Book Review: Devil's Own

Devil's Own

by K.A. Fox
My rating: 3 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Delaney Murphy has always known she's the Devil’s daughter. And although the title itself is a burden, she never expects to inherit all her father's infernal abilities. When her newfound magic begins to poison the people closest to her, Laney must make a choice. To protect the world from the worst she can do, she leaves everyone she loves behind and builds a new life for herself, alone, in a place where she can control the urge to give in to the magic living within her.

Review:

I received this book as an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. When I saw this listing on NetGalley, I immediately wanted to read it. I'll often select a new book based on a combination review of both the cover and the story synopsis. This time, the cover drew me in before I had even read the synopsis. I'm generally a sucker for anything blue, and this was no exception. The combination of the hazy, almost gloomy, blue background and the super strong female central figure intrigued me. The defiant, "crazy-eyed" expression on her face just added fuel to the fire. Upon reviewing the synopsis, I figured that this story was completely in my wheel-house. Serial Killer + Demons = Awesome. Right? Well, mostly.

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The Altered have withdrawn.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 Queen Is Coming to Tea

The Queen is Coming to Tea

by Linda Ravin Lodding
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Preparing to host a tea for the Queen, Ellie and her stuffed elephant, Langley, race around the globe for the best food and drink, and also collect an assortment of guests.

Review:

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved reading this book to my kids. It was an excellent read for both me and my little ones. To tell you the truth, even my eldest enjoyed it and has read the story several times to her younger siblings since the first read. The whimsically fun cover image drew them in from the start. My son (5 y) was particularly curious about the Fox carrying the cake. Truth be told, the artwork in this book is beautifully drawn, colored, and rendered. Despite it being an eBook, all the images scaled correctly and appeared in the correct position in relation to the story text for the most part. Although the 1 or two images that appeared out of turn did serve to confuse my youngest reader. The repetitive nature (think Ten Little Monkeys) of the story does leave a bit to be desired for us adult readers, but the tiny ones loved it and even chimed in on the "catch line."

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.