Review: R.J. Hore: The Dark Lady (Review and Giveaway)

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R.J. Hore

The Dark Lady

Welcome to Reading Addictions Blog Tour’s stop for ‘The Dark Lady’.

Nefasti’s father has just died, and her three uncles are manoeuvring for the throne. She’s only 10, but she won’t let this get in the way of finding out who killed her beloved parents or becoming a good ruler, who perhaps can restore the beauty of her country.

The official blurb:

A young girl, Nefasti, wakes to discover her father, the King of the ancient kingdom of Vadio, has been poisoned and her mother, the Queen, is near death, leaving her the sole heir to the crown. Princess Nefasti has three uncles who feel otherwise. Two uncles believe the solution to controlling the kingdom is to betroth her to one of their sons, the third thinks that by marrying her himself he will secure the crown. To compound Nefasti’s problems, Vadio is surrounded by three hostile kingdoms, the remnants of the days when Vadio ruled most of the known world. These kingdoms plot to take control, whether through an arranged marriage, or war, or by whatever manner they can.
Princess Nefasti has two main goals, to survive, and to discover who is responsible for the death of her parents. Surrounded on all sides by plots, in order to save her life, is she destined to the side of darkness, or is she simply a misunderstood child? She must find allies and use her wits while trying to hold on to the throne. If I had to look at what prompted the idea for this novel, it was first wondering how certain individuals in fiction or history obtain their reputation, and second, looking at the life of Queen Elizabeth the First as a young girl in a precarious position surrounded by scheming nobles.

My review:

The Dark Lady initially drew me in due to the title. As I continued reading though, it took me a bit to realise that the Dark Lady must be Nefasti. Duh! Of course she is, who else would it be?

13484094The names of the characters are a little strange in my opinion. Nefasti reminds me of Egyptian culture, while some of the others seemed European or a play on words (like some of the ambassadors!) I appreciate the difficulty in making unique character names, and I think Hore has done a good job. I had trouble remembering which ambassador belonged to each prince, so it was definitely a good thing that Hore kept reminding me in the first half of the novel.

The beginning of each chapter is a little paragraph from the nurse’s perspective that relates intimately to Nefasti’s behaviour in the following text. Each of these is a reasonable explanation for events without the intervention of magic. I felt like the fantasy was explained, yet there was more than met the eye. As the novel progresses, these become more and more cryptic.

Medieval fantasy. I was mistakenly reading this as historical fantasy. Therefore I’m not surprised that I didn’t recognise any of the manoeuvring or the geography as history. It took me a bit to realise this again as well.

Nefasti is remarkably composed for a 10 year old. There were a couple of inconsistencies if you believed that it was her father’s death that made her into a miniature adult instead of her being that way before, but other than that she composes herself just as you would hope. I just couldn’t feel her as a character, despite it being told from her perspective. There was hardly any inner awareness, which is something I really go for.

This book was marketed as an epic fantasy, or at least I thought it was. Now, currently I’m also reading another epic fantasy for a review next month, and I thought that the definition of an epic fantasy was that they were around 800 pages or more. Two other examples I’ve read this year are Kushiel’s Dart and Eirelan. Imagine my surprise that when I opened this novel up on my Kobo, I found that it had only around 300 pages. I was relieved actually, as I felt like I otherwise would feel rushed to read the book and wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

I’m not sure this is a reread for me. I would probably give it three stars – I liked it enough to enjoy reading it, but the dialogue felt a little stilted in parts (perhaps as part of Nefasti’s character). Perhaps I have been spoiled lately. I think it’s a very respectable medieval fantasy novel for those who enjoy fantasy in general.

The novel’s ending left me a little underwhelmed. I didn’t really feel the buildup until the last 50 pages or so, and then it seemed like everything happened at once. Nefasti certainly got her feet under her quickly enough. It seems like maybe this should have a sequel, because the epilogue was also rather cryptic!

I’d recommend this book for teenagers and adults. Although there are some adult themes (read: skimmed over sex scenes), they are understated and actually add to the novel.

I received this book free as part of a tour, but this has no way influenced my review.

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Champagne Books or Burst Books4star

About the Author

A reader of genre fiction since a very early age, got down to serious attempts at writing over thirty years ago, although employment kept getting in the way. I did write a considerable amount of non-fiction during my business career, enough to be listed as a professional writer by the Canadian Authors Association.
 Hobbies include trying to keep on the good side of my wife, keeping track of my children and grandchildren, and wrestling the blasted cat off of the keyboard. In my diminishing spare time I sail on Lake Winnipeg and try not to get lost.
 My writing history includes: Winning first prize in a National Canadian Authors short story contest (a romantic ghost story) and having that published in an anthology, and having a modern vampire tale published in an anthology that seems to be doing quite well.
 A current member of three writing organizations, for several years I was in charge of the judging for a national Canadian history book contest, and chaired a writer’s workshop in Winnipeg that self-published an anthology, including three of my pieces: a sci fi piece, an attempt at an epic poem, and a true tale of how I almost drowned my brother and his wife in a storm the first year I owned a sailboat.
 I currently review science fiction and fantasy genre novels and anthologies for an on-line magazine aimed primarily at school libraries. I’m losing track, but I have done somewhere over 60 reviews so far.
 In 20I0 I co-authored a non fiction history: “The Rotary Club of Winnipeg-100 Years of Service”.
 Through BURST Books, writing as R.J.Hore, I have a medieval fantasy tale of murder and intrigue entitled “The Dark Lady” that came out in February 2012 and a fantasy detective story scheduled for December 2012 called “Housetrap”. Housetrap is designed as the first in a series of novellas; I have three others in the set already completed, but not scheduled, as of this date: “Dial M for Mudder,” “The House on Hollow Hill,” and “Hounds of Basalt Ville.” Already scheduled for publication, I have a novella “Knight’s Bridge” another medieval tale arriving in March 2013, and a full length novel, again a medieval fantasy, working title “Pawn, Queen, Checkmate,” coming out in April 2013.
 And of course, I also have a large stack of completed manuscripts in various stages ranging from a “What If” — the North Americans discovered Europe first, set in 1215AD – to a contemporary bickering married couple swept away to an alterative universe, or a futuristic tale of a lady archeologist set in outer space.

You can find him at:

Website http://www.ronaldhore.com/
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/RonaldJHore

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews at:

Review: D.L. Snow – Thief of Hearts: Wanted

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Thief of Hearts: Wanted
D.L. Snow
Despoiled before her wedding night, Zaina is on a quest for revenge. It all seems pretty simple really – trace her steps homeward and kill the horrible cad. Nothing is as it seems though, and nothing will make it easy for her to achieve her goals.
This novel was very short, and ended on a cliffhanger as far as I’m concerned. Apparently this is quite common of free Amazon books, as the authors are trying to sucker you in to buy the other books.
Even the first chapter is a cliffhanger! Definetly drew me into the story – I thought it was going to be a bit like some of the other genres I love, but turned out to be something entirely different. This book naturally appealed to me because I like novels that include a strong female protagonist. The crossdressing was awesome, and in tune with the rest of the world building. Reminds me a bit of Tallow in a way actually, particularly with the later sex scene.
The perspective changed between Hood and Little John were seamless. It was an easy read, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. After all the heavy reading and reviewing I have been doing for the tour companies I am part of, it was a relief to read something simple and unassuming, yet with enoughtplot points to keep me interested.
The dragons in this are evil. Well, we think they’re evil. But we don’t really know. Surely Cahill is a cad? But then, it looks like it might not be. A novel filled with healthy uncertainty and things not being as they appear. I think this concept is executed really well, and the language is lovely.
I should mention that this novel does have a bit of a queer theme, and it is portrayed in a positive light. For me, that’s a bonus, for others it might be detrimental (though it really shouldn’t be – homosexuality is not a crime).
It’s a bit of a mix of fairytale traditions really, especially when I consider the other books in the series (which I don’t own, but would consider buying if on special). Hood and his sheriff, and what they do, is definetly based on the tale of Robin Hood. It’s also mixed with Snow White, except it’s a whole town of dwarves, not just a couple. I liked it because it’s an adult rendition of all those other fairytale stories that have been going on at the moment in the YA area.
Although I was considering this book as suitable for adults and teenagers, it does contain some explicit sex scenes later in the novel that would make it only suitable for adults and mature teens.

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I ‘bought’ this book when it was free on Amazon, but this hasn’t influenced my views.
You can get Thief of Hearts: Wanted for FREE! from Amazon.

Review: Michele T Villery, Tigris Eden and Riley Ross – Romantic Tales 1: Bedtime Stories

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Michele T Villery, Tigris Eden and Riley Ross
Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories

Welcome to Reading Addictions Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories’.

Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories has a little of everything. From your everyday Contemporary Romance (The Getaway) To your Hot and Heavy Rockers turned Werewolves (Crave) and your Sci-Fi/Paranormal with Erotic overtones…. (The Genesis Project) Each Episode will entice its readers, draw them in. A quick Bedtime story before they dream, keeping them pleasantly satisfied while peaking their interests for next month’s installment. All for 99 cents. During the interim there will be previews of next month’s Episode…
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The official blurbs:

By Ty Langston: CRAVE

As a reporter for the Wakefield Post, Harper Erkstine has seen everything. From murders to robberies, all of her recent stories have ended with tragic consequences so great, that she began to question if she made the right career choice for herself.

While all of her friends were dating, or going to clubs, she was winning journalism awards for covering the latest drive-by shooting or a home invasion that cost someone she knew, their lives.

She loved her job, it was rewarding to be a crime solver and get to the truth of the matter. As much as she loved her job, but the hours of a Metro beat reporter began to descend her into burn out mode.

She craved balance. A break, a welcome distraction every now and then. She forgot what it was like to have fun, to take a breath, smell the roses.

Was it wrong to want a great career and to have some kind of a personal life? She couldn’t remember the last time she had a date or danced with someone from the opposite sex.
In the middle of working on a missing person’s story that has rocked her town to the core, Harper decides as a favor to her friend and colleague to do a feature on local an up and coming rock band, called ‘Crave.’

It was a break from her routine, but Harper soon discovers that this band may have ties to the missing person, not only does she question why, but she also finds there is more to this band than just their music.

By Tigris Eden: The Genesis Project

Old earth has been deemed unsuitable for life, New Earth is home. With the Uni-War over, races have joined together in order to sustain their way of life. All life was deemed worth saving, but only one race failed to submit. Humans.

Now extinct, humans are a thing of the past, or at least their way of life. The people of New Earth won’t acknowledge their hand in the human’s eradication, but they have benefited from it. Dr. Vaggo Blackmore has found the answer, he’s restored his races way of life- sustenance through farming. The one thing that will give them back their long lives….. Blood: human blood.

Biologically engineered in a lab, Genesis Blackmore has always been different. Her father has told her it’s due to her enhancements, the Federated Council sees her as a genetic mutation; and her fellow peers see her as the shiny new toy. Gen has had better days.

Everyone on New Earth has milky white skin, platinum blonde hair, and electric blue eyes. It’s the norm. Genesis’ glossy, black hair, ice blue eyes ringed by gold, would have almost made her socially acceptable- if it wasn’t for her honey, almond skin and blue, gold veins. In a sea of milky white she alone is the dark anomaly.

All Pars get their life’s nourishment through blood plasma. All Pars find their match through the tasting. Gen can do neither, forbidden by her father to do so. She can neither taste, nor be tasted. Something that’s never bothered her until now.

By Riley Ross: The Getaway

The Getaway isn’t your typical romance woman meets man of her dreams, loses him and then they get their happily ever after. It’s a romance story with hints of drama and plenty of comedy. Mike and Juliet have been dating for about four months. Juliet is madly in love with him but has never shared her feelings.

Mike hasn’t said those three magical words so she doesn’t even know if they are on the same page when it comes to their relationship. Mike takes Juliet on a two week vacation, so she can escape her family drama and stresses from her job. He has romantic surprises planned and there are several unexpected surprises for them both. How well do Mike and Juliet really know each other especially when an explosive secret from his past is revealed? Will their relationship survive a visit from his family and his ex-girlfriend? Will the secret destroy them or make them stronger as a couple? His mother has made it clear to everyone that she wants Mike back with his vile ex-girlfriend?

Will his mother sabotage her son’s relationship with Juliet? Juliet does have an ally in Mike’s father. Will Juliet fight for her love? Or will she let him go without exposing his mother for her dastardly schemes? How far will his mom go to ensure she gets what she wants for her son?

My review:

This is not normally my style of novel – I don’t go for the thigh clencher romances or short stories. The elements of fantasy, and the idea behind The Genesis Project though made me think that maybe I would enjoy them. I picked up this tour almost by accident really too!
The first short story, CRAVE, confronted me with sex almost immediately. The elements of fantasy were hinted at really subtly, and I wasn’t sure if there was really going to be fantasy, or whether it was going to be more of a mystery! They did come out though, and the protagonist is just as confused as I was.
The protagonist is likeable, although I’m not really sure why she is such a pushover! I love my job, but I wouldn’t spend long days on it. Her justifications for journalism didn’t sit right with me, but then I’m a scientist. I didn’t know how a reporter could possibly find the truth when the police couldn’t.

The dialogue and descriptions are a little stilted, but tolerable. And I absolutely have to say, the
author knows how to end it on a cliff hanger! The action was just getting started, and then the episode finished! Arg! I wonder whether this serialised form is for me in general, although I have considered a Baen books ARC subscription before.

The Genesis Project is the one that I was looking forward to read the most. It was actually in the middle of the other two stories, and having just read CRAVE I was dreading another possible cliffhanger – which of course happened!

I loved the concept of this episode, and it was defintely worth reading. I did have some minor problems about how it was implemented, and the awkward history information didn’t work. But the concept was good, and I could definitely empathise with the protagonist.

The Getaway was the let down of the three. From the excerpt I read, it didn’t seem in any way different from any other free romance novel. The element of fantasy wasn’t evident, and although his mother seemed a bit strange, it wasn’t that type of thing.

I think overall, I wouldn’t buy this for myself, but only because I only really enjoyed two of the stories. The format also doesn’t work for me – I’m hopeless at remembering to catch up on episodes.

I’d recommend this book for adults only. It does come with a tag of erotica, and in this case that means explicit descriptions of sex and so forth.

I received this book free as part of a tour, but this has no way influenced my review.

Find it on:
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You can find out more about this series/magazine on the Facebook and BLOG.

About the Authors (and where to find them)

Tigris Eden: 

Author of Shadow Unit Series, 1st Book Enslaved In Shadows… I love all things books! Music
and much more! I write PNR, Contemp, SCI-FI, Erotic, and HORROR….. Yes I love the gore!
 
Currently working on Burned In Shadows… Due out sometime in January 2013.
 
There isn’t much to say about me truly… I am not that interesting… But I promise to make you
laugh at least once!
 

 

Ty Langston: 

As a child, multi-published author Ty Langston loved to read about dragons and knights so
much that one day, her grandmother told her to “just write about them.”
So she did.
From that day forward, she never left home without her pen, a notebook, and some kind of
music playing in the background. Her love of reading expanded from fantasy into science fiction,
and eventually into paranormal romance and erotica.
She enjoys different works from George Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Stephen King, and Jackie
Collins. But some of Ty’s favorite writers are from the world of TV and film: namely, Tudors
creator Michael Hirst, and the late John Hughes.
Ty has a certificate in Broadcast Journalism along with a degree in Business Administration.
She is single and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Riley Ross:

To date I haven’t published anything yet but I love to write wrestling fan fiction, romance and light erotica. I will be married for fifteen years this month to my best friend and Prince Charming all rolled into one. I am mommy to two Syberian Huskies.

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour!

Review: Peter Koevari – Legends of Marithia: Prophecies Awakening

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Legends of Marithia: Prophecies Awakening
Peter Koevari
The prophesy is arising, and the dark witch is on the loose. Two opposing prophesies are at odds, and it is not yet clear whether the balance will tip in favour of the light or the darkness.
Although I was reading on a Kobo, and it’s purely black and white, I really enjoyed the pictures of the various characters that were interspersed in the text. It’s nice to get a view of how I should be imagining the characters in my mind, and it adds more reality to the read.
Dragons! It’s been far too long since I read a book with dragons in it. This novel has dragons. Several of them. In fact, they are invisible dragons most of the time, but they are still there! I think this is another story point that could have been made more of, coupled with more details on Varten’s training, and a bit more of Kassina’s history. Although the prologue covers that, I couldn’t really understand why Kassina had gone bad so quickly. I can understand how seeing her parents killed like that was traumatic, but not so bad that she feels the need to laugh manically at every human ideal and set fire to things after draining the blood of innocents.
This novel reminds me a fair bit of Mercedes Lackey’s Obsidian Mountain trilogy. The elves and their forest, the dark demons who feed from the living, and the man who must save them all against the odds. The notion of the special device is different though, and I wouldn’t say the styles of writing were at all the same.
This novel does sentences/paragraphs at the start of the novel in the right way. They add something to the story that you wouldn’t otherwise realise from the point of view. Often they highlight a character’s perspective that you don’t actually get in the rest of the text.
Ah! There was one point where I was sure they were about to be uncovered, and then bam! It was something else! Koevari really sprung it on me, and I was really unable to put the book down in anticipation. he does this cliff-hanger technique in such a sneaky way lots of times, and it really gets things going.

Sadly, I wasn’t at all convinced by the dialogue or scenery in this novel. The dialogue again felt a bit stilted to me (although I know that getting dialogue right is really very difficult) and I felt like occasionally the characters were having monologues. The scenery was often described in similes, and it was just too much detail. For example, the elven forest is guarded by faeries and special elven guards. And this is stated basically like that, with a bit more detail. I feel that a better way of doing it would have been to have the queen and her daughter enter the forest and come across each of these things. Perhaps it would have used up some more words, but I feel like it would have been really valuable. Another thing was the epithet of ‘hot spurting blood’, it just came up so many times!
I found it interesting to read, and I certainly wouldn’t say no if I won the second book in this series from Goodreads this time around. I likely wouldn’t buy it for myself though, simply because I don’t think it’s a reread, and also because I have so many other novels on my to-read list.

I’d recommend this novel for adults only due to the erotic mixed with horror content of Kassina’s rituals – a particular episode with a virgin still sticks in my mind uncomfortably. A decent read, quite compelling towards the end. I only had those minor complaints, and it certainly wasn’t a trial to read the novel – I enjoyed it. Probably three stars from me.

I received this ebook free after missing out on a hard copy through Goodreads: First Reads. This did not influence my opinion in any way.

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A note from the author…

It is impossible for me to choose a favourite character, race, or aspect to writing my books. However, one of the things I absolutely loved creating, were the concepts in the books that made them truly unique. The greatest example of this is the dragons and their abilities, including the dragon lore. There is so much to discover in Legends 1 and 2… and you will be introduced to many characters, species, locations, and concepts. I look forward to discovering what all the different readers out there find most enjoyable about my books, what characters are their favourites, and their reactions to the many surprises I have carefully wrapped inside the covers. Enjoy the journey into Marithia… it will be one that will surprise you.

Review: Karen Brooks – Votive

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Votive
Karen Brooks
Tarlo has given up candle-making in favour of being a courtesan. She’s a courtesan with a difference though, and her candles still have a role to play. Masked, she is able to travel the high society of Serenissima without fear – but also without feeling. Why oh why had she ever gotten herself into this mess? Tarlo can trust even fewer people than before.
8555202Most of this novel feels like the focus is actually away from Tarlo as she shuts herself off from the world after her brutal induction into the practices of a courtesan. Dante, Katina, Santo, the ambassator and others get a chance to speak up, and I think it adds depth to the novel that perhaps was more understated in the first book.
This novel could almost stand-alone from Tallow, although of course I would recommend reading both of them and in order. There is plenty of background information fed to the reader in a convincing way.
One of the few things that irked me about this novel was the front cover (see left). Tarlo’s eyes are what distinguish her from ordinary people, and presumably that is her on the cover – but her eyes aren’t silver pools! Also from the description after she alters her eyes, I still felt like they were a little more noticeable than they appear to be in this novel.
Compared to Tallow, this novel is filled with ‘authentic’ language. I didn’t feel the need to consult the glossary at any point (although one is handily put in at the end of the novel) to decipher what the characters were saying, because the context almost always made it clear.
Having read a couple of shocking novels lately, and wondering why I didn’t enjoy them, I tried to be really constructive and critical in the way I read this book. I think a distinguishing feature is that the descriptions of thigns don’t seem forced – they are natural in the way that Tarlo and the other characters speek.
This novel is surprisingly depressing. I found myself very sad about what Tarlo found herself doing, and also the horrible things that happen to Dante and Katina. The injustices done to the housemaid also are quite horrifying. Don’t let that put you off though, because there is always someone watching who might be able to make a difference in lives when you least expect it.
I sped my way through this novel, despite knowing that I couldn’t read the last book until I went home for the weekend. The ending was really compelling, and I stayed up way past my bedtime to read it. It was utterly satisfying, and I even felt as if the ending was a good conclusion that wasn’t too much of a cliffhanger (so waiting until the weekend to read Illumination wasn’t complete torture!).
I’d recommend this novel for adults and teens. It’s a fantastic, relatively easy read that any fantasy lover will enjoy. I think it is also a good novel for history lovers, and could appeal to a really wide range of readers (perhaps even romance readers??).

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Review: Karen Brooks – Tallow

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Tallow
Karen Brooks
There’s something about Tallow that sets him apart from other children. His luminescent eyes mark him as a extractor – but what does that mean for him and his family? When the plague comes, will he be able to combat it?
6893353For the first few moments of the prologue, the reader can feel a little confused about what is happening. It’s not immediately clear what a Bond Rider is (nor do we find out until much later the significance of this) or what the mists are doing. It’s a racy start that gets you interested in the book, and determined to press on.

There are so many hidden things in this novel that I can’t tell you about! It makes it rather hard to review actually, but the book is so good you’ll want to read it anyway. I promise! This book isn’t a waste of time, and you will really find yourself enjoying it if you have found that the majority of my reviews cover the same sort of things that you felt about the books.

I can see such a difference between the writing of Brooks and some of the other novels I have seen lately. Brooks does a large amount of work, on linguistics I believe, and it shows through. So too does the research she has done to present a semi-realistic interpretation of Renaissance Venice.

The language is easy to understand, you don’t get confused about who is speaking to whom, and the various plot lines are effortlessly entwined. It’s amazing how much has been packed into this book with all the intrigues that are going on, but at the same time they fit together into a seamless whole.

I have been holding off for what seems like months to read these books again. Originally my partner got Tallow from the bookstore he worked at as a uncorrected bound sample, even though the book had been released properly by then. I then had to wait until Votive and Illumination came out, which took forever!!! I enjoyed Tallow so much the first time, I knew I’d want to read the whole trilogy in succession. I got Illumination for my birthday, and so I thought it was high time to read them. Also, I wanted to read something I knew I would enjoy after a run of crappy books that I have won or had on tour.
I would recommend this novel firmly for older teens, and possibly also adults who like an easy read. There are elements of sex (not gratuitous) and also some violence and deaths, but nothing too shocking or uncomfortable. There is a hint of homosexuality, but it’s not what the two ‘boys’ think it is!

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Review: Jessica Penot – The Twilight Saint

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The Twilight Saint
Jessica Penot
Ailive has been born to be an assassin but is constantly underestimated due to her sex. When she is neutered and saved by her doctor brother she still wants to serve the tribe even as she believes she is being punished for past sins. The betrayal within her tribe undermines her ability to stay unchanged, and then when she wanders as a tribeless she does not know where her feet will take her – unless it is to the university where her love still resides.

Other people on Amazon I saw had complained about the callous killing of a puppy early in her training. To me, it fitted right in with her character. There is so much other blood shed going on that a single puppy-beheading is not going to make a huge difference! I suppose if you don’t have a strong stomach, don’t read this novel as there’s plenty of bloodshed – although not all of it is unnecessary.

I found it quite interesting that the cult formed by her brother seemed a lot like the coming of Jesus Christ and his disciples. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that I tolerate Christian religion, but don’t have much time for it being the saviour of all things. This cult being formed though seemed like although most people were converted when they were exposed to it, it really was a peaceful conversion, nothing like the Holy Wars and Crusaders of Jerusalem.. This quickly faded though…
This book is not outstanding, but I didn’t feel like it was a waste of my time to read it either. I probably wouldn’t read it again, as the plot lines were quite transperant and nothing really came as a surprise or was intricate enough for me. I think overall I have mixed feelings about this novel. The ending was actually sort of depressing to me. Not in a bad way, and I couldn’t have imagined it ending in any other way, but it was just very sad.

The dialogue in some parts seemed strained, and the flipping between first person perspective of Ailive and what seemed to be an omniscient view, seemed odd. I was occasionally tossed out of the narrative by these things, but in other parts I felt compelled to read and read.

The character development and relationships are what carry this novel along. The travelling and overall theme of ‘the journey’ is also apparent. You have to feel sorry for Ailive, she has made so many mistakes, yet it seems like she will never have peace.

It is concerning (but perhaps a positive sign) that a number of books I have read recently have commented on the inevitability of war and how humans always seem to follow the same paths as they have taken before. This should be thought provoking for people – if one man or one woman can change the outlook of an entire war, then every little bit each of us do in our daily lives could have an effect too.

I would recommend this novel for adults due to the generous amounts of spine snapping and ugly pain. It’s an easy read in terms of language, but it requires a little more out of you if you expect to get some expansion of human knowledge from it.
I received this book free as part of an Amazon promotion. This did not influence my review in any way, and I did not have any correspondance with the author or her managing agency.

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Review: C.S. Dorsey – The Unsacred Gift (Review and Giveaway)

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The Unsacred Gift

C.S. Dorsey
Welcome to IO Book Tour’s stop for ‘The Unsacred Gift’.

Sissy has a gift, an unwanted gift. Plagued with visions of people’s deaths, she has isolated herself for years. A visit back home reawakens her worries, and not even her grandmother can sort her out.

The official blurb:

Have you ever had a dream that came to life? How about losing the one you love and  not being able to save them? What about a gift that you were cursed with? Well image having all three like Sicily “Sissy” Monroe.
“Some might say what I have is a gift. I say, I want to return it.” Sissy declares.
 Sicily “Sissy” Monroe has all the qualities of a perfect young lady. She is almost where she wants to be in life. But lying deep in the pupil of her eyes hold something that she cannot get rid of which interferes with her plans. She fights everyday with no one but herself. After having her first vision at age six of her sister’s (Misty) disappearance and the dreams of failing to save her, Sissy wants no part in another person’s fate. For years Sissy tried hard to avoid contact with people because she feared foreseeing their death. In keeping with this, she tries to stay away from her family. Little did Sissy know she could not run from her past, or her gift. She hopes someone will put her out of her misery, but she will soon discover that her visions and dreams were just a mere image of herself.

My review:

I was unable to write a positive review for this novel, and so my review was taken down until the tour is over. My apologies to regular readers. Here it is:

My initial impression of this novel was not positive. I felt confused by the somewhat repetitive beginning, and the kindle format was poorly laid out with the page numbers interspersed in the text. As this is an ARC I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but it still put me off.

The style of writing seemed very stilted in the first couple of chapters but I held out hoping that there would be an improvement. ‘I was frozen. It was like my body was numb.’ Then some more meaningless clichés. There is so much telling instead of showing, something that really irks me. Sissy talks about greens having a bitter aftertaste. It’s such an unecessary detail. In a more skilled author, those beans might be a metaphor for something else – not here, they just detract from the story.
There was a sudden time jump with no preparation, for a minute I didn’t know what I was reading about. This was 10% of the way into the book. The weird sentences at the beginning of the chapters didn’t do anything for my enjoyment either. I just couldn’t get over how awkward all the text was, particularly the dialogue. There were also some random changes in tenses.
Heaven and Halo for cousins and Sissy and Misty as sisters? Those names are not believable! The twins are the spawn of Satan?? Demonic ways? The tantrum Sissy describes sounds like typical badly behaved children – not demon-possessed.
Sissy’s mother is the most beautiful woman on earth? Also questionable. Sissy says she needs her mom, yet she has barely talked to her mom since she left for college, and her mother getting married is going to destroy what they have – when Sissy hasn’t visited for ages, and she constantly lies to her mother about her feelings?
The overtones of God-talk put me off. Maybe it isn’t something big to other readers, but it certainly didn’t work for me. If Sissy’s God was so good to her, why did she have this ‘gift’? The God talk, including mentions of such things as Sissy’s mother kissing in the dark being a bad and disgusting thing, is just unrealistic and threw me out of the narrative.
Some people see horrific things in their work all the time, not the occasional visions that Sissy has. Emergency room doctors, paramedics. Sometimes it seems like just because Sissy is a sissy she can’t stomach anything. Other things I found that didn’t work for me were the statements about how Sissy’s father will forever be a butt to her and the piranha fish eating the cat that was dumb enough to fall into the fishbowl.
Don’t even let me get started on the ending. I felt so frustrated after reading this book, and I literally felt like I had wasted 3 hours of my life. It’s hard to believe that such an interesting synopsis (which caused me to volunteer for this tour) could fall so short.
I appreciate the fact that it is difficult to write a book, believe me I do, but this book was crap. I think it was even worse than Twice Shy, which I didn’t enjoy either. It would suit an uncritical teenage audience, if anyone.

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About the Author

C. S. Dorsey currently lives in Northern California. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with an Associate’s Degree in Financial Services, and is currently working for a financial institution. She never thought about writing until one day this girl started talking to her in her head and never stop. She has written other young adult books including best selling Lukos Trilogy.


You can find her at:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews at:
Mallory Heart Reviews, Concise Book Reviews, My Cozie Corner, M-N’s Amazing Book Reviews, Bookworm Babblings, Books, Books and More Books and Books & Other Spells.

Think you want to read a first chapter? Find those here:
Mallory Heart Reviews, T B R, Comfort Books, Concise Book Reviews, The Bunny’s Review, Night Owl Reads and I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!

Giveaway:

Review: Travis Berketa – Dark Heart: Images of a City

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Dark Heart: Images of a City
Travis Berketa
An unnamed vigilante roams the city, trying to reverse the damage done to a city by people who say ‘so what?’ His decent into madness is inevitable – and in a way, this novella reminds me of Batman!
9208457This is a novella – it took me around an hour to read it. It was fast paced, although there were a couple of sections where I felt the language was awkward. The present tense really drew me into the character.
I liked the way the narrator felt the need to explain himself, but still things went downhill. The journal form that this is written in is ideal for showing the mental deterioration. This is a stream of consciousness book that others might enjoy more than me.
I find it hard to comment on such short books as this one. This novella highlights the shortcomings of the police force, but also reveals what can go wrong when taking the law into your own hands. I can at least say it was thought provoking, although I don’t see myself wielding an iron bar like that any time soon.
Oh the irony. The protagonist just doesn’t seem to notice that sometimes people do care – and he ends up damaging them as well! His mentions of God are equally ironic – something that fits in with my own viewpoint.
The RRP for this novella is $24.95, which to me is way too much for such a slim book. If it was on Amazon for $0.99 I would be far more likely to recommend it to you. For that much, I can recommend a whole other set of books that would no doubt further the same ideas.
There is explicit violence and rape in this book, so I would recommend it only for adults.
I received this book as part of the Goodreads: First Reads program, but this did not influence my review in any way. All opinions are my own.

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Review: Jeff Sparrow – Money Shot: a journey into porn and censorship

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Money Shot: a journey into porn and censorship
Jeff Sparrow
I must admit I felt some trepidation when this book arrived at my doorstep to be reviewed. The lurid pink cover, even the title, didn’t see very appealing to me – despite this being a book I ordered. A book about porn…

15781784I got stuck into the novel just as I promised myself I would though – and it turned out to be an enlightening and interesting journey. I couldn’t say I enjoyed it, but it was interesting.

It’s difficult for me to pick out bits of this novel, because this is a non-fiction book, a genre which I rarely attempt to read and review. Something in this book’s favour is that I did stick with it, and it wasn’t unpleasant like some other non-fiction book I have come across. Sparrow was an engaging writer, and his sense of humour carried the book. The conversational tone, and the individual episodes of speaking to each of the interest groups, worked.
I’ve never really thought about the XXX-stores, other than a passing ‘ew, I could never be caught going in there’, but this book is quite an eyeopener. Chances are, some of the DVDs in there are ones that were never permitted by the Australian registration board.
I had to feel a little sorry for the old men who are described by Sparrow – it seems a little cruel to be picking on them when they are being open about their desires. I agree there is something a little sleazy about the whole idea – but isn’t that what porn is? It’s easy enough to imagine people in cinemas getting off on a screen reel, but I’m sure most people at some point have watched porn in the privacy of their homes.

Zombies, Poppers and Pork is a particularly witty and well written chapter. Sparrow effectively manipulates his reader into feeling negative about Wolstencroft from the beginning, so you aren’t all that shocked to here that he is somehow a libertarian fascist!

Perhaps the most important thing is that there should be a mid-line between porn and complete puritanism. The points Sparrow makes about the Bible Planetshakers, and the natural curiosity of teens are very relevant and somewhat worrying. There is such a thing as good porn!

From nannying the net (internet filters) to predation on children, almost everything about porn in Australia is covered in this book. There are things that some people wouldn’t be interested in reading about, and I did find myself skimming a couple of chapters towards the end (racial porn for example). Do you have an interest in the future of porn, and the worrying ideas of Tony Abbott and completely censoring the net (with filters that also chop out useful sites)? An open mind is a must.

If you are interested into insights about censorship of porn in Australia and learning more about the guidelines that govern its import, this is the book for you. Due to the content, I would recommend it only for adult readers. It would likely be a useful read for people in the porn industry of Australia.

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