain, and longing for a better life...it's all very interesting once you get sucked into this absorbing world de Pierres has created! As for the other characters, most didn't really do anything for me...well, except for Lenoir - a leader of the pale and inhuman enforcers called Ripers, which was so very fascinating for me...damn he was pretty hot despite everything else that was going on! Cause there's a lot going on by the time you read the last page.

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Without revealing anything, I will say that it's very hard for me to review this book let alone do BURN BRIGHT some justice...so you'll just have to pick yourself up a copy to fully understanding how much this book rocks! It's the most engaging and one of the most oddest books I've read since the weird-but-interesting Across The Universe. So, if you like Isobelle Carmody, a little bit of Melissa Marr, and a new read that's different from the rest of the fantasy genre, then give this one a go!

The Rating

4/5 stars