Blog Tour for Emblaze (Violet Eden Chapters #3) by Jessica Shirvington; Review + Author Interview

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: February 12th, 2013

Finished Date: February 20th, 2013

Publishers: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: For Review

Format: Paperback

Pages:  432
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable. 

Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too. 

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to.

The Review: I freakin’ LOVE this series and it just keeps getting better & better (if that’s even possible)

Poor Violet never seems to catch a break as she becomes the centre of the action yet again. Following the finale of book two, the Grigori hold the exiles scroll and vice versa which can only mean one thing - Phoenix wants what they have and there is nothing he won’t do to get it, plus he will only deal with Violet, which is the last thing she needs right now, especially when her and Lincoln are trying to stay away from each other. As they race to decipher the scripture & its hidden prophecy before the handover, Phoenix is also plotting and when things go awry, Violet sees just how serious Phoenix can be. In an effort to protect those she loves Violet sets of a chain reaction that lands the Grigori exactly where they don’t want to be, the safety of the world is at stake and this time – she might not make it out alive!

Another most excellent book in the Violet Eden Chapters, I’m amazed with every instalment, just how good this series really is, I expected a bit of a plot dip somewhere in it but no, they just keep getting better as each book goes on. I had thought Entice was action packed but this blew it out of the water. The storyline was just great, we got from the last book that Phoenix wants to free his mother Lilith from hell and this is the plot for Emblaze which may sound simple but there are a lot of threads to follow before we can get to that point. There is heavy emphasis on a prophecy in this and we all know how much I love those, reading it all come together was great…. Violet of course is right in the middle of things with Phoenix. She wasn’t really herself in this book and I thought she might break multiple times. She’s desperately fighting her souls need to be with Linc which is weighing heavy on her, I love their connection, their souls crying out for each other – is there anything better than forbidden love? Well maybe, because I’m really feeling the Phoenix connection too and his bad boy/possible good boy persona is another one of my faves along with a man being redeemed by his love of a woman – so I’m hoping we might get a little something along those lines although I’d be happy either way.

I’m still loving the good vs evil, religious aspect of the series and love how it’s done. Some books with a strong religious feel always seem to bring oppression and take on a moralistic approach, slamming values & beliefs at the reader but I found this a just nice and I feel the overall message will be about love & acceptance – I do like to look for an overall message, what will sum the book up and so far, that’s a strong theme.
There was so much going on from start to finish that I wished I had the next book right beside me to carry on reading it because the ending is definitely a game changer in more ways than one and I’m so psyched to see where it’s all going to go now. I literally cannot wait for the next book – Endless.

Author Interview with Jessica Shirvington; 

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Well, I'm hardly going to suggest someone that ins't going to make me look a whole lot better, am I? So I'll go with either Anne Hathaway or Emily Blunt :) 

If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?

Cinderella. She knows the score and has had to work hard, but things all end up pretty darn well for her in the end. 

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Flying would be kind of cool - though I am afraid of heights, so maybe, reading minds would be better. 

If you were deserted on an island, what three favourite things would you want with you?

I'm assuming I can't take people. (If I could I'd take my husband and two kids - I'm selfish like that!)

objects I'd take:

Everlasting supply of pens 

And paper

Lighter

What would we find in your refrigerator right now?

Left over Thai take out. Cheese. Fish. Lots of fruit and veg.

If you were to purchase a book, do you prefer to buy your books online or in store?

Both. At first I really didn't like ebooks but now, if I'm reading a series or want something instantly - which often happens late at night - then I just download it. I am buying more and more ebooks all the time.

List 3 books you have recently read and would recommend?

Carnival of Souls - Melissa Marr

The lost Symbol - Dan Brown

Poison Study - Maria V Snyder

Where is one place in the world that you would really love to visit someday?

Hawaii 

And finally, who is your ultimate book boyfriend? 

I'd have to go with Valek from the Poison Study Series, by Maria V Snyder

Author Bio: 

Jessica Shirvington is the author of THE VIOLET EDEN CHAPTERS also known as THE EMBRACE SERIES. An entrepreneur, author, and mother living in Sydney, Australia, Jessica is also a 2011 finalist for Cosmopolitan’s annual Fun, Fearless Female Award. She’s also one of the lucky few who met the love of her life at age seventeen: Matt Shirvington, a former Olympian and current sports broadcaster for FOXTEL and Sky News. Married for almost eleven years with two beautiful daughters, Sienna and Winter, Jessica knows her early age romance and its longevity has definitely contributed to how she tackles relationships in her YA novels. Previously, she founded a coffee distribution company, Stella Imports, in London, and before that was involved in the management of restaurants Fuel Bistro and MG Garage in Sydney. Jessica is now a full-time novelist and living her dream.