Book Review: Angel in Training (Book #1 The Louisiangel Series) by C.L. Coffey

My Rating: 

Book: Angel in Training (Book #1 The Louisiangel Series)

Author: C.L. Coffey

Pages: 312

Release date: February 17th 2015

Synopsis:

After a night out turns fatal, a misunderstanding with the Archangel Michael presents Angel with a chance at Eternal Life: the opportunity to earn her wings and one day become an archangel herself.

Angel is given the task of protecting her charge, trainee detective, Joshua Walsh. There's no denying the attraction between Angel and Joshua, only Michael has pretty strict rules: no drinking, no drugs, and certainly no relationships with humans. Thankfully, she's got other things to deal with, like trying to convince Joshua New Orleans has a serial killer who is preying on other angel potentials like herself.

Angel must quickly learn that when keeping someone safe, doing the right thing is not always the easiest, especially when you've got an archangel looking over your shoulder

Blog Tour Organized by:YA Bound Book Tours

Book Review: Reawakening (The Passage of Hellsfire Book #3) by Marc Johnson

My Rating: 
Book: Reawakening (The Passage of Hellsfire Book #3)

Author: Marc Johnson

Release date: August 7th, 2015 by Smashwords Edition

Synopsis:

To undo a mistake made a thousand years in the past, the wizard Hellsfire used his magic to bring down the Great Barrier that once divided the northern and southern lands. In doing so, he nearly brought war to his own homeland, and he afflicted the love of his life, Princess Krystal of Alexandria, with a potent and deadly curse.
Since then, Hellsfire has been working in Tyree with its Elemental Council, to rebuild its war-torn land and find a way to break Krystal’s curse. Now Krystal’s time is running out. As the princess fights for her life, Hellsfire learns that the wizard responsible for the curse—his old enemy Premier—is heading to the Burning Sands to steal the mysterious Jewel of Dakara.
If Hellsfire can capture Premier and learn the secret of the curse, he can save Krystal. But the Jewel of Dakara holds its own deadly secrets, and the hunt will take Hellsfire farther than he ever imagined, and cost him more than he bargained for.

The past is never gone nor buried...

Book Review: Vanguard of Hope by Kathy Steinmann Book Review

My Rating: 
Book: Vanguard of Hope (Sapphire Brigade Book 1)
Author: Kathy Steinemann
Page Numbers: 349 pages
Publication date: February 10th, 2013
_____________________________________________

Book Review: The Forgotten Queen by Annette Mackey

"She said to tell you that Excalibur would fall silent once Avalon reaches the age of magic: her twenty-fifth birthday."

"Great," he shivered beneath the needle's prick. "Now she tells me."
My Rating: 
Book: The Forgotten Queen
Author: Annette Mackey
Page Numbers: 296 pages
Publication date: February 23rd, 2013

Synopsis:
Retelling Camelot. As an infant Avalon is stripped of beauty so that all that remains are her dra­matic green eyes. She is taught from birth that Arthur is her des­tiny. Out of curios­ity she watches him in the lake and finds it impos­si­ble not to fall in love—and yet he is the king. It’s not until a love tri­an­gle between Guin­e­vere, Lancelot, and Arthur forces Camelot to the brink of destruc­tion that Arthur real­izes what a fool he has been. Raised in the shad­ows, sub­servient to the Lady of the Lake, Avalon rises above it all to become the true queen of Camelot. She is the for­got­ten queen … and the sole bearer of Arthur’s heart. Genre: his­tor­i­cal fan­tasy, folk­lore, fantasy

Book Review: Dreamer by Jane Susann MacCarter

"Everything Happens... now in my life... in God's perfect order. Yeah right..."- Stella Denton

My Rating:
Book: Dreamer
Author: Jane Susann MacCarter
Page Numbers: 155 pages
Publication date: February 7th, 2013
_____________________________________________



My Review:

I received a copy from the author to read and review in return. 

The story starts off with a bucket full of suspense and originality, which immediately drew me close to the characters and the entire story. The story was often filled with descriptions rather than dialogues, which is practically nothing bad about the book itself, as I realized throughout and especially towards the end of the book, that this information is paramount to the events that were to come. Once I had almost reached the midpoint of the book, the action, romance, and suspense started to peak again, and I could not stop from reading the remaining 60% of the book within a couple of hours. Dreamer has such a unique concept to it, and it was the first time I had ever read or heard anything about the world the main character was thrown in. It is one of those worlds which is so beautifully molded and created by the author, that it makes you desperately wishing throughout that you were right there with the protagonist in this world. Let's get into the details!

The Participants by Brian Blose Book Review

"The decision to kill registered in the gunman's eyes. Zack just had time to notice the shift of intent before a tidal wave of thunder hit him. He felt himself hit the floor. His vision was gone, leaving a claustrophobic darkness in its place. Fear and confusion struggles in vain against the encroaching tide of oblivion. Thoughts dimmed and Zack was free..."

My Rating: 
Book: The Participants

Author: Brian Blose
Page Numbers: 120 pages
Publication date: February 5th, 2013
_____________________________________________



My Review:

When I first read the synopsis of The Participant, I had somewhat of an idea of what to expect from this short novel. Well that was totally thrown out of the window once I got through the first few chapters. This novel is full of surprises and is so much more than just what the synopsis reveals. Despite the complete contradiction of my presumed thoughts, this book was a very pleasant surprise and it was so fast paced that it did not fail in maintaining my attention. Not only due to the fact that this such a quick read, but also because it was a bundle of non stop excitement, I flew through the pages and finished the book in no time. 

The novel starts out with Zack Vernon, a very interesting and unpredictable character. He is an Observer, placed in the world by the Creator. Observers do not know who or what the Creator is, they solely know that it is their job to Observe humans and the world they live in. Zack's task is to look at how humans experience certain thing ( feelings, reactions, experiences, moods, etc) in conjunction with the type of world they live in. Once an Observer's duty is done the 'Sky will Open' and bring them to their creator, or place them in another type of world where they will need to continue Observing. This task and rule to only Observe is supposedly embedded into the brains of Observers. They are given fake memories, background stories and civilization statuses which they will have to adhere to with while Observing. Despite the fact that this is supposed to be innate for each Observer, Zack is different as he cannot stand an eternal life where he is only allowed to Observe and not Participate.

Reluctant to solely Observing, he confronts a dangerous situation at his work where two armed men decide to rob his gas station store. He undoubtedly knows that this can mean the end of his life, which is what he actually hopes for so that he will finally remain dead and be released from his immortal life as an Observer. When Zack confronts and provokes the robbers, he is shot directly in his head which is not gone unnoticed by his co-workers and the National News. This in turn lands him into a vicious cycle of unthinkable, merciless, and horrendous consequences where other Observers want to punish him for his ignorant acts of exposing himself. 

The story is written in such a unique way. Each chapter switches a point of view between Zack and Elza, another immortal Observer, who we get to know quickly in the beginning of the book. We start in the 'present', reading through Zack's eyes and experiences, and in the following chapter the reader is pulled back into the past and starts developing a story on how Zack began as an Observer and how he came to meet Elza. Not only do we get to see the development of their relationship, but the reader also slowly connects the dots between the present and the past.

Each character is so distinct from one other. Their characterization is so well formed that it is impossible to not understand or imagine what kind of person they are. I could not help but feel pity but also love for Zack. He wants to break free from his role as an Observer, and instead of standing by and letting horrible things happen to humans, he decides to Participate in the humans' lives in order to bring change and help them.

Elza is a complete different character on her own. She is also an Observer, who primarily shares completely different values and perceptions than Zack about the role of being an immortal Observer. She praised the Creator and found it sinful to go against the Creator's rules. But slowly throughout the story she cannot help but draw herself into seeing the world through Zack's eyes. They evolve into couple which defines love on a whole other level. Each of their life time can last hundreds of years, and the moment the 'Sky Opens' to engulf them into a new world, they are placed in different bodies in different locations. But despite this inevitability, they never give up on trying to find each other in the next life time and in the new world created by the Creator (can't get more romantic than that, huh??)!

This book was a extremely original in its concept and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire story, its development, and all the characters (may they be brutally evil, or heart warming good).

I must warn you, if you are squeamish to violence and thorough depictions of horror and torture scenes, then please be aware that this book does contain some violent and Rated R parts! 

Book Review: Acting Obsessed by Peter Silverman

My Rating: 
Book: Acting Obsessed
Author: Peter Silverman
Page Numbers: 336 pages
Publication date: July 10th, 2012

Synopsis: Acting Obsessed is a romance and an exploration of both sides of the thin line that divides obsession from passion. In Ginger Brossard’s life the line seems especially thin and easily crossed. As a young and talented actress with a burning ambition to be on the stage, she embarks on a career with a Shakespeare theater company in Philadelphia. An actor in the company soon displays an interest in her, but she turns his advances aside. When she meets an intriguing new man, and then receives a costly and beautiful gift from an anonymous admirer, Ginger finds herself entangled in a web of unanswered questions from the past, lethal danger, and the obsession of an unknown person who may have the power to devastate her life. In the end, she faces a choice between security and a risky chance for happiness.

My Review:

I received a copy from the author to read and review in return.

Acting Obsessed is a book filled with thrill, suspense, hot (but still subtlety written) romance, great characters, interesting historic scenery depictions and more. The book starts out quite exciting where our main character, Ginger, receives an anonymous parcel and letter from her secret admirer. A few years earlier she had received a same sort of parcel from the same secret admirer which provided the same fake address on the wrapping. The reader is immediately submerged into a suspense atmosphere and gets a taste of where the plot will potentially lead to. After being plunged into the slowly built-up suspense created in the first few pages of the book, the reader is pulled back into the past to discover Ginger's personal story to the point when she opens her second parcel and letter in the present time. As I was mentally traveling into Ginger's past, I noticed that the mood of the story became a tad too lethargic for my liking and thus made it harder for me to get into the story. This is actually the one of the main true reasons why I rated Acting Obsessed a 4/5 rating. Now, let's get into the details of this review!

The characters...

From the very beginning I liked Ginger's character. I found that she was very real in the way that she dealt with other characters and in different situations. Ginger is 'realistically' emotional which often made her disquiet, emotionally "bi-polar", paranoid and impetuous; and I felt, considering the dangerous , crazy and emotionally tearing situations she often found herself in, that her emotions and feelings were not exaggerated. The other characters, either being Ginger's friend or foe, were described very believable which made me either feel an abundance of love or an extreme sense of repugnance for them. What I also found very commendable was that despite the fact that the author is male, he still was incredibly insightful on women's emotions and reactions on certain scenarios which in end again made the story and the characters very authentic. Not to forget the romance which was very piquant but still very softly and subtlety portrayed. I loved it!

The content...

As mentioned, I personally found that the book had a very strong and exciting start, however it quickly thereafter dove into a more slower pace which secretly made me yearn for a little more action and thrill. I felt that the moments which were tense and suspenseful were quite short and I wished perhaps that Mr. Silverman focused a little more on creating such daring moments rather than excessively describing a character's emotion and background, and scenic descriptions. I felt that some scenes were described too excessively and too much in depth that I personally thought that the story was starting to lose its relevance. Even though some scenes were often too thoroughly construed for my liking, I did enjoy how the author described scenes so vivid and blissfully  integrated with an abundance of historical and factual aspects. This made me feel that the author has either experienced some of the situations the characters went through or visited the scenic locations himself. One thing which was also personally lacking for me was the depiction of some of the character's physical appearance. I was not entirely sure how to picture Ginger or some of the other characters in my head due to to the fact that no specific features were detailed. I may have missed this or it was simply not included, but I wish the Mr. Silverman had focused a little more on this.

And so...

In conclusion, despite the story perhaps sometimes dragging on in its scenic and characteristic descriptions, Mr. Silverman truly succeeded in manifesting a constant suspense ambiance and keeping the reader's attention and curiosity in finding out who the secret admirer is (I may have suspected probably everyone!). The twist towards the end is completely shocking and unpredictable and I am sure that if you would read this book you would never guess who would be behind some of the mayhem!

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a saucy romance and a very descriptive thriller which will consistently provoke you to keep turning the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more of Mr. Silverman's work!


Purchase the kindle version of Acting Obsessed

Book Review: Delirium (Delirium Book #1) by Lauren Oliver

My Rating 

Book: Delirium (Delirium #1)

Author: Lauren Oliver
Publication date: February 1st, 2011

Description from Goodreads: They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now.

Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected
with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

My Review:

Wow... How a book can drastically change your mind from doubting and almost disliking it to irrevocably falling in love with it! I read Delirium right after finishing Matched, which from my review one may notice that it was not one of my all time favorite. I was unsure if it would be a smart move to read Delirium straight after Matched, due to the similarities other bloggers spoke of... but in the end I am happy that I did!

The characters really spoke out to me. I want to prevent referring and comparing this book back and forth with Matched, however I must say that the characters in Delirium was a refreshing change opposed to the characters in Matched. Lena, the protagonist, started off to be a shy, soft spoken and introverted character. Her best friend Hana had all the 'shine' and beauty which Lena envied and didn't believe she had herself. This portrayed her to be self doubting and self conscious. The two characters lived as and in contradictory life: Hana was tall blond and beautiful; outgoing, daring, confident and brave; rich, educated and had (almost) everything to her disposal -- whereas Lena was living in a poorer neighborhood, was an orphan, doubtful and believed herself to be not ugly but neither beautiful; and she was cursed for a damaged reputation which was put on her by her mother who was a Sympathizer and a former victim of the Love desease.

In the society they live in, they believe Love is a disease and if one 'catches' this disease, they will experience several symptoms which in turn will lead to hysteria and then death. It is therefore mandatory that every member of the society undergoes a special treatment after they reach the age of 18, to eliminate the "Love disease", also known as Amor Deliria Nervosa.

What I found so magnificent of this book is how Lauren Oliver described Love and its 'symptoms' which in Lena's world is portrayed to be very negative. From my own personal experience, I know how it feels like to be in love; but also how it feels like to be neglected by love, to experience heart sickness and unfortunately as well a broken heart. The manner in which Lauren describes the feelings of someone being in love, or having lost love, is so realistic and believable. What I also found so interesting was how Lauren successfully referred to the past as the present we live in now, and how things used to be and how they have changed in Lena's society. It made it that much more dramatic and intriguing and I found myself genuinely believing and feeling for the characters and what they were go through.

At first, I was afraid that Delirium was going to be another slow paced book, which honestly in the beginning it was, but it wasn't unpleasant and it did not make me want to give up on it. I enjoyed the relationships and the connections between the characters and how they evolved to be something genuine. The developments of the characters was not rushed and the emotions felt by the characters were intensely real. The relationship between Lena and Alex was so heartfelt, I always felt excited when they were together off to doing no good, risking their lives to be together, nurturing their love and slowly, and initially indirectly, rebelling against the society.

The rising action and climax of the plot was incredible, and it had me totally consumed and gripping on the pages of the book lusting to find out what would happen next. I was completely perplexed on how this book came to an end, and I almost feel embarrassed to admit this, but the ending was so frightening, exceptional, moving, and heart shredding, that I was sobbing before I could read the last few words of the final paragraph.

I did not give this book a complete 5/5 stars rating due to the fact that it had a slight slow paced start and due to the delayed rising action in the book which only at that point made the book more interesting to me; but it is definitely a must read for those readers out there who enjoy a beautiful, hopeless romantic, and thrilling book set in a dystopian society so well depicted by the author!

If you would like to purchase this book please click the Amazon Button below!

You can also get it in Kindle Edition by clicking here Delirium

Book Review: Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

My Rating: 
Book: Insurgent (Divergent #2)
Author: Veronica Roth
Publication date: May 1st, 2012

Synopsis:
One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature. 

Book Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

My Rating: 

Book: City of Ashes (#2 The Mortal Instruments)

Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication date: March 25, 2008

Synopsis:
 Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Rating: 
Title: The City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
Author: Cassandra Care
Pages: 496
Publishing date: March 27th 2007

Synopsis:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.