Title: Ignite Author: Erica Crouch Publisher: Patchwork Press Publication Date: June 11th 2013 Genre: YA, Paranormal,Romance,Angels and Demons Format: e-ARC My rating: 4/5 (B+) Blurb: Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed. As Hell prepares for war - spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army - the lines separating the worlds blur. Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice. With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark. My Review: I received an e ARC of Ignite from Patchwork Press via Net Galley in exchange with an honest review. I went into this knowing nothing but that it revolved around Angels and Demons''Paranormal". I also heard nothing but good things about it, and watched the author's vlogs and decided that this book must be awesome. And I was right, I enjoyed reading Ignite and here is why! The writing is, and I am in no way exaggerating this,is magical ! It is just so beautiful, that I plan on getting back to it and rereading in a much slower pace to take in and enjoy the writing more! I am adding Erica Crouch to my list of Authors with Beautiful writing Style,which includes Lauren Oliver,Tahereh Mafi, and A.G Howard! However, there were times were the descriptions were a bit long and the story was a bit slow.During these descriptions, a concept was repeated a lot. Sometimes it slowed the story,and other times it was what made the story great. Each character had his/her own little flavor to add to this story. No one is the same, and every character affects and is effected by another one. What I really liked about it is that nothing was rushed. There was not a second where I thought a character's thought were all over the place. In other words, the character building was pretty much well done! Ignite is more about getting to know the background stories of everyone, and in my opinion, settling the accounts within each character to what they believe and how should they proceed in life. The Romance here is just spectacular and I can't wait to see what happens next. I would also love to add that by the end of this book, I was craving more than ever to go back to high school for that 1 hour of literature everyday! Erica's writing seems to be inspired by brilliant authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Robert Frost, two of my favorite writers ever! I give Ignite 4/5 stars and a B+ according to my own rating scale !
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Title: Hydro ( Aurelia #1) Author: A.C Waltower Publisher: Self Published Publication Date: December 2014 Genre: YA, Sci-Fi Format: e Arc Rating: 2 stars ( D-) Blurb: The year is 2091. 75 years ago, a nuclear war desolated Earth. The top 2% of the world fled to Hydro, a compound on the Moon. The rest of the population were left trying to survive on a barren Earth. Seventeen-year-old Blake lives on Earth with his dad and little brother. When Blake’s father is given the grave sentence of terminal cancer, Blake decides to save his dad by sneaking onto Hydro and making a deal with Hydro’s council. In exchange for them saving his dad, he will give them the answer to everyone’s problem; the location of a new habitable planet. The unexpected and unannounced arrival of Blake leaves many citizens with mixed feelings, none more confusing than those of sixteen-year-old Ziva. The more she learns about Blake and where he comes from, the more she learns that not everything she is being told about the situation on Earth in true, including those told by her beloved grandfather. Why has he been lying to her? And more importantly what is he hiding from her? My Review: I received an e ARC of Hydro in exchange with an honest review. I would like to praise the author for coming up with such fresh, post apocalyptic story. The plot itself has lots of potential, but the writing got in the way. I had huge problem with Blake's dialogues, he seems to only "order people around". It just makes the the character look a jerk and sound boring if after everything he says, the phrase he ordered follows. Not exactly everything, but a lot ! I found the element of conflicted feelings out of place because no one should convinced that easily over an important matter in only a few lines. If a person is conflicted, that person would stay in doubt for a very long time and would simply change allies that quickly. Not mention a couple of plot holes in novel. I think the book was published way too early. It definitely needed 3-4 more rounds of editing to serve the plot some justice. I am probably not going to stick around for the rest of the series, but I hope that the next book is well edited because it would be such a shame to have such a great idea left unread I give this book 2/5 stars and a D- according to my own rating scale. Title: Storm Fall ( Rebel Wing #2) Author: Tracy Banghart Publisher: Alloy Entertainment Publication Date: December 16th, 2014 Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance Format: e ARC My Rating: 5/5 stars (A) Blurb: In the action-packed sequel to Rebel Wing, Aris battles for life and love . . . and not everyone will survive. Aris Haan gave up everything to join the Atalantan Military: her family, her boyfriend, even her identity. In the end, though, it didn’t matter that she was a war hero. When the all-male Military discovered that she was actually a woman, she was sent home and erased from history. Now she has a chance to go back to the battlefield—as herself. But as hard as it was to be a soldier in disguise, it’s even more difficult now. The men in her unit undermine her at every turn. The Safaran army has spies everywhere, perhaps even on Aris’s stationpoint. And she’s falling for her mysterious superior officer, Milek. But their relationship is forbidden, just stolen moments between training sessions and missions. There’s no room for love in war. Then Aris discovers that Safara’s leaders have set their sights on her, Atalanta’s hero. And she must find them before they find her My Review: I received Storm Fall from Alloy Entertainment via NetGalley in exchange with an honest review. So we all know how sometimes the second book in a series is a huge let down to the readers, well Storm Fall does not fall under this category ! I absolutely loved this as much as the first book, if not more. The Book begins with a new law being added, which is ( Women can volunteer to enter the Military). Of course, Aris volunteers , because the Military is now her life. Of course, there is also Milek ! However, he is not the reason why she is going back. She loves the fact that she can save people. Returning there as a women won't be easy. Almost everyone look down at her , or even worse, harass her. The Plot thickens as Sadara's leaders feel that they are threatened by Aris, and would stop at nothing to bring her and Atlanta down. As if the action was not enough, the interaction between characters develops , and adds new conflicts to the story. We also get more Ariek ( Romance) , which is awesome. I really enjoyed Storm Fall as much as I loved Rebel Wings. Perhaps even more; I mean it contains more action and more romance! I give it 5/5 stars and an A according to my own rating scale ! Title: Anomaly ( Schrodinger's Consortium #1 ) Author: Tonya Kuper Publisher: Entangled Teen Publication Date: November 25th , 2014 Genre: Sci-Fi, YA, Romance, Dystopian Format: eARC My Rating: 5/5 stars ( A-) Blurb: Reality is only an illusion. Except for those who can control it… Worst. Birthday. Ever. My first boyfriend dumped me—happy birthday, Josie!—my dad is who knows where, I have some weird virus that makes me want to hurl, and now my ex is licking another girl’s tonsils. Oh, and I’m officially the same age as my brother was when he died. Yeah, today is about as fun-filled as the swamps of Dagobah. But then weird things start happening… Like I make something materialize just by thinking about it. When hottily-hot badass Reid Wentworth shows up on a motorcycle, everything changes. Like, everything. Who I am. My family. What really happened to my brother. Existence. I am Oculi, and I have the ability to change reality with my thoughts. Now Reid, in all his hotness, is charged with guiding and protecting me as I begin learning how to bend reality. And he’s the only thing standing between me and the secret organization that wants me dead… My Review: I received and e ARC of Anomaly from Entangled Teen via NetGalley and YA Bound Blog in exchange with an honest review. Anomaly is a book that captures your attention just like that; when you are only a few pages in! Not only is the plot absolutely original, but also the character development is incredible . I found Josie always confused with the way she feels towards her mother. At first it was a bit confusing to read, but as the story went on, Josie became a bit stronger and started to have a bit more rigid believes. The way the author,Tonya, made physics rules an explanation of the characters' powers , which is making things appear and disappear by just thinking it , is just absolutely mind blowing. Although the setting is just a typical city, but the author's description of secret rooms and the way things appear and disappear is amazing. And now we come to the Romance part; I absolutely shipped Josie and Reid !! And the best thing is that the story was told from both of their P.O.V. So I was able to get a glimpse of what each one of them is thinking! With a story packed with humor,action, love, and trust, Anomaly is a book that I was not able to put down. Especially when each chapter left you hanging, not giving a complete closure to what happen. I loved Anomaly and I personally can't wait to read the second book in the series. I give this book 5/5 stars and an A- according to my own rating scale. Buy Links: Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│The Book Depository│iBooks If you have read and enjoyed Anomaly, then why not help it become a tv show/movie on iflist.com http://iflist.com/stories/anomaly# Title: Catch Me When I Fall ( Dreamcatcher #1) Author: Vicki Leigh Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press Publication Date: October 23, 2014 Format: e ARC Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy My rating: 3/5 stars ( C+) Blurb: Recruited at his death to be a Protector of the Night, seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears. Each night, he risks his eternal life, having given up his chance at an afterlife when he chose to become a Protector. That doesn’t stop a burnt-out Daniel from risking daring maneuvers during each battle. He’s become one of the best, but he wants nothing more than to stop. Then he’s given an assignment to watch over sixteen-year-old Kayla Bartlett, a clinically depressed patient in a psychiatric ward. Nightmares love a human with a tortured past. Yet, when they take a deep interest in her, appearing in unprecedented numbers, the job becomes more dangerous than any Daniel’s ever experienced. My Review: I received an e ARC copy of Catch me When I fall from Curiosity Quills Press via NetGalley in exchange with an honest Review . This book is a perfect read for The Mortal Instruments fans. You will be blown away with the world building and the fighting scenes. The concept of there are people who weave dreams and fight away nightmares got me all hooked up on the story. There were times were I got a bit confused. How could Kayla, who have gone through certain devastating events in the past have these frequent bursts of bravery and trust? I started the book with great interest, fell a bit uncertain if I am going to like or not, then ended up liking it again. Overall, I really recommend this to all of Cassandra Clare readers; you will love it. I personally can't wait for book 2 in this amazing series. I give it 3/5 stars and a C+ according to my own rating scale. Title: Undertow (Undertow #1) Author: K.r. Conway Publisher: Patchwork Press Publication Date: October 1, 2013 Genre: Paranormal,Supernatural,YA Format: e ARC MY Rating: 5/5 stars (A) BLURB: Eila Walker knows luck is not a friend, so she is downright shocked to inherit a million-dollar Cape Cod home. And yeah, her new town isn't perfect: the cheerleaders are heinous clones, the local undertow can kill ya, and her Great Grams was supposedly fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is hopeful her luckless days are in the past . . . until history decides to repeat itself. My Review: I received Undertow from Patchwork Press via netgalley in exchange with an honest review. Just when I thought that there could not be anymore original and interesting Supernatural YA Novels, K.R. Conway seemed to prove me wrong with UnderTow, a great start of a mind blowing series. First thing First, I googled the meaning of UNDERTOW which is : A Strong Current After finishing the book, I think that the title pretty much describes the series very well because , what does the strong current do? chaos, disasters,loss, then eventually becoming stronger and perhaps recovery. The Prologue is very captivating, you only need to read a few pages to get hooked. Although after the prologue the intensity slowed down a bit, I was not able to stop reading due to the anticipation of wanting to know what happens next and falling in love with all of the characters I could almost relate to all of the main characters. There were a lot of, OMG this is exactly how I feel moments ! "Better to be a locked Vault than an open book I guess" _ Ana The Book is packed with adventure,danger, along with the elements of sacrifice,love,friendship, and betrayal. Yet, I ended it needing more, hence the main issue has not been resolved yet. This is definitely going to be added to my favorite series list , and I can't wait to read the next one. I give this book 5/5 stars and an A according to my own rating scale ! Title: Dead Over Heels Author: Alison Kemper Publisher: Enatngled teen Publication Date: September 29th, 2014 Genre: YA, Zombies Format: eARC My rating : 5/5 stars (A) Click on the image to get it on amazon Blurb: The end of the world just might be their perfect beginning… Glenview, North Carolina. Also known―at least to sixteen-year-old Ava Pegg―as the Land of Incredibly Boring Vacations. What exactly were her parents thinking when they bought a summer home here? Then the cute-but-really-annoying boy next door shows up at her place in a panic…hollering something about flesh-eating zombies attacking the town. My Review: I received an eARC copy of Dead Over Heels from the author in exchange with an honest review. Dead over Heels is a companion to Donna of the Dead, so you don't have to read the first book to read this one. But then, you will be missing all the awesomeness of the first book. In the contrary with the first novel, Dead Over Heels has much more romance than the first book.It is mostly based on two main characters, Eva and Cole, rather than a bigger group of friends/classmates. Which was really interesting because the author was able to share the story with the readers using both perspectives. The setting was in the woods, which makes running away from zombies a bit more difficult because there is no safe place to hide that is anywhere near!\ Speaking of zombies, there are not actually dead. However, their brains are. It caused by some kind of new flew spreading all around the world. Is there any humor in it at all ? YES, there were times were I could not stop laughing! Opps I did again, reread few parts when I finished the book :) Back to the Romance, it was one of my favorite types! You know, when two people can barely stand each other and as time flies they fall in love! I think the events of Dead Over Heals occurs somewhere either at the same time or somehow before the events of Donna of the Dead. I believe in the third and last book would somehow come together to fight this flu??? I am not sure, but that would totally kick ass ! This is such a great read if you are going through a reading slump, or if you want something packed with adventure, humor, and romance, something that you would get into so easily. So basically Dead Over Heals is a great read with zombie frosting and romance topping! I give this book 5/5 stars and an A according to my own rating scale. About the Author Alison Kemper grew up in South Florida, the only girl on a street with eleven boys. She spent most of her childhood paddling a canoe through neighborhood canals and looking for adventure. She usually found it. Sometimes the police were involved. And large dogs. And one time, a very territorial snake. Now that she’s grown up, she lives in North Carolina and writes books. The books often include girls having adventures. With boys. Cute boys. And cute dogs too. But no cute snakes. Never cute snakes. Her debut novel, Donna of the Dead, was published by Entangled Teen in 2014 and is followed by two companion books in the series. She loves to meet new people and talk books, so send her a friend request or connect with her on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/Alison_Kemper ) and Instagram. Title: Order of the Dimensions Author: Irene Helenowiski Publisher: self-published Publication Date: September 14th, 2012 Format: Paperback My Rating : 3/5 stars ( C-) Blurb: When Jane Kremowski first began her graduate studies in physics at Madison State University in Wisconsin, little did she know where her work would take her. Now, she is embroiled in a multitude of dimensions all leading to different outcomes. She and her colleagues therefore must act wisely in order to take and keep away the Order of Dimension from falling into the wrong hands for the sake of her loved ones. My Review: I received a copy of Order of the Dimensions from the author in exchange with an honest review. This book is the first in the Order of the Dimensions Trilogy. This book took me to another world, where all my fantasies of seeing what happen in alter universes/dimensions came true during the days I was reading it. Imagine that there is a device that can transport you to another dimension, a place were you gain control of not losing a family member, or a place where you rule the WORLD. Yes, It gets dangerous when the device falls in the wrong hands. Which happens, a lot ! You get to see what happens in many dimensions, which is shaped according to what the one in controls wants. Although , the premise of the story is way more than just appealing, I had some problems with the writing style. The author seems to be into describing the way the conversation is going instead of how the characters are dealing with the situation. The Emotions in this book play a huge part, but being described in just a single or couple of words does not serve it any good. There is a thing that was a bit confusing, like when does the person remember if he/she was from another dimension. However, this was such an interesting read that I was barely able to put it down.I am looking forward to start book 2 soon . Irene told me that the writing style is different in the last two books, which is great because the series has such a great premise and the the writing style will add up to the entire book quality I give this book 3/5 stars and a C- according to my own rating scale. Today is the cover reveal for Sceadu by Prashant Pinge. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. Sceadu by Prashant Pinge Genre: Fantasy Age category: Young Adult Release Date: 10 November 2014 Blurb: You can find Sceadu on Goodreads. Excerpt: About the Author: I grew up in the quiet and beautiful neighbourhood of Shivaji Park in Mumbai, India. My schooling happened at the famed Bombay Scottish School where I was a rather conscientious student while my college years were spent at D. G. Ruparel College. I completed my bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Purdue University with a brilliant semester at the University of New South Wales. I followed it with a master of science in management from Lancaster University, a post graduate program in management from Indian School of Business, and a post MBA master in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management. And yes, there is a simple explanation to all this. I love campus life. I started my professional career as an engineer at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Once the monotony got to me, I returned back to join our family business in Mumbai, where I have been ever since. More recently, I have settled in the role of a consultant in my own marketing and branding firm, Media Panther. My foray into the world of writing happened in 2003 after I had a dream that compelled me to stumble out of bed and put pen to paper. But that book is yet to be written. In the meantime, I happily string words together in my quest for Nirvana. In my spare time, I enjoy collecting old coins, reading fiction, indulging my creativity (I have recently written and produced a short film, Freedom of Expression), travelling to exotic destinations, watching movies, and listening to music. I am also keenly interested in the subjects of psychology, mythology and ancient history. I live with my wife and son in Mumbai. You can find and contact Prashant here: - Website - Book Page - Author Facebook - Book Facebook - Goodreads - Google + There is a tour wide giveaway for the cover reveal of Sceadu. These are the prizes you can win: 3 e-copies of Sceadu for a chance to win enter the rafflecopter giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway Title: Puppet Author: Pauline C. Harris Publisher: Patchwork Press Publication Date: October 24, 2014 Format: eARC My Rating: 4/5 stars ( B) Blurb: Penelope lives in a world of advanced technology but many claim society has yet to catch up. Marionettes have advanced in the form of robots; lifelike creations remote controlled to perform super human tasks. When Penelope makes a deal with Jed, a marionette-obsessed scientist, she doesn’t fully realize what she’s getting herself into. In order for Jed to take her away from the orphanage she lives in, she must first agree to undergo his experiments and tests, ultimately creating something no one ever dreamed possible; the first living marionette. My Review: I received an e ARC copy of puppet from Patchwork press via Netgalley in exchange with an honest review. Puppet is a retelling of the classic Pinocchio. The author finds such an exquisite and unique plot filled with advanced technology & action and weavers it perfectly with many Pinocchio aspects. It took me a bit to see the Pinocchio resemblance,but once i saw it, there was no going back. It is magnificent ! I loved how the author kept going back and forth between the life she gave away, and was what she signed up for really worth it. The Self discovery journey is mind blowing,especially when everyone seems to control you , except for you. I think the romance element was a bit rushed. There were literally no signs to show that those two certain characters both had feelings for each other. Also, there was that one description that was repeated way more than it needed to convey the message. However, this was definitely an enjoyable read, a perfect retelling, and a great self discovery story. I gave Puppet 4/5 stars and a B according to my own rating scale. |
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