Eyes Like Stars Contest!

I have managed to secure a copy of Eyes Like Stars to give away as my first contest! (Thanks to dad, and Borders.)

AND Lisa Mantchev, the fabulous author of some my most favorite books ever, has graciously agreed to award a bookplate and a backstage pass bracelet to whoever wins this contest. Isn’t she amazing? Thank you Lisa!

I’d prefer if you leave an e-mail address so I can contact you, but the winner will be posted, so if you forget, you can just e-mail me if you win. If the winner doesn’t respond after 3 days, I’ll get another one.

So, here’s the breakdown. You’ll get a base entry for commenting on this post.

+1 for commenting on my review of  Perchance to Dream

+1 for commenting on my review of Eyes Like Stars

+1 for commenting on my Interview with Lisa Mantchev

+3 for becoming a follower! (I need followers. See? Benefits.)

+5 if you’re already a follower! (I will be taking note.)

 

The deadline for entries is Midnight this Saturday. I’ll announce the winner Sunday, and mail out my prize next week.

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev

Summary from goodreads.com - 

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Rhia’s Review – Okay, first off, Look at that cover! I mean, just look  at it! It’s GORGEOUS! I love staring at it, and it really reflects the book so well. I’m sorry. I had to gush over it for a second.

But the words inside are just as good, okay  maybe better, than the cover! I LOVED Eyes Like Stars and I’m very impressed by this sequel! It picks up right where the first left off, with all our favorite characters gallivanting off with mechanical horses. Pretty cool, huh?

We really see Bertie come to life in this book. She’s faced with difficult decisions, and is coming to fully understand her mysterious gift with words. She learns a lot about herself, and we’re right there learning with her.

But the other characters are just as important and developed, especially Ariel and those rascally fairies! (Who couldn’t love them??)

Lisa uses a lot of metaphor in this book, which was occasionally a little too much for me, but it’s nothing big. I really didn’t have any issues with this book.

I did get a little confused sometimes by Bertie’s magical journey’s and dreams. However, I was reading rather sporadically, because I was sick, so I know I missed a lot of things, which is my fault, not the writing. When I looked back over it, it would have made perfect sense, if I hadn’t left off in the middle of a chapter for like a week. (Try not to do that.) I might have to read it again before the final book, to make sure I didn’t miss anything important.

So essentially, everything about this book is great! The cover, the storyline, the characters, and Lisa is a really nice person! (You’ll really see why in a little bit.)

Now, you might want to head on over to that link in the left sidebar – and enter to win a copy of Eyes Like Stars!!!

 

The Recommendation – If you’re into innovative fantasy (There’s nothing like this one out there!) you’ll love this! However,  I definitely wouldn’t read Perchance to Dream unless you’ve read Eyes Like Stars, because you’ll be really confused.

The Other Books – Book Three, tentatively titled So Silver Bright, will be out… sometime. Next year, I think. Too long, anyway. I want it in my hands now.

The Vitals* – According to Borders.com, Perchance to Dream will be out May 25th, in hardback for $16.99.

The Links – The Theatre Illuminata

 

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

 

Eyes Like Stars tells the story of orphaned Bertie Shakespeare Smith, who has lived the magical Theatre Illuminata as long as she can remember. The theatre Illuminata is where all of the characters in any play ever written perform their roles, their lives, endlessly. When Bertie’s escapades in the Theatre finally become the last straw for the Theatre Manager, she must prove herself in order to stay at the only home she’s ever known, and find out a little about herself in the process.

At the risk of soundly completely cliché, this is a very imaginative debut novel. I know I’ve never read anything like it. Lisa Mantchev really brings the characters to life, and creates a magnificent world and an incredible plot, tempered heavily with one of my favorite aspects: humor. Plenty of giggles, mostly brought by the fairies from the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Moth, Peaseblossom, Cobweb, and Mustardseed. I fell so totally in love with this book, that I couldn’t put it down. Literally, really. I’d make my nice big stack, and wound up reading more of this than anything. It’s even the book I celebrated with one night when I had finally earned reading time during NaNoWriMo. I was crazy for it!

As for some of the romance, there’s just enough fluff and triangle to make it interesting, but this book has so much more to offer! Which is one of its greatest points for me.

 

The Recommendation – I’d recommend this book to pretty much anyone, it’s such a great read! But if you’re a lover of fantasy and the stage, you’ll enjoy it all the more!

The Other Books – I MUST have the other books in the trilogy! (The second is titled Perchance to Dream, and that’s all I know right now.) We’re talking, top of the buy pile, please please daddy please, if I don’t get the next one I’ll scream. That’s how badly I want it. I will gladly pay the money for hardback.

The Vitals* – Eyes Like Stars is available in hardcover for $16.99, and will be available in paperback for $8.99 April 13, 2010.

The Links - The Theatre Illuminata's Website

 

* = All Prices from Borders.com, and are subject to change without notice. That change may not be reflected on this page.