Book Review: Chakana by W.E. Lawrence

25/06/201603/07/2016Action, Adventure, Book Reviews (by Genre), Historical, Romance, W.E. Lawrence2 Comments

Author: 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.

Bookstagram

Other Stuff

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

22/06/201622/06/2016Reviews By Contributors1 Comment

27343130 Author: 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

20/06/201605/07/2016Reviews By Contributors2 Comments

Author: 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

17/06/201617/06/2016Reviews By Contributors4 Comments

Author: 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

11/06/201608/06/2016Reviews By ContributorsLeave a Comment

Author: 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

08/06/201608/06/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Sara BlaedelLeave a Comment

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

05/06/201629/05/2016Reviews By Contributors2 Comments

Author: Debra Chapoton
Release Date: June 25^th 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.

TRB- Fiction Book Reviews Video Podcast Ep. 01- Justice For Jessica by Alretha Thomas

04/06/201610/06/2016Podcasts4 Comments

Hello, readers! I just uploaded TRb’s first Video Podcast! Please watch it and share the link with your family and friends on your social media accounts:

Thank you!

Book Review: The Urban Boys (Discovery of the Five Senses)

02/06/201604/06/2016Reviews By Contributors1 Comment

26850355 Author: K.N. Smith
Release: September 29th 2015
Series: –
Genre: YA | Paranormal
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 208 pages
Publisher: Two Petals Publishing
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★

Blurb:

The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses is an action-adventure story about five teen boys who are mysteriously exposed to a foreign energy source that gives them extremely heightened senses. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become hypersensitive gifts that forever change the world. The story chronicles their effortless interrelations and later exposes the testing of their deep bonds. It introduces the reader to an array of supporting characters who alter the boys’ lives forever. The Urban Boys offers young and mature readers central themes of loyalty, responsibility, honesty, fear, and triumph, which become artfully integrated with cinematic-level action and high drama. The story twists, turns, and grinds through elements of science-fiction and action-adventure in a diverse, exciting, edge-of-your-seat narrative!

Review

I really don’t like giving a “bad” review to an author who worked hard on a book, but I just didn’t connect to this book at all. The read was a complete struggle.

I loved the poetic side of this book.The story was confusing (at best) and the premise of finding their 5th sense just fell flat.

I think the idea of the story can be great with a lot more research and more editing. The author put a large amount of detail on the things that really didn’t interest me, but put very little details on the things that truly matters, like the paranormal part.

The characters are so blurred together, it was confusing and at some point, I just didn’t care at all. The friendship between the boy was really nice to see and the unbelievably supporting parents were truly amazing, but other than that, there was nothing to keep me going here.

The beginning of the story started out nice and did keep me reading for a few more pages, but it quickly fell apart for me.

Overall, I am sad to say that this book is just not for me, even though I loved the idea and the poetic side… I couldn’t connect to the characters at all.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “HUGE, CURVY LEAVES BEAUTIFULLY ARRANGED WITHIN THE PRESERVE offered the perfect backdrop for a midnight encounter between two friends who happened to be unequal in their mindsets as well as in their needs to control.”

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Cogsmith’s Daughter (Desertera #1) by Kate M. Kolby

01/06/201609/06/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Dystopian, Kate M. Colby10 Comments

Author: Kate M. Colby
Release Date: October 15, 2015
Series: Desertera
Genre: Dystopian | Steampunk | Fantasy
Edition: Ebook (mobi)
Pages: 306
Publisher: Boxthorn Press
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

In a desert wasteland, one king rules with absolute power and unquenchable lust, until the cogsmith’s daughter risks everything for vengeance.

Two-hundred years ago, the steam-powered world experienced an apocalyptic flood. When the waters dried up, the survivors settled around their moored steamship in a wasteland they named Desertera. Believing the flood and drought were caused by a scorned goddess, the monarchs demanded execution for anyone who commits the unforgivable sin—adultery.

Today, King Archon entraps his wives in the crime of adultery, executing each boring bride to pursue his next infatuation. Most nobles overlook King Archon’s behavior, but when Lord Varick’s daughter falls victim to the king’s schemes, he vows revenge.

When Aya Cogsmith was a young girl, King Archon had her father executed for treason. Orphaned and forced to turn to prostitution for survival, Aya dreams of avenging her father’s death. When Lord Varick approaches Aya with plans for vengeance, she agrees to play the king’s seductress—even though it puts her at risk for execution.

Review

The Cogsmith’s Daughter is the first steampunk book I’ve read in a long time, and I must say that I’m really happy that I did. This book is nothing short of a masterpiece.

The Cogsmith’s Daughter has a brilliantly written and efficiently developed plot line that is set in a mesmerizing new world. Playful yet serious at the same time, author Kate M. Colby’s writing is simply outstanding!

As soon as I started reading the first chapter, I completely lost myself in the scary, although interesting, world of Aya. I was able to relate to her on so many levels that I still feel that she’s not just a character but a friend whom I know inside out. This only proves that the characterization is beyond perfect. It’s simply magical!

I fell in love with the male lead, just as Aya did, and felt every emotion in the deepest corners of my heart. I felt sad when Aya was sad and felt happy when she found even a tiny bit of joy. Most of all, I enjoyed Aya’s thought process, and her innocence and determination made her a very compelling character.
Other characters were also crafted finely and I loved them all (even the well-crafted character of the protagonist.)

I have NO words to describe the brilliance of the worldbuilding that was executed flawlessly by the author in this book. Kudos to a job well done!

The book ended on a great note and I felt completely satisfied after finishing the book, yet at the same time, I was left craving for the next part.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautiful book and I’d recommend it to all the readers who are looking for an EPIC new series to read.

Bookstagram

Screen Shot 2016-05-31 at 11.46.11 pm

Other Stuff

Opening Line: Aya Cogsmith awoke, as she did every morning, to the croaking of the mechanical frog next to her bed.

Highlights: Exceptional writing and worldbuilding.

Lowlights: None.

Memorable Quotes:

This was her chance to reclaim her life, get back her father’s shop, and finally attain justice for his death. She was going to take it or die trying.

Memorable Paragraph:

“You forgot, Varick. You live in an illustrious estate, have all the fruit and wine you can ingest, and receive every pampering from your staff. I live in a dirt-floored hovel, trudge miles for water, and let disgusting men penetrate me for the smallest coins in a currency. Do you really think death wouldn’t be a relief?”

Final Thoughts: A magical read that will leave you craving for more.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.