Blog Tour: The Forever Girl Treasure Hunt

The Forever Girl part 10.
IVORY CONVINCED me to join her on the dance floor. The dark music quickened my pulse and one song blended into the next: smooth, enchanting, hypnotic.
A gathering of voices, somehow clearer than the music, swelled around me, reminding me of the real reason I’d agreed to come along. If I didn’t take a break, I’d burn out before I got a chance to talk to Adrian about his books. I hollered to Ivory that I would meet her at the table.
On my way, I passed a group of women piled into one side of a booth, crowding a decent-enough man. Two other men sat across from them. The lady-killer captured my gaze, and a cool sensation, followed by warmth, tingled my brain. For the first time in weeks, my mind grew quiet. But, instead your code is a of the calm I expected, the silence was unsettling.



Welcome to the treasure hunt tour for The Forever Girl!

Here's how it's done:

Each stop on the tour will have a small excerpt with a code hidden it. Visit all the stops to gather the letters, unscramble the phrase, and email it to :

sandra.ashton-holtzman@bookandblogservices.com

The stops list can be found here

The winner will receive a goody bag including:

1 Forever Girl Ring
1 Forever Girl Keychain
1 Forever Girl Necklace
1 Forever Girl Bookmark
1 Forever Girl Candle
1 signed copy of The Forever Girl
1 signed copy of the companion novella, Her Sweetest Downfall

IMMORTALIZATION: The author will also immortalize the lucky winner by giving them a cameo appearance in the next Forever Girl book.

Bonus: If you've already reviewed The Forever Girl on Amazon, include the link to your review along with the unscrambled phrase for an additional entry!



“Sophia's family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves.

At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.

Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she'd settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.

One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor's hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him.

Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council's way. It's a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampires, ghosts, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.”



This Blog Tour is brought to you by:

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Book and Blog Services is a new website to help fill that gap. They offer affordable book tours, editing, and graphic design. Bloggers can get in on it by signing up as a tour host for a chance to win books and gift cards. There’s something for everybody and a lot more to come, so check it out!

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Review: Imperative By P.A. Wilson

★★★☆☆ Imperative: Book One of the Quinn Larson Quests. By P.A. Wilson

 Urban Fantasy is another of my favorite genres to read, I love the idea of mythical, magical beings living and working side by side with us yet hidden from view of all but a few sensitives. 
Vampires seem to be the most frequently depicted of the UF creatures, and I'm not much of a vampire fan, so I was delighted and intrigued to see that Imperative focused on fairies, sidhe, and magic users rather than vampires or werewolves.

Set in Vancouver Canada, Imperative is told in from the point of view of Quinn Larson, a young wizard (young by wizarding standards at least) who inadvertently witnesses not only the murder of a human by a fairy, but also a strange transaction between the murderer and a hooded Sidhe.
In order to protect the humans from death by fae and to keep them from discovering and eradicating the Real Folk, Quinn takes it upon himself to find out just what's going on and stop it before its too late.
Quinn is aided in this quest, primarily by a pixie named Olan, who had been tasked centuries ago to protect the humans, and later a witch named Cate.

Aside from who I'd consider to be the main characters there is also is a colorful cast of secondary characters, all of which are of the magical persuasion, fairies and pixies, witches wizards, sidhe, spirits and even a goddess or two.  All of whom are well written and three dimensional.  The fairies are depicted well and the lore seems well researched, especially the demeanors and ethics of the sidhe.  That alone warranted a star in this review as I find very little as annoying as when lore is rewritten just to suit a story.

This was a very easy read, though it seemed to get a bit choppy through the last quarter of the book, and I didn't care at all for the way it ended, I would be interested in reading more of Quinn's adventures.

Quinn reminded me a bit of Harry Dresden, though he's doesn't have that accidental hero aspect that Harry does. I enjoyed Quinns quips and sarcasm, both internalized and vocalized.

One thing that I was taken aback by was the fact that Quinn is male, even though Quinn is repeatedly referred to as a wizard I spent almost half the book I was incredibly surprised when he made mention of going to the barber for a shave, Yes, Quinn is male, but because I'd read him as a female for so much of the book, it took a conscious effort for me to think of him as male through the rest of the book.  I'm not sure how I made the mistake, though I blame it partially on only ever knowing Quinns that were women, and that the previous book I read of Ms. Wilson's had a female protagonist.

I gave this book 3 stars instead of 5 for a number of reasons.  Though the characters were very well done and the book was easy to read I found it easy to put down as well.  It felt at times like I was missing something, and found myself having to go back to see if I really had missed a page.

Quinn referrers to himself as a Real Folk throughout the book and I was left confused as to what wizards and witches are in that world. Quinn is not a fairy or a Sidhe or anything else not human, yet he considers himself to be separate from humans.  I'm not sure if its just magical human vs. mundane human or if there is something intrinsically different between wizards/witches and humans in Quinn's world.  Hopefully this will be dealt with in later books, but I found it confusing.  More back history on Quinn would have been nice too, He seems reluctant to talk about himself and I felt like I never really got to know him on more than a surface level.  The ending seemed rushed, it left me hanging and not in an enjoyable way, more of a "that's it?" kind of way, but I will attribute that to the ongoing nature of these books.  They aren't so much separate stories featuring the same characters but more of a continuation of events from book to book.

I do plan on giving Compulsion a read at some point but I think I'm more interested in Ms. Wilson's mystery series than I am in the urban fantasy.


(DISCLOSURE: I received Imperative as a gift from Ms. Wilson in exchange for an honest review, the preceding review is just that, my honest opinion of the book. Also the cover image and link contains my Amazon Affiliate link, if you purchase the book via that link I make a small commission.)

Review: Unenchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1)

Unenchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1) by Chanda Hahn

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From Goodreads:  Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated, that is until she saves her crush's life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her newfound fame brings misfortune as an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her its next fairytale victim. To break the fairy tale curse on her family and stop these deadly events, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.

I found this little gem in the free section of Amazon's kindle book section, and I have to admit, I was thoroughly surprised at how good it was. I was immediately drawn by the synopsis of the book, and although it seemed a little slow going at first, the remainder definitely made up for the beginning. In fact, I was upset at how abrupt the ending was as I was not ready for it to be over yet!

I do have to say that the two male "leads" in this story reminded me a lot of two characters from the Twilight series. Brody (who reminded me of Edward) is a rich (although popular) boy, who falls for a clumsy unpopular girl, and he drives with her too fast after she is attacked. The other main boy Jared (who reminded me of Jacob), rides a motorcycle and is described as "dangerous". That is where the similarities end however, and the fact that these two did remind me of Twilight characters did not take away from the overall plot of the story as there were more than enough differences to set the two apart.

I loved this book overall, and cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Book 2! 

My final thoughts on Unenchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1)

NEGATIVE:
-  I found it very hard to believe that a teenage girl in this day an age did not know what "tweeting" was.
- One very interesting scene suddenly seemed ridiculous by the inclusion of a "donkey in a hat".

POSITIVE: 
+ The overall plot begins to pick up and become more interesting in Chapter 5, when Mina finally learns the  truth about who she is.
+ A fresh, imaginative take on the original "Grimm Brothers" fairy tales.

The book is still currently available for download for FREE by clicking the link below:

UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale)

{The above link to the book on Amazon does contain my Affiliate link. By purchasing this book through my link, I make a very small commission that goes towards the purchase of more books for review. You are under no obligation at any time to click on one of my Affiliate links.}

Rina's Reviews: Bzzagent Book Review: The Dark Monk

 Since this book was read and reviewed as part of a BzzAgent campaign the review is posted at my personal review blog rather than here. But please feel free to comment here on it if you are inclined to comment.

Rina's Reviews: Bzzagent Book Review: The Dark Monk: The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale, By Oliver Pötzsch ★ ★ ★ ★☆ Blurb from Amazon:  1660: Winter has settled thick over a sleepy...

Findings: How to Write a Sex Scene

First of all, if you haven't read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, I highly suggest that you do. Don't let the size of the books scare you - they are rather long but trust me, it's worth it.

All of that aside, this was posted on Facebook on Miss Gabaldon's page. It was written by her earlier this year and I have to say that I love all of the points that she makes. So check it out!

Review: Beauty by Lisa Daily

Beauty by Lisa Daily
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



View all my reviews


Via Goodreads:

What's it like to be the most beautiful girl in the world?

Molly desperately wants to be beautiful. And that's what she tells Dharma, the mysterious portrait artist who sketches her face at the town fair just minutes after she's humiliated in front of Hudson, the guy of her dreams. When Molly wakes up the following morning, she's the most beautiful girl in Miracle, Ohio. Babies coo in her arms, her house fills with flowers from dozens of drooling boys, and she's chosen to be a model for the hottest store in town. Best of all, Hudson finally falls for her.

But Molly soon discovers that beauty--and her wish--comes with a price. She's faced with an impossible choice: Will reclaiming her true identity mean letting go of Hudson for good?

I know that you've probably wondered the same thing before. I know that I have. How would people react to me if I were the prettiest girl in the city? Would things be different for me? Would people treat me differently than they do now? Would I get more attention?

In this book by Lisa Daily, she shares just what happens to one girl when she wishes to be the most beautiful girl in the city.
  
The Characters:
The main girl in question in Molly. She's the one that wished to be the most beautiful girl in Miracle. From what I gathered, she was a typical ugly duckling before - frizzy hair, pimples, an dis-proportioned face. I related with her at first as I myself was that girl in high school (okay, so I didn't have pimples but I had braces) and found myself wondering the same thing. My biggest problem with Molly was that she didn't really evolve much until the end of the book. She started off with really low self esteem, even when she was suddenly beautiful, snuck around trying to hide her face from her parents and turned into a typical mean girl in an attempt to get people to like her.  It was only once she had lost almost everyone that she realized what she truly had become. And whereas I was happy that she did finally come to that realization, it seemed like a last ditch effort.

Her friend Hayley made me want to strangle her. She started off as a mean girl at the beginning of the book despite not being in the popular crowd. To me, she came off as really needy and clingy and showed horrible signs of jealousy when the spotlight wasn't on her. The lengths she went to for attention were just worthy of a good head shake (or possible full body shake - hers preferably). And in the end, it didn't seem like things were really worked out with her - we were left hanging on what happened to Hayley.

Kemper was the truest character in the entire book. She's the one who seemed to have a level head on her shoulders despite everything going on around her. She's the one who managed to stay the true friend despite being constantly pushed to the side and ignored. I think if everyone had a good friend like Kemper, they'd be much better off. She ended up being my favorite character in the book.

I wasn't sure what to think about Hudson. I was happy to see in the end that he liked Molly for who she was on the inside rather than the outside but it didn't really settle with me. I can't really put my finger on why. Hudson was a mere "meh" character for me. He didn't stand out at all or make a lasting impression on me.

As for the rest of the characters, the students of the school came off to me as a bunch of sheep. They all were clambering around for a chance to be near Molly. It almost made me think that none of them could think for themselves. And whereas I knew they were teenagers, it seemed a bit overdone.

5 out of 10.

The Plot:
I have to admit that the plot was definitely one that caught my eyes as I've thought the same thing before. And to be honest, I think that Miss Daily definitely took the most thought about solution to what would happen if this really did occur. Amongst the pages of teen angst and mean girl-itis she did manage to lay out a good lesson - beauty is on the inside and outside. You may not think you're beautiful but someone else does.

I do think the students were a bit overdone in their reactions although the way they reacted upon finding out Molly had "plastic surgery" was pretty spot on as many teenagers these days tend to fluctuate depending on the day of the week. And I know that it was probably meant to be overdone a bit to prove a point but it was a bit headache-inducing after a while.

All in all, I give it a decent score, mostly because it was a lesson that could be used in life.

6 out of 10. 

 I won't say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and had a decent, if not Mean Girl-esque storyline. I feel as if it were rushed a bit and that it was more dramatic than it should have been but I would give it a thumbs up for a light read over the weekend, especially for those who enjoy happily ever after stories.

Review: Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland

Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Yes, be shocked. I read not one but two zombie books within the span of two days.Of course it's technically the same thing as it's the continuation of Angel Crawford's story but details, people. Mere details.

Via Goodreads, yo:
Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she's beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that's right--the zombie mafia. 

Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel's going to need all of her brainpower--and maybe a brain smoothie as well--in order to get through it without falling apart.

Since this is the second book in the White Trash Zombie series, I won't do it like I normally do a review. Instead, you'll just get my thoughts.

First of all, I will say that I adored Angel in the first book of this series. She definitely captured my interests and I was looking forward to reading more about her during her journey of settling in to the zombie life. So by the time I finished this book, I was officially hooked. Angel grows even more in this book. She's really putting her life together and discovering things about herself that she didn't seem to realize before. She's finding her niche I guess you could say.

Of course, she has that pesky probation officer she has to meet with and sure she has to get her GED or otherwise be thrown back in jail, but that doesn't seem to slow her down one bit.

However, I started to dislike Marcus even more in this book due to the sheer way he treats Angel - it's like nothing she says is taken seriously by him. And she points this out to him midway through the book only to be blown off. He redeemed himself in the end a bit but I still felt as if Angel could do better boyfriend-wise, that she could find someone who treated her like an equal, especially with everything she had managed to accomplish in the end.

I disliked Marcus' uncle with a passion for reasons that I just cannot explain other than I managed to wrinkle my nose every time he was mentioned. I had trouble believing he was a good guy if that makes sense. Ed redeemed himself as well, proving that he wasn't the bad guy that everyone thought he was and I was grateful that he did what he could to help Angel and her father. But most importantly, I really started to like Angel's dad. He was trying to better himself in this book after seeing Angel do so. It was nice to see that bond start to repair itself throughout the book. Redemption seemed to be a really strong subject in book #2.

As for new characters, I wasn't crazy about Sofia and was a bit annoyed that her story was left somewhat hanging when she was abruptly killed. It was never really pointed out in clear terms if she was a good or bad guy even though I was leaning towards double-agent since she appeared to be playing both sides. And the new doctor grated on my nerves. I had hoped Angel would kill her in the end like she did the head of security but on the flip side, it opens up room for a third book.

All in all, the characters remained true to their selves from the first book. The new characters added a nice tension to the storyline, which was just as wonderful like the first book. I was a bit worried as the second installments of a series tend to lose a bit of the spark that the first installment ignited but this book proved that theory wrong. It one again kept me on the edge of my seat, adding in new twists and turns that the first book left out and made it impossible for me to stop reading. 

Best part of the entire book? When Angel promptly said "Braaaiiiins." My husband thought I had lost it upon bursting into laughter.

I do hope that Miss Rowland is planning on a third installment of this series as I'd love to read more about Angel and see what trouble she could get into. This is a definite must-read!

Review: My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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I'm going to start this review off by saying that I don't normally read zombie books. Zombies creep me out and face it, if there ever was a zombie apocalypse, I'd be one of the first to die because I'd run out of people to trip as bait.

That being said, I thought I'd give this book a chance after reading the summary on Amazon. It sounded cute - well, as cute as a brain-eating zombie could be. And I was also sold on two other things: one, the main character's name is Angel, which just so happens to be the name of one of my best friends and two, it took place in Louisiana, my home state. And come on, I needed a break after the headache of the last book I read - one that preferably didn't involve an inner goddess fretting about the Red Room of Pain.

So, let's get down to the summary via Goodreads (seriously, you really should join this site):

Angel Crawford is a loser

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

The Characters:
I would like to start off the review by saying that I absolutely adored Angel from the start, despite the whole loser drop-out status. She was quick-witted, sharp and stood her ground. Sure, she was a bit stubborn but so am I so I don't see this as being a real fault. Don't argue with me - I won't listen.

I loved how Angel matured throughout the book. You could tell just from the way she reacted to things that she was learning how to not just jump into things but rather think them out logically. She was quick on her feet and very observant about her environment. And most of all, you could tell that Angel wanted to change, that she wanted to better her life. That she truly was trying. For that, I respected her greatly.

As for Marcus, to be honest, I wasn't all that crazy about him. Yeah, he seemed like a great guy but it always came off to me like he didn't really put a lot of faith in Angel. I knew something was up with him throughout the book although I didn't want to jump to conclusions (I was right, though) and when I found out in the end, I still wasn't crazy about him. I hoped this would change with the second installment.

The other characters were well-written. I think they played well off of Angel. Angel disliked her father for the way he treated her and you got that vibe while reading about him. Ed came off as someone who seemed like the good guy yet you were still a bit wary around him. Derrell was like the supportive older brother who also doubled as the personal cheerleader. I even started to like Nick even though he could still be a jerk when he wanted to be. All in all the characters were well-rounded, well-written and entertaining.

9 out of 10.

The Plot:
I have to honestly say that I've never sat down and wondered just what would make a good zombie plot as most of the zombies I've read about just slink along going "braiiiiins" and trying to eat every human in sight. See what Nintendo games do to you? So I can definitely say that I wasn't expecting such an entertaining plot upon seeing this was a zombie book.

I love how it was a story of discover (an amusing one at that) as Angel tried to get used to the idea that she was in fact a zombie but on another note it was a mystery plot. Someone was going about killing people and beheading them and Angel took it upon herself to find out who. The story was full of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and therefore made it impossible for me to put the book down. It's rare I finish a book within a day but I had this one completed in under 24 hours and was off to purchase the second one.

I will, however, say that I could have done without the image of her mixing her brains with tomato soup. I've completely lost the urge to eat tomato soup from now on.

9 out of 10.

Miss Rowland is by far one of the better YA writers I have read. She's entertaining, has a way with words (and descriptions - ugh, tomato soup) and knew how to write the twists and turns in the story that held your attention. I look forward to reading many more of her books and I will definitely be checking out the second book to this series as I can't wait to see what happens to Angel the zombie next.

And I now know that not all zombies are bad. Well, as long as they stay away from my brain, that is.

Book Tour: Free Kindle Book Particle Horizon

From the blood and dust of New Jerusalem, the Legion of the LightBringer wages a galactic war against those who would replace their god. Now, the time has come for the Union of Free Worlds to make a stand. The front line is the idyllic asteroid world of Angelhaven, where the greatest mind in human history has discovered an elemental power with far-reaching implications. A power that both sides will do anything to harness.

Marine commander Gomes leads the crack Union task force. An unrelenting warrior driven by revenge and a need for answers, he hides a strange ability neither science nor religion can explain.

On the other side of the war, Aja is forced to fight for a cause she doesn't believe in to protect her own secret.

Caught between them is Una, a living machine who battles for her humanity as her world falls apart.

Outnumbered ten to one and stalked by a mysterious nemesis, all three will play a role in unraveling Angelhaven's enigma.

As the Legion invasion begins, unknown eyes watch with interest...

To finish off the tour with a bang, Selso Xisto is offering his debut novel, Particle Horizon, for free on Kindle during July 4th, 5th, and 6th. Click here to get your copy! 

Review (and feature!): Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
My rating: 1 of 5 stars



View all my reviews


You know, I should have known this was a very bad idea from the moment I knew this originally began as a Twilight fanfic. I really should have. That alone should have sounded the alarms right then and there - alarms loud enough that the next state could have heard them and called me up going "Hey, do you hear those? Don't do it, for the love of all that's holy!"

But if you know me well, you know that I apparently love to torture myself. I hated the Twilight series with a passion for so many reasons that we really don't have time to cover that review so of course it made perfect sense for me to read "Fifty Shades of Grey", right? Yeah, don't question my logic because honestly, I think it packed it's bags halfway through Chapter One, bought a one way ticket to Tahiti and left me to fend for myself.

Okay, so for those who are unfamiliar with the story - or as I like to refer to as "you've obviously been living under a rock ever since these glorious novels burst upon the scene of bookworms everywhere (do you have room for me under there with you?)" - it's about a 21 year old girl named Anastasia Steele who is graduating college and moving off to the big city of Seattle with her friend Kate. Anastasia, for the lack of a better description, is a bumbling idiot who has no self esteem, tends to be abnormally clumsy and doesn't find herself at all attractive - despite the constant mention of an "inner goddess" - all unlike her perfect roommate Kate who is pretty much the complete opposite of that.

At the beginning of the novel, Kate gets sick and guilt trips Anastasia into going to interview the infamous Christian Grey for her. And so they meet - after she trips over her own feet and faceplants into his office.

You know, I could really start the Twilight references here. But I'll resist. Mostly because I don't want it to appear that I actually remember much from Twilight other than "idiot girl", "stalker vampire" and "creepy werewolf". Oh, and "three books too many".

Anyway, I digress.

So after that fateful meeting, he starts to...

You know what, I can't even summarize this thing without constant eyerolls so I'm stealing from Goodreads.com:

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.
  
Now that that's out of the way, my thoughts. Which can only be summed up with a gif. Because who doesn't love a gif?

The Characters:
I'm not going to go over all of the characters in the book as it's really somewhat pointless. So let's just cover the two basic ones, Bella Ana and Edward Christian.

Anastasia. I've literally written, deleted, rewritten, deleted, hit my head on the desk, rewritten and deleted my thoughts on her. As of right now, I just want to bang my head on the keyboard in reference to her and her "inner goddess" so: sdfjlawjerajfldsajfdavhnlakdjfaworuewopausljfc. There, that's what I think of Anastasia.


Christian. You know, I thought Edward Cullen was pretty bad when it came to stalker-like tendencies but Christian Grey definitely tops the sparkly vampire. In fact, I think I may have liked Christian a bit more had he actually sparkled. He was overbearing, bossy, rude, controlling and just downright creepy. And dare I even venture to say that he came off as abusive to me? I get it, BDSM can be hot but he really did make my skin crawl when he said he wanted to hurt her - and continued wanting to hurt her even though it was obvious she was terrified of his "punishments". Sorry, that doesn't fly with me. Ever.
 
I give the characters a 2 out of 10. Only because the author found at least 100 different ways to tell us he had "grey eyes". BAM.
 
 The Plot:
Ahahahahahahahaha. Oh, wait. You expected a comment here? Well, okay then.


To be honest, I think the plot had potential despite the whole Twilight reference but unfortunately it was a sinking ship before it ever sailed. The book just lacked plot. There's no nice way to say it. It was pretty much sexsexsexsex-a little bit of plot he...wait no-sexsexsexsex. And it wasn't even good sex in my opinion. Word to the wise - don't base your book off someone else's. There's a reason it's called "fanfiction". There's a reason it should stay fanfiction.

1 out of 10.

The Writing Style/Dialogue:
Defined in one word: Horrendous. At first, I honestly thought that the author was a teenager. The writing style was choppy and short. The descriptions were cheesy, overused, repetitive and fell flat after a while. And the dialogue was so painfully immature, especially Ana's inner dialogue. I winced and cringed every time I read "oh shit" and "on crap" as her thoughts. A 21 year old woman does not think like that, at least not one who ironically was going into the publishing business.

And we get it, the name of the book is "Fifty Shades of Grey". It was not necessary to constantly bring up "shades" in some form of reference. She turned # shades of red, he was # shades of f@$%d up, etc. We get it, it's a theme. It's unnecessary and more of an elementary form of description, almost as if she couldn't find a better way to describe something and used "shades" as a macro over and over again just to fill holes.

I'll be honest - I hated Stephenie Meyers' writing style. It was short and choppy as well. But compared to Miss James' writing? I'd read Twilight over and over again.

1 out of 10.
 
The Sex Scenes:  
Okay, I'm not one much for erotica. Never have been. But I can enjoy a good sex scene like the rest of the world. And since this book had been getting rave reviews of the sex scenes included, I'll admit I was looking forward to them.

Only to be sorely disappointed. They were so quick and dry. He picked her up, he entered it, he pulled her hair, he said her name, she orgasmed (another event that Miss James' loved adding cheesy adjectives to, by the way). He looked at her with his intense grey eyes, he undressed her, he touched her, she orgasmed. He hit her with a riding crop - ow, that hurt but it also felt good - she orgasmed. After a while, it was like she was climaxing on every other page when he really did nothing out of the ordinary to make her climax.

I won't even go into the event of her losing her virginity. That scene alone made me seethe. 

Also, can I just state that I really hate the use of "clitoris". That's not sexy in my opinion. I'm not saying that I want him to be "rubbing her womanly pearl" or "flicking her bud with his tongue" but come on. Give me something here. Although preferably not an "oh crap!climax". My inner goddess begs you.

1 out of 10.

I hate giving bad reviews. I really do. But I really hate being so unhappy over a book - especially one that is considered a bestseller. I don't even want to think about the movie that will come of this although at first I was worried about the rating. Not so much anymore. It was plain and simple a painful read. And a disappointing one.

Will I read the other two books? Probably not. Will I go see the movie? May wait for it to be on HBO. I definitely need an easy read after this. That was way too much work for one book. I've decided there's only one thing worse than reading "Twilight" - and that would be reading a former fanfic of "Twilight".

Laters, baby. 

Blog Tour: Particle Horizon: Tour of Angelhaven

Welcome to Angelhaven.

As your ship emerges from the particle displacement portal, the first thing you will undoubtedly notice is the overwhelming presence of our host planet and great benefactor: Hades. This gas giant monster is almost twice the size of Jupiter and provides us with all the raw materials for our survival and industry. Within its upper cloud decks, a great AI-controlled cloud scoop ship ploughs a furrow day and night.  It farms water, oxygen, carbon, ammonia, silicon and hydrocarbons amongst many other elements which are sent up to Angelhaven through a 3,000 mile-long umbilical. Do not be alarmed by the aurora-like firework display you see through that observation-deck window; the waves of light you are witnessing are created by Hades' vicious radiation battering against the ships' protective magnetic shield. You are quite safe.

As you round the horizon-spanning curve of Hades, the ice-moon of Clara will come into view. A lifeless, insignificant moon with few resources of any use. Uncharitable gossip amongst Havenites suggest these qualities inspired the discover of this star system to name the moon after his late wife. Yohannes Phillips' wife was indeed called Clara, but the board of AngelCorp can assure you that all founding members were fine, upstanding members of the Union of Free Worlds and her contribution to early colonisation efforts will be long remembered.

Within a few moments, Angelhaven itself will come into view. From the outside, it looks like a fairly unassuming asteroid. 15 miles-long and a shade over 4 wide, you will notice the various exterior domes and projections that give a glimpse of the class-leading industry within. From the north end cap you will see the umbilical connection to the cloud scoop thousands of miles below. At the southern end which you are now approaching, you will see the docks that lead to Angelhaven's interior.

After passing biometric and DNA security profiling, you will attend a day-long AngelCorp security briefing. As you are by now undoubtedly aware, we go to great lengths to keep Angelhaven's industry and location a secret. The captain of the ship that brought you here did not even know the displacement coordinates; these are kept on highly-encrypted keys managed by the ship AI. As you begin your new life on Angelhaven and start your illustrious new career working for AngelCorp manufacturing, you will begin to learn the importance of these measures and why your particular skills in nano-engineering and magnetic forge programming caught our recruiter's attention.

As you board your complimentary AngelCorp taxi, prepare for a somewhat disorienting spectacle! People from conventional terrestrial worlds often experience an unusual form of acute claustrophobia. The 'horizon' of Angelhaven curves upwards until both 'ends' meet, 4 miles above your head. If you feel any kind of nausea, please ask the onboard AI and you will be given an appropriate retch-suppressant to inhale.

You will be flying along the central axis of Angelhaven where a bottled sun runs the full 15-mile length of the world. Around it is a sleeve of cloud which casts shadows and rain (strictly on tightly-managed agricultural schedules) on cities and farmland 2 miles below. Angelhaven rotates to create centrifugal force sufficient to approximate one Earth gravity. You will notice that the 'gravity' is strongest on the ground and decreases to nothing the closer you get to the axis.

As you cruise within the cloud tunnel, the AI controlling your taxi will rotate your cabin to shield you from the glare of the light tube and give you the best view possible of our beautiful world overhead. Through the gaps in the cloud the first thing you will surely notice is the apparently solid band of green taking up almost a 5th of our available landmass. This seemingly solid green ring is made up of a new Union-designed wonder-crop you may have read about; Longwheat is a genetically modified alien plant making life possible on dozens of distant worlds whose hostile native biology doesn't want us there. Each long, fibrous stalk is a factory of proteins, carbohydrates and oils and almost every part of it can be synthesised into various foods or plastics.

Your taxi is now approaching the great city of New Chaldea. Perched on the northern shore of Lake Clara, it is dominated by the central, winding spiral which houses Angelhaven's most prestigious hotel for visiting VIPs and the main offices of AngelCorp. As part of your induction you will have the opportunity to sit in the low gravity board room on the 312th floor and take in the breathtaking vista whilst meeting the current board.

As you approach the northern end of Angelhaven, you will see the loading docks and a cluster of unusual-looking modules attached to the light-tube itself. This is the high-security zero G lab complex and is strictly out of bounds to all employees and citizens below alpha-level clearance.

You may also have noticed one of Angelhaven's best-kept secrets as you travel through the cloud tunnel; the teenagers flying past your window like birds are 'gliding the tube' an extreme sport pioneered by the industrious youth of our world. Using custom-designed flight harnesses, they use the peculiar centrifugal rotation and low gravity within the cloud-tunnel to perform regular acrobatic displays. These surfers of the skies are most active during the low-trade seasons when axis-traffic is lowest - wait a moment…

Wait a moment... Please forgive this interruption to your tour but an emergency announcement has been relayed across Angelhaven's network. A pair of Alliance-registered heavy freighters docked this morning have broken security protocols.

Wait a moment… You are being taken immediately to a secure location.

Wait a moment… We are being invaded...




We hope you've enjoyed  the tour of Angelhaven. We at Three Sisters and Rina's Review's are proud to be part of the Particle Horizon blog tour, all previous and future stops can be found at the Official Tour Page.

My review of the book can be found here.

Selso is offering a signed copy of Particle Horizon to one lucky tour follower. You can enter below.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Particle Horizon

From the blood and dust of New Jerusalem, the Legion of the LightBringer wages a galactic war against those who would replace their god. Now, the time has come for the Union of Free Worlds to make a stand. The front line is the idyllic asteroid world of Angelhaven, where the greatest mind in human history has discovered an elemental power with far-reaching implications. A power that both sides will do anything to harness.

Marine commander Gomes leads the crack Union task force. An unrelenting warrior driven by revenge and a need for answers, he hides a strange ability neither science nor religion can explain.

On the other side of the war, Aja is forced to fight for a cause she doesn't believe in to protect her own secret.

Caught between them is Una, a living machine who battles for her humanity as her world falls apart.

Outnumbered ten to one and stalked by a mysterious nemesis, all three will play a role in unraveling Angelhaven's enigma.

As the Legion invasion begins, unknown eyes watch with interest...




Three Sisters and Rina's Review's are proud to be part of the Particle Horizon blog tour, previous and future stops can be found at the Official Tour Page.

Selso is offering a signed copy of Particle Horizon to one lucky tour follower. You can enter below.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl by Paige Harbison
My rating: 2 of 5 stars



View all my reviews



I'll admit it - I read Miss Harbison's book "Here Lies Bridget" and whereas I didn't love it, I thought it was a decent read, especially if you weren't in the mood for anything really thought-provoking. A nice, light read for a weekend, you know?

So when I saw that she had a new book out called "New Girl", I had to get it. I had just finished a book and needed something light to read for a weekend - something that would take a day or two to read at most. And whereas this book did fit that need, it was disappointing and fell short of what I think the true meaning behind the story was.

Don't get me wrong, Miss Harbison can write a mean girl like no tomorrow. In her first novel, the main character Bridget was one of those girls you just loved to hate. To be frank, she was a bitch. There was no nice way to get around that. She was loathsome, she was hateful, she was self-centered - she was every bad quality in a "mean girl" that you could possibly have rolled into one pretty little package.

Becca Normandy is the "mean girl" in this new novel. And right away, I found myself disliking her. And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out just why everyone liked her. Were they really that stupid? Were they really that blind? How could they sit there and hang out with her and not see how fake she was? How manipulative she was? How cruel she was? I know that teenagers can be a bit  disillusioned about things but this was going a bit overboard. I just had trouble believing that teenagers are really that easily fooled.

The story swaps between Becca's story and the "new girl", whose name we don't even find out until the last chapter. Becca went missing the year before while attending this prestigious academy up north. Which in return open up a spot for "new girl" to attend. However, "new girl" quickly realizes that she'll be living in Becca's shadows, being constantly compared to her and knowing that she'll never be good enough for the people around her.

"New girl", whose name is Callie, was a likable sort. She seemed to be the only level-headed person in the story. She knew she couldn't live up to what Becca left behind. And even though she tried to stand up for herself and tell those around her that she wasn't trying to take Becca's spot, she failed miserably as the others were too set in this illusion that hung over this academy that Becca would return.

I utterly despised her roommate. Dana came off to me as someone who needed a good slap across the face  or a good shaking. The way she treated Callie was just ridiculous and uncalled for. I spent most of the book thinking she needed to be locked in a mental institution and couldn't believe that the administration would even allow her to treat people the way she did.

Blake was likable - and I'm happy that at least one of the students in the academy had a level head on her shoulder. She didn't fall prey to the whole Becca ordeal and was a true friend to Callie. That was admirable.

Max and Johnny. These two boys aggravated me so much. Although after a while, I felt sorry for Max the more I read about Becca - he truly was stuck with this psycho girl who had this incredible need to control everyone. Although I do think he could have stood up more for himself - and for Callie. I was happy to see they were keeping in touch after graduation. Johnny, on the other hand, annoyed me greatly. He had already proved that he wasn't a good friend as he was sneaking around behind Max's back with Becca. He tended to lead girls on as well - jumping on Callie as soon as she arrived at the school and fighting Max for her affections. It was almost as if he had to relive the Becca thing all over again.

As for the story, it was really choppy and short, not very descriptive. The one thing that annoyed me the most about the writing was that it came off so juvenile. I know that it's a young adult novel but to refer to having sex as "doing it" then having the characters calling each other a "fucking bitch" was a bit contradictory. So they can curse at each other and call each other names but they can't say they had sex?

The ending didn't really surprise me. I figured that it could go one of two ways. To be honest, the way it went was a big disappointing. No one ever truly found out what a cruel, vindictive person Becca was and everyone went on their merry little ways in the end. It was so unfinished and so lackluster.

All in all, I was disappointed. It won't stop me from reading more of Miss Harbison's book but I do hope that a bit more thought will be put into the next one.

Review: Awakening the Nightmare by Lanie Malone

Awakening the Nightmare by Lanie Malone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



View all my reviews

I was given this book to read in exchange for a review. I have to say that upon reading the summary for it that it sounded like something I would enjoy. And for the most part I did. Miss Malone is by no argument a good writer who can easily capture the reader's interest.

So let's start with the characters of the book. The lead character, Corinne "Cory" DeLacy quickly intrigued me. It was known right off that Cory was hiding a secret about who she was and aspects of her past which is one reason why I had trouble putting down the book as I had to find out just what she was hiding. I enjoyed this character a lot - she was strong, passionate, level-headed and caring. She took in those who needed safety and shelter, she did what she could to protect them. That in itself was admirable.

Opposite of Cory was Nick - I wasn't too crazy about him. He came off as selfish and a bit controlling to me for a big part of the book. Then did a complete 180 when he suddenly was no longer wary of a woman he knew nothing about and found himself in love with her. Whereas I'm happy they found their happily ever after, I don't think he was the best choice for someone like Cory and it came off as a bit rushed to me.

I definitely loved the cast of characters that Cory had "taken in" for protection, especially the bartender fae who despite what people may think was a large male. I wish we could have found out more about Edge as he intrigued me as well with his relationship with Cory and how well they played off of one another. I would also love to read more about Cory's father, "Belly" as she called him. Perhaps in the future, we'll see their stories expanded on if Miss Malone makes this into a series. So if I were to rate the characters in this book? 4 out of 5 stars.

As for the plot, it dragged a bit for me at first. Upon starting the book, I was a bit afraid that the story was going to follow the same pattern as many other "supernatural" books I have read and feared after a few chapters that I would be correct in this assumption. I wanted something different and thankfully mid-way through this book, it picked up and added in a few twists and turns that I hadn't been expecting. I won't ruin the storyline, though. So no spoilers here. I would give the plot a 3 out of 5 mostly due to beginning.

Cory's secret. To be honest, I had it figured out before she even told her story. This disappointed me a bit as I do like a bit of surprise when reading a book. And I think it took away a bit of a wow-factor that would have came with the admission of what she was and how she got to be that way. However, the back story was much appreciated and added to who Cory was. I would give this a 3 out of 5.

All in all, I highly suggest this book for a weekend read and look forward to other stories written by Miss Malone. A big thank you to the author for allowing me to read her novel. I appreciate it. My review was not changed in any form or fashion in regards to this.
 

Book Review: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Dreamless (Starcrossed, #2) by Josephine Angelini 
                            My Rating: 5 of 5 stars 
Blurb:
Can true love be forgotten?

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.

Review:
I read Starcrossed about two months ago, I may have even yelled at the book when it ended. Thankfully I didn't have too long to wait until Dreamless was released, some Scion fans have been waiting much longer, but regardless of the wait, we were all eagerly anticipating the release.

I, for one was not disappointed, (well it COULD have been longer but that isn't the point). At 11:30 on May 29th my pre-order copy was on my Kindle, and I may have done a happy dance in my chair.  I literally could not put it down; I had to occasionally though, mostly because I didn't want it to end.

After a suspense building prologue, Dreamless begins in the Underworld and only a few days after Starcrossed ends.  I enjoy when sequels start soon after the prior book, there is less "while we were gone" to catch the reader up on, and it makes me feel more immersed in the plot when I haven't missed much of the characters lives.

Anyway, we find Helen literally going through hell.  Every night she descends into the underworld, but with waking worlds pressure of her task and the tangle of her feelings for Lucas, the Underworld she descends to is often unnavigable.

Josephine solves this for us with the introduction of a lovely (and by lovely I mean HOT) new character named Orion.

Orion is one of a few new characters introduced in Dreamless, and defiantly the most intriguing, he brings with him a love triangle and a shadowy past which I found delicious; I still haven't decided if I'm more of a team Lucas or team Orion kind of girl, if I was Helen I don't think I could choose.

Along with the new characters in Dreamless we get a bit more time with some of the original characters, there is more development to both personalities and the relationships of the other characters, both scion and human. 

I have nothing bad to say about this book, the plot thickens, the mythology deepens, and we find out more history of the scions as we get even more attached to Josephine's strong and multi-faceted characters.  New scions and gods run rampant through Dreamless building tangible suspense, I found myself chewing my nails through certain parts, cheering through others and once or twice even yelling at a character, (mostly Lucas).

 Dreamless is a fantastic sequel to Starcrossed, and I know I'll be re-reading them both a few times before the final book comes out.

Though it is labeled as young adult, and the majority of the characters are teens I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance or urban fantasy.

Review: Hubris by P. A. Wilson

Hubris (A Charity Deacon Investigation) By P.A. Wilson ★★★★★


I love mysteries, thrillers, suspense; give me anything with a dead body and I'm happy.  In Hubris we get a body within the very first chapter.

Charity Deacon is a private investigator slash freelance journalist, who, after witnessing a mid-day murder disguised as a car crash and later accepting a missing persons case, finds herself plunged into the dangerous underworld of Vancouver.  Where prostitution, human trafficking, and the rule of Chinese gangsters is just a normal day.

Told from Charity's point of view Hubris is a fast paced page turner, we meet Charity, her best friend Lu, her friend-with-benefits Jake, and her client Val very quickly.  Quick actually does a good job of describing Hubris, but that could just be because I had a hard time putting it down.

After agreeing to take Val's case, Charity's life grows a lot more dangerous, and the reader moves a bit closer to the edge of their seat.

I really enjoyed the set up and development of the characters in Hubris and of course, the story itself.  Ms. Wilson uses an informal language and tone in both the narration and dialog which results in a plot and characters that are completely believable.  Charity isn't a badass or a magic user, on the contrary, she's kind of clumsy and she talks to herself, frequently.  In other words, completely normal.  It is this normalcy of the characters, and the situations they find themselves that really makes this book such a page turner.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good paranormal story, the unexplainable, in-human monster stalking the streets is deliciously terrifying, but the human monsters are always far more scary.

Nearly impossible to put down, I would recommend Hubris to anyone who enjoys the detective novels or the suspense genre.  I for one, am glad I had the opportunity to read it, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next  (mis)adventure Charity gets herself into.

There only negative thing I have to say about this book is that in my copy of Hubris there were a few mis-spellings, and some typographical errors which made for a bit of difficulty, especially in one paragraph where it seemed a few words had been left out entirely.  But as no publication is perfect, these flaws are fairly minor, and I still rate Hubris as a five star story.

If you are looking for a fun story, a realistic heroine, and you're alright with staying up til 3 in the morning to finish a book, than you owe it to yourself to give this one a spin.

DISCLOSURE: I received Hubris as a gift from Ms. Wilson after I'd expressed interest in reading it, and she had expressed interest in my reviews. This in no way effected my review, and the above is my honest opinion of the book.

Book Review: Particle Horizon by Selso Xisto

  Particle Horizon by Selso Xisto ★★★★★


Let me start out by saying right off the bat that I don’t read a lot of Sci-fi, and when I do it usually takes the form of a novella or short story.
At over 300 pages, 49 chapters and a surprising amount of characters Selso Xisto’s debut novel Particle Horizon, is neither of those things.  What it is is an intricately detailed, and epic space opera.

What I dislike most about sci-fi is not at all present in Particle Horizon, so many sci-fi books seem to assume you have a degree in physics or rocket science, they go into great detail about molecular fusion, particle acceleration, string theory, rocket propulsion etc that the layperson reader begins to wonder if they might be reading a text book.

There is almost none of this in Particle Horizon, there is a bit of it of course, I mean it takes place in a distant future on a planet that is a hollowed out asteroid, there are going to be a few scientific terms, and some of them you may not be familiar with.  However when it comes to the descriptions of the machines, processes and theories of this world, they are very much written for the reader with only a limited amount scientific understanding.

I found the book a bit difficult to get into at first, though it has a very quick pace, it is a very meaty book, not one to be devoured in one or even two sittings, I found that I had to read it slowly, in little bites, allowing myself to absorb and digest it as I read.  

The characters are incredibly developed, even minor characters are given a three dimensional aspect that makes you interested in them as actual characters rather than scenery or filler.

Particle Horizon takes place in an unnamed time frame on an asteroid planet called AngelHaven, we are quickly thrown into the action of an invasion of religious zealots known as the Legion of the LightBringer infiltrate and begin a systematic and bloody purge on the people of AngelHaven.

We meet a number of characters in the first few chapters, in fact the first 10 chapters or so are devoted mainly to character introduction and set up, thankfully there is story progression through out, you won’t find a five page description of a room, or a long winded set up to a short scene, and even as we are learning about each new character there is plenty of action going on and around that description.

We find out a few chapters in that there are two sharply divided factions in this Universe, there is the UFW (United Free Worlds) who have denounced the existence of all deities, and there is the Legion of the LightBringer.  The Legion is viewed by most as a dangerous cult, born from the religious exiles on the desert planet of New Jerusalem the Legion has been systematically attacking UFW communities in the attempt to eradicate those who would eradicate God.

The action starts in the very first chapter with the Legion’s invasion, setting the tone for the rest of the book.  We first meet a cast of body gliders who are staging a dangerous counter attack against the Legion, and a bloody battle ensues.

Meanwhile in a tower high above the killing taking place on the ground, we meet AngelHaven’s greatest mind and his ‘daughter’ a cybernetic woman, known as Una.  Una was created to facilitate and help with unraveling the code behind something called  “the particle horizon” and has recently completed the final string of that research. Unbeknownst to her, this final string completes the research, and allows her father access to a power that could make him a god and destroy the Universe.

Unbeknownst to all is that Humanity has reached its evolutionary apex, and will soon be judged accordingly.

I very much enjoyed this book, the subject matter was similar to other sci-fi books in a lot of ways, but the voice and telling is fresh and original. It kept me guessing and surprised me on a number of occasions.

I recommend this book to all lovers of sci-fi, if you want a story that sucks you in and holds you tight, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with Particle Horizon.

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t often read Young Adult novels, in fact, I think that prior to Starcrossed, the last YA series I read was Harry Potter and that was easily 3 years ago. Its not that I think they are juvenile or below me, I just am rarely inclined to read about kids, and really that seems to be the only difference between the Young Adult genre and the “Adult” genre, the characters are teens, the situations may not be as explicit as they would be in a book geared towards adults and there is usually a school involved somewhere.

That’s my only excuse, I like to be able to relate to characters, and sadly it's often hard to relate to teens when you’re in your 30s.

That being said, I absolutely loved Starcrossed and cannot wait for Dreamless (the second book in the series). You may be wondering how I ended up reading it in the first place, especially considering the previous statement that I normally don’t read or relate to YA.

I’m not going to lie, it was a complete accident.

Since getting a Kindle Fire a few months ago, I’ve been reading more variety due to amazon’s free ebooks, one of these free books was what I thought to be a book of short stories, but it turned out to be a book of excerpts, great way to get someone hooked on your book, and I was hooked. I think I was left gaping when the excerpt ended, and had to immediately get the book so I could find out what happened next with Helen and Lucas.

When I first picked up the story I nearly skipped over it once I realized it was about a 16 year old who was stressing the first day of school, really, it was so beyond my normal realm of reading that I rolled my eyes and scoffed a bit, actually I think it was more of a snort than a scoff, but I digress.

I kept reading, mostly because I still thought I was reading a short story but I had also begun to grow slightly interested in what was going on. By the time the excerpt ended (six chapters in) I was hooked.

Josephine Angelini, the author of “Starcrossed” takes elements of Greek mythology, and the Trojan war and creates a vivid tale of the Scions (descendants) of the Greek gods, one that takes us from the days when the gods meddled in the affairs of man all the way to the modern day, where we meet the youngest generation of Scions.

Helen Hamilton, our heroine, has lived her whole life on the island of Nantucket, though she has always known she was different, she never thought it was due to anything more than her freakish height and strength, both of which she tries her best to either downplay or outright hide.

We meet Helen, in the days before the beginning of her junior year it should be a normal year but already the island is abuzz with the news that a wealthy family named Delos, has purchased one of the largest homes on the island, according to Helen’s best friend the kids in the family are all amazingly gorgeous, Helen however experiences a visceral reaction to the family's name and can’t shake the feeling that there is something wrong about them.

Soon after, Helen begins to have nightmares, and visions of wailing old women weeping blood, appear whenever Helen comes in contact with a member of the Delos family, visions and an intense rage toward the whole family, but it is Lucas Delos that seems to bring out the worst of Helen’s sudden and inexplicable bloodlust.

A series of strange and violent encounters culminates in a mad flight through the woods and Helen learns more about herself, her family and the Deloses then she ever could have expected.

“Starcrossed” is a fresh approach to the tale of doomed love, an urban fantasy Romeo and Juliet with a mythology twist, with elements of suspense and intrigue and well developed characters you forget you are reading a story geared towards teens and find yourself enveloped in the tale.

I literally couldn’t put it down, I never expected such an intriguing story nor did I expect characters that even if I didn’t exactly relate to them, I was very much interested in finding out what happened to them.

Published in 2010 as the first in of a trilogy, “Starcrossed” is a must read if you enjoy YA books, and even if you normally don’t enjoy them you owe it to yourself to give the first few chapters a read, click the cover to go to Amazon where you can read the first few chapters and for a limited time, you can get “Starcrossed”, an excerpt from the sequel “Dreamless”, along with an exclusive personal essay from Josephine, for the great promo price of $0.99.

“Dreamless”, the second book in the trilogy is due out the 29th of May, and I can't wait, you can pre order it from amazon and find out more about the whole series at Josephine Angelini’s website, and don’t forget to enter to win an ARC of “Dreamless” while you’re there!

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. It takes place directly after the end of the first book, after Katniss and Peeta both win the 74th Hunger Games.

A quick summary: Katniss and Peeta have returned to District 12 where they are moved into a neighborhood called Victor's Village - it's where all of the winners of the past Hunger Games live. So far, only Haymitch lived there as the other victor had died.

Since the end of the games, Peeta isn't really speaking to Katniss after realizing that she had purely acted out a plan devised by Haymitch where she pretended to be in love with Peeta while they were in the arena together and promptly kissed Gale, who she does have feelings for, upon returning home. Unfortunately for them, all of Panem still sees her and Peeta as star-crossed lovers so no matter how awkward things are, they have to continue acting out the parts (even though it's much easier on Peeta as he already truly loves Katniss) by accordance of President Snow.

The victors are required to go on a Victory Tour, which takes them through the other districts where they are introduced to the inhabitants there. Their first stop is District 11 which was Rue's district. Something interesting happens here - Peeta donates some of his winnings to Rue's and Thresh's families and an old man whistles out the song that Katniss had sung to Rue upon her death, prompting the rest of the district to salute Katniss with three fingers she used in the arena. He's shot dead by Peacekeepers while Katniss and Peeta are rushed to safety.

They move through the other districts, forbidden from giving other speeches. Peeta proposes to Katniss and an elaborate wedding is planned. During all of this, the fears of the Capitol are confirmed as District 8 has an uprising. Security is increased in the districts, including 12 where Gale is brutally and publicly whipped for hunting until Katniss saves him. That's when Katniss meets two runaways from District 8 who tell her about District 13, a district that is no longer acknowledged by the Capitol as it was "destroyed" long before.

So let's stop there for a moment - and I apologize for that not being so quick but I've never been good at being quick. The first part of this book, whereas it was enjoyable, irked me. Katniss irked me. The girl that I had fallen in love with in book one started to annoy me during this book. I was mad at how she treated Peeta, how she lied to him. And in a way, I felt like she was lying to herself as well as sometimes it appeared as if she really did have feelings for Peeta. Whereas they may have not been feelings of love, she felt something for him. Yet she never actually told him this.

It also bothered me how she would run off with Gale and kiss him then tell Peeta they had to pretend they were in love, knowing that Peeta was in love with her and each move she was making was hurting him. I also don't think Katniss was really thinking before acting in this book. She was always an awkward sort but it came out in full force in this book.

Moving on, the Capitol announces that it's time for the 75th Hunger Games, which is called a Quarter Quell. It's hard to believe that it's already been an entire year. Now the Quarter Quell is treated a bit differently from other Hunger Games - there's a usually a catch. This year is no different as it's announced that there will be no reaping - the tributes will be past winners of the Hunger Games.

So it's easy enough to say that District 12 is somewhat screwed over there. They have three victors - Haymitch, Peeta and...Katniss. So Katniss is chosen the tribute by default. Peeta goes in with her after a drawing between him and Haymitch. It's the 74th Hunger Games all over again.

The  next part of the book covers them going back into training, meeting the other tributes and being placed back into the arena.

I instantly liked Finnick even though he was a bit of a playboy. He seemed like he had a good personality and would be fun to hang around with. Mags was impressive as well being 80 years old and still in the Hunger Games. Wiress and Beetee made me laugh as they came off as that eccentric couple that people would shake their heads at yet chuckle about. And then there was Johanna - Johanna was that girl you loved to hate. I could tell something was up with her from the minute she came into play.

But that's enough of that - I enjoyed the 75th Hunger Games as the setting they put them in was interesting the way it played out. I think that it took a bit more planning and thought over the Cornucopia setting and with the myriad of characters placed into the arena, it was fitting.

It was definitely more fast-paced than the first one, Katniss being removed from the arena along with others when something goes wrong upon discovering a force field around the arena. This causes the games to be halted as Katniss is removed along with a few others. They are transported to the "fictional" District 13 where she discovers that District 12 is no more.

All in all, this was a good continuation of the first book. You get to see how Katniss evolves, you love her, you hate her, you feel sorry for Peeta, you start to see Gale's personality come out and you experience the uprising begin. I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars as it wasn't perfect but it was still a great read. I highly suggest continuing the trilogy so that you will see the completion of Katniss Everdeen's story.