Blog Tour Book Review & Guest Post: Identity Break by Stifyn Emrys

Author: Stifyn Emrys

Series: Identity Break #1
Publisher: Createspace
Release Date: February 1st 2013
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: review copy offered by author in exchange for an honest review
Blurb (from Goodreads):

How far would you go to find yourself?

Imagine everything you thought you knew about yourself turned out to be a lie, and you didn’t know who was telling the truth. Imagine you possessed a secret so dangerous that, if it were exposed, it would reshape the entire world. What would you do if that secret were your very identity?

In almost every way, Palo Vista seems like a typical California city, with office buildings, schools, and homes sprawled out across suburbia, filled with families making a life for themselves at the dawn of the new millennium.

But two seniors at Mt. MacMurray High are about to find out that nothing is as it seems. Jason Nix is a star athlete and honors student who can’t seem to remember anything about his childhood. Elyse Van Auten is a budding artist from a broken home whose father left her mother two years ago - or so she’s been led to believe.

Like most teens entering adulthood, Elyse and Jason just want to find out who they really are. For them, however, the stakes go far beyond their own personal quest. Join them on a journey of self-discovery that becomes a desperate fight for survival against enemies determined to conceal the truth … and find out what happens when that fight becomes personal.

The first installment of a new science fiction/adventure series for young adult, adult and new adult readers. Full of action, twists and surprises.

Breathtaking, fast, on edge. That's what comes to my mind right now when I think about this book. I think it really is amazing when a book can be like that. 

I loved the idea of this book, not knowing what the truth really is, always wondering if something is real or not. That idea is both thrilling and terrifying, but it's such a great combination within Identity Break. Then there's the fact that I could never really grasp what was going to happen next. From the first page of the book, I couldn't quite manage to say "ok, this is what will go on next" and be right. I loved that, constantly being surprised.

The book has many POV. Even though at times it was a little confusing, I thought it was a great way to show the full story, not just a side of it. It felt really good. But, like I said earlier, don't think that it can help you anticipate things. At least it didn't help me. One other thing that I loved about the multiple POV. Even though, like I said, I was a little confused, the thing that I noticed is that the POVs don't "bleed" into each other. You know how sometimes you think "wait, I was in X's head, now I'm back to C's POV or is this B's POV??". It didn't happen with Identity Break. I had a very clear image of when I was in each character's head. That was very, very good.

The characters are also very good, they sort of jump out the page, they're so vivid and at times they almost seem real. I really couldn't put this book down. And I cannot wait for the next installment in this series.

GUEST POST:

I just started publishing books last year, so people may ask, “What the heck does he know about it? He’s a noob!”
I admit, it did take me three decades to get around to publishing my first novel, Identity Break . But I’ve spent my entire career writing and editing for newspapers, blogs and so forth.
Still, you might feel more comfortable taking advice from someone who’s been involved in fiction his entire life, so I’ll turn this over to Jason Nix, the protagonist of Identity Break. Here are his ten commandments of successful writing, in his own words:
1) Use active sentences. I’m on the football team, so I like action.
2) Write punchy. Get to the point, please. An action-adventure novel should have lots of action and adventure. Don’t make sentences so long I lose my way. I get lost in Identity Break a couple of times as it is, and believe me, it’s no fun.
3) Don't bore me with elaborate description. I just want enough info to make me feel at home. I can figure out the rest on my own. I’m not stupid, and if I wanted to look at pictures, I’d be watching TV. My girlfriend (well, I wish she were my girlfriend), Elyse, is an artist and knows how to draw pictures in her head. As for me, I don’t need a description of every flower petal or bird’s wing. Why would I? I have a photographic memory!
4) Keep the action coming. Like most good protagonists, I like a challenge. If you keep me sitting on my butt all day, I get restless. I am still a teenager, after all.
5) Make your characters (heroes and villains alike) charming. My nemesis, Pamela Throckmartin, is too charming for her own good. I could actually do without her charm, but I’m sure it’s fun to read about it. Just be glad you don’t have to deal with her personally.
6) Create characters your readers will relate to. Like me. I’m a star athlete with a genius-level I.Q. But underneath it all, I’m just like everyone else. Honest. (Wink, wink.)
7) Shun multisyllabic pomposity. Like that sentence. Just because you have a great vocabulary doesn’t mean you should flaunt it all the time. And yeah, I meant to say “flaunt,” not “flout.” I know the difference.
8) Have fun. But not at the expense of your favorite characters. Please! We have feelings, too (or at least we’re written that way).
9) Surprise the reader. Repeatedly. Make your readers say, "I should have seen that coming." Believe me, I didn’t see the twists in Identity Break coming. From my perspective, it would have been a lot easier if I had.
10) Don't write a dissertation, business proposal, résumé, abstract or legal brief. Write something you'd want to read! I’m graduating from high school soon enough. I don’t want to deal with that garbage until it’s absolutely necessary.

Stifyn Emrys is a journalist and educator who has written on subjects as diverse as history, religion, politics and language. He has served as an editor for fiction and non-fiction projects, and his first book, “The Gospel of the Phoenix,” was published in the summer of 2012. He has published four other books, including three non-fiction works and the children's fairy tale “Feathercap.” “Identity Break” is his first novel. He lives on California’s Central Coast with his wife (also an author), stepson, cat and dog.

 Connect with Stifyn!
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/semrys
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Stifyn-Emrys/e/B008LHKFM2/
Twitter: @stifynemrys.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/stifyn-emrys/58/b73/36b
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6453846.Stifyn_Emrys
Blog: http://semrys.blogspot.com/
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/stifyn-emrys?dref=2207

Early Book Review: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Author: Mindee Arnett
Series: The Arkwell Academy #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: March 5th 2013
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: NetGalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

I love it when authors try out new things, daring things. A Nightmare Affair caught my eye because of that particular thing: it's freshness. Besides the gorgeous cover, the thought of a sixteen year old Nightmare got me all kinds of curious to read this book. I've never read a book about Nightmares before, so for me this is fresh territory. The world in this book is fantastic. The creatures, the way magic is shown, the mythology, everything makes reading this book a great experience.

Dusty is such a cool heroine. I love that she's sometimes a little awkward, sometimes strong, sometimes she's daring and brave, sometimes not so much. I love that she has those two sides of her. She's also funny, which I very much like.

Eli is... he's a mystery. I would've though he'd be more resistant to certain aspects of this world, but given the fact that he really has nothing to do against it, it does make sense that he'd accept things pretty fast. I like that he stands up for Dusty when she needs it. Not that she'd admit it :P

What I liked was that there was a love triangle. Yes, they're not new or fresh, but I think it's way better than the "insta-love" idea. Though it's not difficult to predict some of the things that happen, especially how this love triangle ends, I still think it was done beautifully. And don't worry, you won't predict it all. There are some big twists and turns that I for one didn't see coming.

I am now waiting anxiously for the next book. Also, I want to know more about Dusty's best friend and her story. There's a lot I want to know, not only about Dusty and her powers and about her relationship with Eli and about her friends, but also about the entire world.

So if you're in the mood for something new, read The Nightmare Affair.

Early Book Review: My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling

Author: Tellulah Darling
Series: The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #1
Publisher: Te Da Media
Release Date: April 1st 2013
My Rating: 4.5 cups
Source: NetGalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:

a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)
b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

Literally.

This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

… and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

I read this book a few days ago and the first thing I did after I finished it was to pray to the gods of books and release dates to give me a time machine to travel in the future and get the second book in the series right away because I need it *sniffle*.

I think you all know by now how much I love mythology and Ancient gods and stories about them. So I needed to see what this book was about. Persephone and Hades and Zeus *swoons* I thought "this is a MUST READ book".

I'm very happy I read it. I laughed like a lunatic at some scenes and I stood on the edge of my bed at others. My Ex From Hell was a very funny read. I'd share some quotes with you, but they're funnier in the context of the scene. Just be ready to laugh.

Sophie was a very cool character. She was a little devious, but then if you think of who she was in her previous life, it makes perfect sense. She's also funny and she usually says something totally inappropriate in some scenes that require complete seriousness. I loved that about her.

I loved Kai, the Prince of the Underworld. Even though I'm kind of mad at him right now for...well, you'll see (*grin*), he is quite charming. And very mysterious. He's hiding something, something big I think. And even though I understand why (he explains it very well to Sophie when she keeps asking him), I still want to know.  But yes, he's as sexy and dangerous and lovable as you might think. And he's the Prince of the Underworld! That's like having the belt for Bad Boy Of The Entire Universe.

The book ends with a cliffhanger that is quite big and I think it's safe for me to say that once you finish reading the book, you'll be left biting your nails and impatiently waiting for book 2, My Date From Hell.

So. If you love Ancient mythology and YA mark your calendars on April 1st, when this book is released and read it!

Blog Tour Book Review: A Cast of Shadows by Hailey Edwards & Giveaway

Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Araneae Nation #2.5
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: February 12th 2013
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: copy offered in exchange for an honest review
Blurb (from Goodreads):

"The strongest net is no match for destiny. "

An "Araneae Nation" Story

Daraja has grown up watching her brothers journey down the river on the traditional Deinopidae rite of passage. Each returned with riches from their travels, and lovers with whom to share their lives.

Now she has reached the age where she would strike out on her own to seek her fortune-if she were male. Instead, she is expected to sit patiently, weave her nets and wait for the river to bring a husband to her.

Patience, however, has never been her strong suit.

Brynmor haunts the forest surrounding the city of Cathis, his disembodied spirit inextricably bound to the wild canis roaming his lands. Until the day he stumbles across a brazen trespasser in his woods.

Compelled to step in when the canis suspect her of poaching one of their own, Brynmor fears he has lost a piece of his ragged soul to the feisty, adventure-seeking female. And when the canis confront the real poachers, he is forced to choose which life to sacrifice. Hers...or his own.

Warning: This book contains one heroine with a knack for weaving nets and one hero who relishes getting caught. Expect singing, some howling, ghostly shenanigans, and the start of a love that transcends death.

Ever since A Feast of Souls I've been hoping Brynmor will get some sort of happy ending. He wasn't exactly the easiest guy to be around in Vaughn's story and we already knew some bad stuff about him from the previous book and what he did to his mate and all that. But I have to be honest and say that somewhere along the way, during A Feast of Souls, he sort of charmed me. Yes, I know, I'm a sucker for a tortured hero, especially when he's trying so hard to help the people around him, even though he did things in the past that hurt those same people.

Anyway, I was very excited when I heard that he got a story. And it proved me that I was correct on two things: Vaughn did get his charms from Brynmor and there was a reason other than cruelness for Brynmor to do what he did.

Daraja was a very good heroine. I feel like she was the perfect match for our tortured hero. And I liked her. I am hoping we get to see this couple more in the upcoming books.

One thing that I was curious about was how the author would make their love story happen. I loved that we don't get the usual story with these two. I can't say more, for fear of giving something away, but it's nice to see fresh, new takes on a subject and this is one of them.

Of course, me being me, I wish we'll see more of the wild canis pack. Or maybe a story with them? Wouldn't that be great? *grins*

Now to wait impatiently for the next book in this series. Do read the series people, as it is very, very good.

Purchase Links: 

Samhain: http://bit.ly/13Mn06o 

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/Vbt8oG 

Barnes & Noble.com: http://bit.ly/VOzLvB 

Author Bio: Born in the Deep South, Hailey is a lifelong resident of Alabama. Her husband works for the local sheriff’s department and her daughter is counting down the days until she’s old enough to audition for American Idol. Her doxie, Black Ilex, helps Hailey write by snoozing in his recliner in her office.

Her desire to explore without leaving the comforts of home fueled her love of reading and writing. Whenever the itch for adventure strikes, Hailey can be found with her nose glued to her Kindle’s screen or squinting at her monitor as she writes her next happily-ever-after.

Website: http://haileyedwards.net/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3345773.Hailey_Edwards
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HaileyEdwards
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorhaileyedwards
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/haileyredwards/

GIVEAWAY!!!

Giveaway Guidelines:

 Hailey is gifting a digital book from a select list of her backlist titles to a commenter per number of tour stops. The contest is open internationally to anyone 18 years or older, or the age of majority, and will run from 12:01am EST 2/11/13 – 11:59pm EST 2/18/13. No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The winners will be randomly selected via the widget and notified via Lit Connect (http://litconnect.com) within five days close of the tour. Please follow the Rafflecopter directions for ways to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (YA)

Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Iron Fey #2
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: August 1st 2010
My Rating:3.5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

WARNING!! SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

The second book of The Iron Fey series started well. Meghan is taken to the winter court by the boy she loves and then he leaves without even a parting word. As any other normal girl, she's angry and hurt. I think she needed to get to the winter fey's court, because I really believe she needs to toughen up. She spends some time at the court, without any true friends or allies, and then Ash comes back. At this point I'm expecting her to do something about that when she first sees him after being left all alone to protect herself from the bad fey people. Well, okay, maybe not the first time, because she wasn't exactly herself. But the second time. I felt that her reaction was too mild. And while I understand his reasons for leaving, I wanted her to show how angry and betrayed she felt. I don't know how, scream, hit something, curse, break things,  anything. But no. She cries.

Anyway, after they escape the winter court, they reunite with Puck and all is well for a while. Puck!! While I have to be honest and say that I am on Team Ash, I was glad to see Puck. He manages to make you laugh in the most weird, terrible moments, when all you want to do is sit in a small, dark cave and weep. He has his secrets, like any other person, but he's a good character.

Here's where things didn't work out for me anymore. Remember when I told you that the first book ended too fast, too soon, way too easy? The same thing happened with this book. I won't get into details, because I can't without giving some spoilers, but there was an incident with Ash that was dealt with in a matter of only a few chapters and because of that, I didn't feel as though it was as tragic or dramatic as it appeared to be.

I'm honestly waiting for the wow element to kick in, for me to be swept away by this series. Maybe next book?

Early Book Review: A Feast of Souls by Hailey Edwards

Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Araneae Nation #2
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Release Date: December 18th 2012
My Rating: 5 cups
Source:ARC/review copy offered by the author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The only way to save her is to bind their souls as one.

Born with the ability to communicate with the dead, few things take Mana by surprise. But when a canis lopes into her life, announcing himself as the long-dead father of a childhood friend, she’s shocked. To make matters worse, he has a dire message that she alone can deliver.

Now Mana must face Vaughn, the male who inspired one too many girlish fantasies, and impart the spirit’s message—without acknowledging her source—so the soul can be laid to rest.

With rumors of a burgeoning clan war setting his nerves on edge, the last thing Vaughn needs is for an innocent to get caught in the crosshairs. But the woman he remembers as an awkward girl refuses to leave his side until he’s heard her out. That’s not the only change in her that calls to him. Her kindness soothes his battle-scarred soul—and he craves her in ways a warrior shouldn’t.

When they are both captured, they learn of an even greater threat. The plague devastating the southlands has come to his clan home. And his best—and only—chance to keep his people alive is the female who walks among the dead.

 

I loved this book. So, so much. For me, it was one of those situations when I look at the clock and it's about 10 pm and I say to myself "Okay, I'll read a few chapters. No more than 4". And then read and read and when I look at the clock again I have one of those "oh, crap" moments because it's about 3 am and I have to wake up in about 4 hours and, surprise, I'm way past the first half of the book. Though it might not sound like it, I really love it when a book does that to me, 'cause then it means it's that good :D

I liked Vaughn a lot. I have no idea what is it about arrogant, strong heroes, but I just love them. Vaughn is such a strong character. Strong enough that even the mention of his name commands attention. He's had a rough past and at times I just felt the need to get inside the book and give him a hug. A big bear hug. I liked his strength and his dedication towards doing what was right. I also liked how he believed and respected what Mana was doing, her ability to talk with the dead. I think it made him even more perfect for Mana, the fact that he respected it and that he didn't try to make it sound like some hallucination or something like that.

Mana is one cool heroine. Just the fact that she can spirit walk makes her cool. And she's good for Vaughn. She made him a better person and I felt like for the first time Vaughn was trying to be better for someone. I really liked those two together. And I liked their flirting and teasing.

As with A Hint of Frost, I liked the fact that there isn't an abundance of descriptions, because I could use my own imagination to create some of the aspects of the world. I also liked that there's a little mystery surrounding the plague and where it comes from. I'm very curious to see what happens next and about the various new creatures there are in this world. I'm ready for book 3.

So if you haven't yet read the first book of the series, A Hint Of Frost, start now. You won't be disappointed! 

Book Review: Ironskin by Tina Connolly

Author: Tina Connolly

Series: Ironskin #1
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: October 2nd 2012
My Rating:  3 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. 

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin. 

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help. 

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey. 

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far  she will go to become whole again.

As you all probably know, I'm a girl that's easily impressed by a pretty cover. Don't know why, I just love a cover that catches my eye and makes me want to read the book without even checking the blurb. So it shouldn't surprise you that the moment I saw the cover for Ironskin I wanted to read that book right away.  There was someone that pointed out the fact that the cover model looks like Natalie Portman. I can see the resemblance, can you?

Anyway, back to the book. The first thing I noticed was that in Ironskin fey are bad, evil creatures. I liked that. It is certainly fresh and untouched territory. Or at least it is for me. Of course, I read fey and my mind processes fairies. Bad fairies sound interesting. Bad fey attracted to anything beautiful are even more interesting. I enjoyed reading about that, but I wanted to know more. Where do the fey come from? Why are they evil and how did they get in touch with humans? I wanted to know their history and their reasons for being bad. Yes, we get some details in the end, but I felt like it wasn't enough.

The pacing was a little bit too slow for my taste. Now, I know a lot of people said that Ironskin is sort of a retelling of Jane Eyre. I might have told you that I hate classic literature, so I didn't read Jane Eyre. Sorry to disappoint. I'm used to fast pacing books. Yes, I might enjoy some slow motion from time to time, but I kind of felt that the supernatural theme of Ironskin, the fey, needed a more faster pacing.

The characters were interesting. I can see why Jane would be attracted to Mr. Rochart, what with her being an outcast because of her curse and all that. There were moments where both pissed me off a little bit, but I can't mention them or else I'd be giving away spoilers. And I hate spoilers.

I wanted to like this book more, I really did. It wasn't that bad, you know, the kind of bad that makes you want to put this book in the DNF pile. But I can't say that I fell off my chair I liked it so much. It was a good read, but I felt it could've been better.

 

Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (YA)

Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: The Iron Fey #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: February 1st 2010
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Source: Bought
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

This is one of those slightly painful to write reviews.  Ever since I read The Immortal Rules I've been dying to read this series. I loved Kagawa's writing style and, since I've heard so much about The Iron Fey series, I thought I'd give it a try.

I loved the world in this series, the mythology and the whole "believe and it will exist" theme of the series. It was also interesting to see so may new creatures and the different interactions between them and the different rules and customs of the two courts.

The characters where great too. I especially liked Robbie. I wouldn't say I'm on his team, but I really enjoyed reading about him. He's very funny, charming and very, very mischievous. I was surprised to learn his real name and who he really is. I had a very different idea.

Then there's Ash. I did like his character, though at times he seemed a little too serious. But I liked that in the end he helps Meghan on her quest and that he tries to get along with Robbie.

Here comes the hard part of my review. While I liked Meghan a lot, I didn't understand her at all. I couldn't exactly figure out if she really loved Ash. I didn't feel that emotion for some reason. Yes, she was attracted to him (who wouldn't be?) but I didn't feel the love that much.

Then there's the ending. I would've wanted a little more drama, like we get in The Immortal Rules. Something big, something that leaves me staring at the computer and go "WTF? What just happened?". I don't know, something. Instead, I felt the book ended too easy, given what Meghan and Ash and Robbie had to go through to get to that point. Throughout the book there's this very nice pacing and a sense of danger and mystery and suspense and action, but right at the end it was stopped too fast in my opinion.

Even so, I did enjoy the books and I will be reading the next ones in the series.

Book Review: The Brotherhood of Piaxia by Michael Drakich

Author: Michael Drakich
Series: N/A
Release Date: March 15th 2012
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: review copy received from the author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Years have passed since the overthrow of the monarchy by the Brotherhood of Warlocks and they rule Piaxia in peaceful accord. But now forces are at work to disrupt this rule from outside the Brotherhood as well as within! Follow Tarlok, Savan and Tessia as their paths intertwine, with the Brotherhood in pursuit and the powerful merchant’s guild manipulating the populace for their own end.

Every once in a while I read a fantasy book that reminds me why I love fantasy. The Brotherhood of Piaxia is one of those books. Warlocks, magic, corruption, war.

I thought the book started a bit slow. But it wasn't that "nothing's happening, when is the action starting?" kind of slow. Before the big turning point and before the big changes, we get to meet the main characters and see them evolve, grow up or turn into a better version of themselves. Also, during this time, we see how magic can corrupt, how power can change a person, turning them into tyrants or evil people, capable of anything - even murder.

There are a lot of twists and turns and some of them where really unexpected to me. Some were good, some not so good. There were a few characters that died and it really broke my heart. I know that they needed to die in order to show how much damage too much power can do, but it still made me sad.

I liked the writing style. And I very much enjoyed the world in this book, the history and the characters. And I loved the battle scenes. There weren't that many, but I loved the strategies they used and the action in those scenes.

If you like fantasy you should give The Brotherhood of Piaxia a try. You won't be sorry ;)

Blog Tour Book Review: The Stone Of Darkness by Resa Nelson

Author: Resa Nelson
Series: The Dragonslayer #3
Publisher: Mundania Press
Publishing Date: May 29th 2012
Source: review copy offered by the author
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

In Book 3 of the Dragonslayer series, Astrid accepts her duty and follows the winter route--until she's bitten by a dragon. Everyone knows dragon bites are poisonous and deadly, so she reluctantly accepts her impending death. In a twist of fate, she survives. Desperate for an explanation, Astrid believes she has somehow been protected by the black stone she keeps with her at all times, a stone that emerged from the sole of her foot a year ago. Determined to find out what the stone is and what kind of powers it possesses, Astrid begins a journey that leads her to alchemists and an army of men under the rule of the powerful warrior, Mandulane, the acting lord of the Krystr army. Mandulane's mission is to spread the word of the new god Krystr, which preaches the evil intent of women and the danger they pose to all men, who are entitled to dominate the world. Rumors about this new god and army have spread, but Astrid is the first Northlander to encounter them. Soon, she stumbles upon a secret of a far-reaching and mind-numbing plot that will impact the entire world. Astrid must find a way to spread the news of this threat and protect her people and everyone else at risk. She's convinced the answer lies inside the Stone of Darkness, and she must find a way to understand the stone and the powers she's convinced it must hold before it's too late.

If I loved the first two books in this amazing series, let me tell you that I adored The Stone Of Darkness. I feel like I can't actually describe how much I loved this book.

I loved how we get more subplots at the same time. There aren't too many though and they don't take up much time, but they do keep the reader wanting to read and needing to know more about them. We get to see the dragons again and we get to understand more about them, about their ways and about dragonslayers in general. One thing that I loved was getting a little bit of the history of dragons and I understood them a lot better than I did in the previous novels.

Astrid is changed. While more mature and more used to her role as a dragonslayer, she still has a lot to learn about herself and about her family history and about people in general. I think there were things that happened in this book that she needed to go through in order to understand herself better. There are a lot of questions that find answers in this third book and there are so many more new and old questions that need answers, not only about Astrid, but about anything I thought I new about this world.

There's action, suspense, humor, a little bit of romance, mystery, anything I could have wished for. And the one thing that made me completely adore this book was that I was so focused on what was happening, I never imagined the ending was going to be like that. I have no idea what I was thinking the ending was going to be like, but I was surprised. Now, of course, I'm sitting here biting my nails, waiting for the next one.

Anyway, if you haven't checked this series out (shame on you!) do it now!!! It is good :D

Book Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (YA)

Author: Anna Banks

Series: Of Poseidon #1

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publishing Date: May 22nd 2012
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

First of all, let me tell you how much I love the cover! It's just gorgeous, though I would have wanted to see Galen represented there as well. Though the fact that the girl has bubbles around her and (I'm assuming) she's swimming is the number one reason why I wanted desperately to read this book. Okay, now that I got that out of the way, I can go on with my review :P

The book starts in a pretty sad way. I was almost in tears after the first few pages. Thank God there was Galen to help get me out of that mood LOL! While I like a book that doesn't stall too much in the beginning, I felt as though the first chapters were a little too sad.

Speaking of Galen. He's a hottie. And a prince :D He's also a sort of ambassador between Syrenas and humans. Though for someone with his role, I felt as though Galen lacked a certain level of people skills. His knowledge about humans and their culture was at times too low for my tastes. But he makes up for that by being hot and cute. Oh, and really considerate at times. And patient with Emma, patience that I feel I couldn't have had with her.

Emma doesn't know about her being a Syrena. She thinks she's just a normal girl, that went through a rough summer. What struck me as completely odd was her relationship with her mother. At times I felt as though they were more like friends than mother and daughter. It wasn't that they were friends the fact that sort of bothered me, but the fact that Emma's mom acted more like a teenager sometimes. And other times I could really feel that she was a good mother and that she loved Emma and wanted to be the best mother for her, so maybe acting like a teenager was a way for her to keep Emma close I guess.

There were some funny scenes in this book. Very funny and they made me laugh a lot. I loved Emma's snarky remarks. Galen had a few of those funny moments. I also liked the mythology of this world. It was really interesting and seeing how both Triton and Poseidon are part of this world and explaining the difference and all that.

The ending blew me away. There was a moment when I thought that that could be the ending, but then I thought "nah, it can't be". So in a way it took me by surprise. And the ending is more abrupt and forceful than I expected. It sort of stays true to the beginning of the book. And it was teasing enough to make me want to read the next one. I'm curious about the next book in the series. Will we be getting Galen's POV this time, or continue with Emma's? I'd love to have a series with alternating POV. I felt like we were in Emma's head too much, I'd like to see most of the action told with Galen's words and feelings. Also, I want to see the cover :D

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

      

Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: January 3rd 2012
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I have to admit that for once I have no idea how to start this review. I mean, the book was very surprising for me. To start, I must be honest: I have no clue what the difference between a cyborg and an android is *sheepish* Not even the tinniest clue, so I was a little lost at times. I guess if I think about it really hard, I suppose androids are just robots and cyborgs are former humans? *shakes head* I think I'll leave it here, or I risk making a fool of myself LOL

I liked Cinder. She was a very like-able character. I liked her sense of humor and her sarcasm. What I liked though was that it was very easy to forget she was "special" or a cyborg. Also, I loved how she could detect lies. I could use that tool, actually :D I wanted to hit something when her stepmother gave her to the scientists.

I also liked that you don't get your usual fairy tale retelling. Things are a bit different here: she is friends with one of her stepsisters, she has a sidekick, she is a well-known mechanic and a lot of other little changes that make the story unique. Oh, I loved her sidekick, Iko. I actually like the idea of a best friend that knows everything. (Could be useful during exams too)

Also, I loved the prince. He was different than what I expected. Good different, not bad ;)

I have to say that I was disappointed by the ending. I mean, yes, I know it's a series that's focused on Cinder and on her journey, but I wanted to see at least one issue resolved. I mean, anything. Her escape or her relationship with the emperor resolved, anything.

Also, there were some elements that where familiar. I don't know if anyone else made this connection, but I felt as though I was reading a new book and watching Sailor Moon at the same time. I'm not saying the book and the TV show are identical, just that some elements reminded me about that show,  a show that I loved as a child.

The story was a little predictable at times, but the writing style (which I loved, might I add) kept me reading and wanting to know how the story unfolds.

In the end, I liked the book. It was a very interesting story and a cool start for a series. I am curious to see how Cinder's journey continues and what will happen next and what other fairy tales will be retold throughout the series.

Other books in the series:

• Scarlet (2013)
• Cress (2014)
• Winter (2015)

Blog Tour Book Review: The Legacy Of A Dreamer by Allie Jean

Author: Allie Jean

Series: The Legacy #1

My Rating: 4 cups

Blurb: (from Goodreads)

Chantal Breelan is a ward of the state, living under the care of a woman who is cold and heartless. Her past is a mystery, and her future is even more uncertain. She can’t recall why she had been taken from her parents and so she’s left with nothing but an empty hole where her childhood should have been. When she awakens from her nightmares, she’s left with terrible, violent images, as well as a boy whose face is oddly familiar, yet can’t be placed.
Scared and alone, Chantal begins to confide in an imaginary friend – a shadow in the shape of a man who stands in the corner of her room. She is comforted when she believes he listens to her.
On her eighteenth birthday, Chantal is forced to leave her foster home. She moves to New York City, but the start of her new life doesn’t begin as smoothly as she’d hoped. In this environment, she faces a whole new set of challenges.
One night at a subway station, Chantal meets a young boy who runs away from her, and she’s compelled to follow him down into the tunnels. But this Rabbit Hole reveals a world where reality is a nightmare. Her dreams are clues to her future, and her life becomes twisted and dangerous when she learns that things that go bump in the night are not just in fairy tales and childhood stories.

When I started reading this book I didn't know what to expect. I haven't read many books with characters tormented by awful nightmares before. And the nightmares were awful.

Speaking of nightmares, one of the things I loved about this book was how they were presented. They were very detailed and for me that was new. When I read dream sequences they are rarely this detailed and this vivid. Also, I know for sure that if I had dreams like that, I'd be scared of falling asleep.

Chantal surprised me. A lot I might say. At first I had a very different opinion of who and what she was and why she was like that. I certainly didn't expect her to be related to the fallen angels. But I liked her from the very start. Maybe because she seemed like she needed a break, a new life, a fresh start. And how cool was it that she had an imaginary (well, not actually, but you'll see ;) ) friend made of a shadow? The last time I heard of something similar was in Peter Pan and I liked that idea so much. Also, she named him Nick, which is one of my favorite names :D

Speaking of Nick. I liked him. I thought he was such a sweetheart. He's the knight in shining armor type of guy and I'm so glad that Chantal gets to meet him. After her childhood, she really needed him. He's a warrior also, one that would give his own life to protect Chantal. And he loves her.

The one thing that I loved above all else were the evil creatures in this book and I hope we get to see more in the upcoming books. You know how much I love sexy vampires, but it's been a while since they've been portrayed like the evil creatures they were first knows as. I think it's probably the first time since I read that in a book.

This book is filled with suspense and, while it starts a little slow, once the action starts, it doesn't stop until the very end. There's also a little bit of horror, a little romance, some funny moments. So I say read it.

Now to wait for the second book :)

Blog Tour Book Review: Promises by Amber Garr

Author: Amber Garr
Series: Syrenka #1
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.
When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.
A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those who she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life that she had so adamantly tried to escape.
Promises is the first book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends through the perils of growing up in a discrete world that inherently threatens human society.

I'm so, so happy I got to read this book. First, I haven't read a book with mermaids before (unless you count  The Little Mermaid, but that was ages ago), so this was new territory for me. Second, it's fantasy, so I knew for sure that I was going to love this book.

What I loved about this book is that you get to see each and every character both as a sea creatures and as humans. That was very interesting. And I loved the fact that mermaids are presented as being on top of the food chain. It was fun to see other creatures besides vampires that could be rulers of all races.

There were also mythological references about mermaids and how they created and when. Then there are the selkie references and I was so happy about that. If I didn't met many mermaids in my books, I hear a lot of stories about selkies and I was excited to see them included in the fantasy world, because I believe they are very interesting creatures. Plus, it's fresh. I mean, how many creatures get to shift into an animal dressing in the skin of said animal?

Besides the fact that she's a mermaid, Eviana seemed like a normal teenager to me. A girl that's stubborn, strong willed, brave. She's in love with a selkie shifter, but she's been promised to another boy since she was a little girl. You can call it a love triangle and you wouldn't be mistaken. She loves Brendan, even though everyone is against their relationship, and she chooses to run away with him. She has a sense of right and wrong, more than I expected. Yes, part of why she ran away was because of her rebelliousness, but it was also because the idea of being married to one guy and being in love with another was wrong. She's also very naive, but that is mostly due to her mother, who never thought of sharing details of the things she was supposed to expect once Eviana became a clan leader. I didn't really like her mom very much because of that.

There were a lot of surprises and a lot of twists and turns that I didn't expect. Also, I didn't expect to like Kain. I liked Brendan, the selkie, a lot, but I was expecting a dull Kain, not a hot, swoon-worthy Kain. I love the fact that both guys are really strong characters.

And, in case you didn't notice, this book has an AMAZING cover! I would stare at that cover over and over again, without getting tired. In fact, all covers in this series are amazing, gorgeous, beautiful.

I say you should definitely read this book. If you like fantasy and YA, you really should try it! And at the end of this book you'll find a sneak peak for the next book in the series, Betrayal.

Book Review: Everlong by Hailey Edwards (Re-read)

Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Daughters of Askara #1
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The most damaged heart can fly with the right pair of wings.
Madelyn’s life is far from fairytale perfect. She is second in line for the throne of a corrupt, brutal monarchy. Or at least she was until her dark guardian sacrificed his life to hide her safely in a realm of infinite possibilities.
For years she’s lived among a colony of escaped slaves as her guardian’s widow. Even in this simple life, though, nothing is as it seems. Her hero kept a secret—a younger brother named Clayton Delaney. Warrior, winged demon…and the man who now wants to lay claim to her heart.
No longer cast in his brother’s shadow, Clayton meets all obstacles head on, including one named Maddie. His infatuation with her reaches the breaking point when she undergoes a royal rite of passage, going into heat and pushing them both over the edge.
Just as Maddie learns that some risks are worth taking, she discovers that her guardian may be alive. And she’s forced to make a choice between the man she’d thought she loved, and the demon willing to lend her his wings.

You know what I love? A book that's very good the first time you read it and even better when you read it a second time. This week I'm doing more rereading than I had planned. That's probably because I've got a case of goldfish memory (or it's going to be a full moon soon or something :P). Anyway, for some reason, the only thing I remembered from Everlong was a scene full of suspense and me wanting to scream each and every time a certain demon appeared in front of Madelyn.  Ok, there was another scene, but that I HAD to remember. I mean, how could I forget that one with the hot male, wet shirt and dishes and...oh my! *fans self*

Like I was saying, I really loved Everlong. I know I say this a lot, but I do love unique approaches and new worlds. Everlong definitely has that. And what's really good about it is that you don't see a stereotype anywhere. I've never read about winged demons (*sigh*) so I was very happy (and in love, yes!) when I read about Clayton and the other hot demons.

The thing I liked above anything else is the way you get to see the relationship between Maddie and Clayton evolve before the hot sex happens. Probably because of Maddie's story, but I really loved that we get to see that. Also, it gives Clayton a chance to prove that he loves Maddie for her, not for some physical, hormonal thing.

Speaking of Clayton. Can I swoon now? The guy is not only hot and funny, he also has a lot of charm. But the thing I liked most about him was that he didn't try to copy Harper. He didn't try to become someone other than himself and I loved that. And his feelings for Madelyn are so strong and powerful that he'd be willing to do anything for her, including letting her be with another man if that's what makes her happy. That makes him even more manly in my eyes. I loved that about him. Also, the man has wings :D

Maddie broke my heart a few times. Made me want to kill her stepdad more than once. And torture her mom. See, that's another reason I loved this book and I'm sure a lot of readers can agree. It's one thing to say "oh, this character had some really bad stuff happen to them, I'm so sorry blah blah blah" and it's a very different thing to feel what the character feels and to want to jump inside the story and kill a few bad guys. For me, while I do get captivated by a book, it's not something that happens very often, that besides my mind that gets captivated by the story,  my actual emotions are "present" there also. So that's another reason to love Everlong.

So if you love paranormal/fantasy, you should really try this series :)

Book Review: The Binding by L. Filloon

Author: L. Filloon

Series: Velesi Series #1

Source: review copy provided by the author

My Rating: 5 cups

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Two nights after her eighteenth birthday, Lily is attacked while out jogging, but is saved by Tharin Lunar, a Sidhe prince. When she discovers that her attacker is her own brother, Lucas, who disappeared four years ago, Lily refuses to believe that her brother would truly hurt her and becomes determined to find Lucas and bring him home. Lily finds that Lucas’ disappearance is somehow tied to Tharin; so when he informs her that she is his betrothed and must return with him to Velesi, fulfill a treaty between their families and unite the two strongest clans through their marriage, Lily agrees. However, she’s not going to Velesi for a wedding, but to bring home her only family, Lucas.
On their journey to the borders of Velesi, the realm of the Thirteen Clans, they’re pursued by a Sidhe assassin group call the Ange, meet with an ogre crime lord that ends badly, deal with a sleazy troll motel manager, and when they discover that there’s a bounty on their heads, they must keep one step ahead of every assassin, bounty hunter and low-life criminal in Velesi.
Protecting Lily has become the biggest challenge of Tharin’s life. Lucky for him he has help in the form of his twin brother, Tolan, Lily’s best friend Julia and his three bodyguard cousins.

If there's one thing I love more than anything is a good fantasy book. The Binding was, in my opinion, more than just "good". It was more than great, actually.

The first thing that caught my attention was that we don't have just one perspective, but two. The book is written in first person, but we get to see Lily's and Tharin's take on the action, alternatively. That's where I, as a reader, tip my hat to the author. Seriously. As a reader that's weary of books written in 1st person, it was so refreshing not having to worry about that. Because you get two views on the same scene (or almost the same), it's like actually seeing the entire picture, like having eyes on the back of your head also and seeing every little detail around you.

The world we find in The Binding is new, fresh, surprising. Out of all the supernatural creatures, elves are the least used, so it was a nice change to see them as the main species in a story. You also find ogres, orcs, demons, wizards, wolves and a few other creatures I've never encountered before.

The characters were amazing. Lily, the heroine, managed to surprise me a lot. Just when you think you have her figured out, she does or says something that changes everything you think you know about her. She can be both strong and weak, she can be fair and she can overreact at some point, she can be happy and sad. The one thing that is constant through the entire book is that she's an extremely friendly person. And when she cares about someone, she'll do whatever it takes to protect them, even if it means endangering herself. I liked her friendship with Julie. It's one of those really rare friendships and I for one haven't found them in a lot of the books I've read.

Tharin was a very interesting hero. I'm sure that if the book was told only from Lily's perspective, I would've wished to smack him a few times. But since I got to be inside his head, see why he said the things he said, why he acted in a certain way, I can't imagine a better hero. And I liked that Tolan, his twin brother, wasn't as perfect as I first thought. There were times when I laughed alongside Tharin at his brother's behavior. So don't think that one twin is flawed, while one is perfect. They both have faults as they have moments of utter perfection. That, in my opinion, makes this characters real, it gives the idea of layers upon layers and it just made me want to uncover everything about them.

I loved the ending. It made me groan and scream in frustration, but the cliffhanger is AMAZING! I think it's best if I say there are at least two cliffhangers, not just one. I am impatiently waiting for book two.

If you like fantasy, paranormal, young adult, you should definitely try The Binding. You won't be disappointed!