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 ;)

Waiting on Wednesday #10

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


My pick this week:

Inferno - Sherrilyn Kenyon

I didn't get to read Infamous yet (and I'm mad at myself for that, but I promise to rectify that as soon as I finish reading the books I received for reviewing). BUT. I love the Dark Hunters (I bet you knew that) and the Chronicles of Nick is such a cool addition to the entire world. (Though to be honest, if the world ends before Nick gets his Dark Hunter book, I'll be one pissed off ghost. No, really! I need that book.)









Anyway, that's my WOW this week. What's yours?

Blog Tour Promo: Nine Lives by Shari Richardson

Nine Lives: The Fifth Highland Home Novel by Shari Richardson

Highland Home, Book 5

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publisher: Astral Plane Publishing
Date of Publication: September 2012
ISBN: 978-1461070092

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/5vjPdfSuy0I

Book Description:

I felt a familiar ripple and knew it was too late for me. I saw her, so tiny, so perfect and I knew that I could die content. When Xavier admitted his love for me, I was complete.

Kerry Cote's story may sound familiar, but it's not. Sure there are a lot of unmarried, pregnant teenagers in the world, but how many of them know the child they carry is a miracle? How many have a vampire body guard? How many are alone because the mother of us all and the father of all vampires has a jealous daughter who covets the baby's father? Kerry must survive to bring her child into the world, for if she fails, humanity may not survive.

Books 1-4 Highland Home Series


Mourning Sun

I should have known when he walked into my life that things would never be the same. Hadn't I dreamed of him and the things he'd done before I was born? If only he weren't so fascinating, so beautiful, so much more than any other guy. Maybe then I could walk away.

Mairin Cote is a magnet for weird. Her dreams come true, she can see auras and her mother is in love with an angel. Now the monsters are finding her too. Vampires, demigods and werepanthers have flocked to this small town girl who must find a way to keep her family safe, love the man of her dreams, and navigate the shark-infested waters of Highland Home High School.

Captured Sun

My first kiss was going to be my last, but it was worth it. His cool lips, his sweet taste, they were my salvation. I would never regret it, no matter what happened.

Mairin Cote thought loving a vampire was hard, but losing him to others of his kind was worse. When the death toll in East Hampton points to a rampaging vampire, the vampires and werepanthers must form an uneasy alliance to stop the destruction. To save the love of her life, Mairin must decide if living life without Mathias is worth risking an eternity with him.

Seven Days

The pain was sharp and deep, but it was nothing compared to the anguish in Xavier's eyes. I wanted to tell him I would be okay, but the words wouldn't come. The pain kept them at bay and even if I could have spoken, I knew the words would be a lie.

Kerry Cote has a pretty normal life for a teenager. Of course normal is a relative term. Her sister dates a vampire and her boyfriend turns furry once a month, but that's not the problem. It isn't until she meets the father of the man she loves that her whole existence narrows to a mere seven days.

Banished Sun

Eternity. How many times since Mathias came into my life had I considered it? Had I not taken risks that would have left us together for eternity? What I hadn't expected was to have the choice taken from us. Vampires are independent creatures and the old ones definitely don't like being bound to a human. When an ancient vampire comes to Highland Home bent on Mairin's destruction so he can free himself from his bond to her, Mathias is forced to choose between what he is and who he wishes to be.

About the Author:


Shari Richardson holds a master's degree in English Education and has spent much of her life teaching students the joy of reading and writing. Her love of writing began when she was in elementary school and has carried through her entire adult life. Shari lives in Pennsylvania with her two Chihuahuas.

Website: www.astralplanepublishing.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shari-Richardson/344353211751

Book Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Vampire Academy #1
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: August 16th 2007
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Whenever I search for some good vampire series, the Vampire Academy series always pops up. I remember when Last Sacrifice (the last book of the series) was released and almost every blogger I followed was talking about it. I wanted to know what the fuss was all about, but at the time I was a tad afraid. I mean, I had no experience with the YA genre and, to be completely honest, I didn't exactly want to touch that area (think already too huge TBR pile).

Now, 2 years later (older, but definitely not wiser), I gave in. And boy, am I glad I did.

Fist of all, I loved Rose. I know you usually have to like the main character of a book to be able to like the story, especially if it's told in 1st person, but still. The first thing that I loved about her was that she was fiercely loyal to Lissa. I don't know if I ever read about a friendship like that. Throughout this book (and, actually, the whole series) Rose is ready to do anything for Lissa. And not just Lissa, she'd do anything for anyone able to win her love or loyalty. Secondly, I love that she's incredibly reckless. Not suicidal, but reckless and impulsive enough to not let her fear overcome her in situations where others would have fainted. Yes, she feels fear. But it's not a constant state of her. I also loved her sarcasm. A lot.

Then there's Dimitri. Besides the fact that he's a warrior, very sexy, lethal in a fight or the fact that he's Russian, he has GREAT taste in music. Hell, he could have been ugly, short and fat, the fact that he loves the '80s music makes him awesome (I might have sounded a little like Barney Stinson there for a second. Ignore that *sheepish*)

Lissa sounded a bit... too fragile at times, but she did see her parents die and she has some personal problems, so maybe it's understandable. I felt like she keeps Rose grounded sometimes.

I liked Christian too, more than I thought possible. I was surprised by him in a lot of situations, and over the course of this series I've grown to love him actually. Not as much as Dimitri, but that's another story.

The book is fast paced, full of action and suspense, a lot of drama and some romance here and there. I loooved the mythology of this series (more than you can imagine). I'm actually a bit angry at myself for waiting this long to pick up this series.

So if you're like me and you still have doubts about reading this book (and the entire series) or if you simply have it on your TBR pile/shelf, do pick it up and read it. You won't be sorry!

Timeless Desire Shoe Giveaway

Enter to Win a Pair of Sexy, Sky-high Snake Skin Print Kelsi Dagger Pumps (or a Zappos gift card)! $125 Value!

Five easy ways to enter:

1. Forward this email or URL to five friends, copying gwyn@cready.com by September 14, 2012 at midnight EST.

2. Send a picture of you holding Timeless Desire to gwyn@cready.com by September 14, 2012 at midnight EST.

3. Send a copy of a purchase receipt forTimeless Desire to gwyn@cready.com by September 14, 2012 at midnight EST

4. Tweet about Timeless Desire and mention @GwynCready in your tweet by Septemnber 14, 2012 at midnight EST.

5. Click here to go to the "Gwyn Cready, Romance Novelist" Facebook page and share any post on the page with your friends by clicking the "Share" button (not the "Like" button) under the post by September 14, 2012 at midnight EST.

You can enter each way, for up to five entries.

Contest rules: Open only to residents of U.S. and Canada. Void where prohibited. Entering this contest will automatically add you to the Gwyn Cready mailing list. Friends to whom you forward this email will not be added to the Gwyn Cready mailing list unless they, too, enter the contest. Limit of one entry per type per person. No personal information or email addresses will be sold or shared. Entries must be received by midnight EST on September 14, 2012. Winner will be posted at cready.com on September 15, 2012.

Timeless Desire by Gwyn Cready

Praise for Gwyn Cready:

"Cready's writing is romantic and wickedly witty."--NY Times bestselling author Rachel Gibson

"Gwyn Cready is the master of time travel romance."--Royal Reviews

Message from Author Gwyn Cready: 

Librarians are about the most kick-ass people on earth, and I've had some pretty wonderful librarians in my life, from my cousin Donna who keeps the library in South Park, Pennsylvania, humming, to my friend Manuel, a music librarian at UC Berkeley who has saved my sorry writer's butt many times with some handy bit of research, to Mrs. White, my first grade librarian, who read books aloud as if it was the most joy-filled thing on earth and to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for helping me discover the magic of a great story.

My librarian heroine in Timeless Desire, Panna Kennedy, is no exception. Battling budget cuts to distract herself from the grief of losing her husband, Panna discovers a mysterious opening under her library's careworn stairs and finds herself transported to the magnificent, book-filled quarters of the handsome eighteenth century English war hero whose larger-than-life statue looms over her desk. However, Captain Bridgewater is not as she imagined. Under house arrest as a traitor to England, the dashing Bridgewater warms to his beautiful and unexpected visitor despite his belief she's a spy. Bridgewater pulls Panna into his escape, and they share soul-baring secrets as well as a heart-racing kiss. But when he gives her a message that must be delivered to his secret allies and she is swept into the shocking intrigue that takes them from Hadrian's Wall to the forbidding borderland castle of Bridgewater's maternal grandfather, Panna must decide whether her loyalties lay with the memory of her dead husband or with the man whose life and reputation may depend on her.

Timeless Desire is my personal shout-out to all the wonderful librarians who've helped me over the years and to everyone out there who does the thing they're afraid to do. Enjoy!

Best,
Gwyn
www.cready.com

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


My pick this week:


The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

 I need this book now *sob*

Anyhow, what book are you eagerly anticipating?