Wednesday, 3 September 2014

(ARC) Book Review (381): Blackbird (Blackbird Duology #1) - Anna Carey


Blackbird (Blackbird Duology #1)

by 
Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  IndieBound
Blackbird is the first book in an all new duology, an action packed, thrilling mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you make your way through this exciting story and discover the memories and reasons for the heroine's amnesia along with her and the meaning of the blackbird tattoo on her wrist.

Waking up on the train tracks with no memory of how she got there or who she is, she soon finds herself on the run, being tracked and hunted by not only the police but total strangers as well, with the help of a boy Ben that she meets, at the beginning of the book she begins a journey to discover who she was and why total strangers are so intent on killing her.

We're left with a shock twist at the end that left me totally gobsmacked, and has me desperately wanting the next book.

A fast paced and quick read, that while told in second person perspective took some time to get used to, but was thoroughly enjoyable.

I give this 4/5 stars.


Anna Carey is the author of The Eve Trilogy (Eve, Once, Rise) and the forthcoming Blackbird series, which hits shelves September 16th, 2014. She studied creative writing at NYU and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She likes miniatures, subway generated wind, flea markets, chalkboard silhouettes, dance-offs, arnold palmers, Chinese finger traps, and top-of-your-lungs car singing. She dislikes pennies, paper receipts, and tunafish. For delayed response times, please contact her through this site. For instant gratification, please find her on twitter. @AnnaCareyBooks

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Monday, 1 September 2014

(ARC) Book Review (380): Messenger Of Fear (Messenger Of Fear #1) - Michael Grant


Messenger of Fear (Messenger of Fear #1)

My Thoughts.
Messenger Of Fear is the first book in an all new series, an unputdownable, nail-biting read, full of darkness, set in a world where people who do wrong are visited by the Messenger Of Fear, forced to chose between playing a game where if you survive you go free, if you don't well you will be forced to endure your biggest fear, it's the same if you refuse to play the game.

Mara who woke up in a field and has no idea of who or where she is, is horrified to learn that she is the Messenger's apprentice,  forced to watch as people are punished for their crimes but at the same time sickened by these people's actions and the people they have hurt, she will be shown three different cases once they are over she will learn how she came to be where she is and why.

While the punishments may seem graphic it goes with the story, these are also meant to be lessons that Mara is to learn, justice needs to be served to those who take it upon themselves to hurt and harm others, once Mara learns her real story she'll understand.

This book was a one sitting read for me, as soon as I picked it up I was absorbed in this book and desperate to get to the end and discover why there was such a big cover up with Mara's memories, and boy was there a twist that was quite a big shock, and that I never would have anticipated, but so well done.

This was my very first Michael Grant book and I loved it, I must move his Gone series up on my TBR list, if that series is anywhere near as good as this book was I'm sure I'll be hooked in no time, I'm extremely anxious to get my hands on the next book, I need to know what happens next with Mara and Messenger.

A fantastic story, great concept and intriguing characters.

I give this 5/5 stars.


wasn't me, that was someones else. 

I had a hard childhood. Hard for my parents. Not that bad for me. I was an Army brat, moved around a lot. Then I didn't settle down. I just kept moving. Why? What inner turmoil drove me? Mmmm, I gotta say none. I just have a short attention span. Easily bored. 

I'm living in Tiburon, CA right now. How much longer? Don't know.

I've written 150 books. That's right, I said 150. In your face, Stephen King. Granted, mine are shorter than his. And less popular. And less likely to be made into a major motion picture. And I guess i don't play in a band with Dave Barry, either, do I? 

Sorry: Salieri complex acting up.

Most of those books -- and by "most" I mean 149 out of 150 -- I wrote with my wife, the lovely, the talented, the eternally hot, Katherine (K.A.) Applegate. We've been together for 29 years. Which is a long time. Looooong time. Sweet lord what a long . . . No babe, I'm not implying anything.

Damn internets: you never know who's reading things.

Anyway, GONE. My goal in writing GONE? To creep you out. To make you stay up all night reading, then roll into school tired the next day so that you totally blow the big test and end up dropping out of school. 

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Saturday, 30 August 2014

(ARC) Book Review (379): A New Darkness (The Starblade Chronicles #1) - Joseph Delaney


A New Darkness (The Starblade Chronicles #1)

Publication: 2nd September 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 416
Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
A chilling new trilogy from the author of the internationally bestselling The Last Apprentice series! Tom Ward is an apprentice no longer—now he is a fully fledged spook battling boggarts, witches, and other creatures of the dark. This three-book arc will introduce brand-new readers to Joseph Delaney’s haunting world, and delight longtime fans.

Tom Ward is the spook, the one person who can defend the county from ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, witches, and other bloodthirsty creatures of the dark. But he’s only seventeen, and his apprenticeship was cut short when his master died in battle. No one trusts Tom’s skill, not till he’s proven himself. And a fifteen-year-old girl named Jenny knows more about the three mysterious deaths in the county than Tom does. She is a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter and she wants to be Tom’s first apprentice—even though a female spook is unheard of. Together, Tom and Jenny will uncover the grave danger heading straight toward the county, and they’ll team up with a witch assassin to confront it.

A New Darkness begins a three-book series that will introduce new readers to Joseph Delaney’s deliciously scary imagination and delight his longtime fans. A New Darkness is perfect for every reader who loves thrills, chills, action, and adventure-no prior knowledge of the Last Apprentice series necessary! 

The Last Apprentice series, the first internationally bestselling series about Tom Ward, is soon to be a major motion picture, Seventh Son, starring Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Olivia Williams, Antje Traue, Djimon Hounsou, and Julianne Moore as Mother Malkin.
My Thoughts.
A New Darkness is the first book in an all new trilogy, which is a spin-off of The Last Apprentice series, focusing on Tom Ward the apprentice of the original series.

Tom is now the official spook of Chipenden, tasked with eliminating any boggarts, witches and other creatures that are here to harm humans, he has reluctantly taken on an apprentice of his own, one of the first spooks to have a female apprentice, a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter Jenny who has her own set of gifts.

There is a new creature in Chipenden having killed three girls so far, Tom and Jenny go to investigate and discover that it is a Kobales a species who's plans areto kill all males and to enslave all females, Grimalkin who has been tracking them and finding out all the information she can agrees to help Tom with this problem and convinces him to journey to the Kobales homeland to investigate further, but this is where we are left with a huge cliffhanger, and I was left shocked and gobsmacked at the ending.

While this was described as a trilogy that you don't need to have read the main series of, I felt that there was a whole lot of storyline and knowledge I missed out on by my not having read it, I feel like I've missed something everytime something is mentioned that happened in those books, and while I definitely do plan on carrying on with this series I may need to pick up The Last Apprentice series to understand a lot of the references that were made that made no sense to me.

All in all I did enjoy this new start to a trilogy, full of action and adventure it was a look into a world I'd like to read more of.

Definitely recommended for fans of The Last Apprentice series and readers who like a bit of fantasy/paranormal and creatures that go bump in the night.

I give this 4/5 stars.


Joseph Delaney is a full time writer living in Lancashire, in the heart of Boggart territory. He first got the idea for the Wardstone Chronicles series when he moved to the village where he lives now and discovered there was a local boggart - ‘a man like me needs boggarts around’. He made a note in his notebook ‘a story about a man who hunts boggarts’ and years later when he had to come up with an idea at short notice developed this into ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’, the first book in the series.
He continues to draw upon the folklore of Lancashire and has acquired much local knowledge over the years which he tweaks and modifies to create his fictional world. Another source of inspiration has been Lancashire’s varied and atmospheric landscape. Many of the locations in the County are based on actual places in Lancashire. 
In the early days of his writing career Joseph worked as a teacher at a Sixth Form College: his subjects were English, Film and Media Studies. He used to get up early and write every morning before work. That way he could write a book a year – which promptly got rejected! When the Americans bought the series he decided to give up teaching and write full time. 
Prior to teaching he worked as an engineer in his twenties, completing an apprenticeship just like Tom Ward in the spook’s books.
Joseph describes his method of writing as a process of discovery. He doesn’t plot too far ahead and often doesn’t know what is going to happen until he writes it down. In other words he makes it up as he goes along. He prefers writing dialogue to description, in which he says he is a minimalist and leaves much to the reader’s imagination. 
Joseph has three children and nine grandchildren and is a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events.
The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse and The Spook's Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children's Book for the Year Award. The Spook's Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award.

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Wednesday, 27 August 2014

(ARC) Book Review (378): My Highland Spy (Highland Spies #1) - Victoria Roberts


My Highland Spy (Highland Spies #1)

Publication: 2nd September 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages: 320
Genre: Historical Romance
Age Appropriate: Adult
Buy It:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble
This Highland Laird won't bow to the Crown

Laird Ruairi Sutherland refuses to send his only son away to be educated by the English. And he most definitely will not appear in Edinburgh to pay homage to a liege who has no respect for Scotland. So he does what any laird would do—he lies to the king. The last thing Ruairi expects is a beautiful English governess to appear on his doorstep.

But this lady spy might make him...

Lady Ravenna Walsingham is a seasoned spy who is sent to the savage Highlands to uncover a nefarious plot against the Crown. Playing the part of an English governess—a job easier said than done—she infiltrates the home of Laird Sutherland, a suspected conspirator.

If she doesn't betray him first

Ravenna soon discovers that the only real threat Sutherland poses is to her heart. But will the proud Highland laird ever forgive her when he discovers the woman he loves in an English spy?
My Thoughts.
My Highland Spy is an intriguing debut novel in an all new historical romance series, an exciting start to what is sure to be an amazing series.

Lady Ravenna is a spy for the Crown, sent undercover as a governess to Scotland and to the home of Laird Ruairi Sutherland to teach his young son English, she soon discovers that Highlanders are not barbarians as she was lead to believe and instead finds herself falling for this rugged and handsome Scotsman.

Between Ravenna gathering information for the Crown, and the troubles that Ruairi is having with his deceased wife's Father who is trying to persuade him to rise up against the King, there is never a dull moment, add in a budding romance, some sizzling chemistry and men in kilts and you have yourself one scintillating story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to the rest of the series, Victoria Roberts is an author to watch, her writing will keep you captivated and enthralled the whole way through.

A great historical romance, that is a quick and easy read.

I give this 4/5 stars.


Award-winning author Victoria Roberts writes Scottish historical romances about kilted heroes and warriors from the past. She was named by RT Book Reviews as "one of the most promising debut authors across the genres" and was also a 2013 RT Reviewers’ Choice award winner for X Marks the Scot.
Represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, Victoria is a member of Romance Writers of America® and several local chapters, as well as a contributing author to the online magazine Celtic Guide.

Victoria lives in western Pennsylvania with her husband of twenty one years and their two beautiful children—not to mention one spoiled dog. When she is not plotting her next Scottish adventure, she’s dragging her clan to every Scottish festival under the sun.

Website + Facebook + Goodreads

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Monday, 25 August 2014

(ARC) Book Review (377): Feral - Holly Schindler


Feral

Claire and her Father have just arrived in Peculiar Missouri, after a story that Claire wrote for her previous school's newspaper left her brutally beaten and near death in Chicago, she's glad for a change of scenery and to escape from the pitying looks that she got from everyone afterwards who knew what had happened to her.

No sooner has she arrived when she discovers the dead body of Serena, a high school girl who went missing the day Claire and her Father arrived, with her death explained as accidental with no foul play, Claire soon comes to the suspicion that someone was responsible for her murder, when Claire decides as a tribute to Serena to finish off the last story she was working on, what she uncovers may just be what got her killed and may send Claire on the same path

This story didn't go where I thought it would, while the reasons for all the weird goings on were explained, it was definitely unexpected and did make sense in the end, I did guess the murderer very early on I just wasn't sure of the reason why but once revealed it was something I never would have guessed.

Holly has a writing style that draws you into the story and keeps you invested all the way through, I will definitely pick up Holly's future releases her way of turning a story into something you're not expecting is intriguing and a joy to read.

For a mystery that will keep you on your toes, I recommend this.

I give this 3.5/5 stars.
I can’t remember the last time I left the house without a spiral notebook or some pages folded up in a back pocket. And I don’t think I’ve ever returned without fresh ideas, titles, opening lines, or poetry fragments climbing every one of those pages, racing up the margins, crisscrossing in as many different directions as the highways and interstates on a road map of Missouri (my home state).
I’ve spent my life making those notes in the margins—even as a little girl, my favorite activity was to write books bound by strips of red ribbon…and to scrawl comments next to my paragraphs like the most critical of editors. Lessons learned from this childhood pastime served me well, especially in college—I received a BA and MA in English, and while I was a student, I wrote piles of poetry, literary critique, short fiction, and even attempted my first novel.
After college, I dove headfirst into writing. To pay a few bills, I taught piano and guitar lessons in the afternoons. This time, the margin notes on my back-pocket pages were character sketches, mannerisms, phrases all inspired by my students. It soon became clear to me that in addition to writing for adults, I also wanted to write for the children and teens who filled my home with music. My first two published works, A Blue So Dark and Playing Hurt, were both YA novels. My debut MG, The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, released with Dial / Penguin on February 6, 2014, and my next YA, Feral, is forthcoming from HarperCollins.


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Saturday, 23 August 2014

(ARC) Book Review (376): Undead With Benefits (Eat, Brains, Love #2) - Jeff Hart


Undead with Benefits (Eat, Brains, Love #2)

by 
Undead With Benefits is a hilariously entertaining zombie story, full of humour and action which is a delightful sequel to Eat, Brains, Love.

We catch up with Jake, Amanda and absconded former government psychic Cass, as they take a road trip to Iowa where they hope to find the cure for their 'zombieness' before both Jake and Amanda become mindless ghouls, Cass wants the cure purely for the fact that the evil Alastaire is blackmailing her, the cure in exchange for the safety of her Mother.

Once arriving in Iowa they discover that the state is infested with zombies and ghouls, led by the self-appointed Lord Of Des Moines, who has hidden the cure and decides who will or won't receive it.

There is an interesting dynamic in this book, Jake ends up separated from Amanda and Cass and meets and befriends Reggie, a zombie who is a gamer and stoner like Jake who also has another identity, one that comes as a bit of a surprise.
This also leaves the girls stuck together which makes for some entertaining scenes (cat-fight anyone?)

I really enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to see just what happens in this series next, the concept and  storyline, make for a YA series that will have you laughing out loud at the dialogue and witty one liners.

A fun and quick read, highly recommended.

I give this 4/5 stars.


Jeff Hart is originally from Rochester, NY, and now lives in Brooklyn. EAT, BRAINS, LOVE is his first novel.

Keep up with Jeff: Twitter

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Sunday, 17 August 2014

(ARC) Book Review (375): Sanctum (Asylum #2) - Madeleine Roux


Sanctum: An Asylum Novel (Asylum #2)

Publication: 26th August 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
In this haunting, fast-paced sequel to the New York Times bestselling photo-illustrated novel Asylum, three teens must unlock some long-buried secrets from the past before the past comes back to get them first. Featuring found photographs, many from real vintage carnivals, Sanctum is a mind-bending reading experience that blurs the lines between past and present, genius and insanity, perfect for fans of the smash hit Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Dan, Abby, and Jordan remain traumatized by the summer they shared in the Brookline asylum. Much as they'd love to move on, someone is determined to keep the terror alive, sending the teens photos of an old-timey carnival, with no note and no name. Forsaking their plan never to go back, the teens return to New Hampshire College under the guise of a weekend for prospective students, and there they realize that the carnival from the photos is not only real, it's here on campus, apparently for the first time in many years.

Sneaking away from sample classes and college parties, Dan and his friends lead a tour of their own—one through the abandoned houses and hidden places of the surrounding town. Camford is hiding a terrible past, and the influence of the asylum runs deeper than Dan ever imagined.
My Thoughts.
Sanctum is a spine-tingling, chilling and creepy second book in the Asylum series.

Dan is still haunted by his time at Brookline, seeming to become almost obsessed with the history of the Warden and the asylum, he convinces Abby and Jordan to join him for a weekend after a visit with Felix leaves him with clues, which may hold information into what the Warden really got up to at his time in charge.

The secret society The Scarlets who first made an appearance in the #1.5 novella are very active in this story, the society created by the Warden back in the day, his legacy has carried on and his lobotomies and experiments are still being carried out to this day by a predecessor  whom he left everything to including his knowledge and evil way of thinking.

By solving the mystery behind every strange and weird occurrence, can Dan and his friends finally put an end to the Warden's madness and put a lid on and stop the evil and madness he has spread years after his death.

I enjoyed Sanctum more than I did Asylum, I found the story to have a bit more action and the story was more intense as all the loose ends were wrapped up and we were given the ending which we'd hoped for, I can only assume that this is a duology and I was happy with the finale.

I'll be keeping a lookout for future releases from Madeleine as I really enjoy her writing style and storytelling.

This series is a good choice to read at Halloween for those who like books that give you shivers down the spine.

I give this 4/5 stars.

About

MADELEINE ROUX received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008.  In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel.  Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped.  Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.
Born in Minnesota, she now lives and works in Wisconsin where she enjoys the local beer and preparing for the eventual and inevitable zombie apocalypse.
To see my St Martins/Macmillan author page, click here!


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