Review: Natalie Wright – Emily’s Trial

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Natalie Wright

Emily’s Trial

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Emily’s Trial’.

The official blurb:

Emily’s journey began two years ago when she became a modern Celtic Priestess. Armed with a magic dagger and the powerful golden torc, she was entrusted with sacred magic and ancient wisdom.

But even a Priestess can know desire, feel temptation, and yearn for love. Will passion entice Emily to use the sacred magic in a forbidden way? Can new love take root in a world of nightmares? And will her friendships survive Emily’s Trial?

My review:

The cover promises things that aren’t delivered! I wanted Emily to be a bit more heroic (I mentioned that in my review yesterday as well). She strikes me as being a bit of an idiot, and damn it, she could be less weepy. They all could be a bit less weepy. More fighting to the death perhaps.

I kept reading this novel because it was short, and I felt that not too much could go wrong. How wrong I was! There is a lot of action going on, and this novel is definitely plot driven. The characters didn’t endear themselves to me, but the action was good.

I just couldn’t get over how stupid Emily was. I wanted her to redeem herself, but indeed, she didn’t have all that much going for her. Oh, how much she threw away. Idiot! Arg!

Beware – cliff hanger ending. So if you loved Emily’s House, then maybe you’ll want to wait until the third book in this series comes out before you read this novel. Otherwise you’ll find yourself horrified and wondering how things can be set right. I felt that Bridgid should have had a bit more omph too.

The writing style has improved since the first book, although there is still a fair amount of telling instead of showing going on. I certainly found that the dialogue was improved though.

This one does have death, and darkness, and despair. Emily is a bit older, a weeping 16 year old, and so the themes reflect that in a way. I’d therefore recommend it for younger teens, as I feel it doesn’t have the substance required to keep things interesting for an older reader who prefers characters like me.

Find it on:

CreateSpace, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Smashwords or the Apple iBookstore

About the Author

Natalie is the author of The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult fantasy trilogy. When not writing, blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, Wattpadding or eating chocolate, Natalie nurtures her young daughter, feeds her dog too many treats, and can’t resist watching Ancient Aliens, no matter how absurd the show becomes.

Natalie enjoys travel, good wine, and excellent food shared with family and friends. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, now lives in the desert Southwest, and dreams of living in a high rise in a big city.

“Books are my friends, ideas my passion.”

You can find her at:

Blog

Twitter: @NatalieWright_

Facebook: NatalieWright.Author

Goodreads

YouTube

Wattpad

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

November 5 – Mom With Kindle – Interview/PROMO

November 6 – Ashley’s Bookshelf – Review

November 7 – Book an Appointment With Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post

November 8 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 9 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

November 10 – Cozy Dragon – Review

November 11 –Lov Liv Life Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO

November 12 – The eBook Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO

November 13 – Bookish Things – PROMO

November 14 – Bea’s Book Nook – Guest Post/PROMO

November 14 – Cherie Reads – PROMO

November 15 – Lovely Reads – PROMO

November 16 – My Reading Addiction – Review

November 16 – Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books – Review/Guest Post

Review: Natalie Wright – Emily’s House

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Natalie Wright

Emily’s House

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Emily’s House’. (Technically, the tour is for the second book, and the review of that will go live tomorrow).

Emily comes home to a grumpy old aunt and an odd creature in her tree house. She’s about to head off cross country, and indeed, across time and space, in a journey that will make her look at her whole life differently. Emily must find herself, and prevent a great evil from surfacing after more than 1000 years.

The official blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Emily Adams is flunking math – and life. But Emily has a secret, one that she has kept even from her best friends. Soon the ancient legacy coursing through her veins will force her secret to be revealed. Dormant for over a thousand years, an evil has arisen and this time, it will destroy anyone – or anything – that stands in its way.

Three teens embark on a dangerous journey and risk everything. For Emily, the fate of her friends – and her world – lies in her hands.

Travel with Emily as she unlocks the secrets of her Celtic ancestors as she goes on a mystical journey to the inner house and beyond.

Join the Journey . .

My review:

I was expecting something in the realm of a spunky heroine who was willing to take on anything to protect her family and friends. I sort of got that, but I felt that Emily could have had a bit more spine for a 14 year old. More spine Emily! Less weeping about things that can’t be changed and more kicking butt. Also, less being pigheaded about the benefits of meditation and more doing.

Fanny was just irritating. It didn’t help that I was fond of Fanny in Enid Blyton’s classic, The Faraway tree, and comparing this Fanny – well, she was a bit flat. I much preferred Jake to either of the two girls, he seemed hard and sensible.

The concepts of time and space brought up in this novel are very interesting ones, and that’s what made the novel to me. Physics is something I have difficulty understanding (and never linked) but I have a healthy respect for those who do). The continuum between this world and other worlds is always interesting.

Much of this novel is about Emily’s training in the Netherworld. The world there is like one your couldn’t imagine, but could. You’d understand if you read it. Confusing isn’t it? The journey to the Netherworld is pretty exciting – but it’s never cleared up how much money Fanny spent (or where they were in the first place).

For me, this book wasn’t a gripper. I would probably recommend it for mature children and early teens. There are references to ‘making love’ and ‘making-out’ but that’s about as bad as it gets. Plenty of ass jokes/references, so I guess if you’re sensitive to those, don’t read it. The teenage language might be more suitable to teenagers – maybe I’m getting too old for this type of book?

Find it on:

About the Author

“Books are my friends, ideas my passion.”

You can find her at:

Blog

Twitter: @NatalieWright_

Facebook: NatalieWright.Author

Goodreads

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Wattpad

Giveaway

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Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

November 5 – Mom With Kindle – Interview/PROMO

November 6 – Ashley’s Bookshelf – Review

November 7 – Book an Appointment With Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post

November 8 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 9 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

November 10 – Cozy Dragon – Review

November 11 –Lov Liv Life Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO

November 12 – The eBook Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO

November 13 – Bookish Things – PROMO

November 14 – Bea’s Book Nook – Guest Post/PROMO

November 14 – Cherie Reads – PROMO

November 15 – Lovely Reads – PROMO

November 16 – My Reading Addiction – Review

November 16 – Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books – Review/Guest Post

Review: Melissa Wright – Rise of the Seven

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Rise of the Seven

Melissa Wright

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Rise of the Seven’. This is actually the last post in a series of four reviews of this series.

Frey has recovered her memories, her throne, her people. But she’s still a bit confused on what she should be doing about Chevelle… and there’s plenty of action to keep her occupied in the meantime.

The official blurb:

Memories and magic recovered, Frey is restored to the throne. But as she works to regain control of the North, a small silver dagger nearly brings her end. She raises The Seven of her guard and proves her abilities in order to secure her position. But another attempt on her life, from what appears to be fey, reveals not all are pleased with her return. If she could only figure out the force behind the attacks, she might be able to relax enough to decide what to do about her other problem… Chevelle.

My review:

I was a bit confused from the beginning which what was going on, and how much time had passed and so forth. Where had Frey’s extra power come from? What was the importance of the twins? What the hell was she doing? But that evened itself out, and I found myself enjoying the novel.

The style of this novel was much improved from the first two novels in the trilogy. The action was a lot more balanced, with things happening throughout ramping up to a quite satisfactory conclusion.

I could have sworn this was a trilogy, but the way this one reads is that it could be the start of something new (ie. an epilogue would have been useful) or else it would have done a good job of being a standalone (with a bit more at the beginning).

The romance between Chevelle and Frey ramps up a bit in this novel, but the reader is still left hanging with the bonds. What kind of bonds are they?! That’s something that appealed to me though.

Something I loved about each of the novels were the covers. Really visually appealing, made me want to read it. Never-mind that Frey doesn’t wear those dresses from what I could tell.

The stand out episode in this book was the dining room and Frey’s display. Yep, awesome, wish I was there!

Again, I’d recommend this for teens, possibly of all ages, as although there’s some blood flying and various other gory parts, I don’t think they were romanticised.

Find it on:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

November 6 – My Daily Obsession – Review

November 7 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

November 8 – The Cozy Dragon – Review

November 9 – Book Nerd – Review/Guest Post

November 12 – Bound By Words – Review/Interview

November 15 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 17 – My Reading Addiction – Review

November 18 – Reviewing Shelf – Review/Guest Post

Review: Melissa Wright – Molly

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Molly

Melissa Wright

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Molly’. This is actually the third post in a series of four reviews of this series.

Molly wants to believe she is special, but she’s part of an army of breeders…

The official blurb:

Molly dreamed her whole life of living in a world of magic… until the day she walked into one. This short story falls between The Frey Saga Book Two: Pieces of Eight and the third book, which is scheduled to release late 2012.

My review:

This little novella was hardly long enough to qualify for a review, but I promised 4 posts, so here’s number 3. I actually quite liked this little story, and it was pleasant to hear some someone other than Frey for a bit.

The gradual idea/picture that is being built here is that half-breeds are more powerful, but that they kill their parents in some way – usually by accident. Molly’s half-breed son should be more powerful than Frey, but it’s hard to tell.

This short story raised more questions than it answers in my opinion. Which is good if you’re trying to draw your readers on for more. I think it’s more polished than the first two books, and I have hopes for the third novel to be more exciting again.

Find it on:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

November 6 – My Daily Obsession – Review

November 7 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

November 8 – The Cozy Dragon – Review

November 9 – Book Nerd – Review/Guest Post

November 12 – Bound By Words – Review/Interview

November 15 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 17 – My Reading Addiction – Review

November 18 – Reviewing Shelf – Review/Guest Post

Review: Melissa Wright – Pieces of Eight

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Pieces of Eight

Melissa Wright

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Pieces of Eight’. This is actually the second post in a series of (hopefully) four reviews of this series.

Frey is still an outcast. Struggling to regain memories and being assaulted with blackouts here and there, she can’t hope to help in the fight against the council members that bound her.

The official blurb:

After revealing her own dark past, Frey is forced to join with a group of strangers whose pasts seem to intertwine with her own. She struggles to regain her memories, her full power, only to find there is more danger on the other side. And now, there is no turning back.

My review:

It felt like nothing happened in this novel for the first 40% or so. They journeyed out, it got too dangerous, and they returned to the castle. Much of this novel’s plot is in the character development, and the rediscovery of Frey’s memories. The final moments, just as in the first book in this series (see yesterday’s post for a review), are the most thrilling.

The quick plot point of Molly seems relevant because of the ‘next’ book in this series, simply titled ‘Molly. It’s one of those 2.5 instalments which I’ve never really had much to do with before. Hopefully it’s a good one.

Something I would have liked to see a bit more of would be some foreshadowing. The reader finds things out at the same pace that Frey does, and I would have liked to have a bit more over Frey. The journal is a good thing, but I feel like including that just for the reader in the beginning, then letting Frey find out slowly would have provided more suspense.

The character development of Frey and even Fannie is good. I did like Frey, even if she didn’t seem very bright at times. It was slightly frustrating that she didn’t want to train. She needed to be able to protect herself! But then again, I’m not sure I would want to train with Ruby either.

The PDF form of this novel was so much better than the one previously. The print was large enough for me to read comfortably and I didn’t squint.

I’d recommend this for teens, as I don’t think it has enough depth for adults. A decent enough fantasy I suppose. Take it or leave it either way in my opinion.

Find it on:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

November 6 – My Daily Obsession – Review

November 7 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

November 8 – The Cozy Dragon – Review

November 9 – Book Nerd – Review/Guest Post

November 12 – Bound By Words – Review/Interview

November 15 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 17 – My Reading Addiction – Review

November 18 – Reviewing Shelf – Review/Guest Post

Review: Melissa Wright – Frey

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Frey

Melissa Wright

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Frey’. This is actually the first post in a series of (hopefully) four reviews of this series.

Frey is a failure. She’s clumsy, she can’t do magic, and then when she does work out how to do it she ends up killing animals and plants with a touch. Her new group of friends seems like they will help her, but who is really protecting them?

The official blurb:

Unaware she’s been bound from using magic, Frey leads a small, miserable life in the village where she’s sent after the death of her mother. But a tiny spark starts a fury of changes and she finds hersef running from everything she’s ever known.

Hunted by council for practicing dark magic, she is certain she’s been wrongfully accused. She flees, and is forced to rely on strangers for protection. But the farther she strays from home, the more her magic and forgotten memories return and she begins to suspect all is not as it seems.

My review:

I wasn’t really sure where the tale of Frey was going, but there was a theme of ‘the journey’ nonetheless. I didn’t really feel Frey’s character until later in the novel, and then I felt she wasn’t all that bright.

The ending was a real revelation, and well worth reading the rest of the novel for. Having now had a sneak peek at the second book (Pieces of Eight – review tomorrow), I can see how it links in nicely.

There weren’t very many plot points, and the things that seemed like big things often weren’t, and there was more than you would have thought to others. I’d probably say this novel is aimed at teenagers, although there are some hints of romance.

The thing I liked most about this novel was the new world. I felt the journey and I loved the displays of magic that were in the middle of the novel. I would have liked to know more about Frey’s hair colour change too!

The romance was a little transparent for me. But then, Frey has lost so much, she doesn’t even know where to start looking for everything. How can she be expected to know her own mind? She didn’t seem very old, yet, she must be.

I think I may have been slightly prejudiced against this novel, simply because it was in a PDF form, and the print was tiny, really really tiny, on my Kobo eReader. Yes, it was only 97 pages, but those print pages were small! I also got my review copies a little late, and I still haven’t finished reading the one for the book actually on tour *gulp*.

Find it on:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

November 6 – My Daily Obsession – Review

November 7 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

November 8 – The Cozy Dragon – Review

November 9 – Book Nerd – Review/Guest Post

November 12 – Bound By Words – Review/Interview

November 15 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 17 – My Reading Addiction – Review

November 18 – Reviewing Shelf – Review/Guest Post

Review: S.M. Boyce – Treason

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Treason

S.M. Boyce

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Treason’. See yesterday’s post for my review of ‘Lichgates’, the first book in the series.

Kara is just coming into her powers as keeper of the Grimoire. In order to save the one she loves, she has to make hard choices and compromise her beliefs – but will it be enough after-all?

The official blurb:

Ourea has always been a deadly place. The lichgates tying the hidden world to Earth keep its creatures at bay—for now.

Kara Magari ignited a war when she stumbled into Ourea and found the Grimoire: a powerful artifact filled with secrets. To protect the one person she has left, she strikes a deal that goes against everything she believes in. But things don’t go as planned.

Braeden Drakonin can no longer run from who—and what—he is. He has to face the facts. He’s a prince. He’s a murderer. He’s a wanted man. And after a betrayal that leaves him heartbroken, he’s out for blood.

To survive, both Kara and Braeden must become the evil each has grown to hate.

My review:

I had high expectations for this book, and it met all of them. All of the action and romance and awesomeness that was in the first book of this series was present here as well, and I was really gripped.

Kara matures in this novel quite a bit. Her love interest, Braeden, also have to come to terms with what he is. It seems that as their characters progress, all the other Bloods are deteriorating into madness or some other such idiocracy.

I didn’t see Kara’s family history coming at all. The bit of foreshadowing that was included in ‘Lichgates’ for this I’d almost forgotten about, but then rediscovered that nibbly bit in my mind. Poor Kara, it seems like she’ll never have peace.

The title of ‘Treason’ is very fitting. There are so many kinds of treason and betrayal going on, it’s hard to pick which is my favourite. Am I allowed to have favourite betrayals? I’m sure that a rereading of this novel wouldn’t do any hard, as I’m sure I could pick more up from it.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the muses, and I felt that part was left pretty open. I can’t say too much, or I’ll give away all the surprises, but Adele wasn’t exactly thinking rationally about that I can tell.

There are definitely some deeper themes in this novel. The original Vagabond suffered and died, and he couldn’t keep his love safe, so he wants Kara to do the same. It’s entirely unreasonable of him. Kara gets the chance to choose life again, and of course, she needs something big to come back for. But for her, it’s not uniting the yakona who she never had a blood link to, it’s about peace.

The same thing that bugged me about the first one that I forgot to mention was Kara’s relationship with Twin. I didn’t really see very much development, except the tiara episode, because Kara is away so much. Maybe I missed something? You should get your hands on a copy of this trilogy and tell me if I did!

I actually have applied to get the ARC of this trilogy, which doesn’t come out until Fall next year. I think that means October for me, since that will be our spring. It’s far too long to wait in my opinion! If you don’t have copies of these books, get your hands on them immediately and read them. Or, if you can’t stand the suspense of reading them but not having the third book, buy them anyway and keep them for then.

Adults and teenagers alike would enjoy this novel. There are no sex scenes, basically no bad language, and only positive depictions of making hard life decisions the right way. Five stars from me.

Find it on:

About the Author

S. M. Boyce writes fantasy and paranormal fiction. Boyce is a sarcastic twit, but she still has friends because some people seem to like that. She’s currently working on the YA epic fantasy series the Grimoire Trilogy. Lichgates, the first in the series, is already available. Treason (book 2) releases October 27. Feel free to connect with her online or check out her blog.

You can find her at:

Website
Twitter: @theSMBoyce
Facebook

Goodreads Author Page

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Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 1 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

November 2 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

November 3 – Book an Appointment With Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post

November 4 – Cozy Dragon – Review

November 6 – Overflowing Bookshelves – Review/Interview

November 7 – Lizzy’s Dark Fiction – Review/Guest Post

November 9 – Hooked in a Book – Review/Interview

November 10 – Book Lovers Paradise – Review/Guest Post

November 11 – Spews of my Views – Review

November 13 – Bookishly Devoted – Review

November 14 – Book Nerd – Review/Guest Post

November 15 – Ashley’s Bookshelf – Review

November 16 – My Reading Addiction – Review

November 18 – Emily Ward – Review/Interview

November 20 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 21 – Read a Holicz – Review

November 23 – Inside BJ’s Head – Review/Guest Post

November 24 – My Daily Obsession – Review

Review: S.M. Boyce – Lichgates

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Lichgates

S.M. Boyce

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Lichgates’. (Technically, the tour is for the second book, and the review of that will go live tomorrow).

Kara loves hiking and nature. Little does she know that she’s suddenly going to get a lot more intimate with blood (green, back and red varieties) and various trees, dirt and watersources. It’s all because she has found the Grimoire. To top things off, she’s now being used as currency between the various yakona tribes.

The official blurb:

The Grimoire turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it…and Kara Magari is its next target.

Kara has no idea what she’s getting herself into when she stumbles across the old book while hiking along a hidden trail. Once she opens it, she’s thrown into Ourea: a beautiful world full of terrifying beings that all want the Grimoire’s secrets. Everyone in this new world is trying to find her, and most of them want to control the new-found power the Grimoire bestows upon her.

Braeden Drakonin grew up in Ourea, and all he’s ever known in life is lying. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. He has one question to ask the book—-one question that can fix everything in his broken life—-and he’s not letting Kara out of his sight until he gets an answer.

Kara cannot escape her new life in Ourea. There’s no going back now.

My review:

This was awesome! I really enjoyed it. I had some qualms as I started reading it – I’ve never had two books in a series to read and review at the same time before. My fears were totally unfounded though, because Lichgates got off to a racy start and the action didn’t stop happening.

There were so many things that I liked. Kara was a spunky heroine plagued by her own demons but still willing to help others. Thrust into a world she doesn’t know anything about, and where she is at a distinct disadvantage, she makes the most of what she has anyway.

Nothing too cloying in the romance part of this novel – really just fantasy through and through. It was a relief There were only veiled hints at sex, but the bonding between the yakona was well thought out and just as intimate. The suspense here was just as good as in the other more action-paced parts.

The world building is fantastic. Journeys that would have taken hours on foot? No problems! There’s a griffin for the task! Or a dragon. Or a two-headed horse. The caves, mountains and various gardens are fully realised as well.

Something I thought could have been done better, or that I would have liked to have seen more of, were the trips back into the ‘real world’. It’s hard to believe that this magic world has been hidden all this time, and that people don’t see it. I wanted to know what would happen to people who did see it.

I was happy with the ending of Lichgates because it feel like a proper ending. Yes, some cliff-hanger stuff, but also a satisfactory conclusion of some of the plot points. I started reading the second novel ‘Treason’ right after I finished it! ‘Treason’ is the novel that is officially on tour, and my review of that will go live tomorrow.

The cover is quite attractive, and it’s relevant to the story too. It reminds me a bit of the covers of the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix in fact. I’m going to be waiting impatiently for the third book in this trilogy to come out so that I can buy it.

Find it on:

About the Author

You can find her at:

<a
href=”http://smboyce.com/” rel=”nofollow” style=”color: #551a8b;” target=”_blank”>Website
Twitter: @theSMBoyce
Facebook

Goodreads Author Page

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos of ‘Treason’ at each of these tour stops:

November 1 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet

November 2 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

November 3 – Book an Appointment With Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post

November 4 – Cozy Dragon – Review

November 6 – Overflowing Bookshelves – Review/Interview

November 7 – Lizzy’s Dark Fiction – Review/Guest Post

November 9 – Hooked in a Book – Review/Interview

November 10 – Book Lovers Paradise – Review/Guest Post

November 11 – Spews of my Views – Review

November 13 – Bookishly Devoted – Review

November 14 – Book Nerd – Review/Guest Post

November 15 – Ashley’s Bookshelf – Review

November 16 – My Reading Addiction – Review

November 18 – Emily Ward – Review/Interview

November 20 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 21 – Read a Holicz – Review

November 23 – Inside BJ’s Head – Review/Guest Post

November 24 – My Daily Obsession – Review

Review: Melissa McPhail – Cephrael’s Hand

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Rose Herbert

Cephrael’s Hand

Melissa McPhail

Welcome to Innovative Online Book Tours’ stop for ‘Cephrael’s Hand’.

This is a fantasy epic of the adult variety – thick, meaty reading that is excellent for Summer reading – the world within the book is an extension of our summers. Lots of characters to appeal to all readers, and lots of plot points to keep you satisfied and to keep reading.

The official blurb:

“All things are composed of patterns…” And within the pattern of the realm of Alorin, three strands must cross:

In Alorin…three hundred years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline: Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three centuries past earned him a traitor’s brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine D’Lacourte’s mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his race. But first he’ll have to find him…

In the kingdom of Dannym…the young Prince Ean val Lorian faces a tenuous future as the last living heir to the coveted Eagle Throne. When his blood-brother is slain during a failed assassination, Ean embarks on a desperate hunt for the man responsible. Yet his advisors have their own agendas, and his quest for vengeance leads him ever deeper into a sinuous plot masterminded by a mysterious and powerful man, the one they call First Lord…

In the Nadori desert…tormented by the missing pieces of his life, a soldier named Trell heads off to uncover the truth of his shadowed past. But when disaster places him in the debt of Wildlings sworn to the First Lord, Trell begins to suspect a deadlier, darker secret motivating them.

My review:

I was upset that I was reading a ebook copy, as although I dutifully read the table at the beginning that detailed all of the characters and the various terms, I couldn’t keep them all straight in my head when I started reading. Had this been a hard copy, I could have easily flicked back and forth. Nevertheless, the novel was very enjoyable – although as an epic I struggled to keep them all straight in my head!

I gravitated towards liking various characters from the beginning. Trell hit a note with me, as did Franco, even though it seemed as if Franco wasn’t all that he has put himself up to be as. It’s so difficult to discuss the characters in detail because so much is important to the plot. I didn’t like Ean, and he seemed like a bit of an idiot. Yes, noone knws what is going on with the strands, but then again, he doesn’t have to torment the poor young truth reader so!

For character development, I would have to give five stars for Trell’s development, and not quite so many for the other characters. If you’re looking for the interest here, it’s Trell. If you’re more of a plot person, you’ll want to follow the other characters more.

The descriptions was subtle, and the world building impressive. Although it was quite confusing at first, and I didn’t really know what was going on as a larger picture, I knew that the constellation of stars was probably shared by the people in the same world, and so that provided a grounding point for me. Sounds confusing? You’ll understand it when you read the novel.

I loved the tongue in cheek humour that peaked through in parts, and also the irony that became apparent as I continued to read. There were so many cases of mistaken identity and also the things that appeared to be something else. It’s quite masterful really, and it really reflects the style and ability of the author that she can keep all of these straight. On this first reading (I’m saying I might have to do a second to really appreciate it more), I didn’t pick up any inconsistencies.

This is a very heavy reading novel, and it took me quite a few tries to finish reading it. I’m glad I persisted though. I’m not saying the novel was bad in any way, but if you were looking for something to read in a weekend, this probably isn’t it. I’d also put this firmly in the adult category although it could also be suitable for older teens (provided they don’t mind the odd sexual innuendo and hints).

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About the Author

Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. A long-time student of philosophy, she is passionate about the Fantasy genre because of its inherent philosophical explorations.

Ms. McPhail lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Cephrael’s Hand is the multiple awar
d-winning first novel in her series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.

You can find her at:

Website http://melissamcphail.com
Blog http://melissamcphail.com/blog
Facebook http://facebook.com/cephraelshand
Twitter @melissagmcphail
Goodreads http://goodreads.com/melissagmcphail

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Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

Review: Tonya Fitzharris – 6 Seconds of Life (Review and Giveaway)

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Rose Herbert

6 Seconds of Life

Tonya Fitzharris

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘6 Seconds of Life’.

Maura’s life has fallen apart to the point at which she wants to die. In fact, she’s jumping off the bridge and having her life replayed before her eyes right as you read. This novel is told as excerpts from her life in a breathtaking and spellbinding 6 seconds of text.

The official blurb:

Maura has just jumped.

Now she has precisely six seconds until she hits the water below her—just six more seconds until she is finally freed from her mundane and aimless existence. Freed of all of the regrets and disappointments that have haunted her throughout her nineteen years.

She just needs to be free.

But as she falls, the most pivotal points of her life start to replay like a movie in her head: her family falling apart, her first love, her first heartbreak, her first true friends, and her first betrayal. As she remembers these moments that brought her to this point, will she feel a sense of peace? Or will her death be her greatest regret?

My review:

I applied for this book, because mental illness is one of my favourite areas to read about. Someone jumping off a bridge immediately caught my fancy. The cover looked pretty neat too, although it turns out that the red dress is really not all that important.

Only occasionally did the text and dialogue not flow for me – the rest of the time I was so suckered into the story that I didn’t care. The various plot points were good, all interwoven really well. Loved the dollhouse, and its special significance for Maura as well.

The book immediately sucked me in. I was really happy up until the point that she jumped, and then the drop into the past seemed quite major. There were a couple of time shifts in this that had me confused, namely because it looked like she skipped from 9th grade to college very quickly.

There’s a couple of bits that seemed inconsistent to me – including the size of Maura’s breasts. Sorry to be so crude and mention them and all. You’ll note that on the cover they are quite small. At various points in the novel though, they are referred to as being out of proportion with the rest of her body, and she’s very ‘hot’. Perhaps it is a reflection of her poor body image that the text sometimes says they are small?

Maura’s thought processes get quite confused as the novel progresses. It appears she has anxiety and depression, perhaps a bit of PTSD. I felt really sorry for her actually, and I felt that although she had made some bad decisions, it wasn’t really her fault – that’s what mental illness does to a person. It’s strangely appropriate to be reviewing this in October, as this is Depression Awareness Month.

This novel illuminated to me some of the things that go on in frat houses in the USA. I’m slightly relieved that we don’t really have such things in Australia, as they sound like horrific drinking parties. The special week of induction and everything else was fascinating!

I loved this book. The ending had me a little disappointed but I guess this is young adult fiction for a reason and not everyone thinks in the same way as I do. Most people will probably be relieved by it – it offers hope in a strange way.

I sincerely hope that Fitzharris keeps writing novels in this genre, and with her fantastic style. I can see this book being unsuitable for younger teens, but I think for older teens (those who have encountered or have a healthy curiosity about sex) it is a fantastic and eyeopening read. This novel for me was really on par with some of the Julie Anne Peters novels that I love – the one that springs to mind on a similar topic is ‘By The Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead’.

Five stars from me – the minor things I’ve complained about didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The only thing that did was that my ereader ran out of battery right at a crucial part of the novel, and I had to stop and wait until I got home to finish reading it! Well worth the $5 it is on Amazon, and I’d consider buying myself copies of Fitzharris’ future books in paperback form.

Find it on:

Barnes and Noble and Smashwords

About the Author

Tonya Fitzharris is a writer, reader, blogger, mediocre cook, photographer, runner, Florida native, and cat lover. She used to be a Middle School English Teacher, but now she’s trying out the whole novel writing thing. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and her Belgian cat named Waffles.

You can find her at:

Website http://www.tonyafitzharris.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tonyafitzharriswrites

Twitter @tonyafitzharris

Giveaway:

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Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

October 15 – My Devotional Thoughts – Guest Post/PROMO

October 16 – Oh, Chrys! – Interview/PROMO

October 17 – Book Nerd – Review/Giveaway

October 18 –Little Library Muse – Review/Interview

October 19 – Book Life – Review/Interview

October 21 – In This World of Books – Review/Guest Post

October 22 – Mom With a Kindle – Interview/PROMO

October 24 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview

October 25 – Work a Day Reads – Interview/PROMO

October 28 – Reading Under the Stars – Review/Guest Post

October 29 – Sweet Southern Home – Guest Post/PROMO

October 30 – The Cozy Dragon – Review

November 1 – Shawn Inmon – Review/Guest Post

November 2 – Reviewing Shelf – Review/Guest Post

November 3 – The Story Factory – Review/Interview

November 3 – Books and Needlepoint – Review

November 4 –For the Love of Film and Novels – Guest Post/PROMO

November 5 – Pretty in Fiction – Guest Post/PROMO

November 6 – A Reading Daydreamer – Review

November 7 – =”nofollow” style=”color: #551a8b;” target=”_blank”> Cherie Reads – Review

November 7 – Andi’s YA Books – Review/Guest Post

November 8 – Kimmie’s Bookshelf – Review

November 8 – My Cozie Corner – Review

November 9 – Tana Rae Reads – Review/Interview

November 10 – Books Down My Pillow – Review/Guest Post

November 11 – Jen McConnel – Interview/PROMO

November 12 – Books Books and More Books – Review/Guest Post

November 13 – Disincentive Reviews – Review/Guest Post

November 13 – Above Average, Below Special – Review

November 14 – Little Books Star – Review/Interview

November 15 – Stressed Rach – Review

November 16 – Zone Out Mode – Review/Guest Post

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Rise of the Seven

Melissa Wright

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