Showing posts with label Cara Lynn Shultz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cara Lynn Shultz. Show all posts

ARC Review: The Dark World (Dark World #1) by Cara Lynn Shultz





My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Expected publication: May 27th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

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Synopsis:

Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. 

Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home

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Review:

Paige sees ghosts. A side affect from a car accident three years ago. She is also the school Pariah and considered a loon and unstable by her school mates who often see her talking to herself. Her best friend is Dottie, a girl who died in the '50's and occupies the 3rd floor bathroom at school.

Logan is the school emo boy who keeps to himself. He only ever talks to Paige when he's asking to borrow a pen.

One day something drastic happens and their worlds collide.

This is a story about Demons and Warlocks.

There is a parallel universe with theirs called Dark World (theirs is Light World to the non-ordinary people)

This book is a character driven romance book which gets very deep and emotional at times, but action packed fighting scenes remind you of the bigger picture.


Pro's

Paige and Logan are young but their romance isn't forced or 'insta'. Their coming together happens naturally over time. Paige is an amazing character, full of quirks and flaws but a naturally honest person.

Paige has a great relationship with her overbearing parents. Even though they almost keep her swaddled in a safety blanket, Paige is very understanding why they do this.

Logan! Much of this book is dialogue between Logan and Paige. A lot of this book is about fighting demons which Logan does very well. He is a 'dreamboat! (a Dottie-ism)'.

Little twists and turns with the characters i.e. if Dottie isn't nearby Paige and Logan know a demon must be in the vicinity. Very clever author work.



Con's

While reading, it's very easy to make comparisons with other demon/warlock/paranormal books.

Parts of the book are slow although the action makes up for it.

Disappointed with the introduction of Ajax and Rego. I almost put the book down fearing a love triangle. Happily, it wasn't so. However, I was disappointed with the drabness of Rego. I was expecting a little more fire or oomph from him.

This isn't a book packed with descriptions. Sometimes the world building could have done with elaboration.

Note: There is a cliffhanger for the next book.


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CB Note to readers: This is a new type of review I'm starting aimed to get to the point and exclude waffle. Points are easier to read. If you prefer this than the usual review please let me know!

Available from Amazon


Review: Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz




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


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Synopsis:
Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.

Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.
Review:
When I read Spellbound I only gave it a 3 out of 5. I think I should have given it a 4. Firstly what struck me overall about this book is that the premise of the story is incredibly simple. Once we figure out who the evil witch is, most of it is plain sailing from there. There aren't that many twists and turns, but the writing is beautifully done and the romance between Emma and Brendan is wonderful, pure (they are soul mates after all), and a delight to read. There is no bickering, or the arrival of another teasing male to form a triangle, its exactly what a gorgeous romance should be. And neither characters deviate from their feelings which, again, in the YA age of unpredictability is a good role to teach teens.

In this episode of the series we get a lot more 'witchy' which (!) I loved. We have more Angelique and her great cousin Randi (both witches). But the witchyness isn't OTT. And Angelique and Brendan bury the hatchet and actually get nice with each other.

The main character, Emma, left me disappointed in the previous book. I just felt she was lacking and a tiny little bit wussy whereas here we get a much different and more grown up version. I liked her a great deal more and by the end I thought she was amazing.

This is a great follow-on from Spellbound. If you had any misgivings towards the first book then this one will capture you in.

Expected publication: March 27th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz



My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Connor, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

Review:
This is one of those confusing ones where you really enjoy it even till the end, but then when you analyse it, its not so great. The author must have held me in by the writing which flows well and is exceptionally emotional.

The evilness in this story comes in two very churly and horrible school mates. When I write mates that just means they go to the same school. But apart from bad attitudes and a whole lot of nastiness there was not a great deal of bad bad bad stuff.

Ok, I get it that the two main leads are both reincarnations of the historical figures but I just couldn't help feeling that half way in, we got lost in all the gossip, bickering and he-said, she-said stuff. I really did loose focus at this point.

Then the big climax is just not that huge, in my opinion. Sure, Brendan got thrown off a cliff and was rescued by Ethan but I just couldn't get fired up about the intrigue. There wasn't even that much witchyness either.

One good point is that the romance is good. Very dreamy, very wish-he-was-my-boyfriend like! Sigh!

PS. Note to author. Ladybugs in England, even in Middle England are called Ladybirds not Ladybug.

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