Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Silverthorn (An Echoes of Eternity Novel) by Sydney Bristow


Published: February 9th 2016 by Amazon Digital Services LLC
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Format: ebook
Source: provided for honest review
Goodreads Summary


Serena Sykes will need to gain control of her latest supernatural ability now that Darius Coyne, the last remaining master vampire will stop at nothing to kill her, so he can rule the world beside the love of his life, the ancient sorceress, Zephora. 

And if they don’t destroy Serena, the tight-knit group of friends who fight alongside her might do it for them. Her tortured romantic relationship with Nolan, who takes away more from Serena than just pleasure each time they touch, may be more inclined to help Darius than he’s letting on. And her identical twin sister, Alexis, and her niece, Celestina, take turns playing both willing ally and potential enemy. 

In a race against time, Serena must vanquish the enemies that attack her at every turn and fight to keep her friends alive, sane, and on good terms, while also trying to locate the mythic Book of Souls…if she hopes to defeat the ultimate power couple.

 Silverthorn (An Echoes of Eternity Novel) by Sydney Bristow

Buy Silverthorn (An Echoes of Eternity Novel) by Sydney Bristow today at Amazon

I’d have to settle for killing the person responsible for dashing what I’d hoped would have turned into a long and distinguished career: Darius Coyne. Nothing would stop me from ending his life the way he had ended my dreams.


The Good

Serena and her band are back for round two. One of the best parts of this story is the band for sure. While the characters deal with Zephora trying to rule the world, you still get to see them live their lives and attempt to achieve their dreams. That helps bring the story to life for me. This one also felt like a bring the group together and make sure they are ready for the war in the books to come. The book also contains some pretty decent sarcasm and if you've read my reviews before you know I like my sarcasm.

The Bad

Most stories have the supernaturals either out and known by the public (not this one) or trying to keep themselves under the radar. In this one vampires keep attacking in public but there isn't any fallout from it yet. I get a lot of people will just see it as a hoax but there are plenty of wack jobs who are just dying to prove something like this. I'm hoping in book 3 we'll see a change in how people act in general as more creatures pull stunts in public.

The Romance

Serena and nolan are still into each other but if he touches her, Her natural life decreases and brings her closer to death. Brandon and Kendall are still playing the I like but refuse to tell you as I could get hurt so I will rag on your life choices game. Though something big does impact their relationship.

Conclusion

So far I really enjoy the series. The characters are fun, they fill real and relateable for the most part. The action is good and plentiful. The romance is there but doesn't control the story which is a big plus for me. Overall it's a great start to a witches/demon/vampire tale and i look forward to the next book.




Excerpts


“That rocked my face!” said Brandon, tapping a new pair of drumsticks against the cinder block walls while our band walked down a hall backstage. “You burnt those vamps like you tossed a pizza into an oven.”
“That would be a very unappetizing pizza,” Kendall said, cringing with such horror she’d closed her eyes.


“I want the same as you,” Zephora said, “a full and happy life.”
“But you already had that. Three hundred years ago.”
“You consider burning at the stake at thirty years of age… a full and happy life?”


“All of this because you love a woman who died centuries ago?” I asked. “Loyalty like that is touching… if you didn’t love such a psychopath.”
“What would you know of romance or lifelong commitment and dedication? You’re barely old enough to drink a pint of—”
“Blood? Sorry. Not interested. I prefer water. It keeps my skin soft. And it’s way better for my complexion, so…”


“Well,” I said, unsure what to think of this unexpected development. “Let’s see what’s what.” I got out of the car, popped the trunk, and removed the Soul Sword from its case.
Nolan met me a moment later. “You plan on chopping off his head… in a church?”
“You think God would disapprove?”
“No, I think he’d cheer you on.”

Buy Silverthorn (An Echoes of Eternity Novel) by Sydney Bristow today at Amazon

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [161]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.




I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.







Friday, March 25, 2016

Review: FROM AWAY - Series One, Book One: A Serial Thriller of Arcane and Eldritch Horror by Deke Mackey Jr.


Published: July 18th 2015 by Pearlcasting Productions
Genre: Horror
Format: ebook
Source: provided for honest review
Goodreads Summary


Something lurks in the black waters surrounding Mossley Island. An arcane and eldritch horror. For fifty years, it's waited. Fading into myth. Allowing those who fought off its last invasion to succumb to age. Now, with the island all but unprotected, this ancient evil prepares to mount one last attack.

The first chilling installment of this serialized story finds Dawn Lesguettes accompanying her father to the island. Though he is reluctant to return to his birthplace, Dawn has always wanted to learn more about her origins and hopes to reconnect with the family her wayward father abandoned before she was born.

But Mossley Island is not welcoming to those from away, and investigating her unusual family background will soon lead Dawn to uncover chilling secrets best left buried, even as her arrival heralds the return of a darkness long thought vanquished. 

Featuring creepy nuns with mysterious motives, a sinister cabal of strangely robust senior citizens, and a militia of lighthouse keepers watching the ocean in case unspeakable terrors rise from the depths, this eerie seven-part serial will draw readers in with atmospheric tension and surprising twists, and refuse to let go as it hurtles towards a startling cliffhanger conclusion sure to leave everyone desperate for the next gripping chapter.

 FROM AWAY - Series One, Book One: A Serial Thriller of Arcane and Eldritch Horror by Deke Mackey Jr.

Buy FROM AWAY - Series One, Book One: A Serial Thriller of Arcane and Eldritch Horror today at Amazon

Only when the lighthouse door has closed do those watching dare to move. Back from the rocky shore, in a nearby thicket of fir trees, they stir. Turn away from the lighthouse without a word to one another. Head off through the dripping foliage.   The last of them hangs back a moment. Drops a useless hunk of metal to the ground before following the others into the darkness of the woods. A padlock.


The Good

This one was interesting, secret societies, mysterious creatures, and an Isolated Island. We get two main characters in Aaron a 3rd generation member of the circle. His biggest worry is how much he screws up at his circle duties and his mom pretty much being his boss. The other main focus is Dawn. She’s going to the island for the first time to research her family history. Her dad claims to not recall any of it and is no help. Besides those two the author did really well fleshing out the supporting cast and creating questions I wanted to have answers to.

The Bad

My only real issue is the book ended and I still had little feel for the threat the circle feared. The book does end with a pretty large cliffhanger but I’m pretty use to those so no big deal.

The Romance

There isn’t any romance worth bringing up at this point in the series. The ground work is there but nothing solid.


Conclusion

Overall I enjoyed book one and will look into book 2. Some of the characters were fun and it grabbed my interest enough that I want to know more. If you enjoy a horror book that doesn’t introduce the threat in chapter one then you’ll enjoy this one.




Excerpts

“But, Dad... After all this time with Mom... You must know what she--”
“Doesn’t matter what I know. Not to you. You treat me like anyone else outside the Circle. Meaning: You keep your lip zipped. Circle business stays inside the Circle. I’m outside. Always.”


“If somebody told you two hundred ladies in clown suits were waiting outside your door, planning to attack you with custard cream pies... Would you be afraid to leave your house? Or would you call bullshit? Wouldn’t bullshit just be like, your default position? Until you’ve seen at least one lady-clown in the vicinity?”


Only once in motion does the old man speak. With customary grace and delicacy, as befitting an elderly grandfather: “So. Ya really shit the fockin’ bed last night, didn’tcha, cocky?”
 It was going to be a long day.

Buy FROM AWAY - Series One, Book One: A Serial Thriller of Arcane and Eldritch Horror today at Amazon

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Review: Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton


Published: January 24, 2012 by Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.


"Heroes don't exist. And if they did, I wouldn't be one of them."


The Good

Everneath was a strange read told from the POV of Nikki Beckett, also called 'Becks' and 'Nik' by various characters. If you watch Once Upon a Time, it does a similar thing with time whereas there are alternating chapters of 'Now' and chapters going back in time to explain how she ended up where she is. I quite liked this setup, but it made for getting information on the Everlings and Everneath a little bit at a time.

This is a story that references Hades and Persephone and actually has the characters researching these  and more ancient Greeks for more information to their plight. I have read a lot about Hades and Persephone, as it's a myth that I enjoy. This was definitely a part of the story that grabbed me and had me wanting to know more.

Our main character Nikki has made some very poor choices in life to get her in these dire circumstances. Part of what made me like the story so much was that it made me FEEL. Even though she is trying to hide from her fate now and is still not making the best choices, she is doing better and that has to count for something. I felt for all the characters in the story though, even the anti-hero Cole. He's not really a villain so to speak as he has no 'evil' intentions, but he is definitely not a good guy either. No one is having an easy time of it in Everneath.

The Bad


There's definitely some more information that I'm looking for here. I don't understand why only six months pass above while the Feed takes a century in Everneath. Like why is Cole mixing up Osiris from Egyptian myth with the Greek Persephone myth? I also would really like to understand why they send 'food' down to the Queen all the time yet the Everlings go down to recharge for a century of feeding. As you can see, while we get some information about this world and its intricacies, we're left without quite a lot of the why's and how's. So to incredibly enjoy this read, you just have to go with it.

The Romance


Like I said, some may see a love triangle here, but I just don't. Cole is interested in Nikki. She is a possibility for him to get out of his current standing and enjoy some better living. Yes, he's a musician, and smoking hot, and the one with powers, but Nikki's heart is clearly with Jack. The ex that hurt her and that she hurt as well by leaving for six months with no explanation. There's a lot of hurt here, but the romance is important to the story as Nikki thinks consistently about Jack and their relationship.

Conclusion


An enjoyable read for sure. There are elements to the world that I quite liked while there are also some elements that I would like explained better in future books. The characters are all in pain for the moment but I can see them growing already and I see the potential for a lot of growth over the series. It was definitely interesting and I read it exceptionally quickly.




Excerpts

"Friends don't eat friends' souls."

Jack shook his head. "I can't believe we're having this conversation." He ran his hand through his hair, and a part of it stuck straight up. I wanted to reach over and fix it. "I mean, I thought you were getting high."
"I know. Everyone did. They still do."
"But I should've known better."

I realized how much had changed. On the other side of a century, I had wanted to feel less, not more. Maybe most teenagers wouldn't think like that, but when the drunk driver killed my mom, I wanted more than to stop feeling sad. I wanted to stop feeling. Period. I wanted it so bad that when Cole offered to make it happen, I went to the Everneath with him. Willingly.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [160]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.






Thursday, March 17, 2016

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [101]


This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows.The idea is to share a favorite moment, magical item, character, spell, quote, object from the books, films or J.K.Rowling herself! Click the links to the blogs to see how to join up &  upcoming topics.



Who would be your BFF at Hogwarts?



via GIPHY



While I would love hanging out with all the students there...Hermione, Ginny, the Weasley Twins, etc., Luna would have to be my choice. I feel like everything that comes out of her mouth is pure gold and she'd have me laughing all the time. I also like how important her friendships are to each other. She'd be such a loyal and kind-hearted bff. 

Who would you choose?

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Review: End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days #3) by Susan Ee


Published: May 12, 2015 by Skyscape
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy, Dystopia
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy. After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?


"This is Penryn Young, Daughter of Man, Killer of Angels."


The Good

This is not an epic conclusion of the series, however it is a good one. The characters that I love are still here. I get a good dose of Raffe, Penryn, Paige, Penryn's mom (did we ever find out her name?), and the Tweedle Twins are my favorites. Dee and Dum are so hilarious that I can't help but love them as wonderful supporting characters.

The pace is very, very fast in this one. There is non-stop action and decision making since so much is going on. This series is really a dark one with angels here to wipe out mankind and I appreciate how each book has hit home how dire their situations are. We get a new setting in this one...The Pit...for a while which was an interesting turn of events. The concept is here and this is a very unique story told very well.

I love how all aspects of humanity are explored. It goes pretty deeply into the 'there are good and bad' in every group, and I appreciate that.

The Bad


The ending was a bit rushed. The action at the end doesn't seem as long as I would have liked and it does get all wrapped up quickly. There is some loss, but not as much as I expected. Don't get me wrong, I really like happy endings but the feeling of that final battle should have been a bit more full of terror if you know what I mean.

The Romance


It has the forbidden romance. I am a fan of that one because I'm interested to see how it will all work out. In this series, Raffe is staunch about not breaking the angel rules even though he clearly wants to be with Penryn. There's a lot of chemistry and tension around them.

Conclusion


A great series. It's different from any other angel read with the dystopian aspects adding a wonderful touch. I love that the angels are here to completely wipe us out and the feeling is dark and dire throughout the series. The characters are fantastic. I love Penryn's ragtag group of very weird companions. End of Days has a rushed feeling and the action in the last battle could have gone on longer, but it was a great read. Recommended.



Excerpts

These are not the screams of an angry man. These are the nightmare screams of someone having his soul torn to pieces right in front of him.

Any minute now, we might have to choose our loyalties. When that happens, I'd be an idiot to think we'll be on the same side.

The best I can hope for is that the people get a few minutes to run while the hellions are busy tearing me apart. It's a Penryn party.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [159]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.








Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Review: World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee


Published: November 19, 2013 by Skyscape
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy, Dystopia
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?


The sun is rising, giving the dark ocean below a glow that shimmers with blue, gold, and green. It's a new day in the World After.


The Good


This ones starts where Angelfall lets off...like the exact second. There is still a lot of action and some amazing developments with some truly terrifying situations, but we were missing the connection that Penryn and Raffe share since they were apart through most of the story. I am glad to see that there is no love triangle though. Penryn is an excellent heroine for the story as she's always trying to help the ones that deserve it, but isn't at all upset about killing or hurting the ones that don't. She also knows when she's over-powered. She tries to deny being a hero, but that's exactly what she is in a world where everyone is just out to save their own hides.

The pacing was done well and the setting varied from place to place similar to the first one. We get to see more of Penryn's sister Paige and her mom, and my heart breaks for Penryn when it comes to her love for these two. Her sister has been experimented on and is often referred to as a "monster" while at the tender age of 7. Her mom is schizophrenic and while that comes off as sad a lot through the story, she is also one of those characters that make you laugh out loud. I really think she can survive anything.

I missed Raffe, but we see him on the sidelines throughout. I also got more time with the twins Dee and Dum though not a whole lot. I hope they play a bigger role in the conclusion.

The Bad


There's really nothing "bad" about World After, I just didn't love it as much as the first due to Raffe missing. The two of them together are rather fun with their bickering and bantering.

The Romance


Raffe isn't in the story for very long but you can tell that Penryn being so hurt in the first story really rattled him. I believe the angel that's not supposed to feel anything for the Daughters of Men may be developing a little of those pesky feelings.

Conclusion


A great story. A whole lot happens and often has me thinking how terrified I would be in Penryn's shoes. There are so incredibly scary things in this series, but the darkness is what makes it so great. I enjoy the characters a great deal and it absolutely makes me want to know how all this is going to end. Not as great as the first, but still wonderful. Recommended.



Excerpts

October winds seep through my blouse and I can't help looking at the overcast sky for a particular angel with bat-shaped wings and a corny sense of humor. I swipe my foot at the overgrown grass and make myself look away.

As soon as the bodies get splashed, they begin to move.

It's painful to see that people prefer a bad guy who looks like an angel to a good guy who looks like a demon.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [158]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.







Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Review: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee


Published: August 28, 2012 by Skyscape
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy, Dystopia
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.


I never thought about it before, but I'm proud to be human. We're ever so flawed. We're frail, confused, violent, and we struggle with so many issues. But all in all, I'm proud to be a Daughter of Man.


I've had this one on my shelf for quite some time. The first few angel type books I read were good but not phenomenal so I wasn't in a hurry to pick it up. I've read some really great angel books this year though so I decided to give this one a go.

The Good


So while this one may be an "angel" book, it's about angels as the means to the end of the world and woven inside is a creepy and gritty dystopian. Our heroine, Penryn has a ton to deal with. It starts with her schizophrenic mom and wheel-chair bound sister, but gets worse and worse for her as the story progresses. She handles each new obstacle like a champ though. I'm drawn to Penryn because she's 5'2" like me. Unlike me, she's a 17 year old. She will just not give up and I love her spunk. She saves, kidnaps, then blackmails Raffe, an angel, to help her get her sister who was taken by angels back. Their time on the page together is a lot of fun. They both have a dry humor and I giggled a lot while reading.

The world is very desolate. They are eating cat food to survive. More than even the homeless and wanderer living conditions, is that every move is dogged by enemies. They have to keep safe from human gangs, angels, and what they name as the low demons. There is not a boring moment through Angelfall. It feels as if her life is in different degrees of danger throughout the story.

I have to throw a special mention to Dee and Dum who are reminiscent of The Weasley Twins, but can turn into super spy ninja killers the next moment. Besides Penryn and Raffe, they are my favorite characters in the story.

The Bad


I have no complaints.

The Romance


Penryn and Raffe are so different yet very similar so it's really fun to watch them together and see who will get the last word. There's not really romance to speak of in this one. It's more a getting to know each other and decide whether to trust each other read. I look forward to see where it goes from here as any romance between the two is strictly forbidden.


Conclusion


This is far more than just an angel book or just a dystopian as it's a mixture of paranormal elements, horror, and dystopian all in one. The story flows well and there isn't a break in the action or adventure. The characters are easy to latch onto and the elements and world introduced are unique and interesting. Angelfall was an excellent read.  


Excerpts

When you're small enough to have to look up at everyone around you, there's no such thing as a dirty fight.

"What's your name?" asks the leader. There is something intimate about the way he asks me this question as he is about to feed me. "My friends call me Wrath," says Raffe. "My enemies call me Please Have Mercy. What's your name, soldier boy?"

But the thing that really convinces me that the apocalypse is here is the crunching of smartphones under my feet. Nothing short of the end of the world would get our eco-conscious techies to toss their latest gadgets onto the street.