Review: Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade

Note: I received my copy from NetGalley

Genre
Fantasy


Series
Darkness Falls (Book 1)

Publication Date
May 13th, 2011

Publisher
Curiosity Quills Press 

Available At
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Format
Paperback
Ebook




“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.”—Katriona Wilde.

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she’s dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. Kate’s forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, and it’s full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will Kate discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!


This is a book where I don't want to give a single detail away because even an iota of extra information will ruin the process of discovery. This book is beyond stellar. The world that Krystal Wade introduces us to in Wilde's Fire will lead you on an adventure of fantasy and romance with evil forces coming out to play. 


Each character is strong, important, and well placed. They each have a part to play, never falling into the background or becoming see-through. The female protagonist, Kate, has moments of extreme difficulty, but her determination is powerful. She refuses to sit back and let life lead, she takes those ever present struggles and battles them. She was amazing to read about.


I loved the foreshadowing that will become more apparent (I'm guessing) as the series continues. Stories that are rich in subtle yet in-your-face little details always succeed in capturing my attention. You know those details, the ones that plant little seeds into your brain that can sprout before the confirming information or sometimes holding back until it all clicks into place. I love those!


Krystal Wade is an author that will captivate each reader by the power of the world she has created. Wilde's Fire is a must read, don't miss out!

Review: Nocturnal by Chelsea Cameron

Thank you Chelsea Cameron for the opportunity to review Nocturnal!

Genre

YA Paranormal Romance

Series

Noctalis Chronicles (Book 1)

Publication Date

February 2012

Publisher

DRC Publishing

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Format

Ebook

Seventeen-year-old Ava-Claire Sullivan isn't one for doing the expected. Especially when she finds out her mother's cancer is terminal. After a crying session in the local cemetery where she's attacked by one strange guy and saved by another, she doesn't call the cops. Because those guys definitely weren't your average hooligans. 


And the one who sort-of saved her? Well, he's odd. He doesn't seem to breathe or smile or have anything better to do than wait in the cemetery for Ava to come back. Which she does. Call it morbid curiosity. Even after he warns her that he's dangerous, she can't stop wanting to see him, talk to him, be with him.


There's something about Peter that provides a much-needed escape from her mother's diagnosis and her tenuous relationship with her father. Even her best friends Jamie and Texas don't know what it's like to face death. But Peter does. He already has. He also made a promise a long time ago that could destroy both of them.


When everything in your life is falling apart, what are you willing to give up to hold onto the one thing that could last forever?


Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

"My mind goes to some strange places sometimes."

There are so, so many great aspects to Nocturnal that escalated my reading experience!


One. Chelsea Cameron took the ever popular vampires and spun them into a unique species that captivated me. They are unlike any vampires that I have ever read about and I'm more than interested to learn more about their history.


Two. Ava-Claire Sullivan. Period. She's an amazingly sarcastic, feisty and funny female protagonist that completely entranced me. There are so many lines that I highlighted for many different reasons, but most of all because they struck a chord in me. Chelsea Cameron managed to capture characteristics of a REAL person and portrayed them in a way that brought life to Ava. Here and there I became frustrated with Ava, but this wasn't an author induced flaw, it was more of how Ava chose to handle (or really not handle them) that frustrated me. I actually welcomed the frustration though, because it made Ava even more fleshed-out.

"I just listen and replay the moment when Peter pulled the rug out from under the normal world. Hell, he ripped up the floor of the real world, showing me a basement I didn't know was there, full of creatures I never thought existed."

Three. Tex and Jamie. Simply awesome supporting characters where the loyalty and friendship is palpable. Tex is just something else, she's crazy fun with a somewhat erratic personality but she's so lovable. Tex and Ava fit perfectly together, they are soulmate friends. Chelsea Cameron captured the essence of their deep friendship that they've had since 1st grade. Jamie is also a great character, but he's the more subdued of the three. More serious, but still readers will be falling for him. He's not in Nocturnal a whole lot, but I hope to see more from him in Nightmare (the second book). 


Four. The slow budding romance. It's set at a more natural pace that I greatly appreciated. Peter and Ava appear more intrigued with each other at first and then it starts to evolve into something more.


Five. The snippets that we get from Peter. Am I a male perspective fan? Do you even need me to answer that question? I love being able to get into the male leads head anyway possible. Chelsea Cameron supplied me with that desired male perspective with those little snippets. They successfully added more depth to his character which was needed since he's prone to one-word answers when asked a question. He's quite intriguing despite the one-wordedness and I really want to know more about his life as a Noctalis.


With all that said, I did have some minor issues with some things. There were more than a few grammatical errors, but they honestly never hindered my reading, they were just mild annoyances. Also, there was an inconsistency with a name (not major since she wasn't in the story, just mentioned). Overall, I really enjoyed Nocturnal, more than appreciated the new take on vampires, and am very eager to see where the series will lead. 


Recommended to YA readers who enjoy vampires, want a new breed of vampires, or YA readers who love paranormal romance. Plus, Nightmare (the second book) is already out, so you won't have to wait to continue the adventure!

Review: Infinite Sacrifice by L.E. Waters

Genre

Reincarnation Fantasy


Series
Book 1 of the Infinite Series

Publication Date

November 2011

Publisher

Rock Castle Publishing

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Formats

Ebook

Paperback

Maya’s shocked to discover it’s not the heaven she imagined;in fact, a life of adventure begins the moment you die.

Zachariah, her faithful spirit guide, explains the rules of the dead: in order to regain complete awareness and reunite with loved ones all souls must review their previous lives.


Maya plunges warily into her turbulent pasts as a sociopathic High Priest in ancient Egypt; an independent mother protecting a dangerous secret in glorious Sparta; an Irish boy kidnapped and enslaved by Vikings; and a doctor’s wife forced to make an ethical stand in plague-ridden England.


All the while, Maya yearns to be with those she cares about most and worries that she hasn’t learned all of heaven’s most vital lessons. Will she be forced to leave the tranquility of heaven to survive yet another painful and tumultuous life? Or worse, accept the bitter reality of having to go back alone?


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!


I'm a details person, what can I say? I love the tiny details of a story that make it complete. Infinite Sacrifice is about all those small details, so I was in heaven!


When L.E. Waters contacted me for a review, I was supremely intrigued by the blurb. Reincarnation will always fascinate me, then she succinctly pointed out out that one life involves vikings. Now, they are Dane's not Norwegian, but vikings are vikings so I was even more interested. With that said, I was mildly hesitant only because I wasn't sure how all the lives were going to be combined into one soul without confusion (that's what I get for reading reviews prior to reading a book, I usually read them after I've read the story because I don't like going into a book with preconceived notions). I was wrong to be hesitant, so very wrong! 


I was quickly entranced by the writing style as I partook in this unique, fascinating adventure. L.E. Waters captures scenery and dialogue with such ease that it's easy to picture in your head, everything rolls naturally. No stilting, no rushing, no forcing. There are a lot of details to take in as we visit four of Lazrina's (soul name) lives, but I found those details to be easy to keep track of (see, preconceived notion that it would be confusing). It wasn't confusing in the least, but then again, I pride myself on having an eye for those kind of details. Any small details, really. Also, L.E. Waters graciously supplies a chart at the end of each life to help the reader keep track of who was who within those four lives. It also helps that we visit each life one after the other without unnecessary spacing. It helps keep the people, or rather their souls, fresh in the readers mind. It also helps that each soul has at least one thing that helps identify them with each new life. You'll see once you read the book.


The concept was well-crafted, tightly woven together so there weren't any gaping holes. Everything fit together perfectly, like matching puzzle pieces. I cannot even imagine how much time went into Infinite Sacrifice, between the researched history and piecing together the lives of not only one person, but the supporting characters as well. It's really four mini stories rolled into a bigger story where everything ties together to make a compelling tale about the lessons a soul learns throughout their existence. I loved piecing together the tiny pieces to figure out who was positive, negative or neutral, but all influencing Lazrina's soul. 


One of the best parts is that L.E. Waters delivers history in a factual sense. She didn't romanticize it, which I greatly appreciated. She wrote about the ways of each life, never masking the ugly with pretty words to disguise the harsh facts. If you betrayed a law, you were killed. If you were a slave, you were owned, with few (if any) sympathizing with you. If you were a female, you had no power, often judged by who you married, owned by the man you married. The harsh realities of history were in your face, and I liked that! 

If you enjoy history, read Infinite Sacrifice. If you enjoy reincarnation, read Infinite Sacrifice. If you want a unique, one-of-a-kind story, read Infinite Sacrifice. Or how about you just read Infinite Sacrifice? It's an absolutely amazing story! And, lucky for us, Infinite Devotion (the second book) is already out!

Review: Reflection by Jessica Roberts

Thank you to Shut Up & Read(Goodreads) along with the author for the opportunity to read this book

Genre

YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date

February 17th, 2012

Publisher

S/P

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Format

Ebook

Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college. Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.


But when her dreamy college life turns out to be nothing more than a wonderful dream while resting in a coma, questions threaten. 


Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind. What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance.


And when it’s all over and she comes face to face with the truth, will she lose everything she’s fallen in love with?


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!


Reflection is an incredibly rich story that takes you on a tender adventure of a deep resonating love. An original concept that's purely addictive with characters that stick with you past the last page.


Wrapped in an emotional situation, you are eager yet hesitant to figure out what is real and what is embellished imagination. Heather has become one of my all-time favorite female protagonists. As we travel through her memories right along with her, it's easy to form a connection. It's easy to experience the range of emotions that she experiences. She's just as described as above in the blurb, bright and spunky. She's silly, she's heart-felt, she's cautious, she's many, many things that all roll together to produce an extremely well-developed, jump-out-of-the-page character. 


Nick Richards is that mysterious, gorgeous guy that will amaze you with the depth that Jessica Roberts layered within his character. He's not just a pretty face, he's smart and in school for a reason. I was constantly entranced with his character, but more so by Heather and Nick together. After all, this is a love story, but one that could be purely fictitious inside Heather's mind. 


Jessica Roberts expertly transports the reader within the pages of Reflection with her seamless prose, captivating, realistic characters, and heart-tugging story. This is a story that you are going to want to get lost in. I was beyond transfixed, easily devouring the savory details. 

"Though I enjoyed the energy of morning, the spice of daytime, and the sense of accomplishment that came with evening, there was nothing that pumped me more than the dark blue vigor of nighttime"

Reflection is the type of book, for me, that my mind will always return to. A book that will stay in the forefront of my mind even after I get swept away by another great book. I cannot shake these characters or the story, and quite frankly, I don't want to. They can happily reside in my mind because Reflection is a book that warrants many re-reads just to experience the mind-tickling happiness, heart-stopping sadness and the vibrating eagerness that Reaction(the second book) will be out in Fall of 2012. And believe me, you are going to wish with all your might that the next book was already out.


Highly, highly recommended to all. A book that is soon going to be on A LOT of to-read lists, if it isn't already!

Review: The Weepers: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book

Genre

YA Post-Apocalypse

Publication Date

May 15th, 2012

Publisher

Marshall Cavendish

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Format

Hardcover

Ebook

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life.


Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.


Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.


While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.


Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


A great book, but at the same time there was just something holding me back from completely loving it. There are definitely great moments and aspects, though.


Zombies, yes! But these aren't your regular zombies, they are different which brought a uniqueness to the story that kept it interesting. Also, Sherry was a different yet great character. She is a brave and determined individual that most readers will appreciate, but at the same time she isn't completely bad-ass, she can't really even shoot a gun to save herself. But that works for her, she had me captivated and to be honest, it's a little more realistic than automatically becoming a fighting guru in the blink of an eye. Sherry also has a quirky counting habit that just adds to her character as it becomes her coping mechanism. Susanne Winnacker adds in little snippets of Sherry's 'other life' at the end of each chapter. It was a great way to reveal Sherry in a way that highlighted the slight yet significant changes that took place due to witnessing the aftermath of the rabies virus.


I wish there was a little bit more romance, but that doesn't hinder the reading experience at all. Sherry is only 15, so it makes sense. And also, it came off as more realistic as a hesitant friendship that kept growing into something more. Joshua was by far my favorite character. He has such depth that he's easy to like. Also, another favorite is Tyler, but he isn't in many scenes, but it's those scenes and the story of his past that just made me want to know all about him. I hope he gets a bigger part in the books to come. One thing that bothered me was the fact that I never knew Mia's age (Sherry's little sister), I knew that she was was a lot younger, but there was never any indication until about three-quarters of the way through. It wasn't a huge negative, but it did interrupt slightly because I felt that I wasn't accurately picturing her in my head.


The Weepers wasn't lacking in action, or mystery, that's for sure. The plot took unexpected turns that I didn't see coming, but it just needed a little more 'oomph', in my opinion. Still a great read that I recommend to any and all zombie lovers. I'm eager to know what direction the story will go since the ending hints at something without making it definitive.

Review: What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy from NetGalley

Genre

YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date

May 11th, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At
Amazon

Format

Paperback
Ebook

Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat. 

His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.


When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it.


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!

Jake Hayes is a stand-out character. His voice is injected with a raw honesty, his words are genuine in a way that is often hard to bring forth, but Keary Taylor does this with such perfection in a writing style that reveals the true voice of this character as it reads as if it comes from Jakes very own mind. 

" . . .came back with a stack of fifteen notebooks, a rainbow of colored covers.

I just shook my head when she set them down.

My paper voice."

The characters in What I Didn't Say are real. Real characters with little details that make them that much more real. The anti-tourist attitude of the populating teens, the way they start some sentences with 'k', the blunt honesty of Jakes little brother, the red notebook that is solely Sam's and Jake's. Those little things make a story complete, they are necessary, but often over-looked. I relish those little details that turn a story of words into a story of people, even if they are fictous.

"I'm okay, Mom, I wrote. You don't have to stay.

'No sweetie,' she said. 'You're not okay. And I'm not going anywhere.'"

What I Didn't Say is powerful, tear-jerking, thought-provoking, and eye-opening. It's emotional and intense, yes. But it's done in a way that doesn't focus on the tragedies, it's about overcoming those tragedies that life can and will throw at you, some of your own doing and others completely out of your control. The story is about the decision of choosing what are you going to let prevail. The clawing darkness or the lifting light. That's why What I Didn't Say is brilliantly awesome. There's hope. A tiny sliver of light that keeps growing as the pages grow fewer and fewer.

"My screwed up little life felt pretty perfect"

This is a story that will be going into my favorites pile. A must read for teens, a must read for ALL readers, regardless of gender. A beautifully captivating story that not only needed to be told, but NEEDS to be read. Keary Taylor bravely shares a little piece of her life that she was hesitant to share in her at the end in her Author's Note. I commend her for her bravery and will share a statement that will always stick with me.

"So when life seems impossible, when it seems so bad that you can't go on, just stop for a second to take a look at all the things that you do have. I bet the list will grow pretty fast. And even if it doesn't you have the power to decide if you're going to let the bad or the good take control of your life."

Review: Wishing For Someday Soon by Tiffany King

Genre

YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date

March 25th, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Format

Ebook

Paparback

Seventeen year old Katelyn Richards is a stronger person than anyone will ever know, and that is just the way she wants it. Behind her normal facade lies the reality of a broken home life. Thanks to her abusive mother, a string of deadbeat stepfathers, and an unsympathetic system, Katelyn has learned that the only one she can count on is herself. Her life’s mission has become to shield her nine year old brother, Kevin, and to give him the future that they both wish for. A life with no more abuse, no worries about where their next meal will come from, and no more wondering if they will have a roof over their heads. 
When her mother moves them again, this time to a small town in Montana, Katelyn’s resolve is shaken when she meets Max, a cute boy from her new school, who gets a glimpse into her real world. Max slowly manages to break through Katelyn’s wall of distrust, stirring up feelings she never saw coming. Now with her world more complicated than she ever intended, Katelyn struggles with the decision to follow her heart into the arms of the first boy she has ever loved. A decision that could risk the promise she made to protect Kevin, and to give them the ‘someday soon’ that is so close within their grasp.


Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

As soon as I found out about Wishing For Someday Soon I instantly went on Amazon and purchased it, it was just one of those books that called out to me. It then sat in my Kindle haunting me as I tried to ignore it and get through a pile of books so I could reward myself with reading it. I'm not very disciplined. One night I just couldn't ignore it so I snatched up my Kindle and began reading.

I was swept away, for the most part. There were just a few aspects that fell a little flat for me. The part that had my heart clenched and eyes filling with tears was the sibling relationship between Katelyn and Kevin. It was so unbearably sweet and sad all at the same time. Kevin absolutely made the story, in my eyes. His maturity and innocence rolled into the heart-tugging package of a little boy.  Katelyn was a great character as well, I loved how she was determined to stay strong all for the sake of her little brother. They were all great characters, really. I never found them flawed beyond their characteristics.

The romance was set at a perfect pace. It helped lend a feeling of hope and happiness to a sad story that sometimes resonated hopelessness through Katelyn. I absolutely loved Max, and their budding relationship was so natural most of the time. The only downfall, for me, was that sometimes the conversations between Max and Katelyn were not natural. Maybe it was the wording and the way that it came off, it just didn't flow with me, it didn't portray the proper amount of emotion and frustration that I should have felt during these conversations. It was almost as if they were scenes that were over-thought, too over done.  It was the only thing that bothered me, but it's a big thing when it comes to a book that focuses on romance. The only reason why it's not getting 5 stars.  

Tiffany King is a strong author that has the power to write fabulous stories that pull you in via characters and well thought-out plots. Wishing For Someday Soon is the perfect story for most readers, it makes you feel, it makes you think and most importantly it shows you that hope and love can appear in unlikely situations that can unravel a perfectly placed facade.