Abooktopia
  • Reviews
  • REVIEW REQUEST
  • Contact
Abooktopia@hotmail.com

Books

Reviews and recommendations waiting to be discovered for your next adventure!

Also a member of Goodreads? Shoot me a friend request for updates on upcoming reviews.

Goodreads Profile

TWINMAKER BY SEAN WILLIAMS

30/7/2016

36 Comments

 
Picture
Clair’s world has been destroyed – again. The only remaining hope of survival is for her and Q to enter the Yard, a simulation as detailed – and as real – as the home they have lost. But in the Yard there are two Clair Hills. The other Clair is headstrong, impulsive, suspicious – just like Clair herself used to be, and their very existence is causing cracks.


As Clair searches for a solution, a surprising new ally emerges from the ashes. Together they fight their way through the digital and political minefield in the hope of saving Jesse, her friends and the whole of humanity.


A stunning epic conclusion to a mind-blowing adventure about what it means to be human. - Abooktopia
Fall was a great wrap to the Twinmaker trilogy as it was action packed, taking on a new view point from not one, but multiple Clairs. I love how each Clair was slightly different and unique in their own ways due to their experiences, and past selves. Each character was amazingly complex with their own motivations, creating an intriguing conflict between them.

In this particular novel, Claire and her comrades are trying their best to undo all the worlds problems. Even though Clair has lost favour with those that surround her, after she destroyed the world, doing their best to makes things right. But this proved to be extremely difficult, yet they never deterred or gave up. There were times when I as the reader became confused as I couldn’t quite follow up on what was happening as it's quite a heavy science read.

Though the world was destroyed, there was still respite lives within a virtual world known as the Yard. The Yard was originally created by Wallace where he manufactured a new reality, bringing back the scans of dupes from the past. Friends and foes have been regenerated, and whispers that run through Clair’s head with shear warnings of a world outside cause quite the dilemma. But Clair is no longer stable. There are glitches in-between the rifts from her and her dupes. Copies of herself taken from scans shortly after the height of improvement.

Though there was a less world building in this novel than the previous two, it still provided to be fascinating. Twinmaker was truly an incredible, unique world filled with original ideas that questioned human morals and ethics. Overall, I would highly recommend reading these books in order as they are quite complex, and do require your undivided attention.
***I received a personalised signed ARC of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--forty-two at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere. Thanks for reading.


Twinmaker by Sean Williams:
BOOK 1: Twinmaker: Jump
BOOK 2: Crashland: Crash
BOOK 3: Hollowgirl: Fall
36 Comments

TRUST ME BY MARY ELIZABETH SUMMER

15/7/2016

37 Comments

 
Picture
Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.


With every turn, the plot thickens and develops as the author hits the fan with more intriguing twists and plots that can’t help but keep you hooked until the very end. – Abooktopia
Julep is a con artist. A grifter of sorts. And like all con artists, Julep Dupree is not her name. She’s good at what she does. It’s her job. After all, she learned from the best of the best: her father. That is until he went missing…
 
This book came off with a great start that immediately immersed the reader’s attention. It was such a thrill to be in the mind of a con artist as you could tell that the author had really researched and crafted her character well with a hint of reality to make everything plausible, which I adored. Despite being the master of deception, there is still a vulnerability to her character that truly balances her character well, and works with her age. In fact all of the characters were fascinating and complex as they kept you seconded guessing their inner motives. The romance in this novel didn’t allow Julep to stray away from her main goal of finding her father, but in fact added a nice sparkle to the plot.
 
Throughout the novel with the help of her best friend and loyal companion, Sam, and Tyler the gorgeous big-time-man on campus, Julep is left to uncover the hidden clues left behind by her father in order to locate his whereabouts. But the fate of her father is only a small part of the complexity that is about to unravel. With every page turn, the plot kept thickening, that you couldn’t help but become engrossed to see what happened next.
 
The ending was sentimental and emotional, making you desperate for the next book. It truly delivers well, as it will shock you with it’s surprising and heart wrenching twists. Trust Me, I’m Lying is great for fans of Veronica Mars and Ally Carter’s Heist Society series.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
Mary Elizabeth Summer is an instructional designer, a mom, a champion of the serial comma, and a pie junkie. Oh, and she sometimes writes books about teenage delinquents saving the day. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her daughter, her partner, and her evil overlor–er, cat. TRUST ME, I'M LYING, a YA mystery, will be released by Delacorte in Fall 2014.


Trust Me by Mary Elizabeth Summer:
BOOK 1: Trust Me, I'm Lying
BOOK 2: Trust Me, I'm Trouble
37 Comments

SUBMERGED SUN BY VANESSA GARDEN

30/6/2016

45 Comments

 
Picture
When Miranda Sun returns to Marin on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, this time of her own free will, she quickly learns that her worst fears have been realised. The glittering underwater city is not as she had left it, nor too is Marko, the young king who has dominated her thoughts and heart for the last twelve months since leaving Marin.

Miranda, however, has not made the journey to Marin alone, and now must contend with not only Marko’s evil brother Damir but more surprisingly her sister Lauren who has an agenda of her own. Marko’s power begins to wane and with cracks beginning to show in the domed Utopian city, and veiled danger lurking everywhere, she quickly learns that in this dazzling city full of beautiful people she can trust no-one but herself.

If Miranda wants to survive, she must decide between the hardened sensibilities in her head and the hungers of her heart. Will her decision cause more heartache or can she help to save Marko’s throne?

A well developed, intrigue, plot thickened novel about an underwater kingdom unlike anything I’ve ever known. – Abooktopia
It’s been a year since Robbie returned Miranda to the surface, back to her previous life. Not a single day has passed by where her thoughts are not filled with her promise to the handsome underwater king, Marko. Her promise to return to Marin on her eighteenth birthday. The time has finally come for Miranda to give the king a second chance, and to return back as his guest, and not his reluctant captor. Willing to help Marko, Miranda knows her time in Marin will become all the more personal with twin siblings Sylvia and Damir causing disharmony in the city. They cannot be trusted, however loyalty to Sylvia continues to cloud the king’s judgment. Despite Miranda’s willingness to risk her own relationship to ensure Marko’s safety, she is sure that Sylvia is working against the king, but she only manages to drive a wedge between the two. Despite giving up her life, her family, and the sun for a life underwater, she feels unwanted and unappreciated. She finds Marko cold and unforgiving as she hears rumors of other women entertaining Marko in her absence. Though that’s not her biggest problem. Together Miranda and Marko’s must help to carry Marin into the next generation and to survive.

I enjoyed how Miranda’s character grew into an adult, as she became a touch bit wiser and older. I liked how she was not completely ruled by her emotions as her head battled against her heart in trying to decipher from right to wrong. Miranda’s relationship between her Robbie and Marko was an interesting read as each relationship had it’s own unique dynamic contrast. Robbie is without a doubt probably my most favourable character so far in the series. He is such a lovely pleasure to read about. I found that as I continued on with the story, I gradually came to accept Miranda’s relationship with Marko as their relationship developed with time. Although I loved most of the characters, the one character I could not stand was Lauren. She was just… ugh… I didn’t know whether to trust her or not, and the way she flirted with every guy was just annoying.

Impulse overall was such a lovely improvement from Captivate as it had that extra little spark that the first novel was missing. Plus the cover was absolutely gorgeous and a total winner. I loved how each character had their own secret agenda and reasoning for their actions whether it was intentionally good or bad. The setting was beautiful as we got to read about the difference of life on the surface, and in the underwater city. We also got to learn much more about the secrets of the underwater city, and how Marin operated.
***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***

Picture
A bookseller and Young Adult author, Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not raving about her favourite reads with customers, or mentally casting actors to play the characters in her next novel, she enjoys hanging out with those she loves most.


Submerged Suns by Vanessa Garden
BOOK 1: Captivate
BOOK 2: Impulse
45 Comments

DESCENDANTS BY MELISSA WRIGHT

15/6/2016

48 Comments

 
Picture
 Brianna can see her future, but it's the past that haunts her. Plans laid in place centuries ago are threatening not only her and her sister, but all of the Seven Lines. As the shadows plot their way to old rule, the visions shift again. Her power has led to some hard choices—and the occasional stab wound—but this set of futures holds nothing but darkness.

Unable to bear the idea of losing the footing they've so recently gained, she turns the soldiers of the Seven. But with shadows hidden among the ranks, can she overcome the path they've set in place, or is she blindly following their lead?

A nice ending to a fast-paced urban fantasy, that is perfect for a quick read. – Abooktopia
I adored how Reign of Shadows was written in third person rather than first, and how it transferred back between different characters in order to give us readers a better understanding of what was happening. Since the final novel was written in third person instead, it was much easier for readers to catch a better understanding of how Melissa’s world worked. Although I know a few readers found difficulties in understanding the prophecy, I am happy to say it was all cleared up, and loved how it was never truly revealed until the last book as it kept it mysterious and had you second-guessing which of the two sisters was actually ‘the chosen one’ as they both seemed to be at complete opposites in their abilities.


The world building was nicely improved as the author gave us some of the missing background story that helped cleared my confusion that had arisen earlier on in the trilogy. As for Logan and Brianna’s relationship… They totally swept me off my feet and cleared away any doubts I had between the two. Reign of Shadows was quick-paced and action packed, though I did wish it was slower at times and much longer as I did get a bit lost with what was happening on a couple of occasions.

***I received a signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***


Descendants by Melissa Wright:
BOOK 1: Bound by Prophecy
BOOK 2: Shifting Fate
BOOK 3: Reign of Shadows
48 Comments

TWINMAKER BY SEAN WILLIAMS

30/5/2016

56 Comments

 
Picture
Where is Q?

Clair and Jesse have barely been reunited when the world is plunged into its biggest crisis since the Water Wars. The d-mat network is broken. The world has ground to a halt. People are trapped, injured, dying. It’s the end of the world as Clair knows it—and it’s partly her fault.

“The girl who killed d-mat” is enlisted to track down her missing friend Q—the rogue AI who repeatedly saved Clair’s life. Q is the key to fixing the system, but she isn’t responding to calls for help, and even if she did...can she be trusted?

Targeted by dupes, abandoned by her friends, caught in a web of lies that strike at the very essence of who she is, Clair finds powerful allies in RADICAL, secretive activists who are the polar opposite of anti-d-mat terrorist group WHOLE. However, if she helps them find Q, will she be inadvertently trapping her friend in a life of servitude—or worse, sending her to an early death by erasure?

Caught between pro- and anti-d-mat philosophies, in a world on the brink of all-out war, Clair must decide where she stands—and who she stands with, at the end.

Crashland is a fantastic tale that raises philosophical questions about right and wrong, and what is humane. - Abooktopia
Where is Q? What is she? And most importantly, where does she stand? That’s what everyone wants to know. A question, that Clair does not have an answer to. D-mat is broken, and society does not know how to survive without it. Unable to leave or travel, people are unable to access hospitals halfway across the world. The world is in turmoil, and it’s all Clair’s fault. Hailed as the girl who broke d-mat, her only hopes of fixing the world, is through Q. Yet somehow Q has managed to stay under the radar. She can’t be found unless she wants to be found. With dupes now after Clair, and society blaming her for the world’s chaos, Clair is desperate to survive and make it out through all of this.

Crashland: Crash, once again embodies the impacts and dependency of technology. Whilst at the same time bringing fourth questions battling against morals and beliefs. Right and wrong. Why should someone get to choose who lives and who dies? Why should someone have the authority to decide whom to bring back from the dead? This novel is filled with action along with cunning twists and turns that will keep you reading on.

The relationship between Clair and Jesse is once again very interesting and peculiar. Clair wants to restore d-mat, whilst Jesse wants the world to adapt to the abstainer lifestyle. Beliefs and morals battling against another.  Clair grew as character as she observed herself during her voyage to fix the world, and slowly began to lean from her mistakes.

The ending truly won me over with its cleverness, and well thought out ideas. I am exhilarated to begin Hollowgirl: Fall, and cannot wait to see where Clair will stand, and what will happen next. The characters overall were well developed and grew together as the storyline grew.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--forty-two at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere. Thanks for reading.


Twinmaker by Sean Williams:
BOOK 1: Twinmaker: Jump
BOOK 2: Crashland: Crash
BOOK 3: Hollowgirl: Fall
56 Comments

THE MALEDICTION BY DANIELLE L. JENSEN

15/5/2016

47 Comments

 
Picture
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…

But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for...


 Stolen Songbird is a fantastic debut novel that is a wonderful edition to the fantasy world. Filled with adventure, romance and outlandish creature, Danielle L. Jensen turns the tables on fairytale cliché, leaving you wanting more. – Abooktopia
A young woman named Cécile is kidnapped from her life and sold to the trolls where she is forced to marry the troll prince in order to break a centuries-old curse that was brought upon the troll kingdom by a witch that seals them within their subterranean mountain. A prophecy claims that a human woman with red hair and the voice of an angel will be the one to break the curse, and free the trolls. However, Cécile must learn to adapt to their world as best she can, but the longer she lives without breaking the curse, the more expendable she becomes to the, for what use is she to the trolls if she cannot do the one thing she was bought down to do? But that’s not the only problem. A revolution is brewing beneath the exterior of the kingdom, and Cécile is about to get caught up in the middle of it all.
 
The overall story, introduced a different idea about trolls, and paints them in a new light. The world building for this novel was incredible, and destroyed all myths of your stereotypical troll. If you believe all trolls to ugly and stupid, it’s best to ride of those past thoughts for you are most mistaken. Their beautiful faces and twinkly grey eyes easily seduce you, catching one off guard. But no one ever anticipates beautiful exteriors to hide something so twisted and sadistic on the inside. With their cunning, and calculated ruthlessness, the trolls can predict your next move.
 
The plot was interesting and complex, but managed to flow nicely in a good pace filled with mystery, adventure, and action, to create an amazing storyline. I adored how Cécile, the heroine, was not whinny, but rather a capable and fierce character that was realistic. She had her little faults and imperfections, as we humans do, which made her easier to connect with. It was so easy to be pulled into the world of Trollus, and just has hard to be pulled away from its depth.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
Danielle L. Jensen is the USA Today bestselling author of the acclaimed Malediction Trilogy: Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress, and Warrior Witch (Angry Robot Books).

Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination.


The Malediction Trilogy by Danielle L. Jensen:
BOOK 1: Stolen Songbird
BOOK 2: Hidden Huntress
BOOK 3: Warrior Witch

47 Comments

DESCENDANTS BY MELISSA WRIGHT

30/4/2016

52 Comments

 
Picture
According to prophecy, Brianna Drake was born to save the world. The trouble is, she doesn't have the slightest idea how. Her visions should have given her the answer, but they’re beginning to shift, making the danger too unpredictable, even for a prophet.

If she can just help her sister restore their hidden powers, she might be able to stop what’s coming. But an old enemy returns, and he’s got plans for Brianna and her visions.

What neither of them knows is that fate has given a stranger one chance to find her. He was trained to protect the chosen—but if he fails, the future will crumble.

Shifting Fate is a compelling and romantic sequel of urban fantasy that takes you away on a journey about lineage. – Abooktopia
Shifting Fate picks up right from where we left in Bound By Prophecy. Only this time it’s from Brianna’s point of view. I thoroughly enjoyed the switch in POV as last time we read from her sister, Emily’s perspective. I got a much better understanding of Brianna’s character in this sequel, as in the first novel she appeared to have been weak and frail, but that clearly was not the case in Shifting Fate. Instead she came off as a strong independent woman, as she shoved unwanted spotlight away from herself as she kept secretes hidden away from her twin sister, Emily, and the man she loved. Logan. The chemistry between Brianna and Logan was all the more hotter than Emily and Aern’s. Truth be told, I never expected to love someone more than Aern, until I actually fell in love with Logan, within three seconds flat. I loved the way Logan supported Brianna, even in the hardest of times. I found Brianna to be a much deeper character than I had first thought, as there was so much more to her story than the eye can see.

Shifting Fate was all the more intense, and action packed than the first novel. I loved how throughout the novel, we as readers watched as Brianna grew to believe in herself, despite her visions and powers altering. Knowing the outcome of what is coming, Brianna is desperate to change the course of the future.

Though I enjoyed this novel, I found Emily and Brianna’s heritage to be confusing at times as I got a bit lost when it came to Brianna researching about her linage and discovering how to fulfil the prophecy.  I’m sure that the last novel in the trilogy will clear things up, especially about who or what the seven lines and shadow are.

***I received a signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***


Descendants by Melissa Wright:
BOOK 1: Bound by Prophecy
BOOK 2: Shifting Fate
BOOK 3: Reign of Shadows
52 Comments

THE VARA VOLUMES BY JOHN KERRY

15/4/2016

56 Comments

 
Picture
The Vara of Yima, the original Garden of Eden, sealed from the rest of the world and populated with the fittest of men and women. A secret paradise that 150 years ago became ravaged by smog that choked out the skies.

Now the Vara exists in a permanent state of darkness and its people need a champion, a chosen one to save them from the smog that threatens to fill the realm and poison its inhabitants.

That’s what they needed. They got Sammy Ellis instead. She isn’t important enough for her dad to stick around for, never mind saving a realm or junk like that. Her only responsibility was to help the chosen one open the gateway into the Vara, but not only has she entered the realm in their place, she’s also locked them out in the process.

Stuck in a twilight land of giant mushrooms, pursued by dark forces and still in her pyjamas, being unimportant back in the real world is starting to seem way more attractive.

John Kerry has created an all new universe filled with lush and rich descriptions. – Abooktopia
John Kerry uses strong descriptive adjectives as he describes a magical vibrant world, so unlike our very own. A world filed with strange creatures and wonders. The Vara of Yima, the original Garden of Eden, is a secret paradise sealed off from the rest of the world, populated with the fittest men and women. A secret paradise that 150 years ago became ravaged by smog that choked out the skies.

The world of Vara was all together fascinating and unique. I loved the mystery and secretiveness that made me question each character’s hidden motive. I found the main character Sammy Ellis to be so different from all the other young female YA characters. Though Sammy was at times a little too quick in accepting her situations, she was still a nerdy relatable character. I also loved the fact that Sammy was never truly meant to be in the big picture as her only responsibility was to help the chosen one open the gateway into the Vara, when she accidentally entered the realm in place of the chosen one, and locked them out in the process. This made us wonder wether she was to be the saviour or the destroyer at times.

That being said, I wasn’t too happy at times with the dialogue and the main character herself. I found Sammy to be selfish and much too rash when it came to making decisions and facing the problems ahead of her. Though I do have a sneaking suspicion that John Kerry used Sammy’s personality as a means of showing that she was never truly intended to be the heroine…

Eden at the Edge of Midnight was very different from some of my past reads, and I enjoyed how it avoided the clichés, which can be found in many YA novels. I am also thankful to say that romance was not an important aspect of the story as it was tamed. Overall, the setting was really creative and imaginative, creating a whole new world of fantasy. There was so much detail for such a complex world, that help me as a reader obtain a better grasp on what was happening in this strange new world, even though I was at times confused.
***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***

Picture
John Kerry is – to the untrained eye – an average-sized, average-looking, marginally out of shape white guy, but depending on which day you observe him, in his head he could be about to take down a cartel of drug dealers with his bare hands. On another day he might be about to force push a lorry from the path of a baby stroller before they collide. Or, on yet another, he might even be getting ready to dive into a telephone box so he can rip open his shirt and fly off round the world backwards turning back time for some reason known only to himself. When John isn’t living in a fantasy world he can be found in the city of Sheffield, UK where he lives. Originally from Ipswich, he lived in London for a while, before moving up north to raise his three padawan daughters. And one day he hopes to move to the US because that’s where all the other superheroes live and where alien invasions often occur. Books wise John loves virtually anything containing adventure, fantasy, Sci Fi, monsters, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, or Lovecraftian cyclopean horror.


The Vara Volumes by John Kerry:
BOOK 1: Eden at the Edge of Midnight
BOOK 2: Back to the Vara
56 Comments

THE WITCH HUNTER BY MICHELLE KRYS

30/3/2016

56 Comments

 

Picture
Indie has spent the last few weeks frantically searching for Paige. She's tried every spell imaginable, but witchcraft has gotten her nowhere, and she's going crazy with guilt. Despite what her warlock boyfriend, Bishop, tells her, Indie knows it's her fault her best friend was kidnapped by the Priory. And with the Priory destroyed, finding Paige feels more hopeless than ever-especially when Indie discovers that Paige isn't even on Earth. She's trapped in Los Demonios, an alternate dimension of Los Angeles filled with evil paranormals. No one who has gone there has ever come out.

Fueled by terror and loyalty, Indie is desperate to find a way into the underworld prison. She'll worry about getting out later. But facing the dark world's most dangerous witches and warlocks on her own means keeping her plan hush-hush-and forging alliances with some sketchy people, including a seriously sexy sorcerer.

Sometimes a witch must keep secrets from the people she cares about most. And sometimes she isn't the only one with secrets…


A definite page-turner consisting of a great blend of paranormal adventure and fantasy with a captivating blend of witches, warlocks and sorcerers. – Abooktopia 
Charmed starts off right from where we last left Hexed, the first novel in The Witch Hunter series.  Indie has spent the last few weeks frantically searching for her best friend Paige, after the now deceased sorcerer Leo kidnapped her. She’s tried every spell imaginable; getting her no closer to finding Paige than the last few hundred times she tried. Indigo believes it is her own fault that Paige was kidnapped, despite her warlock boyfriend Bishop telling her otherwise. There’s a reason why no one can find Paige. She’s trapped in another alternate dimension known as Los Demonios, a place where the worst and most dangerous witches, warlocks, and sorcerers are banished to for unimaginable crimes. But that won’t stop Indie from finding a way in. Despite everyone’s warnings that no one who has gone there has ever come out, Indie is still determined to find a way in. There she must team up with some of the most foulest and dangerous criminals of all time. But can she really trust them?

Indigo’s character was just as beautifully written as she was in the first installment. She is just as loving as before, as she is devoted to her friends and family, and full of determination. Sure she is also flawed with recklessness and jealously, but that is what makes her three-dimensional and real. Someone, we as reader can connect with. Throughout the first novel, Indigo grew as a person, and a witch as she learns about her heritage and what being a witch truly means. Whilst in the second novel, I found she matured a lot more as a person as she is thrown into tough situations where she must be quick on her feet if she wishes to succeed.

Bishop was just as adorable and flirtatious as always. I really love how he is so caring and loving as a boyfriend, as he never tries to control or demean Indie. Sure he gets pissed with some of her choices, but who wouldn’t? He at least understands why she makes the choices she does, and what she is going through. 

I really enjoyed this book as a whole, as it surpassed my expectations and more. Everything was written in concrete detail, creating flamboyant imagery, leaving no unanswered questions in its wake. Michelle Krys does a wonderful job at transporting her readers into a brand new world of magic and terrifying wonders, leaving you gasping for more.
***I received a hardback copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
Michelle Krys lives with her husband and son in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. She has an identical twin called Brandy who is also a writer! She is the author of the YA novel HEXED, out now from Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s Books, as well as the sequel, CHARMED, and a separate, standalone novel called DEAD GIRLS SOCIETY. She works part-time as a NICU nurse and spends her free time writing books for teens. She is repped by Adriann Ranta of Wolf Literary. Michelle is probably not a witch, though she did belong to a witchcraft club in the fifth grade and “levitated” people in her bedroom, so that may be up for debate.

The Witch Hunter by Michelle Krys:
BOOK 1: Hexed
BOOK 2: Charmed
56 Comments

SPLINTERED BY A.G. HOWARD

29/2/2016

62 Comments

 
Picture
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence.

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Fans of warped dark classics will adore this all-new retelling of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. – Abooktopia
Before I start, can I just say how gorgeous is that cover? Like seriously it is perfection. Oh, and the writing inside? Purple. What a fantastic idea. It really is something special to behold.

Alyssa is the great-great-great granddaughter of Alice Liddell, who told Lewis Carroll of her strange dreams, which inspired his classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The female descendants of Alyssa’s family have suffered from a great curse of madness that has stricken the women in her family with insanity. When her mother is taken away to a mental asylum after attempting to kill her own daughter, Alyssa knows that she will suffer the same fate. What Alyssa doesn’t know, is that what she once thought was fiction, is actually a terrifying reality.

The real Wonderland is a world far darker than Lewis Carroll ever let on. In a race against madness, Alyssa must travel into the world of Wonderland with her bestfriend and secret boy crush Jeb, if she wishes to remove the curse that was placed upon her family. She must go down the rabbit hole and travel into dark abyss of Wonderland to undo all of Alice Liddell’s mistakes. There Alyssa must first face a series of tests, before she can accomplish her goals.

Upon arriving to Wonderland, Alyssa meets the surreptitious Morpheus who has been appearing in her dreams ever since she was just a girl. With Morpheus, who may have darker motives of his own as her guide through Wonderland, Alyssa becomes unclear on who are her enemies and who are her friends.

I instantly fell in love with Alyssa’s character right from the start as she was strong willed and faced her obstacles stealthily.

I don’t know how A.G. Howard did it, but she managed to create a whole new world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with a far darker twist than any of Tim Burton’s movies, and a whole lot more creepy… I can tell a lot of research went into this novel as A.G. cleverly wove the original story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland into her very own.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened if Alice had grown up an the substle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland had taken her stage in her story, and she hopes her dardeeer and funkier tribute to Caroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

Her pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.


Splintered by A.G. Howard:
BOOK 1: Splintered
BOOK 2: Unhinged
BOOK 3: Ensnared
62 Comments

PIECES OF SKY BY TRINITY DOYLE

15/2/2016

49 Comments

 
Picture
Lucy's life was going as smoothly as any teenager's could. She was in the local swimming club, and loved it; she lived with her parents and her brother, Cam, in the small coastal town she'd known all her life. She had friends, she had goals - she had a life. Now Cam is dead, her parents might as well be - and Lucy can't bear to get back in the pool. All she has to look forward to now is a big pile of going-nowhere.

Drawn to Steffi, her wild ex-best-friend who reminds Lucy of her mysterious, unpredictable brother, and music-obsessed Evan, the new boy in town, Lucy starts asking questions. Why did Cam die? Was it an accident or suicide? But as Lucy hunts for answers she discovers much more than she expects. About Cam. About her family. About herself.

Pieces of Sky is a beautifully written debut novel about the effects of death, and the overcoming of fear. - Abooktopia
Lucy Taylor had her whole life planned out. She was the state backstroke champion, and swimming obsessed. But things have changed. Now she can’t get back into the water without hyperventilating and may suffer from a diagnosis of Aquaphobia.  She can’t handle it. Not after Cam, her brother lost his life in the surf drowning.  Was it a foolish accident or a suicide that took her brother’s life? And who is this mysterious girl that he went through all the trouble of hiding?

Unable to venture back into the water, and face her squad with the shame of being Aquaphobic, Lucy reconnects with her wild ex-bestfriend, Steffi. Now with a time table of free-time that had once been taken up by training, Lucy finds that she was once much too caught up in her own swimming career to notice what was truly happening around her.

Desperate to find out what exactly happened that night when her brother left her world, Lucy becomes obsessed with finding out just who this mysterious person is behind the text messages that still appear on Cam’s phone, even though he’s gone now… She may have feelings for new boy, Evan Harris, though all her emotions are muddled up and she can’t seem to disperse how she feels, with her emotions for her brother’s death getting in the way.

I truly adored this all-new debut novel, by Australian author, Trinity Doyle. Trinity tackles the aspects of heartache, friendship and love all in one journey as we explore the true meanings of life. Pieces of Sky was beautifully written packed with hurt and longing, but also filled with hope and love.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
Trinity grew up in the suburbs of Lake Macquarie. The kind of kid who would rather write lines than play sport she found her home in books, writing and art. She’s worked as a music photographer, graphic designer; been one half of a diy record label and played bass terribly but enthusiastically in various girl bands.

At 25 she took her vague emo poetry and wrote a novel. Then she spent five years rewriting it. The ASA called her work ‘edgy [and] convincing’ and she thinks that’s pretty neat.

Trinity lives in Newcastle NSW, with her husband, daughter and cat. Pieces of Sky is her first novel

Pieces of Sky by Trinity Doyle

49 Comments

FROM A DISTANT STAR BY KAREN MCQUESTION 

30/1/2016

54 Comments

 
Picture
Seventeen-year-old Emma was the only one who hadn’t given up on her boyfriend, Lucas. Everyone else—his family, his friends, his doctors—believed that any moment could be his last. So when Lucas miraculously returns from the brink of death, Emma thinks her prayers have been answered.

As the surprised town rejoices, Emma begins to question whether Lucas is the same boy she’s always known. When she finds an unidentifiable object on his family’s farm—and government agents come to claim it—she begins to suspect that nothing is what it seems. Emma’s out-of-this-world discovery may be the key to setting things right, but only if she and Lucas can evade the agents who are after what they have. With all her hopes and dreams on the line, Emma sets out to save the boy she loves. And with a little help from a distant star, she might just have a chance at making those dreams come true.

Get ready to embark on a thrilling adventure of courage, humanity, and friendship.
- Abooktopia
Emma is determined to save her boyfriend Lucas from the brink of death, even when everyone else believes it’s only a matter of time before he passes away. Emma is willing to do anything if it means saving his life. When Emma visits the local “witch” in search for a cure, she is given a potion that is promised to heal her boyfriend, though he may be different than the person she once knew. On the same night she gives Lucas the potion, an alien from outer space crash-lands on her planet.

When Lucas makes a miraculous speedy recovery within the week, everyone is happy to have Lucas back from battling cancer, but Emma senses that something’s up. It turns out, an alien by the name Scout, has taken to inhabiting her boyfriend’s body; curing Lucas’s cancer in the process. Scout must take up residence in Lucas’s body if he wishes to survive on Earth and return to his home planet. If that wasn’t bad enough for Emma already, there are federal agents investigating the scene of the crash. Racing against time, Emma must help Scout return home before the agents get their hands on him for their experimentation, if she wishes to free Lucas’s body.

The character’s were well developed and were realistic. Karen McQuestion added a nice touch of humanity to her characters, making them all the more loveable, and easy to connect with. Scout had a loveable personality right from the start, and was really interesting to get an idea of how someone outside of our world may view Earth, and how he or she would experience their time here. I really loved how there were no insta-romances, let alone love-triangles in this novel, which was refreshing. There was only Emma trying to get her boyfriend back, and Scout wanting to return home to his loved ones.
***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***

Picture
Karen McQuestion is the bestselling author of books for all ages. Some of her titles include Hello Love, Life on Hold, The Long Way Home, and the Edgewood series. Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and the national NPR show, The Story with Dick Gordon. She has also appeared on ABC’s World News Now and America This Morning. McQuestion lives with her husband and kids in Hartland, Wisconsin.


From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion
54 Comments

THE WINGS OF WAR BY KAREN ANN HOPKINS

15/1/2016

53 Comments

 
Picture
There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them.

Embers is an epic paranormal adventure/romance about a seventeen year old girl who discovers that she's immune to fire and any other injury when she’s in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt's boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember's exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she learns that she's a Watcher, a descendant of angels. While Ember is instructed about her heritage and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two teenagers who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the young men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it's cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war that's been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound’s inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil, and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn’t only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She may be one of the few champions willing to make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.

Get ready to be flung into a brand new world of paranormal, with an imminent apocalypse brewing furtively. - Abooktopia
After the death of her parents in a tragic car crash and a fire that should have killed her too, Ember flees the abuse of her Aunt’s boyfriend, to live with an old time relative. But the old lady is more than she seems. Uncovering a truth about her ties, Ember learns that she is a Watcher, a descendant of Angels. Each Watcher has control over one aspect of the elemental powers, but some with the power to control more than one of the elements. With the help of Ila, Ember learns to control her abilities and control them in, or risk being consumed by the fire inside of her. But being a Watcher is the least of her problems. The end of the world is coming sooner than anyone expects…

During her training course as a Watcher, Ember strikes up a scarce friendship with Demon boy Sawyer, and a Growler; Ivan, who can transform into a wolf at, will. As romance blossoms between her and Sawyer, Garret Hammond, the leader of the Demons, gives his followers permission to hunt, and seek the souls of people. When innocent friends of hers are murdered for their souls, Ember takes action as she releases the fire within her, as she gets her revenge for the lives that were taken.

Karen Ann Hopkins creates a brand new world of paranormal, or Watchers, Growlers and Demons. Ember O’Meara was strong willed, with a stubborn nature, whilst Sawyer McCrae used humor to hide his regret and loneliness. I loved watching the dynamics between Sawyer and the other Demons, as he felt sympathy and regret for stealing the souls or humans, as he required them to lengthen his life. As for Ivan’s character, I really adored his personality, and his loyalty for both his friends. I hope to learn more about his character as the series progresses.
***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***

Picture
You can visit Karen Ann Hopkins at her website: www.karenannhopkins.com or follow her on Twitter at: karenannhopkins.

Karen Ann Hopkins resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats. Karen's main job is home schooling the kids, but she finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lived in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.

Karen grew up about a mile from Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. She was bitten by the horse bug at the age of five, and after diligently taking riding lessons for several years, was rewarded with her first horse at the age of eleven. The feisty horse's name was Lady, a Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred cross, who became Karen's steadfast companion. Through the years, the constant force in her life was horses. Eventually, she found her place as a riding instructor herself. Before accepting her fate in the barnyard, she worked a short stint as a paralegal, traveled abroad, and guided tourists on horseback riding tours in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Karen is currently working on her Amish mystery series, Serenity's Plain Secrets, along with the YA paranormal/fantasy series, The Wings of War. Karen is also excited to announce the Temptation series has been optioned for TV by Pilgrim Studios and is available on Audible.


The Wings of War by Karen Ann Hopkins:
BOOK 1: Embers

BOOK 2: Gaia
Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins:
BOOK 1: Temptation
BOOK 2: Belonging
BOOK 3: Forever
BOOK 4: Rachel's Deception
Serenity's Pain Secrets by Karen Ann Hopkins:
BOOK 1: Lamb to The Slaughter
BOOK 2: Whispers From The Dead
53 Comments

TWINMAKER BY SEAN WILLIAMS

30/12/2015

55 Comments

 
Picture
Clair lives in a world revolutionised by d-mat, a global teleport system that allows people to transport themselves instantaneously around the world. When a coded note promises improvement – the chance to change your body any way you want, making it stronger, taller, more beautiful – Clair thinks it’s too good to be true, but her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try.

What starts as Libby’s dream turns into Clair’s nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious online friend called Q, Clair’s attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.

Twinmaker: Jump is a high action packed science fiction that will remind you that not everything is what it seems... – Abooktopia.
Clair lives in a world revolutionised by d-mat, a global teleport system that allows you to transport yourself anywhere across the world simultaneously. When a new meme known as improvement surfaces, the tables start to turn. You write a code on a piece of paper and list all the things you’d like to have changed, and take the note with you through d-mat, and supposedly it happens. You can make yourself prettier, smarter, taller, whatever. Do it enough times and you’ll be… Improved. Clair thinks it’s too good to be true, but her best friend Libby is more than determined to give it a try if it means that she can finally remove her hideous birthmark, that no one else seems notice but her. But something goes askew. Libby’s not herself. With the help of the mysterious Q, who contacts Clair through the Air (an advance technology based on the internet) and Jesse, a stainer who doesn’t trust d-mat, Clair must stop improvement from spreading worldwide, and save her best friend from losing herself. Soon Clair is chased around the world in a race against time.

Clair Larhonda Hill truly cares about her best friend Libby, and would do anything to save her from Improvement. I really enjoyed how Clair and Jesse’s friendship began to grow, as they combined their differences together. One of the main differences between both their characters is that Clair has always grown up to rely on d-mat, whilst Jesse has been taught to despise the system. Jesse’s lifestyle is very different from Clair’s. Where Clair can fabricate anything she wants, Jesse has to work hard to earn what he has.

For those of you who hate sappy romances that take over the entire plot, this is the perfect novel for you! Romance was realistically non-existent. The novel was reasonably slow paced, and an enjoyable read, whilst the subject matter was entertaining, and well thought out. The only downside was the lack of character development, which will hopefully improve in the next two installments.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--forty-two at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere. Thanks for reading.


Twinmaker by Sean Williams:
BOOK 1: Twinmaker: Jump
BOOK 2: Crashland: Crash
BOOK 3: Hollowgirl: Fall
55 Comments

THE WITCH HUNTER BY MICHELLE KRYS

15/12/2015

58 Comments

 
Picture
If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

Indigo Blackwood is your average cheerleader, or so it seems… She couldn’t be happier with Bianca, her best friend since grade school and Devon the captain of the football team as her boyfriend, by her side.

Things change drastically when Indie and her next-door neighbour Paige witness a guy plummeting to his death from up above. But that’s not all… The boy was carrying a rumpled piece of paper with the address of her mom’s voodoo store, written on it. What was this stranger doing with her mom’s store address? Where did he come from? Most importantly, what happened to him? Was it suicide or homicide? Thoughts and questions run through her mind.

When a stranger in a leather jacket suggests that she should go home to check upon on her mother, Indie becomes suspicious. After many unanswered calls to her mother, Indie races home only to find her mother almost crushed under a bookshelf. Unable to stop the bookshelf from crushing her mother, the stranger lifts up the bookshelf before disappearing into the night. With her mother now safe, and the police question her about what happen. After those events, she finds her mother’s bible missing. The Witchcraft’s Bible that her mother is overly protective of. The one her mother is desperate not to allow from falling into the wrong hands. Promising that she knows exactly where it is, Indie must find the Witchcraft’s Bible and bring it back.

Her only clue is the stranger in the leather jacket. Dragging Paige, her next-door neighbor, into the foreboding night to find this mysterious boy, she recounts what happened. After hopelessly searching for the stranger, she receives a startling knock on her car window. It’s the boy who’s been following her, and he will only answer her questions in a private location. Accepting his over, she agrees to his terms.  

It turns out on her 200th full moon; she has a 50% chance of becoming a witch. In a world where witches and sorceress are long-term enemies, she learns that her mother’s bible is more important than she could have ever imagined. It gives any sorcerer the power to kill witches, without them losing their powers. It unbinds the curse placed many generations ago by a witch, to prevent the two sides from killing each other.

I really loved Indie’s character development as she went from the girl who was balancing herself on the line of popularity, to being herself, as she finds out the truth about herself and her heritage. As for Bishop’s character… Watch out Patch Cipriano, ‘cause there’s a new hottie in town, and his name is Bishop. Bishop is a warlock who is there for Indie throughout the story as he teaches Indie about her inheritance and how to unleash her powers. Overall, this novel was undeniably phenomenal and addictive. It had you entertained right from the start to the finish. I would highly recommend this novel to all fans of Hush, Hush and Fallen alike. I cannot wait so get my hands on Charmed and to learn what happens next!

***I received a hardback copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
Michelle Krys lives with her husband and son in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. She has an identical twin called Brandy who is also a writer! She is the author of the YA novel HEXED, out now from Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s Books, as well as the sequel, CHARMED, and a separate, standalone novel called DEAD GIRLS SOCIETY. She works part-time as a NICU nurse and spends her free time writing books for teens. She is repped by Adriann Ranta of Wolf Literary. Michelle is probably not a witch, though she did belong to a witchcraft club in the fifth grade and “levitated” people in her bedroom, so that may be up for debate.


The Witch Hunter by Michelle Krys:
BOOK 1: Hexed
BOOK 2: Charmed
58 Comments

DESCENDANTS BY MELISSA WRIGHT

30/11/2015

50 Comments

 
Picture
Twenty-two-year-old Aern is done watching his brother destroy the only thing that matters. He never wanted to take Morgan’s place among council, never wanted to rule their hidden world. But when the key to the prophecy is found, a young girl named Brianna whom Morgan will destroy, Aern knows he has to take action.

What he really wants, is for things to go back to normal. But now he’s kidnapped a girl, and his brother’s men are after him. His only hope is to join with the Division, but they have plans of their own, and it’s the last thing Aern is willing to do.
Emily just wants her sister back. She doesn't care about the prophecy, or realize what’s at stake. But when she goes after Aern, the truth of the matter uncoils, and Brianna isn't the only one who’s in danger.

Suddenly, they’re at the center of a secret war, and unless they can work together, they’ll both have a sacrifice too big to make.

Aern and his brother Morgan are descendants of a long and powerful line that have special abilities. With Morgan destined to rule and wreak havoc, Aern must stop his brother from fulfilling the prophecy. The only way to disrupt the prophecy is to stop Morgan from getting his hands on the prophecy girl, Brianna. What they don’t know is that she has a sister… A twin. And Emily will stop at nothing to find her sister.

When Emily rescues Aern from Morgan, she demands to know where her sister is. Reluctantly, together they travel as they escape from Morgan’s men, to the location where Brianna is held, the Division. With Emily now in the picture, Aern must now also protect her to prevent Morgan from using Emily as leverage to get to Brianna. But when Emily, and Aern discover a hidden truth, their plans soon change.  

I didn’t know what to expect of Emily at first, but as I continued to read and observe her character, I fell in love with her tough personality and determination. Emily was not only resourceful, but also brave. Aern was charming and protective with a loveable personality. He’s a Descendant that is part of a race with the abilities to ‘sway’ humans to their will. The problem is, Morgan not only can bend the will of humans, but the will his fellow Descendants. That is a dangerous power alone.

Bound By Prophecy was a fantastic and suspenseful read that captured me right from the start. I loved the romance, as it was slow and realistic, and only served as a backdrop without overtaking the entire plot. I cannot wait to get my hand on the second novel Shifting Fate in the Descendants series.
***I received a signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***


Descendants by Melissa Wright:
BOOK 1: Bound by Prophecy
BOOK 2: Shifting Fate
BOOK 3: Reign of Shadows
50 Comments

SHATTERED REALMS BY MELISSA WRIGHT

15/11/2015

42 Comments

 
Picture
When flying monsters break through the veil into her world, Mackenzie Scott has nothing left to lose. Her brother has been taken, her future has vanished, and all that remains is a desperate need for revenge. After discovering the breach the creatures used as a gateway, Mackenzie devises a plan to stop them, whatever the cost.
When she finds an injured stranger in the street, he just might be the key she needs to succeed. What Mackenzie doesn't know is that this stranger isn't the helpless boy he appears to be. He's one of the monsters. And he's got plans of his own.
Thrown into a dying city in another realm, Mackenzie is powerless to get back. With the gateway closing, time is not on her side. But the stranger is, and if they can escape execution, this girl and her monster might be able to save both their worlds.

Flying monsters have broken through a veil in the sky. With people abandoning their homes, Mackenzie Scott and her brother must fend off for their lives. That is until a single scratch from one of the beasts marks Riley. To keep his sister safe, he leaves her in the middle of the night to go join the army. Now all alone, Mackenzie discovers the gateway used to join her world with that of the dying realm. With Hunter the stranger she saved from the raging monsters by her side, she begins her journey. But this stranger is no boy. He is the Sons of the sons. He is one of the monsters…

Mackenzie is a strong willed girl who has lost so much already, yet she is still willing to risk her life to save the life of an unknown stranger, from the very monsters she fears. That alone took great courage.  I loved her strong will to stop at nothing to get her brother back safe and sound.

Hunter’s character was mysterious. He’s a monster, but there’s a different quality to him that I can’t quite put my finger on. It made we want to know him, to understand him. I wanted to learn about his world, and how it works. I enjoyed how his position in the realm ran much deeper than I had anticipated, which made his character all the more interesting.

My only problem with this novel was the slight confusion at the start as I tried to understand about the dying realms, but I soon got over that as I slowly began to understand as the novel went on. I quite enjoyed Melissa Wright’s work and cannot wait to start her other series the Descendant straightway.
***I received a signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***


Shattered Realms by Melissa Wright:
BOOK 1: King of Ash and Bone
42 Comments

FALLING IN SNOW BY MARY-ROSE MACCOLL

30/10/2015

49 Comments

 
Picture
A vivid and compelling story of love, war and secrets, set against the backdrop of WWI France. 'In the beginning, it was the summers I remembered - long warm days under the palest blue skies, the cornflowers and forget-me-nots lining the road through the Lys forest, the buzz of insects going about their work, Violet telling me lies.' Iris is getting old. A widow, her days are spent living quietly and worrying about her granddaughter, Grace, a headstrong young doctor. It's a small sort of life. But one day an invitation comes for Iris through the post to a reunion in France, where she served in a hospital during WWI. Determined to go, Iris is overcome by the memories of the past, when as a shy, naive young woman she followed her fifteen-year-old brother, Tom, to France in 1914 intending to bring him home. On her way to find Tom, Iris comes across the charismatic Miss Ivens, who is setting up a field hospital in the old abbey of Royaumont, north of Paris. Putting her fears aside, Iris decides to stay at Royaumont, and it is there that she truly comes of age, finding her capability and her strength, discovering her passion for medicine, making friends with the vivacious Violet and falling in love. But war is a brutal thing, and when the ultimate tragedy happens, there is a terrible price that Iris has to pay, a price that will echo down the generations. A moving and uplifting novel about the small, unsung acts of heroism of which love makes us capable.

This novel takes you on a journey to the past in France and Australia during World War I, as you read from an Australian viewpoint.

Iris is a young Australian nurse who travels to World War I in France in hopes of returning home with her fifteen-year-old brother, who had run away to fight the war against his father’s wishes. During her journey to retrieve him, she comes across a young physician who convinces her to stay and lend a helping hand in the founding of an army hospitable entirely run by females. She decides to help, believing it would better her chances of finding her brother. Soon Iris finds herself caught up in all the commotion as she finds herself now a nurse and an administrator at the new hospitable. There she sees the consequences of war and the great impacts it afflicts.

Sixty years after the War, Iris receives an invitation inviting her to come back to France to celebrate their 60th anniversary As Iris reads through the letter, we follow her into a journey of the past as she relieves her time as a nurse and decides to go back, even though some painful memories await her. With her granddaughter Grace along her side, we as readers as see the dynamic contracts of both their lives, and what Iris will do to protect her family. Both their stories became intertwined in unexpected ways.

I enjoyed how the novel constantly shifted from the present to the past, as Iris recalls the past at the near end of her days. It was interesting to view what it was like during World War I for the women who served as nurses and doctors in the era of World War I. It was also just as intriguing to learn that during those times, there happened to be a hospitable run merely by women, out on the Western Front. The history and experiences were well written and made you want to find out more of what really happened back then.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
Mary-Rose MacColl is an Australian writer whose first novel, No Safe Place, was runner-up in the 1995 Australian Vogel literary award. Her first non-fiction book, The Birth Wars, was a finalist in the 2009 Walkley Awards. In Falling Snow (October 2012), Mary-Rose's fourth novel, tells the largely unknown story of a small group of Scottish women who ran a field hospital for France in World War I in an old abbey. MacColl holds degrees in journalism and creative writing and lives between Brisbane, Australia and Banff, Canada with her husband and son.


In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl
49 Comments

BROKEN SKIES BY THERESA KAY

15/10/2015

55 Comments

 
Picture
In seventeen-year-old Jax Mitchell's world, humans are nearly extinct and alien settlers have arrived.

Until recently, the E’rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them… but now they have taken Jax’s brother. To rescue him, she forms an uneasy alliance with a teenage E’rikon left stranded in the woods. She agrees to guide him to the city if he sneaks her past the human-proof barrier. Too bad it’s not that simple.

Jax, who cannot stand to be touched, finds that she’s drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales on his back. And he’s equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn’t know the alien’s true motives and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems.

With the aliens and the humans at odds, the connection forming between the two teens has consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens not only the remaining humans and the growing alien society, but Earth itself.

This novel was beyond phenomenal and breathtaking! There was never a dull moment as I enthusiastically consumed the pages one after the other. The story line is addictive as you fall into a new world. I adored how Theresa Kay sets her story in a dystopian world mixed with science fiction.

In a world where humans are almost extinct, they co-existed with the aliens: E’rikon. But it is they own fault for their near extinction after the Collapse in which a biological weapon killed over ninety percent of the world’s population. The E’rikon leave the humans alone to do their own bidding's and do not mix with them. That is until Jax and her twin brother Jace come face to face with the E’rikon and Jace in naively kidnapped by the aliens. But one of the E’rikon; Lir has been left behind. Wittingly Jax strikes a deal with the green haired boy. If she helps Lir find his way back to the city, he must help her get past the barrier surrounding the Erikon’s home so she may rescue her brother and bring him to safety. She will stop at nothing to get him back, even if it means to die trying.

This novel was written solely from Jax’s point of view as she wisp us into her world. Throughout the novel her character develops and grows as she fights her emotional ordeals that were cause from her being traumatised prior to the setting. Due to her ordeals, she is fearful of others touching her except for her brother Jace, with whom she has a really strong bond with. As she travels with Lir, she slowly becomes comfortable enough for him to touch her without her having a panic attack.

Then there was Lir… I mean who doesn’t love an alien who hogs all the best dolls? His character was intriguing as I was fascinated with his hair, his eyes, and even his back as he had scales running up and done his backbone. I loved his motives, and finding out each new secret he was willing to unshed as the story progressed.

Broken Skies is a hidden gem in disguise, and I highly recommend this gripping novel. It is a story of survival that is heavily action packed and overall a fantastic well-written story. I believe that those who loved the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey will enjoy this novel immensely. This is definitely a series that I must continue as I adored every moment. I have so many unanswered questions that I’d like to see in the sequel Fractured Suns as I look forward to exploring how Jax and Lir’s relationship develops. 

***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
Picture
The only person she knows who had a subscription to Writer's Digest at eleven and was always excited to write research papers, Theresa has been putting words to paper since a young age. Living in the mountains of central Virginia with her husband and two kids, she works as a paralegal by day, binges on Netflix at night and finds bits of time in between reading almost everything she can get her hands on and laundry to craft stories that tend to feature broken characters in sci-fi or paranormal worlds, with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure.

She's constantly lost in one fictional universe or another and is a self-proclaimed “fangirl” who loves being sucked in to new books or TV shows. Theresa originally wanted to write horror novels as an ode to her childhood passion for Stephen King novels, but between her internal Muse’s ramblings and the constant praise for her sci-fi pieces from her writer’s group – The Rebel Writers – she knew she should stick with what was working.


Broken Skies by Theresa Kay:
BOOK 1: Broken Skies
BOOK 2: Fractured Suns
BOOK 3: Shattered Stars
55 Comments

ELECTRIC EMPIRE BY VIOLA CARR

30/9/2015

56 Comments

 
Picture
Magic, mystery, and romance mix in this edgy retelling of the classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-in which Dr. Eliza Jekyll is the daughter of the infamous Henry

In an electric-powered Victorian London, Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a crime scene investigator, hunting killers with inventive new technological gadgets. Now, a new killer is splattering London with blood, drugging beautiful women and slicing off their limbs. Catching "the Chopper" could make Eliza's career--or get her burned. Because Eliza has a dark secret. A seductive second self, set free by her father's forbidden magical elixir: wild, impulsive Lizzie Hyde.

When the Royal Society sends their enforcer, the mercurial Captain Lafayette, to prove she's a sorceress, Eliza must resist the elixir with all her power. But as the Chopper case draws her into London's luminous, magical underworld, Eliza will need all the help she can get. Even if it means getting close to Lafayette, who harbors an evil curse of his own.

Even if it means risking everything and setting vengeful Lizzie free . . .

I was fortunate enough to receive a signed copy of this dark and perplexing novel and I’m so glad I did! This novel is a new personal favourite of mine, and I cannot wait until the second novel The Devious Dr. Jekyll as part of the Electric Empire series is released this coming October. The cover is breathtaking and has completely wooed me, as it is the best cover I have seen all year! This novel has definitely compelled me to read a lot more steampunk and mystery novels, so don’t be surprised if I get my hands on some in the near future.

I love how The Diabolical Miss Hyde is not just a retelling of the well-known story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but instead is the extension story of his daughter Dr. Eliza Jekyll and her dark side Miss Lizzie Hyde.

Now an orphaned woman, Dr. Eliza Jekyll takes after her father: the infamous Dr. Jekyll. Eliza is a crime scene investigator and a doctor who works at the insane asylum Bethlam. With two new murder scenes, Elisa must expose the anonymous murderer known as the ‘Chopper’ (who cuts the limbs off his victims) before he kills his next target.  

Things start to get complicated when the Royal’s Captain Lafayette is oddly positioned to work alongside Dr. Eliza with her murder case. Unsure whether to trust him, both Elisa and Lizzie suspect he’s hiding something and could potentially become a danger to them both. But Lafayette is not the only one hiding deep secrets… With a single drop of elixir, there’s no knowing just what Elisa’s impulsive shadow façade Lizzie Hyde might do once she’s freed from her slumber.

I found it extremely intriguing that Viola Carr chose to alternate her writing from 1st person to 3rd person as she wrote from both Eliza and Lizzie’s perspective. She does an incredible job at keeping both their characters separate from one another. Eliza is the smart shortsighted girl with her opticals and resourceful gadgets, whilst Lizzie is the wild and adventurous shadow persona that is uncontrollable. Though Lizzie may be extremely strong willed and brave, she is still afraid that Eliza wishes for nothing more than to get rid of her. I also loved how throughout the novel, they consistently helped one another out, even without the other one’s acknowledgement at times.

This novel was fast past and unpredictable as it had you second-guessing just who this ‘mysterious’ murderer might be. Viola Carr also cleverly weaves other potential murderers artfully. The plot is well built with remarkable new characters that you can’t help but want to grasp just what was going on inside that head of theirs. I hope to one-day see this novel be produced into a film, as I believe it would work wonderfully.
***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***

Picture
Viola Carr was born in a strange and distant land, but wandered into darkest London one foggy October evening and never found her way out. She now devours countless history books and dictates fantastical novels by gaslight, accompanied by classical music and the snoring of her slumbering cat.

Viola also writes urban fantasy adventure and dark paranormal romance under a pseudonym known as
Erica Hayes.


Electric Empire by Viola Carr:
BOOK 1: The Diabolical Miss Hyde

BOOK 2: The Devious Dr. Jekyll
56 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

      SUBSCRIBE

      If you do not wish you share your last name you can simply leave three hyphens in its place. eg. Tessa --- Or type in the first letter of your last name. eg. Tessa G
      Please supply a valid email address so you may receive all the latest updates! Thank you.
    Submit

    AUTHORS

    All
    1 • Requested
    2 • Advocate + Rep
    3 • Merchandise
    4 • Giveaway
    A • B • C
    D • E • F
    G • H • I
    J • K • L
    M • N • O
    P • Q • R
    S • T • U • V
    W • X • Y • Z

    Archives

    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Instagram

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.