Novella Review: Call Me Bean by James Mossor

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51g2gbem0xlAuthor: J.D. Mossor
Release Date: September 15, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction
Edition: e-book (doc)
Pages: 36
Publisher: Imposter Publishing

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Sabrina aka “Bean” may seem like an average teen, but she has an over average sense of doing what’s right and sticking up for herself and those around her. She always speaks her mind and stands up for what she believes in — no matter who she comes up against. Bean squares off against mean teachers, bullies, and cheating soccer coaches while learning that the best thing to be is true to yourself no matter what. Her adventures take her from the halls of middle school to the the fields of soccer camp with never a dull moment in between. Sit back, relax, and read up. Wherever Bean goes, adventure follows.

REVIEW

I really enjoyed reading Call Me Bean by James Mossor. This book is a really quick and a thoroughly fun read. I literally breezed through it in less than an hour – it was that good!

The character of Sabrina is created beautifully, and being a girl I was able to relate to her on so many levels. The author created the main character, Sabrina aka Bean, like a typical teen girl who needs to show everyone how strong she is all the while being a soft-hearted and a teeny bit scared from the inside. The portrayal is so beautiful that I still can’t get her out of my head.

This book is written in diary entry format and tells us about the weekly happenings in Sabrina’s adventurous life. All the stories are thoroughly entertaining, yet at the same time, they spread a beautiful message of believing in who you are, being true to yourself and standing up for the right things.

The author’s writing is really good and, as a result, the story flowed beautifully. The humorous style added another layer to this book making it even more interesting and enjoyable.

This book will be a perfect fit for pre-teens and teens alike. I’d recommend it to all the parents as well because I’m sure Sabrina will successfully win over everyone.

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: Forever And A Night by Lana Campbell

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29844991

Author:  Lana Campbell
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Paranormal Romance > Vampires
Edition: e-book (kindle)
Pages: 398
Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprise

Rating: ★★★

Blurb:

Nathan Davenport is being stalked by Isabella Ravini, the feral vampire who stole his human life over a hundred and sixty years ago. She made him her fledging, a slave for her dark, evil purposes-hunting humans. After a few years she released him, and Nathan reluctantly learned to accept the cursed life she’d foisted upon him. Over time he amassed a great fortune, which today has made him famous worldwide. Isabella decides she wants to be a part of this world of fame and fortune Nathan created for himself. She’s determined to marry him, and love has nothing to do with it. His money is her primary target, and the fame and prestige attached to being the wife of one of the richest men in the world wouldn’t be so bad either. In an effort to evade her until he can figure out how to stop her, he hides at a safe house he owns in New Orleans. One Saturday evening in NOLA, he decides to have dinner in the city. He chooses a quiet little Italian bistro, never imagining this night will change his life forever. The human woman who delivers his order isn’t a server, but the restaurant’s sous chef, a beautiful ethnic woman possessing the most delicious blood scent he’s ever encountered. The moment Mia Peebles arrives at his table with his plate, tasting her becomes an obsession. Mia wants nothing to do with him because of Nathan’s reputation as a playboy. So Nathan enchants her, feeds from her, but his lusts for her blood and body play havoc with his thinking. Nathan finds a way to bring her into his life as his personal chef and quickly falls in love with her. The trouble is Mia has no idea he’s a vampire because during the enchanting episodes, Nathan blocked her memories of those sensual encounters. How will Nathan tell her the truth without losing her and keep Isabella from finding him? Or worst yet, will Isabella discover how much Mia has come to mean to him?

REVIEW

Forever And A Night by Lana Campbell is a decent paranormal romance.

I enjoyed reading it because of the writing. Author’s writing was really good; it flowed smoothly and made this book a surprisingly quick read given the total number of pages.

I did like the story too, but at more than a dozen places I found a lot of resemblance to the plots of other Vampire novels. I do enjoy good paranormal romance books, but while reading this book I couldn’t stop myself from comparing to the other books in the genre.

The romantic relationship between Nathan and Mia was believable and engaging. It was dangerously bordering on the borderline of clichéd but somehow managed to not fall off the wall.

What I did find interesting was the fact that the leading lady was the mother of grown up children, a fact that is hard to find in most of the paranormal romance books. That was the biggest redeeming factor for this book, at least for me.

The beginning and ending were good and the story was medium-paced which made it a pleasant read. In spite of the problem I had, I still liked the characterization and the story settings. I liked the concept and enjoyed knowing more about the characters as the story progressed.

This book might not be the best one in the genre, but it didn’t fall short either.

If you’re into vampires and love reading romance novels then this is a book for you, but if you don’t then you might or might not like it.

Goodreads

Book Review: Basically Frightened by Vasily Pugh

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31684725Author: Vasily Pugh
Release Date: September 9, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian
Edition: e-book (kindle)
Pages: 219
Publisher: Midland Monkey

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Oh no, not another post-apocalyptic chronicle I hear you cry. But wait, where are the lumbering zombies, floppy mutants and crazy survivalists called Huck? No, this is not the glamorous Hollywood vision with exciting weapons and deceptively good teeth (though mine are adequate), this is the husk of a world left behind after one of those pesky pandemics (rather insensitively called ‘The Shakes’ on Social Media). Join my odyssey through looted pound shops and empty supermarkets as I encounter numerous people who range from 1 to 10 on the psychotic survivor scale. Expect intrigue, betrayal, warm fuzzy feelings and references to Pot Noodles.

Review

 Basically Frightened by Vasily Pugh is a brilliant book! I haven’t read a post-apocalyptic book this good since a long time.

What really impressed me the author’s voice and writing style. It was equal part funny and intense and I absolutely enjoyed reading it. The exceptional sense of humour and the ingenious sarcasm of the main character literally left me craving for more.

Unlike other apocalyptic books, this book is not about the Zombies. It actually focuses on how people panic and behave in an unlawful and an uncivilised world. This book creates a dreadful, yet an honest picture of how humanity crumbles under pressure and how people react differently to worst case scenarios.

I was so engrossed in this book that I had to finish it as soon as I could. I had to know how the hell this adventure of sorts ends. The intelligent commentary and the hilarious observations of the main character, Buck, were so frigging hilarious that I cracked up more than a million times while reading this amazing book.

The plot line is simple yet intelligent and shows the thorough research author did while writing this book. I’ve always been an apocalypse enthusiast, but if apocalypse will actually be anything like the one in this book then the world is better off without it.

I’d recommend this book to all the apocalyptic fiction readers and  enthusiasts. This book will literally blow your mind off.

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: Nowhere To Hide by Tracey Lynn Tobin

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31673356-2Author: Tracey Lynn Tobin
Release Date: October 2, 2014
Series: –
Genre: Apocalyptic Fiction, Horror>Zombies
Edition: e-book (mobi)
Pages: 236
Publisher: Createspace

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

The only thing that Nancy King has worried about since her grandmother passed away is figuring out what to do with the rest of her life. That decision is forcibly made for her the day one of the residents of her apartment building dies…and immediately rises to tear open the flesh of anyone within reach of her cold, dead fingers. Now Nancy has found herself in a deadly game of survival against an army of zombies. She may have the will to keep running for a little while…but how long can she push forward when there is simply nowhere to hide?

Review

Nowhere To Hide is a really engaging read. I enjoyed it from the first page right down till the very last page!
It is about a girl who finds herself in the midst of an unforeseen apocalypse and what makes this book different from others is the twist which leaves her with a little baby. Amidst all the chaos, Nancy tries her best to take care of the baby while trying to survive each and every day.

The best part about the book was the pacing of the story. Not even for a single second, I felt that the plot was going weak or uneventful. I enjoyed the exposition as well as the meticulous imagery. The writing was really good and the story flowed beautifully.

There were places though where the situations could have been more intense but I’m happy about the way things were.
I was able to feel a strong connection with the leading lady, Nancy. She had a strong personality and I was able to relate to her on so many different levels. I was able to feel her frustration behind each and every relentless decision she made and felt a wave of happiness and relief whenever situations got better.
The supporting/secondary characters were also very relatable. I loved Greg’s character a lot and was able to feel a connection with him too.

The ending was absolutely gut-wrenching. I felt so sad that I couldn’t stop thinking about it for hours after I finished reading it.

It is a spectacular apocalyptic tale with an interesting twist and I’d recommend it to all the apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction readers.

Goodreads

Book Review: The Irish Jewel by Julie Ann James

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22299789Author: Julie Ann James
Release Date: May 6, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Suspense | Mystery
Edition: Hardcover
Pages: 186
Publisher: Peppertree Press

Rating: ★★★

Blurb:

James takes her engaging characters to the gritty streets of Dublin, Ireland, where they become unsuspecting pawns in a twisted, tainted psychotic game of pure adulterated revenge from an unexpected and wicked mastermind. It is said to be true, that all families, have long-hidden secrets buried deep within their souls and locked away from all who might just go digging. Irish Jewel uncovers such a dark secret, so horrific that it could forever change lives when divulged. As the shocking truth surfaces, revealed for all to see, move across this chilling game board to determine where the grimy bread crumbs will end up…The suspense could kill you…

REVIEW

I liked reading The Irish Jewel by Julie Ann James. It began with a great opening scene and I was drawn into the book from the start. The pacing  was good and the story had a great flow to it and as a result, it was an exceptionally fast read.

I enjoyed the author’s writing and the flow was good too, but I felt like something was missing from the story. At more than one place I began questioning the main plot itself. And that is really off-putting, to say the least.

The characterization lacked a touch of perfection. All the characters felt one-dimensional and I was not able to feel a connection with either of the leads. Though they were interesting enough to make me want to know what happened to each one of them, but that was it.

The ending was not bad, but I would have preferred a clearer ending (about how the sane brother got out of the police custody or the mental institution or wherever it was he was taken after his arrest.) It was neither surprising nor unsatisfactory. It just felt flat, more or less like the plot itself.

Having said what I had to, this book might be preferred by readers who likes reading light mysteries, but as someone who reads thrillers and suspense novels round the clock (and as someone who also writes them,) it simply wasn’t for me.

Goodreads | Amazon.

Book Review: Dead Lucky By Matt Brolly

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51uxt0wy3ulAuthor: Matt Brolly
Release Date: January 11, 2016
Series: DCI Michael Lambert
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Triller, Detective Fiction
Edition: e-book (kindle)
Pages: –
Publisher: Carina

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

DCI Michael Lambert is back…

When a woman is murdered, the twisted killer forcing her husband to watch her slow and painful death, DCI Michael Lambert knows that his next case might be his toughest yet.

And when a second set of killings are discovered, with exactly the same MO, the race is on the find the lethal sociopath before he strikes again.

But Lambert never expected to receive an anonymous call from the killer. This time, it’s personal: if Lambert doesn’t find the murderer soon, his own loved ones will be next…

Review

Plot: Dead Lucky started off quite nicely, setting up the plot early on and at the same time giving a quick gist of DCI Michael Lambert’s life. The strongest feature of the book is the plot itself, which is typical British police procedural with an interesting plot and engaging characters. DCI Lambert is investigating a series of murders where the victims seeming have no connection at all.

I loved the natural progression of the murder case and the manner in which DCI Lambert went about gathering evidence and information to catch the murderer. It neither seemed rushed nor slow and followed a logical line of investigation rather than flashy action or over dramatization of the characters.

Characters: Michael Lambert is equal parts cliched and intriguing. He is one hell of a detective and I loved the way his mind worked, stretching out in every possible direction without losing conviction. His personal life was a similar to a lot of other detective protagonists: a tragedy resulting in estrangement from his wife. Another character I really enjoyed reading was DS Matilda Kennedy. She was a smart detective and an apt secondary to Lambert.

Writing: The alternating POVs really worked for this book, keeping the suspense going. The pace keeps shifting throughout the book. There were times when it dragged on a little and some other times I was left on the edge of my seat and reading quite late in the night. The descriptions were handled really well, without being too gruesome and at the same time in detail enough to make you feel a little uncomfortable.

Beginning: The book started off really well, setting up the plot and characters, adding layers and layers of depth and detail.

Ending: My only problem with the book was the ending. The final showdown was set up quite nicely but the ending itself was way too abrupt. Everything happened so quickly and before I knew it the book had ended.

Romance/Kills: I liked the dynamics between Lambert and Sarah May. They seemed to have a very matured and mutually understanding relationship between them. The platonic work relationship between Lambert and Kennedy was also fun to read.

Cover Art: The cover is rather bland and doesn’t really capture the intensity of the book.

Goodreads | Amazon

This book has been reviewed by a TRB review-contributor.

Book Review: Sixth Prime (The Prime Saga #1) by Dan O’Brien

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31111615Author: Dan O’Brien
Release Date: July 22, 2016
Series: The Prime Saga
Genre: Science-Fiction
Edition: ebook (kindle)
Pages: 240
Publisher: –

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

2.3.5.7.11.13.

A war brews as a galaxy struggles to maintain a peace treaty signed in haste. The Commonwealth boasts sprawling cities built upon slums. The Sovereignty has placed the yoke of industry upon its citizens. Sixteen men and women are connected in a way they cannot yet understand. A murder of a prominent artist begins a chain of events that will ultimately determine the fate of the universe.
Only thirteen will remain.
In the end, there can be only one Prime.
Are you a Prime?

Review

Sixth Prime by Dan O’Brien is one of the best science-fiction novels I’ve read this year. It is not only intense and wildly engaging, but also the concept was so unique that it has easily become one of my favorite Sci-Fi novels.

I was drawn into the story right from the beginning and with each and every chapter I found myself reading faster and faster unable to contain my anxiousness. I was sucked into the plot right away and it proved really difficult for me to put down this book even for a second.

This book has a wide variety of inter-galactic species and the main cast is do diverse that I loved each and every character and wanted to know more about all of them! The characters were easily relatable and, though this is just the first part in The Prime Saga Series), I already have my favorites.

The writing is really good and the smooth flow of it made reading this book an absolute pleasure. The pacing was exceptional and kept me glued to the book right till the very end.

The ending was absolutely mind-blowing and I cannot wait to read the next part. I’d recommend this book to all the Sci-Fi lovers and also to those who are looking was an exceptional new series.

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: Sacrificial Sins

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screenshot_2016-09-11-23-08-28Author: Mira West
Release Date: June 17, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Romance
Edition: E-book (epub)
Pages: 290
Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services

Rating: ★★

Blurb:

This compelling yet controversial romantic suspense, will have you rethinking the boundaries of your principals. Addiena Cadogan, an immigrant and only child of elderly parents, relents to stripping in order to provide for them and pay for college. Everything is going smoothly until her life intertwines with twin brothers. She first meets Derek Taft, the White House Press Secretary, at the gentlemen’s club where she works. She later meets Father James Taft, the residing priest of an orphanage, when searching for an abandoned little girl. From there, everything spirals into mass confusion. Father James falls from the grace of the church and believes God sent Addiena to him. Derek falls in love with her for other gratifying reasons. Although the woman he met had bleached blonde hair and went by the name of Ruby. Not until the time is right does Addiena disclose her job to them. She never suspected someone very close to her also had to make a sacrificial choice.

Review

Sacrificial Sins by Mira West is one of those books that either you’ll love or hate. Unfortunately for me, I did not love it.

The story started out with a nice opening, but after a couple of chapters the pacing got jerky – things were either happening too fast, making no sense or following no particular timeline, or too slow, making it feel like an endless slog, and more often than not I found myself skimming over large sections of the story.

The characterization was weak and the main characters felt one-dimensional, to say the least. I was neither able to get a clear picture of them in my head nor their actions made any sense to me. The dialogues too felt crude and unreal.

The writing felt shaky at best and I was not able to make any cohesive sense of where the story was actually going. At more than a dozen places I wanted to stop reading it altogether.

As a writer myself, I really feel that this book needs thorough developmental as well as substantive editing. It can do good with a better cover designing too.

Overall, this book was not for me. If I had to then I’d recommend this book to readers of heady romance novels and chick-lit only.

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

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17235026Author: M.R. Carey
Release Date: June 19, 2014
Series: –
Genre: Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Horror > Zombies, Science-Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 460
Publisher: Orbit

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.”

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh.

Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children’s cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she’ll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn’t know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.

Review

The Girl With All The Gifts is a beautiful, beautiful book.

The plot is really unique and provides a fresh perspective to the entire zombie apocalypse. The packing was absolutely brilliant and the reveals (both minor and major) were literally breathtaking. This book is really hard to put down.

The characterization is so perfect that I felt like going inside the book and pulling out Melaine from that crazy, crazy world and keep her with me. I mean who cares if she’s a Zombie or not, she’s a child and such a sweet one at that.

The character of Melaine is just so heart-warming that I felt like pulling at my hair when I realized how badly they treated her, and then her reactions and innocent comments make it worst. And then there’s the fact that you can’t actually hate these people to behave a certain way because you know they gotta do what they gotta do to survive.

Jeez, this book is simply epic, and in order to understand its epic-ness you’ll have to read it for yourselves. I generally don’t do a lot of rave reviews, but, trust me, if you’re gonna die tomorrow then make sure that you’ve read this book before your time comes.

If you’re a fan of dystopian and apocalyptic/post-apo. genres, then it’d be a shame if you’d roam the face of this Earth without having read this book. Shame!

The ending literally made me teary-eyed. I mean it was the perfect kind of ending in the most absurd way. It’ll make you smile, it’ll make you cry, it’ll make you cringe, it’ll make you frustrated. It’ll change the way you look at zombies forever. Forever!

If you’ve watched Stranger Things then you’ll be able to see a lot of Eleven’s personality in Melaine and vice verse. When I watched Stranger Things I kept on picturing Melaine the entire time.

If you haven’t read it then I’d highly recommend that you do because it is one book you wouldn’t want to miss. 

You can also read this review at Goodreads.

Sindhu’s success, Feminism and Indian Apathy

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A beautiful article that everyone must read.

Musingsite

There was a prince in the great Hindu mythological epic Mahabharata, Arjuna, considered to be the greatest archer ever. Indian government awards the Arjuna Awards to outstanding athletes every year. There was also Dronacharya, his guru. We have an award after his name too, for coaches.

P V Sindhu won an Olympic Silver medal in a moment that brought great joy and pride to whole of India. Sindhu, and Saina Nehwal before her in London, are both protégés of Pullela Gopichand or Gopi Sir, former All-England champion and the man behind the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad. Kidambi Srikanth — quarterfinalist in Rio — is also his disciple. Tributes started pouring in forSindhu on her stupendous triumph. Her profile, biography and struggles were the highlights on social and electronic media. Naturally, Mr. Gopichand was being praised too. And then something happened.
There is a school of thought, on the internet of…

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The Courtesan’s Avenger (Desertera #2) Cover Reveal

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Check out author Kate M. Colby’s next book’s cover. isn’t it just beautiful?! If you haven’t read her first book and they read it while this one comes out as I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss either of them

Kate M. Colby

Hello, everyone! Today, I’m pleased to present the cover and book description for The Courtesan’s Avenger (Desertera #2).

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A courtesan on a mission. A brothel ravished by greed. A murder to avenge.

Dellwyn Rutt loves her life as a courtesan. For years, she has enjoyed the simple pleasures and lavish gifts of her trade. Now she wants more: the title of madam.

But Madam Huxley, the brothel’s current proprietor, refuses to name a successor—a problem that is amplified by the legalization of adultery. As the new law sends lusty clients flocking to the brothel, Madam Huxley’s greed grows unchecked at the workers’ expense. Only one outsider seems to care: a self-proclaimed prophet who won’t rest until the unholy institution is abolished.

After weeks of abuse, Dellwyn desperately seeks a way to subdue Madam Huxley’s tyranny. But when another courtesan is murdered, Dellwyn must set her struggles aside and solve the…

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Book Review: Hearts Unloched by Claire Gem

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29916637Author: Claire Gem
Release Date: April 14, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 320
Publisher: Erato Publishing

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

AWARD-WINNER! 2016 New York Book Festival Runner-up!
A psychic interior designer reluctantly agrees to renovate a sexy investor’s abandoned hotel on a lake rumored to have once been the mob’s body dumping ground.
Interior designer Kate Bardach loves her single girl’s lifestyle—living in Manhattan and spending weekends at her lake house. She’s passionate about her career, reinventing old buildings. But there are some projects she can’t take on because of the spirits trapped there. Kate is psychic—she sees dead people.
Marco Lareci is one of Wall Street’s most successful investment brokers who’s achieved all of his life’s goals—except for finding his soulmate. His latest project, an abandoned resort on Loch Sheldrake, needs a savvy designer to transform the crumbling complex into a boutique hotel. When Marco meets Kate, he can’t believe his luck. She’s the perfect match for his business and his heart.
Marco’s body excites Kate even more than does his renovation project. But the haunting there, a bonafide poltergeist, affects her on an intensely personal level. Kate’s aunt disappeared from the place fifty years ago.
Will the spirit doom Kate and Marco’s love, or drive them closer together?

Review

This book started out with a brilliant opening and I was dragged into the story right from the very first page. It was a perfect blend of all the emotions one can think of, love and lust being the primary ones. I really enjoyed it and would love to read more books by the author.

The writing is great and had a really good flow to it. The characterization was also brilliant and I was able to connect to both Marco and Kate. And to top it all off, the book really scared the hell out of me. I’m easy to scare and this book hit the bullseye beautifully (at least for me.)

I really enjoyed how the author explored an abandoned and aged property and associated it with spirits and ghosts. Seriously, how can it not be a perfect setting for a spooky story? And the passionate romance just elevated the plot to a whole new level.

The ending is was good too and one that I thought went perfectly with the story. I’d highly recommend this book to people who enjoy ghost stories and don’t mind passionate romance (or the other way around.)

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Myxocene by Troy Ernest Hill

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27406604Author: Troy Ernest Hill
Release Date: November 1, 2015
Series: –
Genre: Medical Thriller | Psychological Thriller
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 272
Publisher: Createspace

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

When single mother and freelance science writer Sarah Bennett interviews Dr. Ronald Keating on the Chernobyl disaster for its 30th anniversary, she unwittingly gets entangled in the retired pharmaceutical researcher’s strange plot to combat global warming with an experimental medication. In a wry voice both funny and provocative, she grapples with Keating’s true motivations as well as profound questions about the value of an individual human life versus a society of billions in a climate-changing world.

Review

Plot:

I must admit, this book definitely surprised me. What started off as a medical thriller slowly became a neurological thriller surrounding a rather controversial topic, which makes this book a great choice to have intense discussions over.

At the center of this story is a freelance writer and a single mother, surrounded by a near-autistic daughter and a fanatic Christian mother. This itself sets the dysfunctional tone of the story. The conversations between Sarah, our main character, and the other minor characters, especially Keating and her ex-boyfriend Ted were by far the most interesting and thought provoking.

On the whole, I enjoyed the plot as well as the pacing. The subtlety of the suspense was especially enjoyable and I was definitely eager to know it ends.

Characters:

The characterizations were diverse with each character being a metaphor for acertain political or social ideology. However, I was unable to feel a real connection with anyone but I suppose that was more due to the slightly surreal nature of the book.

Writing:

The author was consistent with the first person narrative and the subtle change in Sarah’s thoughts as she became more rational and detached from sentiments made it even more intriguing.

Beginning:

The beginning was slightly slow and it takes a while to really get into the groove of the book.

Ending:

The ending felt a little rushed and it seemed that the author tried to cram a lot of things within the final few chapters. However, the concluding conversation between Sarah and Keating was where the essence of the entire story was.

Cover Art:

I love the simplicity and minimalism of the cover art and it definitely has a deeper meaning once you have read the book.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

This book has been reviewed by Mythili Hariharan.

Graphic Novel Review: Clovers by Samira

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28533663Author: Samira
Release Date: January 5, 2016 Series: –
Genre: Science Fantasy.
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 78
Publisher: Partridge India

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb: This is a story of Androxen, the sea, a nice bunch of aliens of the Andromeda galaxy, Samira, and some serious citizens of earth. It begins with Androxen of the seas, who can only breed males and so ever on the lookout for siren-mates in a waterful life together. But the old sage androx and the equally mature sea-salt androx are Androxen of another sort. Appalled by the state of seas and land around, they badger aliens for blueprints for an all right world. And as the old salt plots across galaxies with his infallible plotter, unbanded frequency waves tingle with vibes of alien tracks. The rest is history, or rather, geography, as final outcome is an earth with extended platforms. In its past, this planet had been exploited, explored, and exalted in song, word, and deed, but now it could breathe again. Spacelings, normally visualized vandalizing the environs, reverse roles here, getting humans out of the hole and giving the planet an earthly chance. Good, clean humour. But underlying the light tone, there is an anxiety over the crisis confronting earthlings and an earnest hope that it ends in a happy beginning.

Review

Clovers is a beautifully and cleverly written book that will serve as a really amusing read for everyone. It is fun and entertaining, but at the same time makes the reader aware of the problems that are faced (and to be faced) by the people of Earth.

I liked the illustrations of this book, done by the author herself, as they are cute and unique. I’m positive that this book will be well received by science-fantasy fans, given time. The concept is really different and I loved the unique way of writing. The new and unusual names and the ragged course of the story made Clovers a really interesting and amusing read.

If you want to read a unique science-fantasy this year, then I’d highly recommend Clovers.

 

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Friction by Sandra Brown

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25114548Author: Sandra Brown
Release Date: August 18, 2015
Series: –
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Romance, Adult
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 416
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown comes a gripping story of family ties and forbidden attraction.
A Texas Ranger, relegated to deskwork due to past recklessness, petitions to regain custody of his five-year-old daughter, and his case is assigned to a family court judge who is as attractive as she is ambitious. When a masked gunman barges in during the custody hearing with his sights on the judge, the Ranger reacts instinctually and goes after him. But authorities apprehend the wrong man, and the real gunman remains unknown, at large, and a threat. Will this take-charge lawman jeopardize his chances of custody by going after the would-be assassin? And will this unlikely pair be able to deny the forbidden attraction building between them?

Review

This book is a wonderful read and a true page turner. I was in it from the moment I picked it up as I found the blurb quite intriguing. I enjoyed the lucid flow of the story and the pace with which the events unfolded. I know there are a few negative reviews for this book, but I actually enjoyed reading this one a lot! Though I did find the love making scenes a little cheesy, still it was a nice break from all the fast-paced action.

This book began with an excellent an extremely captivating opening and the clock that was set ticking by the end of the prologue really got me going. What really made this book a compelling read was that ticking clock itself. It kept the story tense and on track throughout. The ending was also perfect and made complete sense.

The characterization is brilliant and the characters had so many layers of complexities that it was difficult not to take them as real people. I was able to connect with all the characters, including the secondary ones. If there’ll be a sequel to this book (?) then I’ll definitely read it as I’d love to read more about the main characters.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery-thrillers and don’t mind a slight overdose of steamy make-out scenes.

 

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Opening Line: The two stalwart highway patrolmen guarding the barricade stared at her without registering any emotion, but because of the media blitz of the past few days she knew they recognized her and that, in spite of their implacable demeanor, they were curious to know why Judge Holly Spencer was angling to get closer to the scene of a bloodbath.

Highlights: Storyline and pacing.

Lowlights: None.

Memorable Quotes:

“You pick a guy who everyone sees, but no one is looking at.”

“He’s made a bargain with the devil, and he hadn’t held up his end.”

Final Thoughts: A wonderful book packed with lots of action and suspense.

You can also read this review at Goodreads, NetGalley, and Amazon.

Book Review: Shattered (House of Crimson and Clover 0.9)

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25471072Author: Sarah M. Cradit
Release: February 6th 2014
Series: House of Crimson and Clover
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 154
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Anasofiya Deschanel fled to Maine to escape her demons. She learned quickly, and violently, that you cannot run from what’s inside you.
Following a series of unfortunate events, Ana finds herself drowning in the consequences of her actions, as her heart dangles between the hearts of the St. Andrews brothers. Jon’s understanding darkness threatens to consume her, while Finn’s kind heart reminds her of a goodness she does not feel she deserves. Between all three of them lies a secret with the potential to change everything.
When the truth comes crashing down, Ana is forced to face the same demons she once ran from. As she learns more about where she came from, these realizations drive her to a desperate decision that will change everyone’s lives, forever.

Review

Plot/Story: This is a short story and more of a novella. The story continues to follow Ana who found the love she needed and after all the things she’s been through she thought now everything will be okay, but life doesn’t work that way.

Characters: I love Ana and I still relate to her the most, but even after reading the books before and I knew she was, but in this book I wanted to grab her and shake her hard, lol. After surviving all that has happened to her we get a closer look at the darkness in Ana and in Jon. Finn is still my favorite character🙂

Romance/Kills: So many twists and turns, The darkness that lays deep in us all, truly come up in this book in Ana and John, in a way that surprised me completely. We learn more about Ana and the history behind these characters.

Writing: The author’s crafts a wonderful story that follows the characters we already knew, or we thought we knew. In this short story, there are so many things happening, with twists and turns and the author shows the human nature and the darkness in us so well. Believe me that you won’t get bored reading this book. Every detail is weaved in perfectly.

Beginning: From the beginning, I was hooked to the story and to the characters; I didn’t want to let them go. The flow and the pacing of the book were great, letting the suspense build up and making me even more connected to the story.

Ending: Noooo! It ended too fast (I will leave you all with that).

Cover Art: The cover is gorgeous as ever❤

Blurb: As always Cradit’s blurbs make me grab the book without any hesitation. Love the blurb.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Anasofiya Deschanel sat before the antique glass vanity, gazing mournfully at the contents of her cosmetic case.”

Highlights: This series is well written and this novella is by far my favorite so far. From the skilled writing to the amazing twists, this story will won’t let you rest until the end.

Lowlights: None.

Final Thoughts: Wow (must read the next book).

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Storm And The Darkness (House of Crimson and Clover 0.8)

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25471057Author: Sarah M. Cradit
Release: June 4, 2013
Series: House of Crimson and Clover
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 427 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Ana Deschanel has made a terrible mistake. The only chance of protecting the other people involved is to flee New Orleans, the only home she has ever known, for the quiet solitude of Summer Island.
Summer Island, Maine (population 202) is not the tranquil escape Ana imagined. The locals are distant and cold, especially her neighbor, the reclusive veterinarian Jonathan St. Andrews. Her only lifeline is the kind but odd caretaker Alex Whitman. Showing up at all the right moments, he warns her she is completely unprepared for a Maine winter. As the first winter storm approaches to whispers of an island shutdown- Ana realizes that she may soon be cut off from the rest of the world.
After a surprising encounter with Jonathan’s brother, Finn, Ana finds herself braving the storm to return something to him. Unprepared for the Maine storm, she slips and falls onto the jagged rocks along the shore. The St. Andrews brothers find her in the nick of time, but she remains unconscious. As the storm worsens, the St. Andrews brothers learn there are other, more sinister forces at work closer than they ever imagined.
With no help from the outside world, they must find a way to protect themselves from both the storm, and the growing darkness that looms across the island.

Review

Plot/Story: Ana the main character leaves her childhood home of New Orleans and runs to a Summer Island in Maine, where a storm will change her life forever.

Characters: I loved following all the characters in this story. Ana (who I relate a lot to many of her characteristics), Nicolas (so powerful and all he wants is love), Jon and Finn (brothers, but Finn is my favorite). The made many great characters, that you will find yourself wanting to meet them in real life😉 The author did a wonderful job of making them relatable and lovable. I was hook from the first page. I loved walking beside them as they went on their adventures looking for love.

Romance/Kills: I loved the relationship between Ana and Finn, you could see that there’s a true connection between them, but the author keeps us in the guessing mode until the very end. With all the mystery and twists, it was a beautifully written love story.

Writing: The author’s writing style is wonderful to follow and each chapter follows the characters from a different Pov that made the book so much interesting. She grabbed my attention from the start and I was taking the journey with all the characters. The powers the characters are given are so unique and I found myself, wishing I had Ana’s healing powers (that could be amazing). I loved the author’s imagination and the flawless descriptions, but it wasn’t too much that you would get bored. The author really makes you feel everything (I love that).

Beginning: From the beginning, I was hooked to the story and to the characters, I didn’t want to let them go. The flow and the pacing of the book were great, letting the suspense build up and making me even more connected to the story.

Ending: Why did it have to end? (Oh wait; I have the next book, yay).

Cover Art: The cover is gorgeous❤

Blurb: I loved the blurb. It pulled me in and made me want to know more. It is also well written and describes the story so well.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “All I’m saying is, Deliverance was based on a true story.”

Highlights: This series is by far unique and different from any book I’ve read so far, in a very good way. I loved the Pov changes (I normally don’t like it), it made the story feel more unique and it made me fall in love with the characters from the very beginning.

Lowlights: None.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Captcha Thief by Rosie Claverton

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Author: Rosie Claverton 

Release Date: February 29, 2016
Series: The Amy Lane Mysteries (#3)
Genre: Mystery | Suspense | Crime | Thriller
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 293
Publisher: Crime Scene Books

 

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Blurb:

Agoraphobic hacker Amy Lane and her sidekick ex-con Jason Carr are caught in a tortuous and increasingly dangerous adventure as Amy seeks to help track an art thief and Jason seeks to impress the National Crime Agency investigator Frieda Haas sent to recover the missing painting – and its abductor.
As the evidence leads Amy and the police in circles, Jason finds himself taking more and more risks in his hunt for the thief. Nothing is as it seems. Are Amy and Jason merely playthings for a vicious murderer? Can they survive the game?

Review

Captcha Thief by Rosie Claverton is a brilliantly thought-out and a cleverly written book.

It has a great pace which edges towards fast, yet at the same time being subtle. I felt compelled to read this book in one sitting, but in spite of being terribly busy,  I managed to read it in three.

The suspense and story build-up is truly magical and I was left longing for more when it came to the backgrounds of the lead characters.

The characterization is truly stunning. I felt a really strong connection with Amy in spite of her being too socially awkward for my taste. There were moments when I felt emotions well up inside of me so strong that I literally had to stop myself from screaming at the book.

On the other hand, the character of Jason is so darn unique and good that I developed an instant liking for him. He’s this strong yet sensitive guy who’s always misunderstood in spite of being a really kind person.

At some places, the main plot gets a little overshadowed by the sub-plots, but the author’s clever writing and pacing manage to make the reader feel the urge to know more about the sub-plotline in order to see what’s happening in the character’s lives.

The random sprinkling of chapters of the murderer throughout the book took the story to a whole new level. Also, the use of new hacking techniques made it a really interesting book for me.

The beginning was really good because the murder pulled me into the story right from the first page. It took me only a few chapters to get the flow of the various POVs and after that, the story kept on getting better and better.

The ending is great. It’s not the typical mystery sort of ending where the killer is revealed and such, but it ends taking the main character’s story into focus. I am eagerly waiting for the next part in this series, and meanwhile, I’m considering buying the first two parts just to get to know Any and Jason better.

I loved this book and I cannot recommend it enough to everyone who loves mystery.

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Opening Line: Night after night, he returned to that one place.

Highlights: Excellent pacing and brilliant storytelling.

Lowlights: Nothing.

Memorable Quote:

… this time, it wasn’t the dead man’s face that haunted her, but the delicate features of a woman who’d died a century earlier.

The second time was easier, killing someone.

Final Thoughts: An outstanding mystery read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Security by Gina Wohlsdorf

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Author: Gina Wohlsdorf
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Slasher, Thriller, Suspense
Pages: 241
Publisher: Algonquin Books

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

When the gleaming new Manderley Resort opens in twenty-four hours, Santa Barbara’s exclusive beachfront hotel will offer its patrons the ultimate in luxury and high-tech security. No indulgence has been ignored, no detail overlooked. But all the money in the world can’t guarantee safety. As hotel manager Tessa and her employees ready the hotel for its invitation-only grand opening, a killer is in their midst. One by one, staff are picked off with ruthless precision. And before the night is over, as Tessa desperately struggles to survive, it will become clear that the strangest and most terrible truth at Manderley is simply this: someone is watching.
With stunning ingenuity, Gina Wohlsdorf puts readers front and center as the elite resort becomes a house of horrors. Riveting to the final sentence, Security is fierce, wry, and impossible to put down. With a deep bow to the literary tradition of Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Daphne du Maurier, Wohlsdorf’s razor-wire prose blitzes readers with quick twists, sharp turns, and gasp-inducing terror. Security is at once a shocking thriller, a brilliant narrative puzzle, and a moving, multifaceted love story unlike any other.

Review

THIS BOOK IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

First of all, I’d like to thank Kim (one of the best book reviewers I’ve ever met and a good friend) who personally recommended this book to me. Thanks a bunch, Kim, you’ve introduced me to some pretty awesome books, but this one takes the cake.
Read Kim’s review of Security here.

Coming back to the review, I loved Security for more than a dozen reasons. If I’ll try and explain all of them, I’ll probably go nuts because I’m already feeling too excited to even write a review for this book. So I’ll just list a few reasons why I loved this book so much without getting into details:

  • Unique concept. Security is written from the point of view of a stranger who see the entire hotel through a number of cameras (around 25 of them.)
  • The sheer brilliance of the plot line.
  • Remarkable characterization in a sense that more than half of the characters were only two-dimensional, but on purpose. That was how they were meant to be, and they played their magic in a way that was intended.
  • Exceptional pacing.
  • Ingenious execution of the plot.
  • The shamelessly artistic dissection of human emotions.
  • Excellent writing highlighted by clever dialogues and eloquent  sarcasm.
  • Awfully, yet brilliantly gory slashing and trashing
  • Heartbreaking ending. I’m still so upset about how the book ended that it’s literally making me go crazy. It didn’t make me weep (that would have been creepy) but it really unsettled me because I literally fell for the unknown POV guy (Mr. Head Of Security.)
  • The abrupt scene cuts, in my opinion, served as a master stroke and delivered a sense of urgency quite beautifully.

I’d recommend this book to each and everyone out there who read books. You should read this book simply because if you don’t, then you’ll miss out on a really, really, really GOOD book. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want to do that. Do you?

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Opening Line: The maze is twenty-five hundred yards square.

Highlights: Everything!

Lowlights: None

Memorable Quotes:

“The best security is invisible security.”

“No one, except one person, is aware that no one, except two people, have access to 1802.”

“She never looks so sad as when she looks almost happy.”

“The most thorough safety is safety one’s object of protection doesn’t know about.”

Memorable Paragraph:

“It is easy to be nice when being nice is easy, but niceness is the first thing to go when an unexamined life becomes even slightly difficult. People begin failing tests then never realized they were taking. people get pills; people get mistresses. They get angry at grand injustices they created for themselves, and they created those injustices in an effort to ignore the fundamental, foundational injustice that being alive means living in the shadow of death. It strikes them – these blessed children – as horribly unfair.”

Final Thoughts: This book is a masterpiece!

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Netgalley, and Amazon.

Novella Review: The Birth Of An American Gigolo by Deek Rhew

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27825249Author: Deek Rhew
Release Date: January 19, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Humor 
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 99
Publisher: Tenacious Books
Source: Publicist
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★

Blurb:

An old party girl shoehorned into domestic divaship, infuriated by her husband’s cheating and his holier-than-thou, tree-hugging, no-tits and no-hips girlfriend, inflicts her wrath by training a local boy in the fine art of seduction. She and her new boy toy turned love god start a gigolo business as a distraction for the neglected and mistreated housewives of Alabaster Cove.

Review

This book had a good storyline, but I guess it’s something that I’m not into (neither the genre nor the ideas and motivations expressed in the book.)

Being from the genre that I hardly ever read, I won’t be criticizing this book. Moreover, I’ve read some really good reviews for this book on Goodreads, so I’d say read this book if you have a little time to spare on a book that you might or might not like. I guess this is one of those books that you either like or you simply don’t.

The characters were one-dimensional and I wasn’t able to feel any real connection with anyone, as they felt rushed.

The little that I enjoyed the book was because it was a novella (only 99 pages) and had a unique story concept. All sense and logic left me around the first quarter of the book, but I kept on reading because I found the flow of the author’s writing quite smooth.

If you like this genre (or if you are a depressed lonely housewife) then you might enjoy this book, but it simply wasn’t for me.

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Opening Line: Lindsey’s nose hairs curled as the odor from the bag on the floor assaulted her.

Highlights: Writing.

Lowlights: Story.

Final Thoughts: It wasn’t for me.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Graphic Novel Review: Ghostbusters – Who Ya Gonna Call?

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28862488Author: Erik Burnham
Illustrator: Dan Schoening 
Release Date: June 28th, 2016
Series: Earth One
Genre:  Paranormal, Supernatural, Fantasy
Edition: ASCM
Pages: 104
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Distributer: Diamond Comics
Source: NetGalley

Rating: ★★★

Blurb: 

When an upstart paranormal investigation and elimination service calling themselves The Ghost Smashers sets up shop in NYC, the Ghostbusters suddenly find themselves out of work and out of favor. But The Ghost Smashers are messing with some shaky science, and it’s only a matter of time until their incompetence threatens the entire world. Ghostbusters #13-16!

Review

As soon as I saw this one on NetGalley, I immediately requested it, but as it turns out it wasn’t what I was expecting. I picked up this book for two reasons, one was, of course, it was Ghostbusters and the second reason was that I saw a female on the cover donning the typical GB’s attire, so I was really intrigued. in fact, I was hoping that it might be related to their upcoming movie, but to my utter disappointment this book failed to please me.

The story was not that great. 90% of it was good enough, but the last 5% of the book completely bounced off my head as it felt unnecessary, to say the least. I was like, “What the hell is this now?” And then the book ended. So, you see, it was really unnecessary.

The illustrations were good but I had a hard time differentiating between two characters who looked too similar for me to easily tell them apart.

The cover of the book holds absolutely no significance and is misleading to some extent as initially, I was hoping to see the assistant (?) to turn into a ghost buster wearing the uniform she is adorning in the cover, but that never happened.

Overall this book wasn’t that bad, but due to high expectations (given its name), it completely fell short.

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Screenshot of Ghostbusters.

You can also read this review at Goodreads, NetGalley, and Amazon.

Book Review: In The Blood by R.L. Martinez

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27689746Author: R.L. Martinez
Release Date: March 21, 2016
Series: The Witchbreed Series
Genre: High Fantasy, Magic Realism
(Magic Elementals > Wizards, Witches & Shapeshifters)
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 356
Publisher: Lake Water Press
Source: Publicist (via NetGalley)
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

The Warrior
The war between Dosalyn and Roanaan has ended, but a new battle begins for prisoner-of-war, Ottilde Dominax. Dreams of her witchbreed twin sister are visions of death and betrayal. Driven by their grim warning, she escapes her captors and races across nations to save her sister.
But she may arrive too late…
The Witch
Oriabel Dominax has kept her healing magic secret while she cares for her family’s struggling estate. But the arrival of a new lord with secrets of his own, the discovery of a dark and addictive magic, and threats from a cruel blackmailer push Oriabel closer to disaster.
Through it all, the Witch’s Tree calls…

Review

I enjoyed this book through and through. I picked up this book in hopes of reading a decent fantasy novel, but this book pleasantly surprised the hell out of me! It is an epic book with a brilliant plot, stunning characterization, and beautiful writing – all weaved together into a fantastic work that I was lucky enough to read.

This book has everything a fantasy lover craves – A new world to get completely lost into, characters whom you can love and hate forming unbreakable emotional bonds and a story that’ll make you forget everything else.
I was completely blown by the simplicity of this book and I’m eagerly waiting for the next part in this wondrous series.

In this book, the author uses realism as her weapon. Not all tales of good witches and helping shapeshifters end happily, and I’m really glad to say, that this book made me realize that the world of magic is not something to play around with.

R.L. Martinez uses her dark imagination to plow the fields of her war-wrought world with realism. It really made the entire witch breed concept interesting and mesmerizing. Now, I’m actually afraid of witches (which is something that is always  missing in most of the fantasy novels.) The author’s writing was really smooth and the pacing was exceptional.

The romance in this book literally swept me off my feet because of its simplicity and subtlety.

At first, the timelines seemed a little jumbled, but once I got in sync with the story I was able to make out the timelines pretty clearly.

In spite of all the raves, there was only one significant negative that stood out while reading this book, and it was the fact that most of the names (both of places and people) were odd and difficult to pronounce. It made it a bit difficult for me to enjoy the first few pages, but once I let go of my obsession of pronouncing the word right, I was able to get into the book easily enough. (Though I’m pretty sure I’ve got more than half of the names wrong, and to be honest, this book is so great that I don’t even care about it anymore.)

As I said earlier, the characterization is brilliant! I felt a really strong  connection with the leading twin ladies of this book (I’m not gonna say the names as I’m sure I’ll pronounce them wrongly.) The other characters were so good that I felt a bond with each and every single character (secondary as well as not-so-important ones.)

This book ended on an excellent note with a smasher of a cliff hanger. After reading the last page I was literally pulling at my hair!

I loved this book and I think that everyone on this planet should read this series as I really think that everyone will love it!

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Opening Line: With cold stiff fingers, Ottilde Dominax rubbed the prisoner number tattooed on the side of her neck.

Highlights: Storyline and magic realism.

Lowlights: Names with difficult and odd pronunciations.

Memorable Quotes:

The world is only so big and you can only run so far.

Final Thoughts: A brilliant high-fantasy read that you simply can’t afford to miss!

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Netgally and Amazon.

 

Book Review: Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

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Author: Julia Heaberlin
Release Date: 11th August, 2015
Series: None
Genre: Mystery | Psychological-Thriller | Suspense | Crime | Contemporary | Adult
Edition: Kindle (.mobi)
Pages: 369
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Source: NetGalley
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

A girl’s memory lost in a field of wildflowers.
A killer still spreading seeds.
At seventeen, Tessa became famous for being the only surviving victim of a vicious serial killer. Her testimony put him on death row. Decades later, a mother herself, she receives a message from a monster who should be in prison. Now, as the execution date rapidly approaches, Tessa is forced to confront a chilling possibility: Did she help convict the wrong man?

Review

Black Eyed Susans has a really unique plotline which is brilliant, to say the least. The pacing was great and the twists and turns, along with the suspense build-up was amazing. I enjoyed this book a lot and I’m eagerly waiting to read more books by the author.

The alternating POVs of the lead at 2 different ages provided an ingenious angle to the story and makes it all the more interesting.  I enjoyed the young  POV of the lead character (Tessie) because it was the read deal, but the older one (Tessa) wasn’t disappointing either.

The characterization was great and I was able to feel a strong connection with the main character – Tess (both the selves of her – Tessa and Tessie), which added a new flair to the book. The secondary characters were also well-developed and I was able to connect to almost all of them.

The book started with a great beginning and I couldn’t resist myself from getting lost in this book right from the beginning. And throughout the book, the story had an air of gloominess to it which makes this book a perfect suspense read.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the ending. The ending felt a little rushed and it came off as if not a lot of thought was put into it. After reading such a great story I was expecting a little more creativity (and also sinistral thinking) towards the end. It wasn’t well executed and it really made me sad because I had to cut back on a star from its rating.

Still, I’d say this book is worth reading. I’d recommend this book to everyone who enjoys multiple POVs and mystery, thriller and suspense novels.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: Thirty-two hours of my life are missing.

Highlights: Storyline

Lowlights: Ending

Memorable Quote:

People appreciate pretty fantasies like this, where there is a feisty hero, even when there is no factual basis for it.

Final Thoughts: A brilliant psychological thriller.

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Amazon, and NetGalley.

Book Review: Chakana by W.E. Lawrence

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28094715Author: W.E. Lawrence
Release Date: December 2015
Series: –
Genre: Historical Fiction | Action | Adventure | Suspense | Romance
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 325
Publisher: CreateSpace
Source: Publicist
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

In 1939, before the start of World War II, James Fleming, the original British secret agent, races on a high-stakes chase to track down the ancient lost treasure of King Huascar of the Incas. He must recover it before the Nazis do or the whole world will be in imminent danger.

But this is no ordinary treasure hunt. The Incas have proven their cunning and intellect in not only how they hid their treasure, but how they protected it. Fleming joins forces in the remote ruins of Peru, South America with Kate Rhodes, a policewoman on leave from the United States, her archaeologist brother, Nick, and their college professor, Dr. Charlie. Together, they must decode, interpret the clues, and face the challenges of the Chakana on their hunt for the treasure.

If this wasn’t difficult enough, the group is hounded throughout their search of the ancient Sacred Valley by international artifact smugglers, familiar with the Chakana and working with the Nazis, who are determined to acquire the treasure to help finance their war effort. Intrigue, danger, suspense, action, adventure, and even romance abound in this brave band’s quest to save the free world.

Review

This is my first book by W.E. Lawrence and I must say that I’ll be reading more books by him soon.

In Chakana, the story began with a simple, yet interesting, prologue and I was drawn into the book right from the beginning. The alternating POvs kept the plot clear and interesting throughout the book. It ended on a great note and I really enjoyed the little twist at the end.

The characterization is good, but I hate to say that I wasn’t able to feel a strong connection with either of the leads. The characters are built nicely, but something about them felt amiss. In spite of the author’s efforts, James came out a little disconnected and crude, and Kate’s character didn’t have enough clarity. As a result, the romantic angle seemed dull, in spite of all the steamy make-out scenes.

I enjoyed the adventure on the whole and, apart from minor flaws, this book makes for an interesting and engrossing read.

This book has a great storyline and the historical settings make this adventurous novel a really interesting read. I liked the author’s writing style because it had a great flow. The pacing was good too.

Overall this book makes for a really good read and I’d recommend it to all the adventure buffs.

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Opening Line: The rumble of thunder sent the horse into a nervous prance.

Highlights: Writing and storyline.

Lowlights: Lack of strong connection with the leads.

Final Thoughts: A lovely historical adventure book that’ll make for a nice summer read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Apostates Book Two: Remnants

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27343130Author: Lars Teeney
Release: October 27, 2015
Series: The Apostates
Genre: Science Fiction. Post-Apocalyptic. Dystopian.
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 198 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb: After the fall of the ruling Regime of New Megiddo, the John W. Schrubb Administration, the remnants of the country are fought over by the Republic of China Army, the Societatum Pentagram, ‘Database’ cartels, and independent city-states. Greta Sanchez, a former Apostate resistance commander who had sought refuge in West Europa is haunted by the nuclear annihilation of the old capital, New Megiddo City. In order to atone for her complicity in the destruction, she resolves to return to America to stop a new war. Greta sets out to track down her old comrades to reform the Apostates to meet new threats.

Review

Plot/Story: The rebellion won the fight and the government had fallen, but now things need to be fixed and rebuild. The new world is left unclaimed which bring new players into a potentially new war.

Characters: Evan and Consuela in America while Greta in Paris. In this book, we learn more about the character’s past and family. I loved learning more about them.

Writing: The author kept to his style here as well, making the read very east to follow, even with all the POV changes and history of the characters.

Beginning: You dive deep and fast into the story and the chaos that was left from the first book, feels real with a lot of pain.

Ending: Missing some sort of a resolve for the characters, but I think it might be in another book.

Cover Art: The author kept the same motive of the cover and I loved that the cover stays very much the same.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Evan and Consuela had been dragged into situations and skirmished in and around New York and what had once been called New England.”

Highlights: I loved getting to know the old and new characters better. I also enjoyed the writing style of the author a lot. The author stayed true to his own style making book 1 and 2 feel as one.

Lowlights: The story felt as unfinished and it was too short.

Final Thoughts: It was a good read and I enjoyed reading what happened to all my favorite characters.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset

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21928224Author: Sarah Ashwood 
Release Date: April 16, 2014
Series: The Sunset Lands Beyond
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Edition: mobi
Pages: 374
Publisher: Griffineus Publications
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

The mystery of other worlds is not one Hannah Winters ever thought she’d solve. However, the day she spots a brown-robed stranger with a magical staff in a neighbor’s field is the day she also discovers Aerisia, a magical land beyond Earth’s sunset. Here in Aerisia, Hannah is believed to be the Artan, a legendary heroine prophesied to deliver Aerisia from the Dark Powers. Plenty of people, including the Simathe, a race of immortal warriors, and the Moonkind, people of the Moon, are willing to help her discover her true identity, but Hannah’s just an ordinary girl from Earth. She doesn’t have any latent magical abilities and she’s not the Artan. However, her allies aren’t seeing it that way. Neither are her enemies. In fact, Hannah’s life is in jeopardy nearly from the moment she arrives in Aerisia. And becoming the Artan may be the only way to survive…

Review

 

Plot/Story:

This story reminded me a lot of another story I read last year. But I am sure it will remind you of a lot of stories. It is about a girl who finds herself taken off into a new world and something about her makes her special and important to that world. While some may say that this storyline has been outplayed and many are bored with it, I still love it! I still love the idea of being taken away into different world and finding out that something about me is special and unique and I am some how supposed to save this new world.

Hannah is just a normal college student. Nothing special about her, until a strange man in a horse pasture lures her in and takes her off to a new world. A place called Aerisia. In Aerisia she is told that she is what they call the Artan, though she doesn’t know who or what that is or what it has to do with her. From there is only collects more questions and no one seems to want to tell her what it is she is supposed to do.

The story at times did get frustrating because Hannah keeps asking questions and no one wants to answer her. Then again, Hannah also has the tendency to run off when answers are coming to her.

Characters:

The characters in this book are fantastic beings. Hannah, again, is your typical collage age girl and head strong. She questions everything and demands answers, but can never sit long enough to hear the answers.

The Simathe are quiet and emotionless, or so it seems. The high lord Simathe, Ilgard seems to be much deeper than what most think of him, and Hannah seems to be bringing out a new side in him.

Romance/Kills:

There is only one kill that really matters in this book. Not much romance. It is a world building book. There is a lot of backstory and explaining this new world that Hannah has been dumped into. 

Writing:

The writing is fantastic and very magical. It was also easy to read and keep up with the story.

Beginning:

The beginning is very quick. Only a quick few pages about Hannah’s family, and then Hannah is transported into Aerisia. The whole story was fast paced and didn’t have many dull moments. 

Ending:

As this is the first book in the series, the ending did leave much to be desired. There are tons of questions left unanswered. For the ending of the first book in a series, it was well done and will keep the reading interested enough to pick up the next book.

Cover Art:

I love the cover art. It’s colorful and gives a sense of magic. It really gives you a quick preview of the story to come.

Blurb:

The blurb is very true to the story.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Hannah, what are you doing? Why are you just standing around? They’ll be here in a little over an hour.”

Highlights: I love the world of Aerisia and the Simathe

Lowlights: I feel like not enough questions were answered in the first book.

Final Thoughts: This is a magical story that I would suggest to my friends.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

You can read the author’s interview here: Author Interview.

Book Review: The Apostates

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26003128Author: Lars Teeney
Release: July 20th, 2015
Series: The Apostates Series
Genre: Science Fiction. Post-Apocalyptic. Dystopian.
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 615 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

New Megiddo has been born out of the ashes of America, an America that has sacrificed liberty for security. Ravaged by environmental disaster and shuttered off from the rest of the world by border fortress walls, and the strict dogma of spiritual leader, The Reverend Wilhelm Wainwright, the people take small comfort from the sermons the Reverend delivers straight to the people’s minds via the [Virtue-Net]. However, the President John W. Schrubb Administration has been losing its grip on power. Murmurs and rumors of a resistance group of Apostates emanate from “Database” dens in the slums, financed by a mysterious source, are said to be scheming to free the people. Will the Apostates strike in time before the Born Again Gathering ushers in a state-induced Armageddon?

Review

Plot/Story: I love the moral issue the author addresses, of putting your freedom for your safety. Would you give up your freedom for safety? The author took this subject and gave it a nice dark twist to a Dystopian story.

New Megiddo is the new post-apocalyptic America and The Apostates are the people who fight against the brainwashed and chip-implanted people. These people fight for their freedom and against the strict spiritual leader.

Characters: Greta was revived (yep… revived) after she killed herself and she starts to fight for freedom and against the mindless following. Graham, who came from a rich family and was part of the government, but knew what, was the right thing to do.

Somewhere just after the third part of the book, the characters seem to blur all into two major groups. Now, if it would be a different book I would mind, but here it worked nicely and I just didn’t mind.

There are many amazingly written characters that made the story feel more real, that at some point you will wonder on which side it is best to be.

Romance/Kills: Well, there is a lot of violence here and dark issues rise up, so keep in mind when you’re about to read this book. This book has a lot of actions scenes full of kills, bombs but for me it was not too much and I liked the fast pace of it.

Writing: I love the writing style. There are many twists and turns to this story and many layers. This story touches a lot of subjects like Science Fiction, religion, politics and war and most important, humanity… and what make us human. These are all writing and woven so well together that even though this book long book but it feels relatable and I wanted to know more of that world. The author takes us through different POV’s and he did it effortlessly.

Beginning: From the beginning we see Greta takes her life and reborn to help the fight against the new government and religion. The Apostates want to bring freedom and free will back to everyone.

Ending: The story ended with a positive tone, living me satisfied. The ending also jumped on me fast and I left wanting more.

Cover Art: I love the dark feel of the cover. It fits the story perfectly.

Blurb: The blurb was written well, giving you enough information but no spoilers and it pulled me right into the story with questions of what might happen next.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “The video feed began with rapturous choir music, and funk bass guitar began playing.”

Highlights: From the amazing world building to the great story, I enjoyed reading this book a lot. There is so much to this story that no matter how long this book is, I still felt it fly by fast. Loved it!

Lowlights: None.

Final Thoughts: This is not a light read, but it is a wonderful book to read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Timeweaver’s Wager

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29545245Author: Axel Blackwell
Release: March 17, 2016
Genre: Time Travel | Mystery | Paranormal
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 220
Publisher:
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb: Glen McClay sits on a fallen log by the railroad trestle, watching for his girlfriend’s ghost. Eight years ago, Connie Salvatore was savagely murdered here. Glen has spent his life seeking redemption, haunted by the knowledge that he might have been able save her. The time has come to let go of his past and move on with his life. But as he prepares to do so, an old friend offers Glen the redemption he has always sought – a chance to relive that horrible night and change the past. All he has to do… is die.

Review

Plot/Story: Glen, the main character is full of guilt and regret. He couldn’t save his girlfriend and for 8 years, he kept wishing for only one thing…Going back in time to change the outcome. He builds his life around his girlfriend’s death.
I love the idea of time traveling to able to change at least one thing in our life. Who haven’t thought of that? Or how it will go? Will you change the outcome to the worst? Love the idea!

Characters: Glen is a very agonized character here. He is so haunted by what happened to his girlfriend, Connie. The author is written these feeling of loss and grief so well, it made me connect to the Glen so fast and for me, it’s a huge part pf a great read.

Romance/Kills: Connie (Glen’s girlfriend) was killed in a horrible death.

Writing: The balance in writing the older Glen and the younger Glen was made so beautifully. I didn’t just enjoy the writing style of the author, I loved it and it made everything move better and flow faster.

Beginning: From the start I was taken to a roller-coaster of emotions and it hit home with me.

Ending: Even though there were a few times where the story was dragged when I came to the end all I wanted is more for this world the author had built.

Cover Art: It’s pretty but very simple. I would love a more attractive cover.

Blurb: The blurb really set the mood for the story and it did a wonderful job in attracting my attention, making me choose this book to read.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Glen McClay sat on a fallen tree beside the dead girl’s shrine, staring down the train tracks to the point in the distance where the two rails converged.”

Highlights: A fast paced read, which was amazing that the story just flew by fast and easily.

Lowlights: The only thing that I can say is that I didn’t like how much time it took for Glen to really make a decision. That part dragged for a long time, but how can you take a decision so horrible, fast, lol.

Final Thoughts: It was a great book to read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Killing Forest by Sara Blaedel

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25878273

Author: Sara Blaedel 
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Series: Louise Rick Series
Genre: Crime | Thriller | Mystery | Suspense
Edition: Ebook (mobi)
Pages: 320
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Publicist
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

Following an extended leave, Louise Rick returns to work at the Special Search Agency, an elite unit of the National Police Department. She’s assigned a case involving a fifteen-year-old who vanished a week earlier. When Louise realizes that the missing teenager is the son of a butcher from Hvalsoe, she seizes the opportunity to combine the search for the teen with her personal investigation of her boyfriend’s long-ago death . . .
Louise’s investigation takes her on a journey back through time. She reconnects with figures from her past, including Kim, the principal investigator at the Holbaek Police Department, her former in-laws, fanatic ancient religion believers, and her longtime close friend, journalist Camilla Lind. As she moves through the small town’s cramped network of deadly connections, Louise unearths toxic truths left unspoken and dangerous secrets.

Review

I read The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel, not so long ago, and quite liked it. I was able to connect to the author’s writing and the story was interesting, to say the least, so when I was contacted for this book, I immediately accepted.

The Killing Forest is the kind of novel that’ll keep you up at night and would pull you into the story making you forget about the world outside. I really liked this book as it kept me intrigued. Like the previous book by author Sara Blaedel, there was not a lot to guess in this book, but the pacing was good enough to keep things interesting throughout. The author again shocked me towards the end with a smart plot twist.

The premise of the story was great and pacing was also good. The suspense was mild but I was able to feel a sense of urgency throughout the book (which is a big plus.)

The characterisation was good and I was happy to read about all the characters from the previous book in detail. I felt a connection with the main lead of the book,  detective Louise, though it was not as strong as it felt in the previous book. Still, the story being the hero in this book, I enjoyed reading it.

The writing was good but I did notice 2 major flaws that made it difficult for me to come up with a proper rating for this book when I was done with it.

Firstly, there are a lot of places in this book where the translation played tricks and hindered the flow of the book. This issue wasn’t there in the previous book so I was a little displeased this time around. The dialogues didn’t feel real and, at more than a couple of places, I was left wondering what the hell was the original dialogue anyway.

And the second thing that bugged me was that there was more ‘telling’ than ‘showing.’ It happened in more than a dozen places and it really affected the entire reading process altogether.

But, in spite of these two flaws, I still enjoyed the book and would love to read the next parts in Louise Rick series. I’d recommend this book to crime and mystery lovers.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: He hesitated before grabbing the dead chicken his father held out to him, its white feathers peppered with blood close to where its head had been chopped off.

Highlights: Story and ending.

Lowlights: Translation.

Memorable Quotes:

“…This is hell. No one gets out.”

Final Thoughts: A nice mystery read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Netgalley, and Amazon.

Book Review: Exodia

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25498587Author: Debra Chapoton
Release Date: June 25th 2015
Series: Exodia Ledgers
Genre: Science Fiction | Dystpia/YA
Edition: mobi
Pages: 218
Publisher: Not Specified
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating:  ★★★★

Blurb:

By 2093 American life is a strange mix of failing technologies, psychic predictions, and radiation induced abilities. Tattoos are mandatory to differentiate two classes, privileged and slave.

Dalton Battista fears that his fading tattoo is a deadly omen. He’s either the heir of the brutal tyrant of the new capital city, Exodia, or he’s its prophesied redeemer. Shy, handsome, smart and in possession of powers he doesn’t yet realize, he escapes an order for his execution by fleeing the city with the help of Lydia, who quickly captures his heart. But can he escape a destiny that will force him to marry another girl and return to Exodia as its liberator?

Review

Plot/Story:

I somehow missed the part of the blurb that this was loosely based on the story of Moses. But reading it, I caught the similarities and it was fantastic. I love the bible stories and I love when people take them and modernize them. After finding out that it was based on the story of Moses I actually enjoyed reading it that much more, not that I had any trouble getting into it to begin with. Actually, I was drawn in from the very beginning. The world was so different and even though there is a little history/background about how the world came to its current stasis, I was never bored of the world building. In my opinion, there was nothing boring about this novel and I almost couldn’t read it fast enough.

Characters:

I would say that the characters are not as well developed as they could be, but it was enough to keep the story going and wasn’t that big of a distraction. We could learn a little more about some of the side characters. Dalton, the main character, was a little dense, as in he could have used a little more development. It was almost as if we only dipped our toe into the big deep ocean of what Dalton could be. Despite that, you can see where Dalton is a strong character.

Romance/Kills:

The romance! Ugh! Killed me. Dalton instantly falls in love with Lydia, basically the first girl he comes across after jumping the fence and exploring the world. Because of circumstances, his path leads him in another direction and he leaves Lydia behind. Of course, he finds another girl, one he doesn’t love, but for some reason marries. But all the while Dalton can’t forget Lydia. It’s not even a love triangle. He marries one woman out of necessity, he never loved her and it’s questionable if she ever loved him.

As far as kills go, the story actually begins with a kill by Dalton. It isn’t bloody, gory, or even that spectacular. It’s very down played. Almost like when a movie implies that there is a dead body, but all you see is the white sheet over a body shaped object.

Writing:

The writing was fantastic. No glaring errors that distract from the story. It’s also very fast paced and I love a fast paced story.

Beginning:

The beginning really draws you in with in the first few minutes of reading. There just seems to be so much going on at the start. There is no build up, just BAM action.

Ending:

Seeing as there is another book following this one, the ending was perfect. It was an ending, but a cliff hanger as well. It made me want to instantly buy the next book so that I could finish Dalton’s story.

Cover Art:

After reading this book, I feel like the cover could be better. But, it was enough to get my attention. It actually gave me a Harry Dresden vibe (series by Jim Butcher).

Blurb:

The blurb does enough to really draw in the reader. It also makes the book seem like any other YA dystopian novel, but I feel this book is much more than that and the blurb doesn’t do it justice.

Other Stuff 

Opening Line: It’s as if I too am running for my life.

Highlights: Fantastically fast paced and fun.

Lowlights: The cover could be better.

Final Thoughts: This book will stick to my memories for years to come.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.