Review: Taste by Kate Evangelista

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.
When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud. (via Goodreads)

I've been looking forward to reading Taste ever since Kate announced that it would finally be published. I knew she’d been posting chapters of the book on her blog and had been going through the whole process of sending it to publishing houses, so I was incredibly excited when it finally became a reality for her. She's very eloquent on her blog; why expect anything else from Taste?

There’s always large risk involved when writing fantasy novels: how can you create an alluring species, intriguing alternative world, and captivating storyline without it being full of clichés and/or inconsistencies? A challenge, indeed, though it seems to have paid off for Kate. Don’t expect any vampires or warewolves here – they aren’t the ‘tasters’. Instead, there are Zhamvy. Stunning in appearance like those Twilight vamps we know so well, but they’re not undead and they don’t live amongst humans. The main plot involves a love triangle, nothing out-of-the-ordinary there either, but because Kate has created such stable surroundings for the characters the story blooms into its own, catering to reader’s needs with some awesome twists and turns.

There were, however, some parts that I would’ve changed. Though fundamentally well-written from the perspective of the main character, Phoenix, I thought that the story as a whole might've been more effective if it were written in the present instead of past tense. Present tense is more immediate, and with the fast pace of the story it could have provided better flow. Also, there were parts of the dialogue which didn’t seem ‘snappy’ enough, for example a character would occasionally communicate information that had already been implied by the narrative.

But you could argue that those are just technicalities. Altogether, Taste is a well-executed and highly imaginative young adult novel. If you’re into fantasy romances but are growing jaded of the same old species’, this fun and endearing tale might just be what you’re looking for.

Rating: 4 / 5

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To learn more about Kate, visit her blog. You can also purchase a copy of Taste for your Kindle by clicking here.

Guest Post: The Evolution of Taste by Kate Evangelista

Kate's debut young adult novel, Taste, was released today! She's also here to share the story of its evolution. Here she goes!


I was a high school teacher when the beginnings of Taste first came to me. At the school I taught at, there was this practice of ringing a bell in the afternoon to signal that all remaining students on campus must be at the guardhouse to wait for their parents to pick them up. I always wondered why they did this. What was it about the campus during the afternoons that students aren’t allowed to roam around after a certain time? The practical reason would be that the nuns who ran the school were at prayer and need absolute silence. But the writer in me would not leave it at that. The practice of ringing the bell sparked my imagination. I began thinking of more supernatural reasons as to why students didn’t need to be on campus past a certain hour. This is why the beginning of Taste shows Phoenix waking up in the library to the ringing of bells.

One would think that because of my burst of inspiration, I would have begun writing Taste, but that wasn’t the case. Being a teacher took over every aspect of my life. I only had time to sleep, and there was barely enough of that. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed teaching. Every time I saw understanding in the eyes of my students after a lesson, I was elated—I actually helped someone learn something. But, deep down, I knew teaching wasn’t for me. Every time I woke up in the morning, I would ask myself: Is this what I want to do ten years from now? And the answer was always no. It took me a couple of years to get around to writing Taste. I finally realized that being a writer, sharing the stories of the characters in my head, was my life’s work.

Now, when inspiration strikes, I don’t wait years before I act on it. I know this is a cliché, but time really is too short to waste on doing something you don’t find fulfillment in. Okay, I’ve digressed from the main point of this post. Bear with me because it might happen again at some point!

Anyway, when I finally sat down and started writing Taste, it was still titled Lunar Heat. I was going for a play on words that involved the Lunar Garden in the story. For those who’ve read Taste, you know where the Lunar Garden is. At the time, I didn’t know anything about writing. Sure, I could write, but formatting, proper grammar, and pacing was beyond me. I didn’t even understand how to properly use the first person narrative. But the lack of know-how didn’t stop me. I kept writing until I had a first draft ready.

When the first draft was complete, I made the mistake of asking my friends to help edit. What I love about friends is that they will never hesitate to compliment you on everything you do. For a writer, this is a good ego boost, but it doesn’t necessarily help you grow within your craft. Unless you have a friend who is willing to give you constructive criticism about your work, stay away from letting friends edit your work. That’s one lesson learned in this process.

The first draft was around the time I started doing my research about the writing process. I even had the guts to submit Lunar Heat to agents without the manuscript even being close to ready. This endeavor ended in a pile of rejection letters. Save yourself the agony and make sure to learn a thing or two first. I wish someone had told me that at the beginning. But, of course, like with many of us, we learn things on our own. So, I started following blogs that had anything to do with writing. And one of them actually featured an ad for a writer who was looking for a critique partner. I didn’t know what a critique partner was, but I took a leap of faith and answered the ad. This leap led me down the path of many emails exchanged between many critique partners. Some of them I still keep in contact with. One of them even became my sister in writing. Check the dedication of Taste and the acknowledgement section to understand what I mean.

Armed with new knowledge about writing, I set about editing Lunar Heat to the ground. When you think you’ve edited your manuscript enough, that’s a sign that you need to edit it some more. But one thing I learned through this process is that you don’t need a perfect manuscript. There is no such thing as a perfect manuscript. Those are mythical creatures. Why is this? Because your future editor will still ask you to change many things within the story. What you need to do is get your manuscript to a point where editors will see the potential in the story and want to help you make it better. How do you know when you’re there? When you start getting request for partial or full submissions.

After editing for about a year—yes, you got that right, a year—I began submitting Lunar Heat to agents. And after six months, I finally got “The Call”. I thought to myself, finally, I have an agent, next stop, publishing. So, I eagerly waited for my agent’s editorial notes for Lunar Heat. Yes, folks, more editing. When he was satisfied that Lunar Heat was ready for submission, we changed the title to Taste and he sent it out to editors. Long story short, and saving you from all the heartbreak that comes with this part of my life, after five rejections from editors, my agent lost confidence in submitting Taste. It was downhill from there. Another lesson learned, you never want an agent who losses confidence in your writing. Nothing good comes of it.

So, after a year of nothing happening with my agent, I decided to let him go and start querying Taste to other agents and smaller publishing houses. My goal was to get Taste published so I could share Phoenix’s story with the world. This meant more editing. And when requests started filling my inbox from agents and publishers about full submissions, I thought to myself, here we go again. Another chance.

Finally, two months after parting ways with my agent, I received an email from Crescent Moon Press. They wanted to publish Taste! I was finally going to be a published author. My dream was coming true. And you know what I realized after my excitement and elation wore off? More editing to come.

Basically, Taste evolved the way it is today because of all the editing that’s been done to it. The biggest lesson I learned through writing Taste was to love the editing process. I realized that getting the story onto the page is important, but it is through editing where you find the diamond in the rough. Editing is where you find the real story, where your creativity is challenged the most. Some hate editing, and rightfully so, because it’s not the easiest process. You need to learn compromise and always remind yourself that all the notes and suggestions are for the good of the story. At least, that was what I kept reminding myself. Once I opened myself up to the editing process, I realized that there was so much more to learn when it comes to being a writer.

I guess, at the beginning of this post, I set out to show all of you how Taste’s story evolved through the years, but in the end, I showed all of you how I evolved. It’s funny how things work out that way. With Taste’s release on April 30, 2012 (which is so surreal, by the way, that I’m at this point already) I know that my journey to being a writer is just beginning. That I have more stories I want to share with the world. That I have so much more to learn and so many more people to meet.

I would like to take this moment, to thank Sophie for letting me take over her blog today.
Sophie, your continued support means a lot to me. We may live a pond away, but one day we will meet and the first thing I want to do is give you a big hug. Thank you for always being there. And Ireland is becoming a reality now more than ever.

~

Kate, you're a fantastic writer and person, and I'm so happy for all your success! It's a pleasure to have gotten to know you. Ireland, here we come!

~

To learn out more about Kate, her novels, and to find out where to purchase a copy of Taste, please visit her blog.

Taste by Kate Evangelista – read an extract and watch the trailer here!

Today's an exciting one for my writer and fellow blogger friend Kate Evangelista – she reveals an extract from her upcoming young adult fantasy novel, Taste, along with its trailer! And I'm so happy to be taking part in this big reveal. Below, then, you can watch the trailer, and continue on to read a very tasty extract (ahem, pardon the pun!)

Taste will be officially released this May.

About Kate
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.
Check out her website at www.kateevangelista.com

Trailer
 At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans. When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud. 

Extract

I sat up and followed Calixta’s gaze upward. I rubbed my eyes. I didn’t know what I was seeing at first. A statue? ­My brain refused to snap together coherent thoughts.  I didn’t realize I’d fallen so close to one of the garden benches until I stared up at the boy that sat on one. He was strikingly beautiful. His tumble of blonde hair curled just above his sculpted cheekbones. He wore a silk shirt and a loosened cravat, like he’d become bored while dressing and decided to leave himself in disarray. His ivory skin and frozen position was what had me mistaking him for something carved from marble by Michelangelo. Then he sighed—a lonely, breathy proof of life. If I had to imagine what Lucifer looked like before he fell from heaven, the boy on the bench would certainly fulfill that image. My brain told me I had to look away, but I couldn’t.

“Luka,” Calixta said again, her voice unsure, almost nervous. It no longer contained the steel and bite she had threatened me with, which made me wonder who the boy was.

He leaned on his hands and crossed his legs, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the night sky. His movements spoke of elegance and control. I’d encountered many people with breeding before, but his took on the air of arrogance and self-assuredness of someone used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.

I only realized I’d been holding my breath when my lungs protested. I exhaled. My heart sputtered and restarted with a vengeance. Luka tore his gaze away from the stars and settled it on me. I’d expected pitch-black irises, like the other Night Students, but blue ice stared back at me.

“Human,” he whispered.

He reached out, and with a finger, followed an invisible trail down my cheek. I stiffened. His touch, cooler than Demitri’s, caused warm sparks to blossom on my face. He lifted his finger to his lips and licked its tip. He might as well have licked me from the way my body shivered.

Luka’s curious gaze held mine. “Leave us,” he said, but not to me.

“But—” Calixta protested like a spoiled child.

He spoke in a language I hadn’t heard before, remaining calm yet firm. The words had a rolling cadence I couldn’t quite follow, like rumbling thunder in the distance. They contained a harsh sensuality. The consonants were hard and the vowels were long and lilting.

Footsteps retreated behind me.

Luka reached out again.

It took me a minute to realize he wanted to help me up. I hesitated. He smiled. I smiled back timidly and took his hand, completely dazzled. Even with my uniform soaked from melted snow, I didn’t feel cold—all my attention was on him and the way his callused hand felt on mine. Without moving much from his seated position, he helped me stand.

“What’s your name?” he asked. He had a voice like a familiar lullaby. It filled my heart to the brim with comfort.

I swallowed and tried to stop gawking. “Phoenix.”

“The bird that rose from the ashes.” Luka bent his head and kissed the back of my hand. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.”

My cheeks warmed. My head reeled, not knowing what to think. I couldn’t understand why I felt drawn to him. And the strange connection frightened me.

From behind, someone gripped my arms and yanked me away before I could sort out the feelings Luka inspired in me. I found myself behind a towering figure yet again. Recognizing the blue-black silk for hair tied at the nape, relief washed over me. Calixta hadn’t come back to finish me off.

Demitri’s large hand wrapped around my wrist. Unlike the night before, no calm existed in his demeanor. He trembled like a junky in need of a fix. The coiled power in his tense muscles vibrated into me.

“What are you doing here?” Demitri asked.

I didn’t know he’d spoken to me until I saw his expressionless profile. I sighed.

“Phoenix.”

I flinched. The ruthless way he said my name punched all the air out of me. “You owe me answers,” I said with as much bravado as I could muster.

“I owe you nothing.” He glared. “In fact, you owe me your life.”

“I don’t think so.”

Ignoring my indignation, he faced Luka, who’d remained seated on the bench during my exchange with Demitri. “Why is she with you, Luka?”

“I wasn’t going to taste her, if that’s what you’re implying,” Luka said. “Although, she is simply delicious. I wouldn’t mind if you left us alone.”

There it was again. Taste. The word that kept coming up between these Night Students and I was connected to it in an increasingly uncomfortable way. To taste meant to sample, but what? My flesh? They had to be joking because the alternative wasn’t funny.

“The sins of the father …” Demitri left his sentence unfinished.

Luka’s smile shifted into a snarl. “Obey my command.” His chin lifted. “Kneel.”

Demitri’s stance went rigid. His grip tightened around my wrist.

Okay, weird just got weirder. Why would Luka want Demitri to kneel before him? I thought back to Eli and the others bowing to Demitri when he questioned them, but they didn’t kneel. Seriously? Were they all living on a different planet or something?

“Kneel.” Luka’s detestable smirk made his features sinister rather than angelic. The real Lucifer: a fallen angel.

Without letting go of my wrist, Demitri knelt down on one knee and bowed his head, his free hand flat at the center of his chest. “Your command has been obeyed,” he said formally.

Luka nodded once.

Demitri stood up and pulled me toward the school without telling me where we were going. Not having the time to thank Luka for saving me from Calixta, I risked a glance back. Luka smiled at me. His smile spoke of whispers, secrets, and promises to be shared on a later date.

~

Looking forward: Taste & Breaking Dawn Part 2!

Lots of exciting things are popping up this week: Sophie Kinsella's novel is out on Thursday, I'm going to finally complete Hard Times after over a month of suffering, and also finish my latest overdue uni assignment!

But there's also more.

You've heard of Kate Evangelista, right? If not, then you should visit her blog. You should also know that Kate is a writer, and has recently signed two book deals. Well, more than two when you consider that one of her babies, 'Til Death, has been picked up for a three book deal! I'm beyond happy for her, especially after reading about the run-around she went through trying to get published in 2011. Her other novel, Taste, was the first to be signed, and now the cover artwork has been released. Check it out below!

Looks fantastic, doesn't it? I really enjoy Kate's blog, so I can't wait to read this beauty. Congrats, Kate!

Lastly, a treat for all the Twilight fans out there: a Breaking Dawn Part 2 clip! I couldn't believe it when one of my Facebook friends posted this little beauty. A clip this early in the year? But hey, I'm not complaining!

Check it out. The audio quality isn't great, but you'll get the idea. Bella looks so vamp-esque!





That wraps it up for now. Back to work!