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THE CASQUETTE GIRLS BY: ALYS ARDEN
Now I see what so many people were raving about! This book was fantastic! So I've heard people say, in regards to advice on writing, to write what you know! And with the Casquette Girls it was clear that one thing Alys Arden knew was New Orleans, but what made it REALLY burst from the pages so vividly was the fact that you could tell that she not only knew this place, she LOVED it. And this story shinned brightly because of it. The plot was a little slow progressing, but honestly I never felt bored or uninterested. The city she took such care in detailing was a character in itself, and it enthralled me, even being so devastated after a major hurricane. This city felt alive and I couldn't help falling in love it, page by page.
The supernatural elements to the story kind of snuck up on you, a little at a time, and I actually quite enjoyed the way this was done. Each introduction to something new gave you time to ponder what it meant, where it came from, and all those fun, nagging questions. The mystery just kept building and building, from so many different angles! It also worked brilliantly once you started getting the glimpses into the past, and how much of it was integral to what was happening around Adele now, hundreds of years later. I really enjoyed both the happenings in the past and in the present. I thought it was funny that as Adele was reading Adeline's journal, she developed this bond with her, she couldn't help becoming invested in these people, which was much how I felt while reading this book. I enjoyed each carefully crafted character. I loved how each one of them didn't feel all good, or all bad. They felt flawed, and real, and I loved them more for it. I also loved the brew of mystical, mythical and magical here. Every supernatural thing came together in this story in the most natural feeling way. I don't want to get into specifics because I was actually quite surprised by some of things that came into play here, and I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone else who might not know about everything to expect from this book.
I could go on and on, but really I think if you are a fan of mystery, magic, the occult/supernatural things, and just great writing in general, you should do yourself a favor and pick up this unique and fantastic book! I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next, and I'll definitely be on the look out for more from her!
Now I see what so many people were raving about! This book was fantastic! So I've heard people say, in regards to advice on writing, to write what you know! And with the Casquette Girls it was clear that one thing Alys Arden knew was New Orleans, but what made it REALLY burst from the pages so vividly was the fact that you could tell that she not only knew this place, she LOVED it. And this story shinned brightly because of it. The plot was a little slow progressing, but honestly I never felt bored or uninterested. The city she took such care in detailing was a character in itself, and it enthralled me, even being so devastated after a major hurricane. This city felt alive and I couldn't help falling in love it, page by page.
The supernatural elements to the story kind of snuck up on you, a little at a time, and I actually quite enjoyed the way this was done. Each introduction to something new gave you time to ponder what it meant, where it came from, and all those fun, nagging questions. The mystery just kept building and building, from so many different angles! It also worked brilliantly once you started getting the glimpses into the past, and how much of it was integral to what was happening around Adele now, hundreds of years later. I really enjoyed both the happenings in the past and in the present. I thought it was funny that as Adele was reading Adeline's journal, she developed this bond with her, she couldn't help becoming invested in these people, which was much how I felt while reading this book. I enjoyed each carefully crafted character. I loved how each one of them didn't feel all good, or all bad. They felt flawed, and real, and I loved them more for it. I also loved the brew of mystical, mythical and magical here. Every supernatural thing came together in this story in the most natural feeling way. I don't want to get into specifics because I was actually quite surprised by some of things that came into play here, and I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone else who might not know about everything to expect from this book.
I could go on and on, but really I think if you are a fan of mystery, magic, the occult/supernatural things, and just great writing in general, you should do yourself a favor and pick up this unique and fantastic book! I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next, and I'll definitely be on the look out for more from her!
SKY GHOSTS: ALL FOR ONE BY: ALEXANDRA ENGELLMANN
** This is the new cover! I tried uploading to Booklikes like 4 times and it still hasn't updated, so I thought I'd share **
Sky Ghosts grabbed my attention right away, it was said to be "The Avengers meets Shadowhunters" which sounded AWESOME to me! I mean, I like both of those things, so why wouldn't I love a combination of the two?! I thought the Sky Ghosts were an interesting bunch, protectors of the city and the people in it, battling against their enemies, the Beasts, who have no regard for human life and live to serve their maniacal boss. So yeah, the Sky Ghosts were pretty badass, and their story was something I enjoyed reading about.
While I enjoyed the Sky Ghosts and the plot line, I did struggle getting into the story due to the narration. It was kind of disjointed, and the multiple points of view ended up hurting the story more than it helped, in my opinion. I am very particular about multiple POVs, I do enjoy them, especially if they are there for a reason and add something more to the story. I can see the benefits of being able to see multiple perspectives. But I do believe somethings must be done to differentiate which character has the reins, whether that be starting a new chapter, or even a new paragraph, or having distinctive enough personalities and voices so that the reader can easily tell who's head we're currently in. One of the POV's in Sky Ghosts, and arguably the foremost one, was Pain, and her character was unique enough to easily tell when she was in charge. As for her sister Jane, Dave, and Chad....I struggled with them. Sometimes the POV would change multiple times within one page and I wasn't always sure who it was until later. Their voices blended together at times.
I was better able to do so more towards the end, when Chad started getting really fleshed out, but that still left Dave and Jane not being quite there.
I love a good strong heroine, and Pain, and even Jane too, were just that. You don't see a ton of stories where the women are protecting the, nearly defenseless, men, so this was something fresh and I quite enjoyed the women kicking ass and taking names!
Even though Pain could be rather obnoxious at times, I liked her, she was spirited, strong, brave, and underneath all the bravado, a kindhearted person. I really liked Marco and Skull too, they had that same tough as nails, semi crazy persona, but you just knew that there is a lot more to these characters than initially meets the eye, and you want to know more. I'm also curious about Ryan, as it seems like he's got secrets. I would like to see more of those characters in the following book/books. As far as Jane, Dave, Peter and a few others, they never quite grabbed me. To me, they weren't fleshed out or compelling enough to get me invested or even curious about them, which was slightly unfortunate as two of them were main characters.
All in all it was a decent story, and I would be interested to see the developments that take place in the next book. I just hope that the narration is a little tighter in the next one, and I think that would allow people to focus more on the kick ass story.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
** This is the new cover! I tried uploading to Booklikes like 4 times and it still hasn't updated, so I thought I'd share **
Sky Ghosts grabbed my attention right away, it was said to be "The Avengers meets Shadowhunters" which sounded AWESOME to me! I mean, I like both of those things, so why wouldn't I love a combination of the two?! I thought the Sky Ghosts were an interesting bunch, protectors of the city and the people in it, battling against their enemies, the Beasts, who have no regard for human life and live to serve their maniacal boss. So yeah, the Sky Ghosts were pretty badass, and their story was something I enjoyed reading about.
While I enjoyed the Sky Ghosts and the plot line, I did struggle getting into the story due to the narration. It was kind of disjointed, and the multiple points of view ended up hurting the story more than it helped, in my opinion. I am very particular about multiple POVs, I do enjoy them, especially if they are there for a reason and add something more to the story. I can see the benefits of being able to see multiple perspectives. But I do believe somethings must be done to differentiate which character has the reins, whether that be starting a new chapter, or even a new paragraph, or having distinctive enough personalities and voices so that the reader can easily tell who's head we're currently in. One of the POV's in Sky Ghosts, and arguably the foremost one, was Pain, and her character was unique enough to easily tell when she was in charge. As for her sister Jane, Dave, and Chad....I struggled with them. Sometimes the POV would change multiple times within one page and I wasn't always sure who it was until later. Their voices blended together at times.
I was better able to do so more towards the end, when Chad started getting really fleshed out, but that still left Dave and Jane not being quite there.
I love a good strong heroine, and Pain, and even Jane too, were just that. You don't see a ton of stories where the women are protecting the, nearly defenseless, men, so this was something fresh and I quite enjoyed the women kicking ass and taking names!
Even though Pain could be rather obnoxious at times, I liked her, she was spirited, strong, brave, and underneath all the bravado, a kindhearted person. I really liked Marco and Skull too, they had that same tough as nails, semi crazy persona, but you just knew that there is a lot more to these characters than initially meets the eye, and you want to know more. I'm also curious about Ryan, as it seems like he's got secrets. I would like to see more of those characters in the following book/books. As far as Jane, Dave, Peter and a few others, they never quite grabbed me. To me, they weren't fleshed out or compelling enough to get me invested or even curious about them, which was slightly unfortunate as two of them were main characters.
All in all it was a decent story, and I would be interested to see the developments that take place in the next book. I just hope that the narration is a little tighter in the next one, and I think that would allow people to focus more on the kick ass story.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
SACRIFICIAL LAMB CAKE BY: KATRINA MONROE
4.5 Stars
Well, I can definitely say that this story was one HELL of a ride. *Bad pun intended!* I have to admit that when I was asked to read and review this, I was slightly hesitant. I'm not typically keen on heavy religiously themed stories, but honestly, the blurb and the way the author described it won me over. Especially when I started thinking that it sounded vaguely similar, with the modern day comedic based religious theme, to one of my favorite movies...Dogma.
So yeah, that solidified it for me.
Okay, Okay, back to the story. So I went for it, and honestly I am glad I did. The hilarious plot line of a tattooed, orange haired, trucker mouthed, lesbian being the second coming, and the big G and his disciples being the heads of a huge corporation, and Judas as the ultimate anti-hero, I loved every second of all of that!
Even with the comedic awesomeness aside, the characters were compelling, the action scenes were engaging, and the visuals that the author painted were extremely vivid, whether it was the urban setting, an exceedingly grotesque foe, or even a steamy little romp. Monroe seriously knows how to tell a story. The sarcasm, and medium use of profanity were just extra little perks, like the yummy cherry on top of a hot fudge sundae.
I also appreciated that you didn't have to be well versed in the bible to get a lot of what was going on and who key players were. I would say that even a person with very little biblical knowledge would easily be able to follow along and recognize most, if not all the big names.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars
Well, I can definitely say that this story was one HELL of a ride. *Bad pun intended!* I have to admit that when I was asked to read and review this, I was slightly hesitant. I'm not typically keen on heavy religiously themed stories, but honestly, the blurb and the way the author described it won me over. Especially when I started thinking that it sounded vaguely similar, with the modern day comedic based religious theme, to one of my favorite movies...Dogma.
So yeah, that solidified it for me.
Okay, Okay, back to the story. So I went for it, and honestly I am glad I did. The hilarious plot line of a tattooed, orange haired, trucker mouthed, lesbian being the second coming, and the big G and his disciples being the heads of a huge corporation, and Judas as the ultimate anti-hero, I loved every second of all of that!
Even with the comedic awesomeness aside, the characters were compelling, the action scenes were engaging, and the visuals that the author painted were extremely vivid, whether it was the urban setting, an exceedingly grotesque foe, or even a steamy little romp. Monroe seriously knows how to tell a story. The sarcasm, and medium use of profanity were just extra little perks, like the yummy cherry on top of a hot fudge sundae.
I also appreciated that you didn't have to be well versed in the bible to get a lot of what was going on and who key players were. I would say that even a person with very little biblical knowledge would easily be able to follow along and recognize most, if not all the big names.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 out of 5 stars!
One of the things I can say after reading multiple Kira Adams books is that they are always compelling stories that I devour, typically in one day! I get so engrossed that I can not put it down until I have finished. A Date with the Devil is no exception. It grabbed me from the very first page and would not let go until the very last.
I loved the way that this story was told, alternating between the present and the past. I think seeing Bryce struggle to get her life back on track, while alternately watching how it fell apart a year previously really made her journey that much more gripping. It made you really appreciate each accomplishment, each seemingly little step, that Bryce made, because after each one you got yet another painful glimpse at just how much she had to overcome to get that victory. All of the sudden these small feats were much larger and you were cheering her on along the way.
I also really dug the “guy next door” thing going on here! Tyson was the kind of neighbor I think we would all appreciate….especially us ladies! He was a genuine good guy, and I thought it was sweet how he was there for Bryce right from the start. Even when their relationship became strained, he never stopped being there for her, and that’s something special.
Even though I had a pretty good idea where things were ultimately heading, there were still a few surprises along the way, which was nice. This had some darker themes at play here, but I would say that it was more about dealing with your demons and moving forward and never giving up. And those are some pretty powerful messages!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
One of the things I can say after reading multiple Kira Adams books is that they are always compelling stories that I devour, typically in one day! I get so engrossed that I can not put it down until I have finished. A Date with the Devil is no exception. It grabbed me from the very first page and would not let go until the very last.
I loved the way that this story was told, alternating between the present and the past. I think seeing Bryce struggle to get her life back on track, while alternately watching how it fell apart a year previously really made her journey that much more gripping. It made you really appreciate each accomplishment, each seemingly little step, that Bryce made, because after each one you got yet another painful glimpse at just how much she had to overcome to get that victory. All of the sudden these small feats were much larger and you were cheering her on along the way.
I also really dug the “guy next door” thing going on here! Tyson was the kind of neighbor I think we would all appreciate….especially us ladies! He was a genuine good guy, and I thought it was sweet how he was there for Bryce right from the start. Even when their relationship became strained, he never stopped being there for her, and that’s something special.
Even though I had a pretty good idea where things were ultimately heading, there were still a few surprises along the way, which was nice. This had some darker themes at play here, but I would say that it was more about dealing with your demons and moving forward and never giving up. And those are some pretty powerful messages!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
TUR: ELSKER SAGA BOOK 0.5 BY: S.T. BENDE
Tur was a fast and fun little taste of the Norse mythology based Elsker Saga series by S.T. Bende. I am a huge fan of mythology based books, but I have really only read a few Norse based ones. I am happy to add this book to that list! The characters were interesting, Inga and Gunnar were a great couple, I especially loved Inga, she was a fierce and powerful woman and I loved that she whipped all the warriors into shape and then went home and whipped up some tasty treats for her favorite boys. I have to say I'm definitely intrigued by Ull, which works out perfectly since he is the star of the show in the next book, Elsker. I'll definitely be continuing on with this series.
** I received this book free for review when signing up for the Author's newsletter **
Tur was a fast and fun little taste of the Norse mythology based Elsker Saga series by S.T. Bende. I am a huge fan of mythology based books, but I have really only read a few Norse based ones. I am happy to add this book to that list! The characters were interesting, Inga and Gunnar were a great couple, I especially loved Inga, she was a fierce and powerful woman and I loved that she whipped all the warriors into shape and then went home and whipped up some tasty treats for her favorite boys. I have to say I'm definitely intrigued by Ull, which works out perfectly since he is the star of the show in the next book, Elsker. I'll definitely be continuing on with this series.
** I received this book free for review when signing up for the Author's newsletter **
*JOINT REVIEW* MIDNIGHT BURNING BY: KARISSA LAUREL
Wow! Admittedly I had read a few early reviews of this from my buddies and I already had a good feeling about this book, but I still always go in to something like this with certain doubts that it will end up being as good as everyone says. Fear not, friends, I can say this truly lived up to all the hype!
I really wasn’t quite sure how big the fantasy element was going to be here, especially throughout the first third of the book. It was a slower paced accession into that fantasy element, which I was actually grateful for. It enabled the mystery to build to peak height, and then crest with a glorious turn of events that I didn’t quite see coming. Maybe those better versed in that specific area might grab the clues earlier on, but even if you’re like me and you didn’t, it was the perfect pacing to be eased into it along with the main character, who was just as naïve. I was so invested in the mystery of Sol’s brother’s death already, so when the world started to open up I was even more amped to continue!
The characters were just as alluring and mysterious as the plot. I couldn’t get enough of them. Sol was the best! I loved how down to Earth she was. She seemed to this average young woman who was kind of thrust into this awful situation, being so far away from home for the first time, and on a mission to find out what exactly happened to her poor brother. I really respected how assertive she was, even though she was scared and completely out of her element, and surrounded by a bunch of people who clearly knew more than they were letting on, she still managed to keep pushing for answers with her head held high. I liked that she was such a strong character, but she also knew her limitations, she pushed limits but still used her head in situations. She was smart enough to know when she was in over her head, or when to not be a smartass, and those qualities are not to be undervalued! I especially loved it when she ultimately decided to become more self sufficient too. It’s always nice to see a damsel in distress start to tale the reins and fight for herself too, rather than sit back and wait for a prince to save the day.
All the other characters we learned more and more about as the story progressed, and boy were they all incredible too! And I know we only have just begun to really get to know them! I seriously couldn’t get enough, the more I learned the more I wanted to know.
This wasn’t really a cliffhanger ending, but it was apparent that this story is not finished, now I just need to survive the torturous wait until book 2!!!
Jen’s (http://bookwormcoalitionjen.booklikes.com/) thoughts:
For the most part, I agree with everything that Tricia said. After the first 40% things most definitely picked up, but it was that 40% that had me questioning if I had the patience to keep on going. I even took a few days off from reading Midnight Burning, I text Tricia who assured me that I needed to stick it out, that all of the beginning stuff that I called “nonsensical crap” was worth my time.
It was so hard not to blab what I knew was coming, because I KNEW it was right up your alley! Brownie points for me, yay! lol
AND… she was right
Although Midnight Burning was slow at the beginning, once I finished I realized that it didn’t take anything away from the book. It just made it that much better and also made me realize I have the attention span of a freaking gnat.
I went into this with absolutely no idea what it was about, I had a conversation with Tricia where she fangirled to me about getting a request to review it (yeah, I totally did the fangirl happy dance when we got the email, not even going to lie). Never once did I expect that Midnight Burning would encompass one of my absolute favorite things in the world.
And no, you get no spoilers here!
I cannot wait for book 2, I mean there has to be a book 2…right??
P.S. I don’t like Val, something is way up with him. He’s got my spidey senses in overdrive!
Jen, I totally agree something seemed shady with him!
We received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! Admittedly I had read a few early reviews of this from my buddies and I already had a good feeling about this book, but I still always go in to something like this with certain doubts that it will end up being as good as everyone says. Fear not, friends, I can say this truly lived up to all the hype!
I really wasn’t quite sure how big the fantasy element was going to be here, especially throughout the first third of the book. It was a slower paced accession into that fantasy element, which I was actually grateful for. It enabled the mystery to build to peak height, and then crest with a glorious turn of events that I didn’t quite see coming. Maybe those better versed in that specific area might grab the clues earlier on, but even if you’re like me and you didn’t, it was the perfect pacing to be eased into it along with the main character, who was just as naïve. I was so invested in the mystery of Sol’s brother’s death already, so when the world started to open up I was even more amped to continue!
The characters were just as alluring and mysterious as the plot. I couldn’t get enough of them. Sol was the best! I loved how down to Earth she was. She seemed to this average young woman who was kind of thrust into this awful situation, being so far away from home for the first time, and on a mission to find out what exactly happened to her poor brother. I really respected how assertive she was, even though she was scared and completely out of her element, and surrounded by a bunch of people who clearly knew more than they were letting on, she still managed to keep pushing for answers with her head held high. I liked that she was such a strong character, but she also knew her limitations, she pushed limits but still used her head in situations. She was smart enough to know when she was in over her head, or when to not be a smartass, and those qualities are not to be undervalued! I especially loved it when she ultimately decided to become more self sufficient too. It’s always nice to see a damsel in distress start to tale the reins and fight for herself too, rather than sit back and wait for a prince to save the day.
All the other characters we learned more and more about as the story progressed, and boy were they all incredible too! And I know we only have just begun to really get to know them! I seriously couldn’t get enough, the more I learned the more I wanted to know.
This wasn’t really a cliffhanger ending, but it was apparent that this story is not finished, now I just need to survive the torturous wait until book 2!!!
Jen’s (http://bookwormcoalitionjen.booklikes.com/) thoughts:
For the most part, I agree with everything that Tricia said. After the first 40% things most definitely picked up, but it was that 40% that had me questioning if I had the patience to keep on going. I even took a few days off from reading Midnight Burning, I text Tricia who assured me that I needed to stick it out, that all of the beginning stuff that I called “nonsensical crap” was worth my time.
It was so hard not to blab what I knew was coming, because I KNEW it was right up your alley! Brownie points for me, yay! lol
AND… she was right
Although Midnight Burning was slow at the beginning, once I finished I realized that it didn’t take anything away from the book. It just made it that much better and also made me realize I have the attention span of a freaking gnat.
I went into this with absolutely no idea what it was about, I had a conversation with Tricia where she fangirled to me about getting a request to review it (yeah, I totally did the fangirl happy dance when we got the email, not even going to lie). Never once did I expect that Midnight Burning would encompass one of my absolute favorite things in the world.
And no, you get no spoilers here!
I cannot wait for book 2, I mean there has to be a book 2…right??
P.S. I don’t like Val, something is way up with him. He’s got my spidey senses in overdrive!
Jen, I totally agree something seemed shady with him!
We received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoy a good zombie story, and that is exactly what Adams gives you with Into the Darkness. It’s fast paced, action packed, and has you on the edge of your seat the entire time! It also has just enough subtly sweet moments to have you clamoring for more, that is until a biter comes in to wreck the day!
I liked the characters a lot in this story. It was a good mix of people with their own personalities and quirks. They each brought something special to the story and I want to see more of them, even the bad guys are intriguing! And word to the wise, you don’t always able to tell the good from the bad, until it’s to late!
You know how people say that they “love to hate” something/someone, well I had the reverse of that with Phoenix. She was someone that I hated to love. She’s such a strong, fearless person that you can’t help but to be in awe of her. But she also has some pretty poor people skills and is super mistrusting, and brash. So there were times when she could seem cold or calculating, but ultimately she did care about people, she just wasn’t the best at showing it. At certain points you did get to see someone make it briefly through her wall of defenses and you got the feeling that once your in her heart, you’re there for good and she’ll fight for you until the bloody end. I can’t wait to see more of that side of her!
This did end on one hell of a cliffhanger, but luckily I have the next book to start IMMEDIATELY! I suggest you do the same, because I have a feeling that once you start this wild ride, you, like me, won’t be able to stop!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
BLONDE ESKIMO BY: KRISTEN HUNT
Blonde Eskimo was such a pleasant surprise, at the absolute best time. I've been in a serious reading slump lately and this was the perfect book to pull me out of it! I was initially drawn to the gorgeous cover, and the blurb only added to my intrigue. Luckily the inside was just as magically delicious as the outside!
Probably my favorite part of Blonde Eskimo was the Alaskan setting and mythology. It was something very different than anything else I have read thus far, and I couldn't get enough! I had no idea Eskimos had so much interesting folklore. It was expertly weaved into each page of this story, and brought to life in so many incredible ways. Reading this was like falling down the rabbit hole into a magical Alaskan Wonderland, and quite frankly I wasn't ready to leave once it ended! One thing Hunt really nailed was the imagery. She had a plethora of unique and fantastic creatures and beings in her story, and each one was crafted with great imagination and care.
I also enjoyed the close bonds between the characters, and with their families. It was really neat to see how they all cared for each other and were there to help guide Neiva through the enormous transition in her life. I love when a novel highlights supporting characters too, rather than just using them as a tool to make the main character look better in comparison. I quite liked all the characters in this story. I can't think of one that I honestly didn't want to see more of! Neiva had her immature moments, but this is a YA novel, and the first book in what I hope is intended for a series, so I hope to see her mature a little as the story goes.
I am really curious to see where this story goes next! I feel like we got a decent glimpse at this wondrous world Hunt has created here, and I for one need more!
Blonde Eskimo was such a pleasant surprise, at the absolute best time. I've been in a serious reading slump lately and this was the perfect book to pull me out of it! I was initially drawn to the gorgeous cover, and the blurb only added to my intrigue. Luckily the inside was just as magically delicious as the outside!
Probably my favorite part of Blonde Eskimo was the Alaskan setting and mythology. It was something very different than anything else I have read thus far, and I couldn't get enough! I had no idea Eskimos had so much interesting folklore. It was expertly weaved into each page of this story, and brought to life in so many incredible ways. Reading this was like falling down the rabbit hole into a magical Alaskan Wonderland, and quite frankly I wasn't ready to leave once it ended! One thing Hunt really nailed was the imagery. She had a plethora of unique and fantastic creatures and beings in her story, and each one was crafted with great imagination and care.
I also enjoyed the close bonds between the characters, and with their families. It was really neat to see how they all cared for each other and were there to help guide Neiva through the enormous transition in her life. I love when a novel highlights supporting characters too, rather than just using them as a tool to make the main character look better in comparison. I quite liked all the characters in this story. I can't think of one that I honestly didn't want to see more of! Neiva had her immature moments, but this is a YA novel, and the first book in what I hope is intended for a series, so I hope to see her mature a little as the story goes.
I am really curious to see where this story goes next! I feel like we got a decent glimpse at this wondrous world Hunt has created here, and I for one need more!
RARITY FROM THE HOLLOW BY: ROBERT EGGLETON
Well one thing I can say for certain is that Rarity From the Hollow is a genuinely unique story. I'm truly a little stumped about my feelings on it as a whole. While it's wildly inventive and interesting, I struggled to finish this story.
It grabbed my attention right off the bat, with this strange little girl, Lacy Dawn and her even stranger companions. I wanted to know more about this girl who talked to a ghost and trees and had her secret robot boyfriend from another world. Unfortunately I never quite felt like I connected to Lacy Dawn, or her plight, and I'm not really sure why. If I am being 100% honest I felt that way with all of the characters. I found Dot Com to be very interesting, especially once his errrr transformation started...but his long winded robot jargon, especially concerning the Shptiludrp shopping scenarios, really gave it a monotonous tone that had me struggling to focus on the story. But, that's just my personal taste, someone with a heavier love of Sci-Fi might rather enjoy it.
I also struggled with the alternating POVs which, again, is a personal issue with me. I have a hard time enjoying multiple POVs if they aren't done in a fashion where it's very apparent who is speaking/thinking right away. It becomes increasingly hard to differentiate between voices, in this book especially, because unless it's Dot Com talking, the rest of the characters have a similar voice, at least at first glance. I know that there was an issue with some of the punctuation concerning when different people are speaking in this book that is being addressed in the future though, and that might make a difference with being able to better tell when one person's thought ends and another begins.
I do appreciate the Author's imagination in creating a tale such as this. Shptiludrp was a very intriguing place, and the plot was strong. I also thought he did a good job with some touchier subject material. And I think it's awesome that the proceeds from this novel have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s Home Society!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
About the author:
Robert Eggleton has served as a children's advocate in an impoverished state for over forty years. He is best known for his investigative reports about children’s programs, most of which were published by the West Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from 1982 through 1997, and which also included publication of models of serving disadvantaged and homeless children in the community instead of in large institutions, research into foster care drift involving children bouncing from one home to the next -- never finding a permanent loving family, and statistical reports on the occurrence and correlates of child abuse and delinquency. Today, he is a recently retired children's psychotherapist from the mental health center in Charleston, West Virginia, where he specialized in helping victims cope with and overcome physical and sexual abuse, and other mental health concerns. Rarity from the Hollow is his debut novel and its release followed publication of three short Lacy Dawn Adventures in magazines: Wingspan Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and Atomjack Science Fiction. Author proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s Home Society of West Virginia. http://www.childhswv.org/ Robert continues to write fiction with new adventures based on a protagonist that is a composite character of children that he met when delivering group therapy services. The overall theme of his stories remains victimization to empowerment.
Purchase links:
http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508
http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/books/rarity-from-the-hollow
Author Contacts:
http://www.lacydawnadventures.com
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13603677-rarity-from-the-hollow
https://www.facebook.com/robert.eggleton2
https://www.facebook.com/Lacy-Dawn-Adventures-73354432693864/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Well one thing I can say for certain is that Rarity From the Hollow is a genuinely unique story. I'm truly a little stumped about my feelings on it as a whole. While it's wildly inventive and interesting, I struggled to finish this story.
It grabbed my attention right off the bat, with this strange little girl, Lacy Dawn and her even stranger companions. I wanted to know more about this girl who talked to a ghost and trees and had her secret robot boyfriend from another world. Unfortunately I never quite felt like I connected to Lacy Dawn, or her plight, and I'm not really sure why. If I am being 100% honest I felt that way with all of the characters. I found Dot Com to be very interesting, especially once his errrr transformation started...but his long winded robot jargon, especially concerning the Shptiludrp shopping scenarios, really gave it a monotonous tone that had me struggling to focus on the story. But, that's just my personal taste, someone with a heavier love of Sci-Fi might rather enjoy it.
I also struggled with the alternating POVs which, again, is a personal issue with me. I have a hard time enjoying multiple POVs if they aren't done in a fashion where it's very apparent who is speaking/thinking right away. It becomes increasingly hard to differentiate between voices, in this book especially, because unless it's Dot Com talking, the rest of the characters have a similar voice, at least at first glance. I know that there was an issue with some of the punctuation concerning when different people are speaking in this book that is being addressed in the future though, and that might make a difference with being able to better tell when one person's thought ends and another begins.
I do appreciate the Author's imagination in creating a tale such as this. Shptiludrp was a very intriguing place, and the plot was strong. I also thought he did a good job with some touchier subject material. And I think it's awesome that the proceeds from this novel have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s Home Society!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
About the author:
Robert Eggleton has served as a children's advocate in an impoverished state for over forty years. He is best known for his investigative reports about children’s programs, most of which were published by the West Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from 1982 through 1997, and which also included publication of models of serving disadvantaged and homeless children in the community instead of in large institutions, research into foster care drift involving children bouncing from one home to the next -- never finding a permanent loving family, and statistical reports on the occurrence and correlates of child abuse and delinquency. Today, he is a recently retired children's psychotherapist from the mental health center in Charleston, West Virginia, where he specialized in helping victims cope with and overcome physical and sexual abuse, and other mental health concerns. Rarity from the Hollow is his debut novel and its release followed publication of three short Lacy Dawn Adventures in magazines: Wingspan Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and Atomjack Science Fiction. Author proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s Home Society of West Virginia. http://www.childhswv.org/ Robert continues to write fiction with new adventures based on a protagonist that is a composite character of children that he met when delivering group therapy services. The overall theme of his stories remains victimization to empowerment.
Purchase links:
http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508
http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/books/rarity-from-the-hollow
Author Contacts:
http://www.lacydawnadventures.com
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13603677-rarity-from-the-hollow
https://www.facebook.com/robert.eggleton2
https://www.facebook.com/Lacy-Dawn-Adventures-73354432693864/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
BRAINEATER JONES BY: STEPHEN KOZENIEWSKI
This is NOT your average zombie novel! As much as I love the standard zombie thing, I really enjoyed this story! I mean what's not to like...undead that stave off munching brains by consuming alcohol, a surly zombified private dick fumbling through piecing things together, a brothel, talking heads (seriously only a HEAD), robots, voodoo, bootleggers, Nazis and pretty much any other thing you didn't even know you wanted!
I loved the zombies! It was really different to see them still have most of their mental faculties in their undeath. They do suffer from a bout of temporary amnesia upon first waking up in their afterlife, which only adds to the suspense and fun of them trying to figure out who they are, why they're kind of alive, and what the hell to do now that they are naked in a swimming pool with a gapping hole in their chest.
It was so entertaining to see Braineater Jones (yes that is his name...that he gave to himself) throwing himself into bad situation after bad situation trying to figure things out. All the while trying to stay hopped up on enough hooch to not turn into a real braineater. Oh yeah, did I mention that there's the whole problem of alcohol being really freaking hard to come by?
I love the whole noir vibe too. Think Sin City in the 1930's, with a real undead problem. Just awesome. The lingo, the feel, the cesspool of a city, I dug it all, in a big freaking way.
I also appreciated the humor. Kozeniewski has a wry sense of humor, and it really fits perfectly in this story. There are so many other things I could say about this book, but 75% of the fun of it was being shocked by what was happening next. It was clever, funny, surprising, grisly, morbid, unique, and about 100 other awesome things.
On a side note, can someone please make this into a graphic novel, cause that would be some next level stuff! And yes....please judge this book by it's cover, because it's equally as badass inside.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is NOT your average zombie novel! As much as I love the standard zombie thing, I really enjoyed this story! I mean what's not to like...undead that stave off munching brains by consuming alcohol, a surly zombified private dick fumbling through piecing things together, a brothel, talking heads (seriously only a HEAD), robots, voodoo, bootleggers, Nazis and pretty much any other thing you didn't even know you wanted!
I loved the zombies! It was really different to see them still have most of their mental faculties in their undeath. They do suffer from a bout of temporary amnesia upon first waking up in their afterlife, which only adds to the suspense and fun of them trying to figure out who they are, why they're kind of alive, and what the hell to do now that they are naked in a swimming pool with a gapping hole in their chest.
It was so entertaining to see Braineater Jones (yes that is his name...that he gave to himself) throwing himself into bad situation after bad situation trying to figure things out. All the while trying to stay hopped up on enough hooch to not turn into a real braineater. Oh yeah, did I mention that there's the whole problem of alcohol being really freaking hard to come by?
I love the whole noir vibe too. Think Sin City in the 1930's, with a real undead problem. Just awesome. The lingo, the feel, the cesspool of a city, I dug it all, in a big freaking way.
I also appreciated the humor. Kozeniewski has a wry sense of humor, and it really fits perfectly in this story. There are so many other things I could say about this book, but 75% of the fun of it was being shocked by what was happening next. It was clever, funny, surprising, grisly, morbid, unique, and about 100 other awesome things.
On a side note, can someone please make this into a graphic novel, cause that would be some next level stuff! And yes....please judge this book by it's cover, because it's equally as badass inside.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.