Review. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini

Published: May 31st 2011 by HarperTeen
Rating: 3 out of 5

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Available from:

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Synopsis:

How do you defy DESTINY?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is - no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood... and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together - and trying to tear them apart.

Review: Wicked Games (Games #1) by Jill Myles

Wicked Games (Games #1) by Jill Myles

Published: March 4th 2011

From: Free on Amazon

Rating: 3 out of 5

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Synopsis:

Abby Lewis never pictured herself on the survival game show, Endurance Island. She’s just not the ‘survival’ type. But when her boss offers her a spot on the show and the opportunity of a lifetime, she packs her bags and heads to the tropics to be a contestant. Once in the game, though, it’s clear that Abby’s in over her head.

No one’s more competitive than sexy, delicious – and arrogant – Dean Woodall. Sure, he’s clever, strong, good at challenges, and has a body that makes her mouth water. He also hates Abby just as much as she hates him. That’s fine with her; she’ll just ignore the jerk.

But the rules of Endurance Island are working against them. Abby and Dean are teamed up – alone – on the beach. It’s either work together, or go home. Stuck with no one’s company but their own, they learn they might just make a good team after all.

And Abby learns that with just a little bit of kindling, the flames of hate can quickly turn to flames of passion…

~~

Review:

I've seen the TV shows like this but have never read a story based on a survival show. I could only imagine that what was presented on TV was cleverly edited and did not show the characters as their true selves. We've all seen I'm a Celebrity, Survivor and Big Brother at some point.

Abby works for a media company. One that has a hand in the survival show in question, Endurance Island. Someone has dropped out of the celebrities and the production company think it would be a great idea to put an 'insider' into the running. Someone who can scoop the dirt and also write about her experiences after the show with a major book deal. Therefore Abby is more pushed than asked to take the final place. She isn't an ideal candidate but in her favour she did, with the help of a professional, edit a survivalists handbook a while ago. She picked up more than a few tips on how to survive when dropped on a desert island. 

Abby arrives and is immediately thrown into the competitive world of the twelve celebrities. They all want the prize of 2 million dollars badly. So much that they will literally step on you or shame you at every opportunity. The other competitors see Abby as weak and don't make her feel comfortable in her new surroundings at all. She's paired with the hottest guy on the show although she has no idea who he is and what he does in the real world.

Dean Woodall openly admits his eye is on the money but he does want the challenge of competing. He wants to win, and he'll do whatever or whoever he can to get what he wants. He doesn't understand why Abby is being so difficult and in the beginning is scared to have a conversation with her in case she chews his head off..again.

Abby and Dean get put into couples who must get through the first few days together. That means working together on tasks and getting along. They don't. In fact, they make themselves into a spectacle because of their instant dislike of one another. Eventually though, they do start working as a team and get good results.

But Abby starts feeling more for Dean than she should. Firstly she's the insider, she should act professional being as the cameras are on them all the time. And secondly, everyone who's in the competition has a game plan. Abby unfortunately doesn't. Her mindset is different because her goal isn't to win, just get as far as she can.

I did enjoy this book. The dynamics of the game are well thought out and there are some funny moments when Abby and Dean spar constantly. As with the game structure, this book has a structure to it as you travel through the days and weeks from Abby's POV. At times she is a little naive around Dean, she doesn't exactly know what his deal is but we're given little snippets from Dean's POV at the start of each chapter. As the story carries on you can see the different competitors begin to use and lie to each other to disrupt the accord of the game. 

There are some things I didn't like, however, that just felt off to me. I would say that if I was a media plant I wouldn't get hot and heavy (very sexy heavy) with my partner because it would always be on my mind that a) cameras are there, and everyone's watching, and b) when the show gets aired my entire family would see what was going on, and c) I have a job to do and that's the only reason why i'm there.

So, in contrast, Abby and Dean's closeness is believable but to go further? Obviously without this there wouldn't be a point to the book but that's my thought process.

The writing is great though the ending was a little predictable and finished very quickly. The other thing that struck me was how little we actually know about Abby at the end. After the show finishes she doesn't talk about her family or work at all. Something I felt could have taken away the one dimensional aspect the story had at times.

Still, there are others in the series featuring different characters for other reality TV shows. I might take a chance and try them out :)

-CBx

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You can reach Jill Myles (who also writes as Jessica Clare) here:

Web

Goodreads

Review. Thoughtless (Thoughtless #1) by S.C. Stephens

Thoughtless (Thoughtless #1) by S.C. Stephens

Publishers: Self-Pubbed

Date: June 11th 2011

From: Bought 

My rating: 5 out of 5

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Synopsis:

For almost two years now, Kiera's boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she's ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source—a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he's purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes...and none of them will ever be the same.

~~

Review:

Thoughtless is probably one of the best New Adult books out there at the moment. The content is full on, heart wrenching, sometimes annoying, lots of times gaping or gasping (whichever you prefer) and all for a love triangle, a subject many readers hate to read about. This book however is difficult to resist and by the end you will be totally and utterly emotionally drained, I guarantee!

What makes this book complete are the two men in question. Denny Harris is Keira's boyfriend of two years, an Aussie, insanely devoted to her, who loses his way in their romance with a few selfish actions. Thoughtless you might say. The other is Kellan Kyle. A beautiful, gifted, sincere guy who also has a reputation as a man-whore and strangely goes through a dry spell when Keira and Denny come to live with him as housemates. Kellan is lead singer of a band called the Douchebags (D-Bags for short) and along with the other 3 members has a full and happy life - or so we think.

Keira, the voice and female lead is a 21 year old, quite naive student who has never lived outside of her hometown in Ohio. Her parents are very protective and she considers herself book smart not people smart. Keira feels overshadowed sometimes by her beautiful and very flirtatious sister, Anna, and with her family combined we get to understand why Keira makes the decisions she makes after their move to Seattle.

This is a rollercoaster book. Quite long and fully packed with great side kick characters such as Rita, the 40 something barmaid with leathery skin who lives vicariously on her one encounter with Kellan, to Jenny, the sweet as a button waitress who befriends Keira and keeps her on the straight and narrow. Many of the characters you will form an opinion on almost instantly whether its to like or hate, it doesn't really matter. And just so you know, I'm with Keira on her view of Griffin!

All in all a great read. I would class this alongside Love Unscripted as one of my favourite NA reads. 

-CBx

You can reach S.C. Stephens here: 

Web

Goodreads

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor 

 
Publishers: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Published Date: September 27th 2011

My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: 
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review:
Wow! Wow, wow, wow!!

It isn't often I'm awed by such rich writing or such a weird, bizarre, outrageous, spell-binding but truly fantastical story.

Right from the beginning you fall into Karou's world. Crazy, young thing with blue hair and a penchant for drawing fantasy creatures that all have names, histories and Karou's enthusiasm. She goes to an art school in Prague and has a brilliant friend in Zuzana, who is equally as eccentric. Karou's ex-boyfriend has been an ass on an epic scale and gradually you get drawn into the mystical world that Karou lives in. She 'wishes', using magical beads, devastating crudeness to the ex which is incredibly funny.

Taylor then takes us on the journey of Karou's world. Not knowing if she is human or not but she sure looks like one even with the blue hair. We get invited into her past with indeed does include the before-mentioned fantasy creatures, and we visit magical places around the world like Paris and Morocco.

When we reach Morocco the story lifts onto a new level as we meet Akiva. Karou's world shifts slightly as each is drawn to each other for undefined reasons which get explained later on. Because there isn't just the human world involved here. We learn about other worlds accessible by portals. And....shhh, Akiva is an Angel, or a soldier whichever you want. But there is a war going on between the chimaera (the fantasies) and the Angels (the soldiers).

The romance between Karou and Akiva is exquisite. It's slow building and then overwhelming and then...disaster happens.

The writing held me in my chair for hours just reading through the beautiful prose that gets painted like a perfect picture enabling the reader to visualise such drama and scenery.

I've never read Laini Taylor before but I was enchanted. If you haven't had a chance to pick this one up then please do. It'll be well worth your time.

-CB x

You can reach Laini Taylor here:

Web  Goodreads

 

Available from Amazon:

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead 

Publishers: Razorbill
Published Date:  August 23rd 2011
From: Bought
My rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:
Blood doesn't lie...

Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway.

But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California.

But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning..

Review:
It took me a few times to get into this book. It's been on my ´to-read' since it came out. Mostly because I wasn't that interested in the Alchemists when they featured in the Vampire Academy series. Sydney Sage was an interesting character in the story but I didn't think she had the charisma to pull off a spin-off series.

Well, I'm happy to say I was wrong. But if you're looking for something that equals Vampire Academy then this isn't it. It doesn't really compare with the series nor hold the intensity of life at Court with Lissa and Rose, and the wheelings and dealings of dhamphirs and moroi. Part of what kept most people addicted to VA was the fiery relationship between Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov and how their love story pans out.

Bloodlines isn't a love story. Sydney Sage becomes more of a detective and caretaker,  unravelling the secrets of her new life in Palm Springs. What makes this book compelling are the other characters that have been brought over to this series. Eddie, Jill and of course the wonderful Adrian, and if you haven't read Adrians Lost Chapter then read it here!

Back to Bloodlines, after the happenings of Last Sacrifice, Jill, Sydney, Eddie and Adrian are all moved to Palm Springs. Jill needs her education and also needs to stay hidden from the political world of the moroi. She's the only other Dragomir and Lissa's throne depends on her being alive. New characters come into play. Jill starts dating. Sydney wants to keep her Alchemist head on but things start spiralling out of control when moroi girls start dying. Plus a new tattooist in town is giving tattoos to the rich kids who can pay, and the tattoos are spelled to give extra abilities be it strength, speed or popularity. Enter Sydney and her Alchemist knowledge, and Adrian, who has nothing to do all day. Together they start to figure out that something more sinister is at work in Palm Springs and it needs to be stopped.

The ending leads into a interesting cliffhanger that made me immediately want to grab Book 2, The Golden Lily.

Overall, this spin-off has an interesting premise and I was surprised at how much I really liked Sydney. And there is a certain chemistry going on with her and Adrian that will, I'm sure, develop into more. A good start to the series, now lets see if The Golden Lily can hold its own as the sequel!

-CB x

You can reach Richelle Mead here:

Web

 Goodreads

Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Publishers: Razorbill
Published Date:  January 11th 2011
From: Bought
My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis:
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming

Review:
The First 20%
I've had this book in my TBR pile for so long! I found the story quite difficult to understand from the first few pages. Not the going onto the spaceship and being frozen but the backstory. The Why. Told from two point of views-Amy and Elder-we get to know about Godspeed, it's purpose, and the lies that Elder is being told. He figures out a vital clue right near the beginning just in time to set his-and our-minds working through the truth and lies. The biggest question is who unfroze Amy, and why?

The Main Characters
Amy is quite a young character, a little naive. Born on Earth she comes from a life that we all know. Boyfriend, best friend, school etc. But Godspeed is so far away from anything she's known and right from the start she's confused. Her friendship with Elder isn't an easy one. Her friendship with Harley is better, and its through Harley that we grasp the finer points of life on Godspeed. Once Amy understands the environment and why the workers are they way they are, because of the drugs, she begins to take a stance. But the thing that drives Amy is that soon, one day, she'll be able to unfreeze her parents. She misses them so much, which is one thing that Elder can't understand.

Elder. Well, the whole concept of Elder/Eldest was completely creepy. But in no part of the story did I feel like I couldn't relate to Elder. I felt so sorry for him. He had a good childhood, of sorts, but where we arrive in the story is vital to him. He isn't supposed to question anything, but he finds himself questioning everything. And when he finds Amy all reason falls away. For someone so young, he was a great inspirational character. Only he's still the youngest person on the ship.

Harley really appealed to me. He's happy but then shows a really sad side. He'd amazed at the smallest things. I wondered what Harley would be like without the drugs but he really kept Amy together when she was falling apart. 

The Story
So, most of the occupants of Godspeed are given drugs to keep them compliant. I figured this out before it came up. The constant drug taking was something that didn't sit well, and in the end this factors into the downfall of Godspeed. Eldest has been leading the people for so long, but he hasn't been telling anyone the truth. He constantly lies to everyone, keeps them in order, allows a Season to interfere with his final plan, and constantly tries to bring Elder to heal. He's the ultimate dictator. Amy and Elder, with the help of Harley discover so many secrets that soon they're both on Eldest's list of people he wants to pop off. The creativity behind the story is awe-inspiring. It isn't so much the story itself but the processes that the author has put in place to help us understand life on a busted spaceship. The self-sufficiency, the history of the Plague, the creepy Elder/Eldest thing and the creation of the drugs. All these tiny threads weave a great story together.

The End?
Obviously there's another book after so it can't possibly be the end! However we do resolve a lot of issues in the final few pages.

Overall
I'm a sci-fi fan so this book initially appealed to me. I would say its for a younger Young Adult audience than Mature Teen. But, overall I would definitely recommend it!

-CBx

 

You can reach Beth Revis here:
Web   Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads

Review: The Messenger by Leah Rose

The Messenger by Leah Rose

Publishers: Lands Atlantic Publishing
Published Date: May 22nd 2011
From: Author
My rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:
Sixteen year old Jeilin leaves the ordinary behind when she's inducted into the king's service as a horseback riding messenger. She expects a life of adventure and freedom, but those hopes are shattered after being captured by a foreign army.

Given the choice between death and conversion, she swears service to the enemy even though, in her heart, she remains loyal to her kingdom.

As Jeilin's youthful innocence crumbles, she wonders if the prince will still be fond of her; if she can even find a way to help place him back on his rightful throne.

Full of turmoil and sacrifice, The Messenger is a powerful tale of survival, bravery, and loyalty.

Review:

I didn't really know what to expect when I started The Messenger. All I knew was the synopsis sounded intriguing and I just had to read it, and I'm so glad I did!

Set in a fantasy world, Jeilin, from a very young age, always wanted to be a Messenger, and to ride across the country delivering messages, warrants and orders on behalf of the King. She sees a life of excitement, challenges and adventures. A life that means an escape from marriage, cooking and raising kids, as her mother thinks she should do. An opportunity arises and soon she's competing with 200 other men for a chance to join the Kings Messengers. After she wins she's paired up with the only other female messenger and together they start Jeilins on-the-job training. Soon she presents her first message to a young prince who catches her eye. But he also sees her as more than just a farm girl. He sees a young woman who's brave, strong and courageous.

Jeilin’s thoughts of Prince Raihnin are put aside as another journey means another message has to be delivered. Only this time it puts her in peril. A war that was not foreseen erupts after twelve years of peace and Jeilin is in the middle of it and right where the most danger is. 

From the start of the adventure my excitement grew. I couldn't put this book down. I just had to find out what happened next. Jeilin's character also grows so much in this story. She's got guts to start with, she clearly isn't a sissy girl but she's young and you can feel her intimidation when she's in a group of men who laugh at her, such as the tavern scene. She knows she's earned her place as a messenger but she's still a little afraid or even naive about the true dangers of the job.

A character who I loved was Olwen, Jeilin's older female trainer. She allows Jeilin to come into her own and make her own decisions. She never offers unnecessary advice when it comes to matters of the heart, especially when Prince Raihnin is concerned. She's experienced in her work but knows when to keep quiet. And although initially I thought they wouldn't get on I'm glad I was proved wrong.

But the real stars of the book are the horses, especially Fringe. If you're a horsey person you'll love this and it’s plainly clear that the author has a strong bond with horses. The descriptions almost ensure you're able to smell the saddles, bridles and feel the horse’s movements as you ride with Jeilin and Olwen across the plains.

The story sweeps over towns, cities, kingdoms and near oceans. The harsh life of the Ryelnish soldiers really affects Jeilin, not to mention the nasty tattoo she soon wears with shame. The tension towards the end increases as war is at its most aggressive and I almost held my breath in places such as Olwen and Cai being left behind, and Cai and Jeilin heading back behind enemy lines for the final assault.

This is a stand alone book and certainly one of the best I've read this year. And I'm absolutely sure I'll want to read it again soon!

-CBx

 
You can reach Leah Rose here:

Web  Email  Facebook  Goodreads

Review: Patrick Patterson and the World of Others by James Fryar

Guest Reviewed by SCD Goff
SCD specialises in reviewing self-published books, in fact she thrives on it, preferring it to more traditionally published novels. Her reviews are thorough, with good tips for debut authors on what worked well and what didn't, and overall I can guarantee your novels are in good hands.
-SCD Goff's Blog

Patrick Patterson and the World of Others by James Fryar
Publishers: Self-published
Published Date: Oct 3rd 2011
From: Author
My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Synopsis:

For almost thirteen years, Patrick has lived a quiet, simple life in the boring town at the Texas border called Farwell...with big dreams and small hopes of fulfilling them. He’s bullied by the biggest kid in school, constantly singled out in class by the scariest teacher, and has a crush on the prettiest girl, named Cameron. It all seems to be too much for him to handle, when suddenly, he is whisked away by a rag tag group of warriors and others on a quest across the United States to discover his true identity and a destiny clouded in mystery.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think that he'd walk through an underground city filled with citizens from across the universe, contend with powerful enemies from the edge of the galaxy, or travel to the Arctic Circle on a high speed train.

Now, he must decide what he truly desires and whether he even wants to take up the mantle of hero...or alien.

Review:

An ordinary 12-year-old boy in America has weird neighbours, a bully of a coach, and a giant crush on the girl next door. That is, of course, until he finds out who he really is – and what he is destined to do.

So far, ho hum, but the author offers a new take on the ‘I’m a –what??’ story. He interacts very directly with the reader with a distinct narrative voice which is fresh and energetic. A good sense of humour helps the story zip along, and the story itself is pacey and well-structured. The author sets scenes well, has some imaginative flair and the narrative is kept fairly lean, with nothing there but the essentials.

And now for the ugly bits.

First, the writing is not always clear, and this rankles with the reader from early on in the novel: ‘In Farwell, the tiny town on the edge of Texas where our story starts, nothing ever was really a secret anyway. You see, in a city (if you could call it that) of just a few thousand, not much happened, and what did happen was common news the very next day in which a thing of importance did happen.’ I’m not sure what that means.

The author uses some terrible English – for example, ‘would it be possible if I make my speech tomorrow?’ There’s also some very weird phrasing where the author uses words he hasn’t quite got the hang of: ‘I dare say you have had an entire semester to gather all your thoughts into one report …’

It’s hard to know whether to put these glitches down to poor writing or poor editing, so let’s give the benefit of the doubt.

But besides this, there are other, larger problems, such as a lack of development in the secondary characters, and some difficulties with writing action scenes.  And to be honest, I have a few pet peeves, such as - why do boys get to laugh and chuckle when girls only ever seem to giggle?

Altogether, the author shows some real promise. The story can be unexpectedly touching (for example, our hero’s teacher insists that he consider a more sensible career than ‘astronaut’, something most young adults will probably relate to), and there’s good use of simile and fun, very light references to pop culture phenomena such as Star Wars. Finally, a good, gorey finish with a light-touch last chapter will keep you reading happily enough til the end.

A very solid 3.5/5, and good value for your buck.

-SCD
SCD Goff's Blog

You can reach James Fryar here:

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Review: My Boyfriend Merlin by Priya Ardis

My Boyfriend Merlin by Priya Ardis

Publishers:  Ink Lion Books
Published Date: November 21st 2011
From: Bought
My rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

If you can't trust your boyfriend, who can you trust?

In this modern Arthurian, 17-year-old nice girl Arriane, aka Ryan, DuLac just found out her badass biker boyfriend, Matt, is a little older than he was letting on. By a few eons.

In fact, he is really Merlin--the Merlin, King Arthur's Merlin, the greatest wizard who ever lived. But Ryan's not impressed. Tired of being a relationship loser, she'd rather kick his legendary behind.

Sure, the world has been crazy ever since the sword and the stone fell out of the sky like a meteor. But despite gruesome gargoyles, a new world of magic, and the guy driving her crazy, Ryan knows that family is everything. Will Merlin sacrifice hers to save the world? Will she be able to stop him?

Review:

Hey, I'm English so I absolutely embrace anything anyone writes about mythology whether its Robin Hood, Boadicea, Saxons, Druids, Pagans, or King Arthur. Those are the stories we grew up with at school and at home. There isn't a time when you see pictures of Cornwall or Glastonbury and you don't think of King Arthur.

When I started My Boyfriend Merlin I was intrigued from the start. Was this another book trying to re-write history? Seemingly not! Priya Ardis has written something unique and while yes, the basics of the Sword in the Stone tale are there, the story itself has a new fresh twist.

Beginning in Boston USA, Arriane (aka Ryan), a newly almost-adopted member of the Ragnar family, is the President of her school Prom Committee and walks firmly with an organiser in her hand at all times. She's not your usual President you read about but she's popular enough. Pretty, and self-assured, she has a conscience to do the right thing and since her mother’s death, family means everything to her. The story starts as she receives a text in class from Matt Emrys (the surname gave it away for me!) Matt dropped her hard after a couple of dates but she still has feelings for him even though she wishes she didn't. The events that follow immediately after bring in the story of the Stone. A Total Tremor erupts around the world and a mysterious sword in a black rock appears out of nowhere in Trafalgar Square, London. The whole world felt the tremor as an earthquake. Now the whole world knows about the stone as TV pictures are beamed around the globe. In her classroom all eyes turn to Matt when a TV interview reveals he has a doppelganger posing as an expert of Arthurian Legends and the mystery surrounding the stone's arrival. Dr. Vivane Northe not only looks like Matt but also shares his mannerisms.

From here on in the pace of the story doesn't stop. Ryan's life is in danger, evil Gargoyles posing as people she knows want her dead. Matt comes to her rescue and takes her and Grey (her adopted brother) away to England. Matt’s been searching for Candidates, and Ryan and Grey with a few others have been chosen. The quest? To be ready and able to pull the sword from the stone and ultimately save mankind. The Gargoyles want total world domination and if they get the sword first nothing will be the same again.

But to be ready to pull the sword Ryan and Grey are taken to the Avalon Preparatory Academy. A wizard school. The introductions with the some interesting teachers are made and one especially. Dr. Vivane Northe, known as Vane, is actually Matt’s twin brother. Everything about him feels off to Ryan. His attitude and his snarky comments fuel her fire and soon they are at loggerheads. Matt keeps up his cool demeanour but continues to push Ryan aside even when it’s obvious they both share feelings for one another. But Vane picks up on this early on and uses it against them.

The adventure continues at the school as Ryan's skill-set grows and it isn't always good. Vane's own candidates give Ryan a hard time and one of them is a traitor, almost causing the death of Ryan's on-off friend/enemy Gia.

The tables turn back and forth in this wonderfully absorbing tale. One minute you actually forget you're reading about THE Merlin and are just enjoying the thrill ride of a YA book. I found the characters and the story very addictive, so much that it was impossible to put this one down until the early hours of the morning.

I loved the balance shift between good guy and bad guy with Matt and Vane. They took turns at each at various parts in the story. Ryan was more enjoyable as I read more into the book and I'm now more than intrigued about her earlier relationship with Matt. Grey and Gia are an exciting combination as back-up side-kicks with attitude on both sides.

In the end I was thoroughly surprised and almost giddy at how much I enjoyed this fantastic new book based on an old story. I'm now looking forward to reading My Merlin Awakening which is now out and available at Barnes and Noble.

-CBx

About Priya Ardis 
 I love books of all kinds—but especially the gooey ones that make your nose leak and let your latte go cold. My writing comes from a childhood of playing too much She-Ra and watching too much Spock and reading way too much fairy-tales, fantasies, detective stories, romances... the list goes on. (When Belle gasped at the library the Beast gave her, so did I! Color me with library envy.) I started penning my first book at sixteen, writing in long notebooks on train rides in India. A hopeless romantic, I'm also a longtime member of RWA (Romance Writer's of America).

Want to know more? Just ask!
 
You can reach Priya here:

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Review: Decoy (Assassin's Rising #1) by S.B. Sebrick

Guest Reviewed by SCD Goff
SCD specialises in reviewing self-published books, in fact she thrives on it, preferring it to more traditionally published novels. Her reviews are thorough, with good tips for debut authors on what worked well and what didn't, and overall I can guarantee your novels are in good hands.
-SCD Goff's Blog

Decoy (Assassin's Rising #1) by S.B. Sebrick
Publishers: Self-published
Published Date: Sept 2nd 2011
From: Author
My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Synopsis:
The last few grueling years of training have served Kaltor well. He’s learned to harness the magic within his body, overcome a stronger opponent, avoid capture, and everything else an assassin-in-training needs to survive.
Or so he thought.
But when those they protect at an excavation site release a demon from the Abyss itself, Kaltor realizes just how poorly prepared they all are for what’s coming. Within a single night, their mining camp of one thousand people plummets to a couple hundred terrified survivors, the majority turned against each other by the demon’s potent abilities. Then he turns towards Shaylis, the largest city in the region, for the next stage of his plan.
In a constant battle of both steel and strategy Kaltor and his friends struggle to delay, deceive and defeat their opponent, who’s spent the last thousand years planning out every detail of her assault to perfection. As the number of casualties mounts and her final plan comes to light, Kaltor is left with only one option. He must draw on the secret power within himself, knowing if his true identity is discovered, his life and the fate of the world, will be changed forever.

Review:
S.B Sebrick makes a very promising start – no introductions needed, the reader is sent smash bang into the thick of the action without so much as a by-your-leave. All in one great swoop we are plunged into a world with things like ‘Varadours’, ‘Stunts’  ‘Skin Vision’ and ‘Viper Hounds’. In fact, the author trusts his reader with a lot but risks alienating us by introducing so much so quickly.

There’s a lot going on. The hero must hide his true identity, his true powers, deal with parental relationships, friendships, and a major evil (as well as his guilt for his part in releasing this evil) – not to mention his life’s quest to find his brother. This variety helps keep the action going, and there’s certainly plenty of that. Indeed, one of the author’s skills is in describing battle scenes, which are frequent and satisfying.

On the downside, with so much going on it’s hard to feel emotionally invested in any of it. We don’t really get to know the hero, Kaltor, very well through his actions and decisions, let alone the other characters in the book. His relationships, even with his parents, feel stiff and superficial, though the author does better with Kaltor’s friends, with whom there’s an easy camaraderie and banter. 

My usual complaint stands: the manuscript could have really done with a good strong edit to iron out such problems as ‘He couldn’t understand why Crevan was still impossible to find, despite such blatant circumstances’ and ‘the second part was a lie of course, and the truth only partly so’. There’s also the occasional use of really bad English ‘“If you had not of eaten that recipe you could have been Viper Hound food long before you even got the chance to miss being with the girls.” If I could get my hands on this manuscript, I’d also want to edit out some pretty flimsy clichés (“You have a good heart. Don’t ever let them take that from you” would be the first to get the sack).

Despite having a lot of the elements required for exciting, interesting fiction, the novel never quite ignites. We never really get to know about the things that matter; the hero, his loved ones, and the world he’s fighting to protect are all held at arm’s length, which is a disappointment.

If the author could learn the trick of placing his reader in the action, allowing his characters to change and grow according to decisions they must make, if he could get us to understand what’s really at stake in this fascinating world that he’s created – if he could marry all this with better dialogue and his skill with pace and world-building, we would really have something here.

Even still, there’s a lot to like from this promising author. His innovation, imagination and ability to describe action and move a story forward are excellent building blocks, and I have high hopes that more will come.
-SCD
SCD Goff's Blog

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Review: Shadow Moon (Unbidden Magic #4) by Marilee Brothers

My Rating: 5 out of 5

THANK YOU TO NET GALLEY AND BELL BRIDGE BOOKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO REVIEW THIS BOOK AND GIVE MY HONEST OPINION

Synopsis:
Allie Emerson is hoping for a few quiet months to catch her breath after a summer that included the discovery she is not only a twin and of faery blood, but also destined to play a pivotal role in faery world. School has barely begun when Allie must kiss her hope of a normal year goodbye.

She can't escape her unfinished business with the fae, the Trimarks, or Junior Alvarez, who is making it clear he plans to win her back. Signs, portents and whispers are pushing Allie to "find the girl" before it's too late. Hoping her twin can help her solve the riddle of their destiny, Allie uncovers old secrets and begins a cross-country journey that puts her in more danger than ever before. If she succeeds, she may just find the answers that can save everyone she loves. 

Review:
Shadow Moon affirmed everything that I loved about this series so far. Allie Emerson has grown up so much since Moonstone and she proves so many times that she's now a force to be reckoned with. And woe betide anyone who steps in her way. In the beginning she was meek but with a little attitude, and now she's full on 'don't mess with me!'.

The characters in the series all play their parts, and its Junior, her love interest in the first book, that comes to her rescue this time. The trimarks have involved a cult religious group and scour towns to bring in new followers. When they arrive at Peacock Flats everyone in Allie's confidence can tell somethings not right about them. Even Nicola, twin to Allie's ex boyfriend Beck, wants to find out what their plans and how they mean to rid the world of supernatural and demonic forces.

Ryker's gone back to faery land, Beck is still away at college (they're now 'justfriends') but Junior decides he's had enough of his TV stardom and settles back into town. He backs up Allie's decisions and becomes her voice of reason, and even wins Allie's mum over in the end.

While Allie is worrying about the new cult, a special government agency pop into town too to recruit Allie. But she proves she's got a good head on her shoulders and checks up with her FBI source, and with the help of her father (part faery) she discovers they may have ulterior motives.

But the main adventure in this book is Allie's quest to find her unknown twin sister. With the help of Sammie (who she meets telepathically at the cult show), her mom and Junior they visit California to pay a visit. But the trip dooesn't go as planned at all and with disasterous repercussions.

This really has been an exciting series so far. In the beginning I was dubious. I thought it would be a little too young for me but I've laughed and been thoroughly entertained throughout. Book 5, the last in the series is being written right now and I hope Allie finally can put the past behind her and find a bit of happiness.

You can reach Marilee Brothers here: 

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Review: In Shadows by Rebecca S. Foote

Guest Reviewed by SCD Goff
SCD specialises in reviewing self-published books, in fact she thrives on it, preferring it to more traditionally published novels. Her reviews are thorough, with good tips for debut authors on what worked well and what didn't, and overall I can guarantee your novels are in good hands.
-SCD Goff's Blog

Published November 4th 2011 by Echelon Press LLC
Synopsis:
In the fall of 1832, London, England, Ariana Dallenhauf begins an unlikely journey into the dark reaches of the unknown. Her guide and mentor, Dimitri Rochester, takes the young woman and attempts to transform her into what he deems more worthy, an immortal; for Dimitri Rochester is the shadow that consumes light; he is an artful killer, a vampire. Although Ariana is reluctant, she has no choice but to follow Dimitri into her new existence.

While adapting to her new life, Ariana discovers that her assumptions about Dimitri are wrong and her feelings for him have changed into something more passionate. In gaining a better understanding of what it means to be a vampire, Ariana discovers her history with vampires goes back further than she ever imagined, for she is in the middle of a legend and has become part of its unfolding story.

Review:

The author sets the scene in London, 1832. Rarely can an author effectively transpose her work to another time and another continent and succeed in creating a believable narrative. Unfortunately, Ms Foote, like most others, doesn’t get there. Instead the style sounds as if it was written by an able American author who can’t quite differentiate between American and England styles. This is a shame: if the story was set in present-day America (and I can’t see any reason why this shouldn’t be so) the author would have accomplished the creation of something with a more honest and realistic voice and style. We have phrases like ‘check on you’, ‘I just need a moment’, and ‘I guess’ – you’d have trouble finding phrases like this in present-day England, never mind the London of nearly 200 years ago. I acknowledge that historical accuracy (ice for champagne? In the middle of London in 1832?) isn’t of paramount importance here, but if the author isn’t making use of the voice, style and atmosphere of her chosen place and period.

The story opens with a scene involving a woman being chased down by vampires.  The use of the past tense here gives a slightly stale feel to the action. The atmosphere is a little disappointing; it’s a rainy evening in central London, and the streets are quiet – it should be brilliantly creepy but stilted language doesn’t help. ‘Her desire for safety was paramount.’ It’s pretty obvious that the woman wants to be safe – but how do her feet sound against the cobblestones, what do those greasy old streets smell like? The author confuses the issues further by sometimes referring to the character as ‘she’ and to offer a change from this, sometimes as ‘the shop assistant’ – this method isn’t terribly effective and if anything ensures that the reader is holding the character at arm’s length.

Despite some awkward turns of phrase (‘He lifted him up and flew into the dark night, quickly drinking his blood and also breaking his neck, so he would stop screaming.’) there are also some gems, like ‘subtle as a shadow’. When the author concentrates on clarity, keeping sentences short so that the story can speak for itself, some of her promise as a story-teller really shines through. And this is a story- rather than character-led novel.

But, as always, a strong edit would have been incredibly helpful to iron out some of these thoughtless sentences: ‘Two prostitutes stood on the street near a brothel trying to entice people. He came up to the women and smiled at them. One of them, a prostitute with blonde hair, invited him closer.’

And later: ‘Throughout the night, both Ariana's father and Nathaniel looked for her. The two of them were bereft by her disappearance and searched exhaustedly, but it was to no avail. Try as they might, they could not find her. No one would have ever guessed what truly happened to her, or that they would never see her sweet innocence again.’

There is much to like, however, such as the petty squabbling of the vampires, which makes them seem more animal and also more human. A protégé is taken on, a ‘huge’ responsibility. We are told that things didn’t work out so well when Dimitri last took on a protégé. This provides a tasty bit of foreshadowing.

The story the shifts gears and we are given Ariana, the ingénue’s perspective, which is a welcome change. Again the reader is surprised with some good detailing; the new protégé connects with her lost lift with her fiancé through the item of clothing she wore when she was last with him. This is an honestly touching moment.  In fact, the story is always strongest when told from Ariana’s perspective; she is being introduced to the vampire world, just as the reader is, so we can discover and commiserate with her – but it would be good to have a greater difference between her still half-mortal world and their depraved one, with different voices and more atmosphere.

People are always ‘sensing’ and ‘feeling instinctively’ – these sentences should be watched out for – if the author is doing her job, then she will be able to trust that we, the reader are doing ours, too; we will know when the characters are sensing something because we sense it too. For example, ‘She obviously knew very little about being a vampire, but felt instinctively that Dimitri would be a good teacher.’ The author has already done her work here; we have watched Dimitri watch his pupil carefully, and we already know that he’ll be a good teacher. So the sentence becomes redundant. The author should trust the reader in other ways too - we know already that there is a tension between the idea of vampire as beast and vampire as sophisticate, so when the author belts us over the head with this idea, saying ‘He was an enigma of sorts, because he was both a gentleman and a beast’ we feel like rolling our eyes. Furthermore, the author won’t allow the reader to make our own judgments on the natures of these vampires she has created, as the narrative voice throws around words like ‘evil’. The author is perhaps unconsciously setting herself up in opposition to her reader by over-riding the reader’s natural feelings, rather than working with them.

When the author if forthcoming with details, they’re generally interesting and thoughtful. Too often we lack them though, which lends a slightly unbelievable air to the action scenes: ‘He was transforming into a gigantic demon … Dimitri had hanged into an enormous dark demon that seemed to phase into shadow. Large horns began growing out of his massive head and his eyes glowed, red as if on fire. His teeth were long and sharp and he looked terrifying. It was as if the devil himself was standing before her.’ This isn’t enough; he has red eyes, big teeth, horns and he’s large. But what’s his skin like? Does he smell? What happened to his clothes? How big is ‘gigantic’ – 8 foot or 25? Can she still see the remnants of Dimitri in the demon?

Other weaknesses involve a lack of differentiation in voices of characters. Each sounds almost identical, and so again the reader misses out on details and atmosphere. My edition didn’t have page numbers, but the author names her chapters, which I found distracting: it feels pointless and quite Enid Blyton-esque to call chapters things like ‘A Strange Development’. On the other hand, the formatting is attractive, which is something of a rarity in this brave new world of eBooks.  

In terms of structure, the story has a nice bookend feel as Ariana goes to see her mortal family once more. On the other hand, the suggested climax to the story never really pays off. The storyline is sound but we miss out on character and atmosphere – and these could make an ordinary, decent-ish story into something magical. Again, one feels that the strength of writing isn’t there – yet – to back up the strength of ideas. It’s difficult as a reviewer to spend as much time on the positive as the negatives. But there are positives here, and for such a new writer, I have every belief that the author can improve on her strengths and diminish her weaknesses in future outings, and thanks to the glimpses of real promise shown here, I for one will look forward to that.
-SCD
SCD Goff's Blog

You can reach Rebecca S. Foote here:
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Review: Dearly Departed by Lia Habel

My rating: 5 out of 5

THANK YOU TO NET GALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE FOR ALLOWING ME TO REVIEW THIS BOOK AND GIVE MY HONEST OPINION

Synopsis:
Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

Review:
Oh why, oh why, oh why?
I received this book as an ARC way back when (October last year!). I loved the cover, thought the story sounded interesting, tried to read it and fell flat. I tried it 3 or 4 times but was almost always distracted by another, more favoured book just released that I wanted to review more.

I wish I'd stuck with it in the first place! I set myself 3 hours to get into the story before finally giving up and marking it as a DNF. By 3 hours I was already half way through the book and LOVING it!

I wasn't keen on the different POV's (there are a few), I think that's been most peoples gripe about it, however when you finally reach the end of the book you realise how the story fell into place WITH the different POV's that couldn't have happened any other way. Sure, I wanted to read about Nora and Bram more than Victor or Wolfe but once I sucked it in and plowed through, the story was absolutely fantastic.

I've never been one for zombie movies. I prefer the 'Shaun of the Dead' style rather than the others. 2 hours of playing Dead Rising on the PS3 also made me dislike anything zombiefied however thanks to the deft and art-like writing of Habel you get immersed in the lore and before you know it it feels like normal when a leg gets blown off or a bite meets flesh!

The steampunk, new Victorian world-building was slow-going to start with but again, like the zombie lore, exceptional once you got used to ultramodern versus victorian. The city of New London was almost a holograph behind my own eyes as the author takes us through the story of a New Victorian era.

And the characters are more than lifelike. Personally I loved Pamela, the BFF. She showed true courage, and who wouldn't love Bram. What a brilliant character that I'd even want to take him home and introduce him to my parents (despite the fact that he's dead). The slow burning romance between Bram and Nora was so lovely, I was just rooting for them from the first.

All in all, this is a brilliant YA-Zombie-Steampunk novel and the first of a new series. I can't wait to get my hands on more!

(My, my Bram - what big hands you've got!
This is the UK Cover - I like it more than the other!)

You can reach Lia Habel here: 

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Here's the book trailer! Enjoy!