Book Review: The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

The Okay Witch

by Emma Steinkellner
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

When an awkward 13-year-old, Moth Hush, discovers that she is descended from a long line of powerful witches; life becomes anything but average. With the help of her mom and a bevy of zany characters; she goes on an awesome adventure to reclaim her heritage.

Review:

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I initially requested this graphic novel from NetGalley for my 13 yo daughter. While perusing a list of new releases for middle schoolers, she was drawn to this one both by the cover art and the synopsis (which she claims to "relate to"). She asked about it nonstop and inspired me to read along.

Book Review: Tangled Threat by Heather Graham

Tangled Threat

by Heather Graham
My rating: 3 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Twelve years after a horrific murder, a killer reemerges on the secluded grounds of a vacation resort. Strangely enough, all the same payers are back in town, including Maura Antrim and Brock McGovern. A teenaged couple when the original murder happened, Maura (a renown videographer) and Brock (an FBI agent), are thrown back to together to with this new rash of crimes. They quickly find that all the denied emotions of the past have not faded. In a race to find two missing women and solve this decade long mystery, they reconnect to face the evil forces that initially tore their relationship apart.

Review:

I received this book as an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I selected this book as soon as I read through the synopsis. I recently finished my first book of this genre (romantic thriller), and I've been dying to find another. The cover also played a small part in this selection. I've always enjoyed a good serial killer or a police procedural crime novel. Therefore, both the police tape and the color scheme of the book cover drew me in. I was also dying to find out what incendiary mystery the handsome central figure had in his past. Maybe I'm the only one who would find a smoking secret in a red-yellow gradient; but hey! Where there are flames, there's fire… or something thereabouts.

Book Review: Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym Martineau

Kingdom of Exiles

by Maxym M. Martineau
My rating: 3 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Leena, a young beast master, is exiled from her native homelands because of a grand "misunderstanding" planned and spearheaded by her ex-fiancé (Wynn). She is forced to do many abhorrent things to survive. After years of skirting the line and accruing quite a bit of negative karma; we encounter Leena being targeted by a group of nefarious assassins (the Cruor). She quickly proves herself to be pretty daring by attempting to barter for her life with sed group of assassins. The book then follows Leena as she and the leader of the Cruor (Noc) spiral into a world filled with cruel truths and longing for each other.

Review:

I received this book as an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I liked this book, although I think that I wanted to like it a bit more than I did. Being a cover art geek, I found the cover to be very enticing. If you've ever read a review by me, you'll soon realize that I'm a sucker for a blue and purple scheme. That coupled with the badass looking central female figure AND the beast silhouette in the background had me clamoring for the book. It seemed that the story would be full of mystery, magic, and some epic magically infused battle scenes. I learned, yet again, that my imagination sometimes sets me up for disappointment.

Book Review: Soul of Power (Jaben's Rift - Book 3)

Soul of Power

by G. David Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

The Altered have withdrawn. With Nyala’s and Nivek’s support, Jason and the Circle appear to have the upper hand, at least for the moment. They know, however, that this is just the calm before the final storm... 

In spite of the Circle and their Altered allies, the future of Teleria still lies squarely upon Jason Bennett’s shoulders. It’s time for Taleth’s prophecy to be fulfilled, once and for all. Dark clouds are gathering, and the final confrontation looms on the horizon. The end game is about to begin, with the world of Teleria as the ultimate prize. 

Only one thing is certain: Teleria will never be the same again.

Review:

I received a copy of this book as a gift from the author. Upon seeing the note from Mr. Walker, I could hardly contain myself. I'd been waiting for what felt like decades for the final book in this trilogy to drop.

All I can say is that it was worth the wait. As in the previous installations, this book spoke true to the mage in my heart. I held on to my copy for a week while I wrestled with the decision on whether or not it would be necessary to re-read the first two books. Then last week I jumped in and just started reading. I was immediately drawn in by the cover art. Until very recently, I didn't realize that there was even a difference in cover art on the edition. My version came with a great Manarach depiction on the cover, and I'm very happy that it did.

Book Review: The Mirror

The Mirror

by Marlys Millhiser
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

In this twisting time-travel thriller, a woman faints on the eve of her wedding and awakens at the turn of the century in her grandmother’s body…

Review:

Hi all, Thanks for visiting. I've finally finished re-reading and writing this review. Once again, I apologize for any confusion caused by my earlier version of this review.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I recommend this book to anyone who is “into” the paranormal/time travel genre. Sadly, the internet goblins ate my first review of this work. I decided that a second read was warranted to be sure that the nuances of the story were fresh in my mind. That being said, I couldn’t put the book down, even on the second read. I was, once again, completely immersed in the story as it unfolded. Due to my love of all stories paranormal, I was immediately drawn by the book’s cover, and in fact, it was a major factor in my deciding to read it. So simple, yet so effective. The spooky image of a girl trapped in an ornate mirror. It’s safe to say that even before I read the synopsis, I knew that we would soon meet up over a steaming cup of coffee.

The characters, settings, and plot were excellently developed through a wide use of exceptional descriptors and “old time” language. I felt like I knew each character intimately and lived through their experiences as they did. Even the ancillary characters were memorable, from the stern Cornish mother-in-law all the way to the kooky antique’s dealer. Marlys artfully brings each character to life, as we read; we see the personal growth experienced in each. In addition to the awesomely quirky and loveable characters; the time-period references and descriptors were so vivid that I could almost see the scenes developing before my eyes. I loved traveling back to rural times; remembering that although so many hardships existed in the past, their way of living was so much more relaxed…. I suppose when it's man versus world many things are insignificant. Watching the town grow to present day technology was a treat as well. Marlys also transitions from past-time to present-time skillfully.

The heart of the story though is the development of the dual main characters. As I became more immersed in the story; I couldn’t help but worry about what the other character was experiencing at the time.

Book Review: Pines

Pines

by Blake Crouch
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Secret service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a clear mission: locate and recover two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels…off.

Review:

I received this book through the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This fell into the category of books I couldn’t put down. I gobbled it up in one day; and it was worth every minute. I never stopped to think how eerie it would be to exist in a Norman Rockwell painting. In the opening chapter of the book we meet our main character as he struggles to make sense of the seemly idyllic town, Wayward Pines, which he has been thrust into. As an added twist, he also seems to be suffering from a serious bout of amnesia. Through various interactions with the citizens, he realizes that something strange is going on. From that point on, the entire ride is surreal

Book Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

by Paige McKenzie and Alyssa B. Sheinmel
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Review:

I received this book through the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. At first, I was somewhat skeptical about this one. I wasn’t sure that a book based on a YouTube series was going to be any good. However, after viewing reviews from some of my favorite authors (Wes Craven and R.L. Stein) I decided to give it a go. I’ve got to say that I’m so happy that I decided to read this book. It was great! The plot was well developed and there were virtually no grammatical or spelling errors. While I don’t agree with the reviews that this book was scary, it was definitely filled with thrills and suspense. The use of more descriptive language would have evoked more raw fear. Still, it was most definitely creepy. As each scene unfolded the general feeling of creepiness grew. The character development was perfect.

Book Review: Shadow Shadow

Shadow Shadow

by V.B. Marlowe
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Harley receives a mysterious gift on her sixteenth birthday--a shadow box. The box gives her the power to trade someone to the shadows, meaning they will disappear and cease to exist. Harley can't imagine doing such a horrible thing and is warned that using the box comes at a price. Unfortunately, not using the box can be even more costly. Harley must make this life-altering decision as she discovers frightening revelations about the town she calls home

Review:

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was awesome. I literally devoured it. The cover art is beautifully sinister. It evoked a sense of impending dread and darkness. Beyond that, both the plot and writing style were great!

I was hooked from the first bit of prose. The situations that occurred were captivating. Can you imagine getting such a heavy gift/burden at such a young age? Being able to make anyone who crossed you disappear into oblivion? As a teenaged misfit, I would have probably disappeared half the town. There were a few moments that were mildly predictable, but for the most part I was left guessing. The story is told from the perspective of two very different female characters. The author handled the switch been the characters’ voices very well.

Book Review: The Clockwork Heart

The Clockwork Heart

by Lilliana Rose
My rating: 2 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Haunted by a past lover and left with scars so deep Libby gave up her life as an explorer, she spends her days trying to avoid bad memories by training ruthlessly with Helen, the woman she hired to teach her self-defense. Helen is beautiful, appealing, and could be what Libby needs to climb out of her past once and for all.

Until the past returns and threatens to destroy Libby, and all that she holds dear, once and for all...

Review:

I received this book through the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was immediately drawn to the cover of this book both for its subject matter and its simplicity. Sadly, the book cover was all I liked.

I hate it when I finish a book and can’t express how I feel about it. This is one of those books. I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t like it either. It wasn’t so much the story content as the author’s writing style. The sentences were short and the felt clipped. It also could use some more editing love. My displeasure doesn’t stop there though. The book as a whole is a bit boring. Although the story was about an adventurer and was packed with combat training and a horrific sadistic kidnapping it was still dry. The genre was not clearly defined, I never got “Steampunk” from any of the text until a car chase near the end of the book.

Book Review: Vector

Vector

by Vaun Murphrey
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Homecomings usually involve burgers, fries and apple pies; but that's not on the menu for Cassandra and Silver. They're launched into assassination attempts, bar brawls, and relationship drama just in the first 24 hours. Can they protect everyone they love from all comers before it explodes in their face? Find out in VECTOR, Book Three of the Weaver Series

Review:

In short, I loved this book. Not being familiar with this series, I was lost in the first half of this book. However, the author does bridge enough of the gaps to answer the most important questions my mind created. This created a sort of truce between me and the characters’ history. Once I felt like I was caught up on the back story, I thoroughly enjoyed this installation.

Book Review: 2020 Season 1 The Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Series

2020 Season 1 (Episodes 1-6)

by Paul Moxham
My rating: 3 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Who thought that January 1, 2020 would be the start of the end?

Not Logan Pollock. He only had one thought on his mind on that fateful morning, and that involved his bride to be, but in one instant, in one second, all that changed as he, along with everyone else, witnessed something so horrific and terrifying that life would never be the same ever again.....

Review:

I originally gave this book a 4 heart rating. However, I had a horrible time writing a review for it. I've finally figured out why. I don’t think I liked the story as much as I thought I did. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but there’s no other way to say it. I found that I was unable to really get “into” the story until about 50% of the way through. Once I did get into it, I was absolutely hooked. I couldn't put down the book.

Episode 1 starts off with a bang (literally) and the action doesn’t stop from there. The plot had some predictable moments but was, for the most part, engaging. My biggest issue is that the likelihood of any of the presented situations actually occurring was zero; the outcomes were even less credible. The book is separated into 2 arcs which follow the paths of brothers, Logan and Kenneth, 3 weeks after an alien invasion. One is a love/rescue story and the other a Nike/race to the bittersweet victory story. Both arcs were full of gaps that never get filled. I feel like there is a great story at the core of this book that’s begging to be told; I don’t think that the desire was truly fulfilled in this work. Aside from my various plot issues, the writing style wasn’t bad. There were quite a few grammatical errors, but not enough to detract from the core story… well, once I got into it.

I saw many reviews where character development in this book was deemed shallow. I disagree with that. I thought the characters were well developed, they were just shallow (and some, not likable) people. It sort of mirrors life, not everyone is a complex human being. I did, however, find fault with the development of the aliens. There’s a huge (picture Grand Canyon) plot twist around the aliens that’s thrown at us and never fully explained. Once that was uncovered, I felt that the aliens were just way too weak. The chase scenes and gun fights between the aliens and the humans felt like comic relief as in Mars Attacks. Even their weakness (considering the planet they decided to attack) was comical.

I think I’ve settled into a 3 heart rating for this book. I will definitely have to be picky when recommending this book. If you’re new to this genre, then this may be the book for you. For hard-core fans of post-apocalyptic/dystopian fiction, this is not the book for you.

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Book Review: To Catch A Wolf

To Catch a Wolf

by Lynn Red
My rating: 2 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Isabel Taylor was more than a little frustrated when she answered a very vague job ad to be the personal assistant of a mayor in a town she didn't know existed. That was two years ago. Curvy, tough and with more than a little bit of a naughty streak, Izzy has long since gotten used to the weirdness of everyday life in Jamesburg... but she's fallen hard for Erik's rough charm....

Review:

Phew, I can't believe I actually made it through this book. At about 12% I had already given up on there actually being a coherent story line. Since I haven't read a book of this genre since high school (by way of Harlequin) I wasn't really sure what to expect and gave it a chance. Luckily, I'm not one to shy away from a challenge so I stuck it out to the end.

This book turned out to be another of the, what I call, glutton for punishment books. I haven't read a book this bad since Glamour. The primary difference between the two being that the latter was mainly plagued by editing issues. Nothing detracts more from an already failing story than a string of missing and misspelled words. To Catch a Wolf, suffered from much more than just a need for heavy editing. The plot in this book was predictable and not well developed. Although this was a fantasy novel many of the situations were highly unbelievable. I'm new to the world of shape-shifter books, however, I was always under the impression that once a wolf mate, his selected is his mate for life. In this book, Erik, the leading male character speaks of past "mates". This detracted from the main goal in the story. Why is it important that he hasn't made Isabel (Izzy) his mate if she's just one in a string? Granted, great effort is made trying to convince us that past mates were just booty calls and Izzy is the real thing... I didn't get that. It felt like the underlying storyline was just there to fill in the gaps between the steamy sex scenes. The lack of development on the storyline was seconded by a distressing lack of character development.

Book Review: The Cracked Slipper

The Cracked Slipper

by Stephanie Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

When Eleanor Brice unexpectedly wins the heart of Gregory Desmarais, Crown Prince of Cartheigh, she's sure she's found her happily-ever-after. Unfortunately, Prince Charming has a loose grip on his temper, a looser grip on his marriage vows, and a tight grip on the bottle...

Review:

What happens when "Happily Ever After is just "Ever After"? All fairy tales promise that idyllic, all-elusive "Happy Ending." As girls growing up we all listened, completely enraptured, to these narratives. We grow up seeking that happily ever after and don't stop until we believe we have it in our grasp. But what happens when the silver tarnishes, when our Prince Chaming falls short of his gallant steed? Or, even worse, what happens then when we find our true prince in someone else? We've all imagined how the saved princesses live wonderful lives later on the happily ever after. This book completely shatters that notion.

Book Review: Rampant Damsels

Rampant Damsels

by Michael H. Kelly
My rating: 3 out of 5 hearts

What do you do when your home is in danger of invasion by a nearby rival and his demon buddies, and your leader the target of a grand assassination plot? You call on a rag-tag bunch of the bawdiest females in your town. Where do you find them? At the local pub of course! Armed with beauty, strength and a great pair of tatas; they fearlessly (or naively depending on how you interpret it) head out to right the wrongs they believe will be visited by their compatriots…through mind blasting, psychotically violent feats.

The best word to summarize this book is – what!? Being the first of its genre (coined ‘gutter fantasy’) that I’ve read, this book threw me for a loop. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first and admittedly the utter ridiculousness that danced across the pages had me constantly scratching my head. Lusty gnomes and killer squirrels are the first of a string of off the wall characters you encounter. I knew that was going to be taken for a ride, I just wasn’t sure of the destination or if I wanted to go.

Book Review: An Evil Shadow (Val Bosanquet Mystery #1)

An Evil Shadow

by A.J. Davidson
My rating: 3 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

The first in a series of books, each one taking a different crime as its theme.

Val Bosanquet, a former New Orleans detective, is offered a job as Chief of a campus PD. A Haitian child killer he helped convict for the murder of her mother has just been enrolled at the university. Val stumbles across new evidence linking the ten-year old murder to a disgraced cop and one of America’s most popular sportswear companies. Corporate corruption and Voodoo make for a volatile mix in the deep south….

Review:

This was another from my stash of free kindle books. I'm happy to say that it was a great book. An Evil Shadow is an easy read and kept me completely immersed. I would definitely recommend it as vacation crime reading.

I only gave it a 3/5 stars because at only 228 pages, I feel like it could have been a bit longer and the editing was shady.

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Book Review: Altered Intentions (Jaben's Rift - Book 2)

Altered Intentions

by G.David Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

The battle at the Scorched Plains is over and the people of Teleria can finally begin the long process of healing. Life at Lore's Haven is slowly beginning to return to normal. Jason Bennett is just glad that his part in Taleth's prophecy is finally over... or so he thinks.

Once again, Jason finds his life at risk as he and the Loremasters try to figure out how to defeat the most powerful beings on the planet. But as he tries to avoid being found by Regor, Jason will learn things that will have him questioning the actions of the Circle, Nyala, and even Lenai. He is determined to find the answers...if he can just live long enough.

Review:

That's 2/2.. awesome! I think this one was even better than the first. Cheers to David Walker for creating such an enjoyabe series. That being said; Boooooo! for having us wait until 2014 to see what happens next!

Update: December 10, 2014
I've been awaiting the next book in this series and it's still not out. Hopefully it will come out at the beginning for 2015.

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Book Review: From A Far Land (Jaben's Rift - Book 1)

From A Far Land

by G.David Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Jason Bennett never intended to change the world, his own or anyone else's. But when an ordinary family vacation sends the teenager to Teleria, an extraordinary world of might and magic, his arrival sets the wheels in motion on events that will change that world forever...

Not quite the summer vacation he had in mind.

Review:

I've had this gem sitting on my kindle for quite a few months now. I downloaded it as a freebie from amazon and always figured that when I got bored it would be "something to browse through." Oh man! I'm so sorry that I didn't read this sooner.

This was easily one of the best fantasy novels that I've read this year. I absolutely loved it and devoured it in record speed. The story line and character development were superb. David Walker's powers of imagery make you feel like you're right there in Teleria. The battle scenes were among the best depicted. I would definitely recommend this book to all who have an affinity towards mages.... and even those that don't. I can't wait to read the sequel.

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