Tour Review and Kindle Fire Giveaway - Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow

Welcome to our stop on the Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows Blog Tour!

Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing

Release Date: January 26, 2016
Series: Elementals #1
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: eBook
ISBN: 2940152448849
Source: Sent through Netgalley for honest review

Goodreads Summary

Filled with magic, thrilling adventure, and sweet romance, Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows is the first in a new series that fans of Percy Jackson and The Secret Circle will love!

When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.

Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Only a week and a half into a new school, and not only was I a freaky super-witch who made a glass explode in class, but I also had extra homework.

The Good

I enjoyed how Nicole got wrapped up immediately into the world of magic. She's skeptical at first which is to be expected and there's a few Harry Potter references thrown in for good fun. I also enjoyed how the magic involved colors and energy. Each color represents different things. For instance, blue is calming and yellow is for focus. Now, I appreciated that take on magic as it shifted it away from Harry Potter. Then, we get some Greek mythology thrown in for good measure. I really liked how this look at magic and the Greek mythology meshed together to form this story.

The pacing is very good. I read the story incredibly quickly. It was pretty short at about 200 pages, making it a very fast read. I thought there was plenty of action and anticipation keeping it quite interesting. This story required a group of people working together in order to accomplish their task, and all characters are quite different with their own specialties. It was refreshing watching not just one person completely outweigh all the others with their magnificent powers, though Nicole does have the most important.

The Bad and The Romance

So in this one, it's the same category. The romance revolved around Nicole who formed an immediate attraction to Blake who also seems quite interested in her. The problem? Oh, he's got a girlfriend. She's a gorgeous creature who is also required in this team to complete the task. I can't stand cheating on any level so the fact that Blake was fine with kissing Nicole even when he's with Danielle rankled me and makes me dislike this love interest. Oh, but he's been planning on ending their relationship since before Nicole even showed up. This story would have worked just as well with Danielle as his ex when Nicole arrived on the scene.

Conclusion

So, bad romance aside, this was a good story. The writing was well done and moved the pace through quickly. The magic mixed with Greek mythology made it stand apart, though I do hope we get more information and world building throughout the series. It was a quick, fun read. Recommended.

About Michelle Madow:

Michelle Madow grew up in Baltimore, graduated Rollins College in Orlando, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She wrote her first book in her junior year of college, and has been writing novels since. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.

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Michelle is offering up a fabulous prize during her Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows Virtual Tour event. One (1) lucky winner will receive a Kindle Fire 7”! 

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Review: Unwilling by K.D. Wood

Published: November 10, 2014 by Blue Tulip Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: sent for honest review

Goodreads Summary

Neely McIntire’s dreams warn her about the future but will not protect her from the danger hiding in plain sight. On graduation night, she plans to tell her best friend, Hayden Nelson, that she's in love with him. Instead, they argue. Neely's hurt feelings leave her vulnerable, giving her secret admirer, Andrew Huckley, the opportunity to put his mother’s monstrous plan into motion. When Neely gives into her broken heart and pushes him away, Hayden knows he must fight to recapture the spark he felt in their last kiss. But will he find her in time to reverse the damage or will she be changed forever?

Buy Unwilling by K.D. Wood Today at Amazon

Now hours later, the creepy feeling that I'd missed something, something important, held my attention, despite being in a sweltering room full of every memaw and cousin in Jones County. Sweat started to run out of my hair. The heat in the gym was slowly reaching nuclear proportions with so many bodies packed into the bleachers.

The Good

This was a crazy ride! Don't let the blurb lull you into a false security that this book is all about Neely and a broken heart regarding Hayden. While there definitely is a love story involved, there is so much wildness thrown into these pages.

It's really hard to describe this book without giving away spoilers, which is why I'm sure that the blurb for it is so light on details. Let me tell you, this is nothing like anything I've read before. While reading Unwilling, the POVs switch between Neely and Hayden. In between, there are little glimpses of dreams that Neely has that made absolutely no sense to me, but provided little clues as to what was going on. Even though it says paranormal, this is a mixture of mystery, horror, mythology, and romance, and it all mixes together wonderfully.

I read this book in hours. Over 300 pages, I couldn't put it down until I'd read the last word and it left me wanting to pick up the follow up book Unloved. Mostly, I was obsessed with finding out what happened to Neely and with making sure that she made it out of everything safely. What she went through is heartbreaking for both her and everyone that loves her.

The Bad

There were at least 10 grammar errors that I noticed while reading. Unwilling could use another pass through the proofreading process, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story.

The Romance

So good...and bad. But that's what makes the story great. Neely is in love with her childhood friend Hayden. When she tries to tell him, he ends up acting like an idiot so she never gets it out. Instead, it opens the way for McCreepy to sidle up next to Neely and cause so much destruction. Andrew Huckley, McCreepy, is in love with Neely and he has so many secrets along with the determination to do anything to have Neely love him.

Conclusion

Unwilling is fantastic. I gasped so many times while reading. The turns the story takes make for a roller-coaster ride of emotions.  The characters have an impact, and you want to see things work out. When you are in the mood for something different that grasps hold of you until you finish it, then I recommend reading Unwilling.

Buy Unwilling by K.D. Wood Today at Amazon

Excerpts

"Ivan Andrew Huckley Junior." The next name blasted out of the PA system. I glanced down to the end of the row and found Andrew staring at my exposed knees. His eyes flashed a bright green in the low light. Hungry.. He actually looked...starved...and that I might be exactly what he wanted on his plate.

"Sorry, little lamb." She tapped the syringe with a perfectly lacquered red nail. Moonlight silvered the single drop clinging to the point. "You've already had a good bit of this." Air rushed into my lungs when the needle bit into my flesh. "So try not to die on me."

The bone in her wrist looked huge. Her arm had become so thin. How had I not noticed before now? "Neely, please don't stop fighting."

Sunday Cover Scramble [155]

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.

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ARC Review: Love Me, Love Me Not by Alyxandra Harvey

Published: February 22, 2016 by Entangled: Crave
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fantasy, Romance
Format: ebook
Source: Sent through Netgalley for honest review

Goodreads Summary

Dating isn’t easy when you’re in the middle of a blood feud. 

Anastasia Vila’s family can turn into swans, but just once she’d like them to turn into responsible adults.

After hundreds of years, they still cling to the blood feud with the Renard family. No one remembers how it started in the first place—but foxes and swans just don’t get along.

Vilas can only transform into their swan shape after they have fallen in love for the first time, but between balancing schoolwork, family obligations, and the escalating blood feud, Ana’s got no time for love. The only thing keeping her sane is her best friend, Pierce Kent.

But when Pierce kisses Ana, everything changes.

Is what Pierce feels for her real, or a byproduct of her magic? Can she risk everything for her best friend? And when the family feud spirals out of control, Ana must stop the fight before it takes away everything she loves.

Including, maybe...Pierce.

This Entangled Teen Crave book contains language, violence, and lots of kissing. Warning: it might induce strong feelings of undeniable attraction for your best friend.

"When your day started with decade-old battle-blood and your aunt singing about making a harp from your bones and your hair, it's probably best just to go back to bed."

The Good

I've never read anything about swan shifters though I've heard of the folktales, so that part really intrigued me. This was a cute story about Ana and her family of swans. They only turn into a swan if they fall in love so this is largely a romance story as well. There is also a family feud here which added a lot of action, intensity, and mystery to the story.

I enjoyed the characters a lot. This was told through Ana's POV and alternated to Pierce's POV. Pierce is Ana's best friend and he knows all about her family's secrets. He is a great guy and quite gentlemanly, always trying to shield Ana even though she's the one with the magic. The magic in the story is fun. There's magic brought on by their singing, magic in their long blonde hair, and dancing at midnight to recharge their magic. The foxes were also good characters. I enjoyed the sassy Liv that Ana just can't get along with. I would read a story from her POV as well.

There's a lot happening. Swans' hair, cloaks, and even swans themselves are disappearing. There are also foxes being trapped and fox tails being taken. Naturally, this causes the feud to ramp up a lot. It ended with a lot of action and wrapped up nicely.

The Bad

There are a ton of side characters, especially in the two feuding families, and I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. I also would've liked to have seen even more personality fleshed out for those characters. While the main characters were strongly written, I would've liked to have seen more even from those Aunts and Cousins that were mentioned often.

The Romance

The romance was very cute. Pierce is Ana's best friend and he's in love with her. Yet, he helps Ana try to win Edward's attention so that she can get her wings. So there is a bit of a triangle here, but it works very well.

Conclusion

Love Me, Love Me Not is a cute, fun read. It's a short book and interesting the whole way through. There is quite a bit of action and the unique addition of swan shifters. I also enjoyed the family feud with the foxes and how Ana really wanted to stop carrying on with their ancestor's rivalry. Recommended.

Excerpts

Swans and foxes just didn't get along. To say my family was not like other families was an understatement. It wasn't enough that we had magic in a world that didn't believe in it, and that we had to keep our magic hidden at all costs - we also had the joys of a magical family feud. Which, by the way, started so long ago that no one could actually remember what the hell we were fighting about anymore. It had become an inherited quality, like blue eyes or lactose intolerance, only we had inherited stupidity. And I was so over it. Problem was, no one else seemed particularly bothered.

We had other weapons after all. Some of the prettiest flowers are poisonous.

Were they experimenting on Ana's family? It only got worse when I saw the cage. The girl was curled up in the back, dirt and salt stains on her cheeks. Her long blond hair was perfectly combed, at odds with the tears in her clothes and the bruises on her arms and throat. She was gagged. Her left eye was swollen shut. I wasn't even sure if she could see wewll enough to recognize me. But I recognized her.

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [98]

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.

Rename the Books from Dumbledore's POV

Dumbledore and the Return of the Boy Who Lived

Dumbledore and the Petrified Students

Dumbledore and the Fugitive

Dumbledore and the Foreign Delegation

Dumbledore and the Ministry

Dumbledore and the Promise

Dumbledore and King's Cross Platform

and for a little more fun:

Dumbledore and Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

Dumbledore and All Clues Point to Voldemort

Dumbledore and More than One Innocent Life Can be Saved

Dumbly-door and What is the Meaning of Zis? 

Dumbledore and He's Got Style

Dumbledore and the Dead Hand

Dumbledore and the Tales of Rita Skeeter

What would you name them?

Review: Spirit Ascendancy (The Gateway Trilogy #3) by E.E. Holmes

Published: November 15, 2015 by Smashwords
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: sent for honest review

Goodreads Summary

IN THE WAKE of their terrifying escape from Fairhaven Hall, sisters Jess and Hannah Ballard find themselves on the run, pursued by the two most powerful groups in the history of the spirit world. On one side, the Durupinen, determined to capture the girls and prevent their role in an ancient prophecy that promises to destroy them and unleash the spirit hordes on the earth. On the other side, the Necromancers, ancient enemies of the Durupinen, hellbent on bringing the same prophecy to fruition. When the girls are betrayed and one of them falls into the Necromancers’ hands, both face decisions with cataclysmic consequences.

Will the lure of power prove too great to resist, or will the bond between the sisters survive this last, most crucial of tests?

Buy Spirit Ascendancy today at Amazon

"There was still a lot I needed to learn about dealing with spirits, but one thing I had managed to learn at Fairhaven before torching the place to the ground was that a spirit was pretty set in its ways, much more deeply than a living person."

The Good

This was a really enjoyable series. I'll be looking for more from this author in the future.

Holmes created a world that felt quite real. I loved how this one went to another location and gave us a glimpse of more characters. This one, as the finale, was more intense in purpose and action. Jess was always on edge and rushing to find out more information and learn all that she could 'in time'. It put a nice pace to the story. I am a fan of Holmes being able to kill off characters as well.

I've very much enjoyed the characters. I love how they are all flawed in different ways and even how their quirks and personalities are all so different.

The way that it was summed up at the end was rather satisfying.

The Bad

My small complaint is that I saw the twist coming. It is really hard to surprise me though so I don't think every reader will.

The Romance

In the first one, Jess is drawn to a boy very quickly and none of that made a lot of sense to me. Throughout the last two, it looked like Finn and Jess were going to be a thing. I really loved Finn's character, but although you know they have feelings for each other, it ended quite in the air.

Conclusion

A lovely way to end the series. I enjoyed the many different settings, the array of characters, and the plot. This one was a little more on the action side than the previous two. I wouldn't read the series for the romance, but I would read it for the unique spin on the ability to see ghosts. Recommended for paranormal fans.

Buy Spirit Ascendancy today at Amazon

Excerpts

"No, you were right," I said, doing my utmost to keep the bitterness out of my voice. "All you were trying to do was save my life, and I attacked you for it. It was a shitty way to behave, and I'm sorry. I wasn't mad at you, not really. I was just mad that leeching was our only choice. But it really was the only choice, and I know it wasn't easy for you to make it. So thank you. Thank you for saving my life."

It was at the very zenith of our tension, just after Finn had shouted at me for drumming my fingers on the table, and I had opened my mouth to literally release the Kraken on him, when the door to the flat burst open. Everyone screamed, and Finn leapt to action impossibly fast, which would have been impressive, except for the fact that "leaping to action" meant tackling me to the ground and shielding me with his body.

Rough hands seized me by the shoulders and dragged me, half-conscious, from my seat. I was too started even to yell, but couldn't have made a sound even if I tried as a wad of fabric was stuffed roughly in my mouth. Muffled should told me that Savvy, Annabelle and Finn were also being pulled from the car. Sudden small flares of light burst in front of my eyes as I was thrown to my knees in the tall grass, and it was by these lights that my eyes adjusted and I could finally see who had attacked us.

Review: Wendigo Rising (Yancy Lazarus #3) by James A. Hunter

Published: November 3rd 2015 by Shadow Alley Press, Inc.
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, sci-fi
Format: ebook
Source: provided for honest review

Goodreads Summary

Bigfoot is real. Yancy Lazarus—mage, bluesman, and rambler—knows because there happens to be a nine-foot-tall, walking myth standing in the road, flagging him down. 

Yancy just can’t escape his reputation as a supernatural Fix-it man even when cruising through the forgotten backwoods of Montana. Turns out Bigfoot has a serious problem on his hands: one of his own has gone rogue, developing a taste for the flesh of humans and Sasquatch alike. A greater Wendigo has risen for the first time in thousands of years and if Yancy can’t stop the creature it could be a slaughter for the residents of a rural Montana town. 

But even with the monstrous threat looming on the horizon, Yancy has bigger fish to fry. He’s working as an agent of Fate, attempting to put the kibosh on a nefarious scheme, aimed at upsetting the tenuous balance between the supernatural nations. When your boss is Lady Luck, however, nothing is ever left to chance, and his two cases may have more in common than it appears. If he can’t figure out the missing link it could usher in a new world order: an age of inhuman creatures and walking nightmares … one where Yancy Lazarus doesn’t exist.

Buy Wendigo Rising (Yancy Lazarus #3) by James A. Hunter today at Amazon

They might’ve been homeless methheads, but that didn’t give anyone the right to tie ’em up, hold ’em against their will, and treat ’em like animals. Like slaves. Anger reared up inside me like some mean-ass mama bear watching someone mistreat her delinquent, wayward, druggie cubs. Let’s face it, I’m basically a dirt-caked hobo myself, so these were my people.

The Good

What can I say, Yancy has become one of my top 5 favorite characters to read about. He's rough around the edges and while full of sarcasm he's pretty straightforward in his actions. Plus, he has a knack for fighting the strangest creatures with extreme consequences hanging in the balance. I really love the banter between Yancy and pretty much anyone he tries to hold a conversation with for more than 2 minutes. By the way they talk, you would think him and the chief have known each other for years. The variety of monsters showing up in this series really leaves me hungry for more. Most often it’s just vampires and werewolves and if you're lucky a ghost of some sort. With this series, you'll be eager to turn the page and see what pops up next. One last thing I really love about the series is while it builds upon the last book they never end in crazy cliff hangers.

The Bad

I was left with a question regarding a particular magical item. A certain crown, hopefully in the next book we will get filled in as to what happens to it.

The Romance

Well Agent Ferraro is back and that means tension with how their last encounter ended up. Plus should I mention Co-ed hot springs?

Conclusion

Overall, I loved getting lost in this story. It brings plenty of memories from the first two novels while standing strong on its own. Between the different types of beings showing up and the wild magic items, I love to see new books for this series. I really can't get enough. The world itself has an amazing magical feel and the fact that you can end up anywhere at any given time is fantastic. If you like urban fantasy and haven't started this series, do yourself a favor and start it already.

Excerpts

“Stop calling me ‘mage,’ my name’s Yancy, alright? If I’m gonna be stuck with you and your inarticulate, ill-tempered, poo-flinging father, the least you can do is get my name right.”


“Wait, is this one of the flesh-eating Bigfeet you mentioned earlier?”
“No. No, this was the good one. Well, good except for the part where he ripped my door off— his name is Chief …” I faltered for a second. What the hell was his name? “Err, Chief something or other. I can’t remember. Chankoo-koo, Chwack-wack, Chi-hua-hua— something with too many syllables, kinda earthy sounding. I just call him Kong, ’cause you know, giant, hairy ape-man with a chip on his shoulder.”


Kids, this is exactly why you shouldn’t buy those tiny, cutesy pet gators. Sure, they start out adorable and snuggly, but sooner or later they get bigger. You end up flushing them down the crapper, and they, in turn, start having babies, who will one day invade the human world, murder you horribly, and sell your leftover pieces to the highest bidder. Consider yourself warned.


“Sometimes, Yancy, to get to the bottom of a mess like this, subtlety is required. And you … well, you’re about as subtle and vulgar as a monster truck show.


“So does that mean we’ll get invites to all the parties?” I asked.
Arawn laughed, a deep, rich bark. “No. It means I will consider not eating you if you should stumble through my land again uninvited.

Buy Wendigo Rising (Yancy Lazarus #3) by James A. Hunter today at Amazon