Tag Archives: 3-stars

Review: Kailin Gow – Saving You, Saving Me

Posted on by
Reply
Saving You, Saving Me
Kailin Gow

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Saving You, Saving Me’.

Sam wants to become a psychologist, but does she have too many problems of her own to work it out?  While she tries to get a scholarship to go to college she is signed up for helping run a teen counselling line – but is the man she is trying to help working towards the same goal?

The official blurb:

Aspiring psychiatrist and high school Valedictorian Samantha (Sam) Sullivan falls for a deeply troubled young man named Daggers during a crisis call at her watch, which leads to the unraveling of her perfect world.
 
A contemporary ya-mature/new adult romance with some edge.

My review:

Samantha is an endearing character, even if she’s a bit irritating at times. She has so many buried problems that we gradually get to see, and it’s a real revelation. I would have loved to see a little more of the real her, with less breakdowns involved though. It seems like she has some super big issues there.

13425786I couldn’t believe how clueless she was though! Sawyer House, Daggers, they’re all one and the same! Arg! How can she miss something so major? The reader will be bonking their heads against the wall for how clueless she is.

Derek and Sam’s relationship is very strange. it’s part of the allure that had me unable to put the novel down, and dreading the end of the book. The romance here was good. Sam is such a sexy character, yet she’s unaware of it or unwilling to acknowledged it.

Innocents, bah. It’s like a teenage, or young adult version of fifty shades. That’s exactly what it is. Except that now they both have issues. Another problem I had with this novel was that there are some odd time jumps, where I had no idea how much time had passed, or if I did, I didn’t know where it went.

After my disappointment with Bitter Frost, I was hoping for something awesome from this novel. I went in with an open mind (as far as that’s possible) and was happily surprised. Some of the problems were the same, such as the stilted dialogue in sections (don’t is just as good as ‘do not’) and over descriptions of things, but the rest was good. I’m automatically predisposed to liking this kind of novel, with its themes of self harm and abuse. It was just what I wanted to read too.

I’d recommend this novel for uncritical young adults and mature teenagers. I don’t think it has the level of complexity that would make it suitable for adults, and the sexual content (relatively mild, but still here) makes it unsuitable for younger teens in my opinion.

Find it on:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy3star

About the Author

Kailin Gow has appeared on top national syndicated talk shows such as ABC Radio, Barbara Dooley show, Chat with Women on KKNW Seattle, Broadminded on Sirius Radio XM, and more as a leading authority on YA and women’s issues including self-esteem, body image, dating and sexual relationships, abuse, and bullying. Kailin has been a published author for over 10 years with over 100 titles published under her name and under pen names.
She is the founder of the community social site, The Saving You Saving Me Project,http://www.savingyousavingme.com which helps teens, young adults, and women deal with social issues like sexual abuse, self-esteem, body image, bullying, cutting, relationships, and more in a positive community environment. The Saving You Saving Me Project is an extention of her YA-mature fiction Saving You Saving Me.
Kailin Gow began writing books for tween girls to help them with self-confidence and self-esteem. Her book, Gifted Girls Activities Guide to 365 Days of the Week, became a reference book used in girls organizations across the U.S. As her tween fans grew to become teens and young adults, Kailin began writing engaging and entertaining young adult book series for them. The results are book series like the Frost Series, PULSE Series, Wicked Woods Series, Stoker Sisters, Phantom Diaries, The Fire Wars, FADE, DESIRE, and more
.
All her books are inspired by personal experiences. Saving You Saving Me was inspired by her experience as a peer counselor for young women during college and from her psychology major college roommate’s experience being in a relationship similar to the one portrayed by Sam and Collins in the book. Loving Summer was inspired by Kailin’s experience growing up with a family consisting of a mother, two sons, and a daughter who went through a similar experience of tragedy in the book. Aunt Sookie is based on herself and some actor friends she knows. The Frost Series, Circus of Curiosities Series, and FADE Series came about through vivid dreams. Never Say Never was inspired by Kailin’s experience as a radio host and working with and interviewing bands, as well as having college friends who were in bands. Kailin also played the drums and keyboard for a band she once started. A classically-trained musician, she was once led her school orchestra, playing first chair violin. Her experience in the music world and her love of Phantom of the Opera, inspired the Phantom Diaries. PULSE was inspired when Kailin was in the hospital suffering from heavy blood loss post surgery and needed several bags of blood to survive (like a vampire). Beautiful Beings was inspired by her college encounter with a young demon exorcist. A pastor once told her she had the gift of sight and that she was destined to become a prolific author, many times over.
She began taking her writing seriously when her daughter was diagnosed as being on the spectrum and her mother was fighting three types of cancer. Four years later, her daughter was no longer on the spectrum, and her mother became cancer free. Kailin believes in hope and miracles, after having been through several struggles and experiences herself. This is why she writes.
When not busy inhaling chocolate and drinking coffee by the gallon, Kailin makes time for writing fantasy books, blogging as an expert blogger for Fast Company, volunteering as an Emergency Responder and volunteering for battered women’s shelters. For fun, she plays the electric violin, and puts together a music playlist for her radio and web shows.
Her Frost Series consisting of the Bitter Frost Series, The Wolf Fey Series, and the Fairy Rose Chronicles along with her other book series are being developed into worldwide MMORPG Games by SEE GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT, which is the world’s leading game developer known for developing the top blockbuster films into games.

You can find her at:

Facebook
Website
To sign up for news on new releases, contests, events, and more, join theEDGEbooks.com.
Twitter – @kailingow

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 – Bookishly Devoted
November 3 – Willing to See Less
November 4 – My Reading Addiction 
November 5 – Journey With Books
November 6 – Paranormal Wastelands
November 7 – Book Nerd
November 8 – My Cozie Corner
November 9 – Crossroads Reviews
November 11 – Kaisy Daisy’s Blog 
November 12 – Much Loved Books
November 13 – BookSpark
November 14 – My Reading Addiction
November 15 – Pink Fluffy Hearts
November 16 – Up All Night Reviews
November 18 – Lovely Reads
November 19 – Addicted to Books
November 20 – Berds Fly 
November 21 – Wonderland Reviews
November 22 –
November 26 – Just a Booklover
November 27 – A Soul Unsung
November 28 – Books and Swoons
November 29 – The Cozy Dragon
November 30 – Reader Girls

Review: Mercedes Lackey – Home from the Sea

Posted on by
Reply
Home from the Sea
Mercedes Lackey
Nan and Sarah have been charged with a task now that they have returned from Africa – to find the brand new Water Master who has sprung up on the coast. Little do they know that this Water Master has a bit of a surprise in store for them – definitely not what Lord A was expecting either!
After reading some less than flattering reviews of this novel on Amazon, I wasn’t feeling all too positive about it, and I didn’t pick it up from the library the moment I knew it was out. I’ve had a couple of disappointments with Lackey’s work recently, which is sad.
Since I wasn’t expecting much, I wasn’t disappointed in this one! For the first parts of the novel, it really felt like nothing was happening, and I didn’t get a bigger picture of what could go wrong. Just not that great in my opinion.
Number 8 in the Elemental Masters series and I feel like it’s losing its momentum. There are only so many times that you can redo the theme, and relying heavily on fairytales (such as Mari’s three trials) is getting a bit stale for me, at least from Lackey.
I think Nan and Sarah’s characters were really flat. Completely flat. They had hardly any motivations, and half the time it just seemed like they were picnicking on the surf without a care in the world. Mari was a bit better, but even her insights into her father felt stilted. More could have been done with the seals too.

Some parts of the novel also felt repetitive within the novel, which could be a problem with the editing team, or something else, like them thinking the reader is too dumb to remember somethign that happened at the start of the book. Either way, I want them to expect more from me! I’m not a stupid reader, and I really want to get into a good book, not pick on it.

I didn’t really get a sense of threat from the Constable, and only a brief worry about the Selkie chief. The ending was a bit abrupt too. It’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, and I did find it difficult to put it down in the second half, but I think that may have been because I wanted to know what Mari was going to do next.For adults and teens alike this one. But I wouldn’t start with this novel if you’re a new reader of Lackey’s works. It’s not a good example of her brilliance.

Find it on:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy3star

Review: Henry James – Daisy Miller

Posted on by
Reply
Daisy Miller
Henry James
Daisy Miller is a text for my *final* Bachelor of Arts unit, American Literature. As such, I wasn’t too excited to read it, but it was necessary. It was a very short read, around an hour (possibly less), so it’s an easy investment if you like the Classics.
Henry James is a well-known American writer that all classics readers should know of. He reminds me a bit of Irish literature actually – simply due to the writing style and his name. Oh yes, that would be my brain telling me James Joyce is similar, but of course, the two styles are not identical and they have different focuses.
The characterisation and narration of this novel are what add interest. The whole point of the novel is that the main character, Winterbourne, filters the reader’s perception of Daisy Miller. Daisy is an enigma – is she a simple flirt, or is she something else?
Above all, this novel is a tragedy, although the reader does not necessarily feel that way about Daisy entirely. It’s whether you feel that she had the end coming to her or not. References to going to and coming from are rife throughout the text.
In the preface/introduction to my version, the editor complains about the changes between the two editions, one which James revised and one which was the original. Interestingly enough, this novel was also adapted as a play, although that was apparently very unsuccessful.
As with any Arts text, it wasn’t enthralling. At least this one wasn’t too painful though. Let me get back to you on that once I’ve written the essay…

Find it on:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy3star

Review: Sharon Wood – Keepers of the Zodiac (review and giveaway)

Posted on by
7
Keepers of the Zodiac
Tonya Fitzharris

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Keepers of the Zodiac’.

Syrie has been given the most important task – to collect the 13 Keepers of the Zodiac and prepare them for their new roles. He falls in love with one though, and that complicates things beyond what he could have ever imagined.

The official blurb:

The stars have shifted and the Earth is rapidly moving into the throes of chaos.
Four god-like beings known as the Zodiac High Council, send their winged herald, Syrie, out
with twelve sealed envelopes. His mission? To bring a chosen group of thirteen future Zodiac
Keepers, including a set of mesmerizing twins, to the Isle of Oriba for training. Syrie never
could have imagined that he would fall in love along the way—ultimately forcing him to choose
between betrayal and death. Keepers of the Zodiac is an enthralling tale of obligatory fate,
temporary hope, and impossible love.

My review:

This book looked like a fun read, and the concept initially reminded me of the Power of Five series by Anthony Horowitz (which I have been waiting for the fifth book for a long time). I was happy to review it particularly because this tour company is excellent at getting novels to me in a timely manner so I can really read and enjoy them before posting a review.

16069534I have to say that the concept was awesome, very interesting, but then the execution was a little flawed. I felt like most parts of the novel were quite stilted in their extravagant descriptions of things and I ended up skipping over them. The dialogue was also quite stilted, and I didn’t really get into the characters’ minds. This was a plot driven novel wholeheartedly (nothing wrong with that, just not usually my style of thing).

The almost steamy kissing scenes would make this novel suitable for older teens, if your younger teen is wary of such a thing. I know some 13 year olds that would be grossed out simply by the thought of kissing! I guess it’s boy cooties or something. This novel could equally be for males or females, but I feel that because of the romance element its more of a girly book.

Poor Syrie! Of all the characters, I felt for him the most. I was a little leery of his island naming, and I couldn’t believe that coincidences such as that happened in such a structured world. Not to mention the revelations for him, and his future. To love, and then to lose. Throughout the novel I felt like there had to be more going on than what met the eyes…

The ending is a cliff hanger. I would quite like to read the second book in this series, simply because it’s so uncertain! How can so much happen in a day? And what is going on with Syrie? Arg! Those twin sisters are nothing but trouble. Perhaps a borrow from the library book.

People who follow and believe in the Zodiac may be a little affronted by this novel, because I don’t think it necessarily reflects those beliefs accurately. Not being a follower myself, I doubted that all the signs could have all those positive portrayals. I might have enjoyed the novel even more if I remembered each of those.

Ew, foot flakes. Gross. That’s all I’ll say about that, but really, it’s quite humorous. There’s some other points of humour, but as a whole it’s quite serious, as befits a novel that is trying to prevent the collapse of the world as we know it.

Three stars from me for this novel. Plot yes, execution no. An easy read, probably well suited to teenagers that have less experience than me for pulling novels apart.

Find it on:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy
Smashwords3star

Giveaway!! (sorry, US & Canada only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Sharon Wood is a married, mother of two boys. She was born and raised in Northern California, and attended college at San Jose State University, where she studied Marketing. A self-proclaimed Disney fanatic, Sharon enjoys collecting Vinylmations and talking about Disney related things to anyone that will listen. Besides writing, she enjoys playing and coaching volleyball, dancing, and reading. Keepers of the Zodiac is her first novel, and she is currently hard at work on the sequel!  

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, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 13 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
November 14 – The Cozy Dragon – Review
November 15 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview
November 16 – Corssroads Reviews – Review/Interview
November 17 – Lovely Reads – Guest Post/PROMO
November 18 – Pink Fluffy Hearts – Guest Post/PROMO
November 19 – Winged Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
November 20 – My Cozie Corner – Review
November 21 – The Solitary Bookworm – Guest Post/PROMO
November 22 – Emily Ward – Interview/PROMO
November 23 – Lost in Fictional Worlds – Review/Guest Post
November 24 – Oh Chrys! – Guest Post/PROMO
November 25 – Book and Appointment with Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post
November 26 – LovLivLife Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
November 27 – Inside BJ’s Head – Review/guest Post
November 28 – The Book Maven – Review
November 29 – Books and Swoons – Review
November 30 – Books, Books, The Magical Fruit – Gues Post/PROMO
December 1 – In This World of Books… – Review/Interview
December 2 -A Bibliophiles Thoughts – PROMO
December 3 – Getting Your Read on – Review
December 4 – My Seryniti – Review/Guest Post
December 5 – Rolling With the Moments – Review/Guest Post
December 6 – YA Novel Reader – Review/GuestPost
December 7 – Bookworm Lisa – Review/Guest Post
December 8 –Fiction Prediction – Review/Interview
December 9 – Pa
ulette’s Papers – Guest Post/PROMO
December 10 – Read-A-Holicz – Review/
December 11 – Willing to See Less – Guest Post/PROMO
December 12 –Bookishly Devoted – Review/Guest Post
December 13 – My Reading Addiction – Review

Review: Melissa Wright – Rise of the Seven

Posted on by
Reply

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:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy3star

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 by
Reply
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:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy3star

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

Posted on by
Reply
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…
 15838943

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:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy3star

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

Posted on by
Reply
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.

Find it on:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy3star

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: Jessica Penot – The Twilight Saint

Posted on by
Reply
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.

Find it on:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy3star

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

Posted on by
Reply
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.

Find it on:
goodreads_icon copyAmazon-Icon-e1335803835577-300x294 copybookdepository_icon copy
Brolga Publishing3star