Review: Fraction of Stone by Kelley Lynn

Wind tunnels, torrential rains and earthquakes tear apart Casden. The cause of the world’s imbalance is unknown, but the mounting occurrences suggest there’s little time before life ceases to exist.

Rydan Gale and Akara Nazreth are the only humans with the ability to wield magic. The tattoo on their necks and the discovery of an ancient book, dictate they are the key to the world’s survival.

But the greatest obstacle for saving mankind isn’t the bizarre creatures, extreme betrayals and magic-fearing men hunting them.

It’s that Akara doesn’t believe the world is worth saving

I recently began accepting review requests from authors and small press publishers again and Fraction of Stone was the first request that came in. I knew from the second that I read the synopsis that I was going to really enjoy this book, it's pure fantasy with a quest and magic and the world's impending doom, who could say no to that?

Fraction of Stone begins very abruptly, I actually thought that the file was damaged on my kindle and that I'd missed some pages because the beginning just throws you into the action and you really don't have much time for introductions and world building, it's okay though because it all settles down soon enough. The beginning basically sets the pace for the book though, this book was fast paced at most points and you have to be completely immersed in the book to follow what's going on. Seriously, I thought the pacing in this book was fantastic!

On top of that, the characters are pretty well fleshed out. On the most part they were well developed, though I'd have liked to see more development for Tristan and Rydan's friends at home as they show up later in the story and I would have liked to get to know them more. Akara and Rydan were fantastic though, I supported Akara from the start but it took me while to warm to Rydan as he started out very selfish and judgemental with Akara. I did love the slight bits of romance that are there, it's very VERY subtle but at the same time it's pretty obvious how it's going to work out.

Plus, the fantasy side was very original and enjoyable. There was a mystery and an adventure, and the story was well developed with a great back story about the Gia stone and Kara and Rydan's past.

Overall I was very impressed with Fraction of Stone and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good fantasy novel! I would have liked some more development for the backing characters though.

Book released 21st March 2013 by Sapphire Star Publishing

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Review requested by author)

Review: Escape Theory by Margaux Froley

Sixteen-year-old Devon Mackintosh has always felt like an outsider at Keaton, the prestigious California boarding school perched above the Pacific. As long as she’s not fitting in, Devon figures she might as well pad her application to Stanford’s psych program. So junior year, she decides to become a peer counselor, a de facto therapist for students in crisis. At first, it seems like it will be an easy fly-on-the-wall gig, but her expectations are turned upside down when Jason Hutchins (a.k.a. “Hutch”), one of the Keaton’s most popular students, commits suicide.

Devon dives into her new role providing support for Hutch’s friends, but she’s haunted by her own attachment to him. The two shared an extraordinary night during their first week freshman year; it was the only time at Keaton when she felt like someone else really understood her. As the secrets and confessions pile up in her sessions, Devon comes to a startling conclusion: Hutch couldn't have taken his own life. Bound by her oath of confidentiality—and tortured by her unrequited love—Devon embarks on a solitary mission to get to the bottom of Hutch's death, and the stakes are higher than she ever could have imagined.

If I had to name a book that plays out like the perfect mystery it would be Escape Theory.I was totally expecting gritty teen contemporary when I started this book and I got that and a lot more, honestly I have to say that Escape Theory was a great book - I was absolutely hooked and I really couldn't put it down.

The book starts with the obituary of high school junior Hutch, who has been found dead, presumed to have taken his own life. Then we cut to our main girl Devon and we discover this bond that she has with Hutch. It's all set up very quickly and very seamlessly. The whole book is written from Devon's point of view and switches back and forth from the present day, where she is trying to unravel the mystery of Hutch's death to the past, where we learn more about the night that she and Hutch spent together. The tense switching works very well here and doesn't distract you from the story.

Also,  the murder mystery aspect of the book was well-written. We have all of these characters and each one has a motivation for killing Hutch and honestly I had no clue who it could have been until the end when it's all revealed. The confrontation at the end could have been a little more thrilling as it was all pretty quick but it still had me on the edge of my seat for a while.

What I really liked about this book was that it was just as much about Devon's view of life changing as it is about figuring out Hutch's death. She starts out quite naive, but as she delves deeper into the mystery she because much more street savvy and realises that there are things going on around her that are pretty dark and that Hutch, who she had thought was a golden boy could have been involved in it. 

Overall, Escape Theory was a great book. I loved reading about the mystery but I also enjoyed atching the characaters develop. Margaux Froley deals so well with the issues of grief and jealousy and I would love to read more from the author.

Book released 12th March 2013 by Soho Teen

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Edelweiss)

Waiting on Wednesday (27th March 2013)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Another week and another load of books I wish I could list... still, here are my two!

Here are my picks for this week, let me know what you think and add me a link to yours in the comments :)

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY HERE

I'm giving away a YA book from a list of awesome choices!

---

Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston

17th September 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

Set in 111 C.D., one hundred and eleven years after a Catastrophic Disaster has wiped out 99% of humanity and left the earth covered in ice, this new series introduces readers to a ragtag group of friends and the dawning of a new time. The world of reason, of mathematics and science, is ending, and a new civilization is being born from the ice: a world of magic and mayhem, sorcerers and spellcraft.

Post extinction event with an ice-age setting and a new civilization, okay maybe not totally original BUT the blurb mentions magic... post-apocalyptic WITH magic? Sounds awesome!

---

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown
May 21st 2013 by Little Brown

Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself -- sans swimsuit -- to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and hits "send."

But when Kaleb and Ashleigh go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by forwarding the text to his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the attention of the school board, the local police, and the media. As her friends and family try to distance themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh feels completely alone -- until she meets Mack while serving her court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance at friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo -- and didn't look.

Relevant and meaningful. I've been having an urge lately to read more gritty contemporary reads (I think I'm finally growing up) and this sounds so real and realistic. I have Hate List on my TBR shelf at home but haven't read anything by this author otherwise.

Clever title too - 'A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words'

Review: Sister Assassin by Kiersten White

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

PUBLISHED IN THE US AS 'MIND GAMES'. I AM REVIEWING A UK PROOF.

You guys have no idea how unbelievably excited I was for this book when I first heard of it. I've loved White's Paranormalcy series and the concept behind this book sounded so fantastic. A girl with perfect instincts and a girl who can see the future, forced to use their powers for bad reasons? I have to say that the idea was amazing.

Whilst the book doesn't quite live up to my expectations I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy it. I had quite a few issues with the execution and I really did struggle with the pacing but it was an okay read and I would recommend it to people if they were looking for a short and original read, I personally found that the pacing was a little slow for me and it was difficult to get into, but maybe that's because I was expecting something really fast paced. I also found that the dual narrative distracted me from the main story and I much preferred reading Fia's parts over Annie's. When the narrative changed I didn't really notice because both characters had a similar narrative voice. Plus, there was a lot happening and it's quite a short book (my proof was around 230 pages) so at times things got a bit confusing and I had to reread parts, I still haven't quite got my head around the ending.

But those are all little things and I'm a very picky reader, the concept was fantastic and I really did like the characters. Fia was awesome, she was clever and a fighter but also very damaged, which you can understand. I also really liked Adam, he was a typical nice guy and i did feel sorry for him being thrown into this world, James was a nasty guy and whilst i didn't like him as a love interest (YUCK!) I did like him as a character and I did respect the effect he had on Fia.

I think my main problem with this book was the pacing. There was so much happening that I couldn't keep up but I also struggled to be gripped by the story. Had the pacing been better I think that i would have loved this book. Still, I may read the next one.

Book released 19th February 2013 by HarperCollins

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Print)

Other books from this author;

Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2)
Endlessly (Paranormalcy #3)

Review: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

HarperCollins really need to work on the marketing of their imprints, I hadn't even heard anything about this book until it turned up on Edelweiss and I requested it on a whim and honestly, after finishing I honestly think that this book could be absolutely massive if it was marketed well, seriously this has to be one of my favorite sci-fi releases so far this year (not like it's had much competition, seriously 2013, where are all your good sci-fi/dystopian books at?!).

Arclight did something that very few YA books do nowadays: it brought originality to a genre that has almost been exhausted. Even though the idea of a civilization surviving after an apocalyptic event isn't original nowadays, the way that the Fade are brought into it, as well as the Grey and the Dark were very well thought and completely unique. The Fade actually kind of reminded me of The Host, but the execution is completely different. McQuein's writing also makes this book stand out, it's lyrical but not overly dramatic and the pacing was great. This book has some nail-biting moments and is very creepy at times and the tone was put across so well in the writing.

The main characters were great as well I loved Marina as a character as she was so real, she was having an identity crisis through the book and it's so well written, even though this book is a science-fiction book the characters actually come across as real teenagers. The romance between Tobin and Marina was fantastically written and well developed, it isn't in your face but it's definitely there. The only character I disliked was Anne-Marie, she seemed totally pointless and annoyed me quite a bit.

I think that what i really loved about this book though is that whilst there are some pretty shocking twists they creep up on you, so whilst it's shocking when it happens it doesn't feel totally out of the blue and so the book actually feels well developed and plotted.

Overall, Arclight was an amazing, original science-fiction offering that I massively enjoyed, it wasn't completely flawless but I absolutely devoured it and I can't wait for more. Definitely recommended for fans of sci-fi, thriller or dystopian YA books.

Book released 23rd April 2013 by Greenwillow Books

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Edelweiss)

Review: Taken by Erin Bowman

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

I may have to cut this review short since there are so many possible spoilers in the book that it'll be difficult for me to talk about the book without spoiling what happens. Just a warning.

This book started out quite strong but to me the whole book didn't live up to my expectations. I lost interest for a while in the middle and whilst it definitely did pick up near the end the whole middle bit was just a bit meh... I'm not saying this is a bad book at all, it wasn't great though, it was somewhere between mediocre and okay and I hate to say that but I'm just being brutally honest.

The start was great, I was intrigued by this world, by what's happening with the Heist and the almost cultish world in Claysoot, but then the middle comes and it turns into a typical dystopian, big-brother type of world and then the end is action packed and exciting again, but the main bulk of the book seemed to lack originality and good pacing.

Gray is believable as a teenage boy because he makes stupid decisions, is naive in relationships and is constantly questioning his world and I liked Emma to start with because she seemed like a strong-willed character. The romance started slow, which is great but I did find that it lacked a little chemistry, there will be a love-triangle in the next book and I'm not sure who I'll be rooting for.

I probably will read the second book just because the bad pacing here could be down to the world building, but I don't think it'll be a must read for me and I won't have high expectations

Book released 16th April 2013 by HarperTeen

Book received for review as an eBook (Edelweiss)

Waiting On Wednesday (20th March 2012)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Another week and another load of books I wish I could list... still, here are my two!

Here are my picks for this week, let me know what you think and add me a link to yours in the comments :)

---

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike
July 30th 2013 by Razorbill

Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told. Tavia will soon to discover that she’s an Earthbound—someone with the ability to create matter out of nothing—and that she alone holds the key to stopping the Reduciata, an evil society that manipulates global events for its own shadowy purposes. Tavia will ultimately have to make a choice: to come into her powers and save the world from the evil Reduciata or to choose free will and a love of her own.

Evil society? Strange visions? Making matter out of nothing
This one sounds so unbelievably exciting and interesting, plus, Aprilynne Pike is great!

---

The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer
April 9th 2013 by HarperTeen

Sometimes I forget for an hour or two that she's with me. Sometimes I convince myself that she was only a dream. Or that I'm crazy.

For as long as Lily Winston can remember, she has never been alone. Iris, a shadowy figure who mimics Lily's movements and whispers in her ear, is with her always—but invisible to the rest of the world. Iris is Lily's secret.

But when Lily's father is killed in a tragic accident, his cryptic final words suggest that he and Lily's mother have been keeping secrets of their own. Suddenly, Iris begins pushing Lily more than ever, possessing her thoughts and urging her to put together the pieces of a strange puzzle her father left behind. As she searches for answers, Lily finds herself drawn to Ty Collier, a mysterious new boy in town. Together, Lily and Ty must untangle a web of deception to discover the truth about her family, Iris . . . and Lily's own identity.

This sounds both creepy and mysterious. It's released quite soon but I only just found it!

Review: Poison by Bridget Zinn

 

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Let me just put this out there: I absolutely adored Poison, it was fun, adorable, fast-paced and gripping, the heroine was intelligent and strong and the sidekick is so uber cute! There is romance in there, but it's more in the background which is different to most of the books I read. I honestly can't say anything bad about this book.

Seriously, that paragraph up there sums it up. I could end this review right now. 

But I won't, I'll just write a few more paragraphs gushing about how much I loved this book and how I'd like to recommend it to everyone. No, I'll try and write something informative and review-y, after all, I am a reviewer so I should like... review now, right?

This book has a kind of middle-grade feel, it was very fun and animated and the story and characters will definitely appeal to younger kids, it is marketed as a YA book but I'd recommend it to girls of about twelve and up as well. I'm not actually that sure whether the appeal will stretch to people much older than me, I'm nearly twenty but I am a lover of all things fantasy and fairytale like which is probably why I enjoyed it that much.

Bridget Zinn's writing is absolutely amazing, I was gripped, even when the book wasn't all that fast-paced for the most part. The characters seemed to come right off the page and I loved each and every one of them, especially Kyra and the Princess Ariana. Fred was this lovable guy that I kind of fell in love with and Rosie was just the darned cutest sidekick ever (everyone loves a good animal sidekick). I would have liked to see a little more happen at certain parts of the book, and Hal could have been a bit more prominent as a character, but I'm actually digging for criticisms now and I seriously can't find much else aside from that.

Overall, Poison was a fantastic fantasy book that I'd recommend for lovers of cute, light fantasy reads and tween girls and well... basically everyone who wants a bit of a light read and some adorableness. This was great.

Book released 12th March 2013 by Disney Hyperion

Book purchased by myself.

Note:

After finishing this book I went to find out more about the author and found that she passed away due to cancer in May 2011, way before this book was published. 

Check out her story here

Review: Under Shifting Glass by Nicky Singer

  

Jess has a secret: a mysterious glass flask she finds in an heirloom desk's hidden compartment. Its surface swirls with iridescent colors, like something's inside, something almost like a song, something with a soul. No one else sees anything under the shifting glass, but Jess is convinced there must be some kind of magic in there. And when her twin brothers are born critically ill, Jess begins to believe that the force within the flask just might hold the key to saving her brothers-and her family.

This is going to be a very difficult book to review because it had it's strengths and I thought this book was fantastic but at the same time some things just didn't seem to click. I wasn't sure what I was getting into, I'm just a sucker for 'double face' covers, and I knew it was middle grade but other than that this was just me diving into it completely blind.

FIrstly, I have to say that I loved the Britishism's in this book, something about it just seemed so subtly British and as a Brit myself I have to say that I really enjoyed picking up on these. I also found Singer's writing absoltely flawless, the prose is lyrical and yet realistic, the plot and the characters seemed so natural and I was so touched by the storyline. There was something really magical about this book, even though the slight bit of fantasy with the shifting glass seemed more like a plot point to support the main issues dealt with in the book. I felt that the issues dealt with were very well-done - Jess is dealing with the death of her great-aunt, as well as the birth of her baby brothers, who are born conjoined, we also ge to see Jess grow a little.

There's quite a bit of spirituality in this book, Jess takes an interest in Buddhism, whih I was a little confused by at times. As well as her way of dealing with her issues in life, which is coincidence - If these snowmen are still here tomorrow, the twins will be okay. The spirituality was original and quite fun to read about but some of the stuff was just plain confusing and a little bizarre, like what happens to souls after someone dies...

Overall, Under Shifting Glass was a deep and enjoyable book but I constantly felt a little disconnected from it, I'm not too sure why.

Book released 19th February 2013 by Chronicle Books

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Edelweiss)

Stacking The Shelve - 16th March 2013

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 

It's hosted over at Tynga's Reviews

---

This is a biggie since I haven't done a haul post since January, so I'm only including review books here :)

Please remember to drop me a comment so I can check out your haul!

Review:

   


One Crow Alone (After the Snow #0.5) by S.D. Crockett - MacMillan, February 14th - Print
A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge - MacMillan, February 28th - Print
A Touch of Scarlet (Unbound #2) by Eve Marie Mont - K-Teen, March 26th - NetGalley
Weather Witch by Shannon Delaney - St Martins Griffin, June 25th - NetGalley


   


If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan - Alqonquin, August 20th - NetGalley
Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon - Soho Teen, April 9th - NetGalley
Hostage Three by Nick Lake - Bloomsbury, January 3rd - NetGalley
Girls & Monsters by Anne Michaud - DarkFuse, April 30th - NetGalley

  

The Disgrace of Kitty Grey by Mary Hooper - Bloomsbury, May 9th - NetGalley
The Elephant of Surprise by Brent Hartinger - Buddha Kitty Books, March 30th - NetGalley
The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa - Harlequin Teen, April 30th - NetGalley

   
Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton - Flux, July 8th - NetGalley
You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle - HarperTeen, June 4th - Edelweiss
Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike - HarperTeen, April 30th - Edelweiss
The Ward by Jordana Frankel - Katherine Tegen Books, April 30th - Edelweiss

   

Towering by Alex Flinn - HarperTeen, May 14th - Edelweiss
Parallel by Lauren Miller - HarperTeen, May 14th - Edelweiss
Reboot by Amy Tintera - HarperTeen, May 7th - Edelweiss
Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell - HarperTeen, July 23rd - Edelweiss

   

In The After by Demitria Lunetta - HarperTeen, June 25th - Edelweiss
The End Games by T. Michael Martin - HarperCollins, May 7th - Edelweiss
Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn - HarperTeen, June 11th - Edelweiss
Rush by Eve Silver - Katherine Tegan, June 11th - Edelweiss

   

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein - GreenWillow, April 23rd - Edelweiss
Escape Theory by Margaux Froley - Soho Teen, March 13th - Edelweiss
Thin Space by Jody Casella - Simon Pulse, September 10th - Edelweiss
Golden by Jessi Kirby - Simon and Schuster, May 14th - Edelweiss

 

The Vow by Jessica Martinez - Simon Pulse, October 15th - Edelweiss
Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon - Strange Chemistry, May 7th - NetGalley

-I've already read a few of these, Hostage Three, Life After Theft, You Look Different in Real Life, Towering, reboot, Arclight and I'm currently into Escape Theory.