Review: Where Thy Dark Eye Glances by Chani Lynn Feener

Three hundred years ago Lily Bryg was someone else. Now, she's dealing with demons from the past in the form of ghosts, fairies, and even a dream stalker bent on convincing her they belong together. As a witch, Lily has an advantage. But that all changes when she's summoned back to the third realm she used to live. And where she died. 


With the help of a Shade, a tattoo artist, and her three best friends, Lily tries to escape the faeries out to get her, and the evil king who wants to make her his consort. Ronan will stop at nothing to have her back, and she'll stop at nothing to keep that from happening. Too bad her life isn't the only one on the line, and returning to Bevain might be the only way to save herself, and the world.

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When the author approached me with this one I knew that I had to read it - Reincarnation? Witches? Yes please! To top it off, it's a prequel novella meaning that it was relatively short so a quick read, which I really like to read between longer books. I can't say I had massively high expectations because I haven't read anything from the author before or seen much about the book and I didn't love it but I still enjoyed this book.


This book was a great introduction to the characters and their powers and I really liked the fantasy side of things as it put some unique touches on the urban fantasy genre, this was the part that was the best for me to read. I also liked the real world aspects of the book, but at times some of the things just seemed pointless and I just wanted to get back to the fantasy and the action.
When the action did come it was pretty well written, I was impressed by the fighting scenes that Feener created and I was so whisked into that battle, especially the duel near the end, now that was so well written I was properly faring for Lily's life.


I had problems with the characters though, Lily was an okay character to follow but I don't think I got enough characterisation and I think i will actually read the rest of this series because I'd like to see more from her. The others, Caer, Brid and Ruarc were just... there, I didn't think they were developed at all and I was always getting mixed up with who was who. The bad guys were very stereotypical bad guys and once again, I think it's something I'd need to read the real books for - to get the whole story and maybe be able to fear the baddies a bit more.


There were quite a few grammatical errors, which put me off when I was really getting into a scene, I'm not really a person to hold it against an author unless these errors are all over the book, which there aren't, but the few that there were did disrupt the flow and pace a little.


Overall, a fun novella that I didn't absolutely love but I still liked and I think that I will give the rest of a series a try if I get time. The grammatical errors and lack of character development brought this one down for me, but I did actually enjoy the fantasy elements and the storyline.


Overall Rating: C+

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Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

In My Mailbox (12/02/2012)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, 

in which you post all of the books/e-books/audio books that you have recieved/bought/won this week and link 'em all up!

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I've been on a book buying ban (and swapping ban) for the past 2 weeks, so my mailbox has dramatically decreased in size, but I've had a few for review and some free books from Amazon.

For Review

      

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris (Print: June 7th, HarperCollins Children's. This sounds AMAZING!)

Fireseed One by Catherine Stine (eBook: From the author, it sounds great and I love futuristic books)

Eden's Root by Rachel Fisher (ebook: From the author, more sci-fi dystopia!)

Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin P. Waldrop (eBook: From the author, paranormal and it looks awesome)

Free from Amazon Kindle UK:

   

The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton

Shimmerspell by Kimberly Spencer

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Marked by Kim Richardson

Review: 8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf by Michael Mullin

Written in verse, this is the previously untold story of the previously unknown 8th dwarf, named Creepy. He is banished to the basement for being different and, well, weird. Yet he plays a vital - and of course previously unknown - role in the popular tale of Snow White (whose title character is an intruder Creepy refers to as "the Maid").

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When the author initially approached me with this request I wasn't sure it was my thing but at 24 pages it was worth giving it a go and I actually did enjoy it. it's a nice short read, written in simple verse, nothing complex and nothing detailed but still entertaining.


In 24 pages Mullin manages to take a well known fairytale, give it a new character and tell that story from that character's point of view. It can't be easy to write something like this because the characters have to be developed into something that we enjoy to read about, especially in this one where the poem is based completely around this character's ideas and views of things. I must admit, Creepy was a pretty, well, creepy character and in 24 pages he feels lots of different emotions that really help us to care about this weird dwarf, of course this iks down to some ingenuity on Michael Mullin's front.


I can't say much about storyline apart from that the story intergrated so well into the well known fairytale, despite using a character that didn't exist in it, which is great. Obviously it's very difficult to get much substance out of 24 pages of verse, but I still really enjoyed this one. I really enjoy Mullin's writing and this is just the sort of thing that I like to read to break up the long books that I'm used to reading.


Overall, this was a clever and well written little poem that despite not being amazing is well worth reading because it's only short and a nice little break.


Overall Rating: B

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Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. 

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

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I love books that take a good legend and spin it around, putting a brand new edge on it and so when I read the blurb for this I knew that I had to read it. It wasn't a book that I got into straight away but when I did I could not put it down. 


With a story line that is so new and fully of action, secrets and romance but still completely recognisable as the Robin Hood tale that we all know and love, just with a female twist. The characters were similar to those in the old legend. The courageous and strong Robin Hood is just as honourable, despite being a bit more angsty and a lot more swoonworthy, Little John is still big and strong, but now he has a heart of gold. much wasn't as well developed as I liked, but he was still a nice character. There were some nasty villains as well, Gisbourne was darned scary and I was actually terrified of him.


Don't think that this is a fun book though, if you want the Robin Hood from the Disney movie look somewhere else. The world here is a bleak one, with poverty and capital punishment and rape and arranged marriages, it isn't graphical but it isn't light and despite some funny scenes there's also a lot of darkness in this book. 


The light in this book came from the amazing, well written romance. There are two potential suitors for our girl Scarlet, but this isn't a love triangle because we know and it;s made obvious exactly which way our girl's heart bends. There are some fun scenes, some sad scenes, some romantic scenes and  some scenes where I was sat there screaming in my head "Just kiss already" but it ended well. The book ends on a questionable note; there's something that could potential be in the way of their relationship but at the same time it ends on a hint of hope.


Overall, an action packed, romantic read. I can't believe how much I loved this book. It was dark and tense but well written and believable. At times, the pacing dropped a little and it did take me some time to get into it.


Overall Rating: B+

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Book to be released by Bloomsbury Childrens on 14th February 2012.
Book received in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley

Review: Above World by Jenn Reese

Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony's survival is at risk. The Kampii's breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. But can Aluna's fierce determination and fighting skills and Hoku's tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt - growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains - here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true.

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This book is a prime example of the times that I don't really read the synopsis of a book and dive into it after reading the first book. That's why when I started this one I was expecting a fantasy book about mermaids under the sea and what I really got was a fun science-fiction, futuristic adventure. Not that I'm complaining, it was a nice read nonetheless. 


The pacing of this book was very difficult for me and I did struggle through some parts despite the fact that i enjoyed the storyline. it seemed as though there were some scenes described that could have been cut down to make this book less tedious and maybe a little shorter. 


That being said, I did enjoy the story. it was fun read that, despite some difficult concepts I think would be suitable for older kids and younger middle grade. I liked that Aluna was a brave and honest person, and I loved watching Hoku come into his own. The other characters, Dash and Calli, were fantastic background characters that brought their own goodness into the characters and I think each of these characters will attract middle grade readers.


I liked the way that the story had a fixed storyline. I got the feeling that Reese had planned every aspect out and it made the storyline flow, the backstory was so well developed and that must have been my favorite part, I loved the idea that population growth had led to humans having to branch out to live in different previously uninhabitle places.


Overall, a fun story with great characters. This is one that I'd recommend to middle grade readers, but for me the pacing was a little slow.


Overall Rating: B-

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Book received for review (NetGalley)
Book to be released by Candlewick Press on 14th February 2012

Review: Spirits of Glory by Emily Devenport

One morning the people of the North woke up and the people of the South were gone. That s the first thing every child learns on the colony world of Jigsaw. But for one girl, knowing about The Disappearance is not enough. Hawkeye wants to know why.

That's why she spent half her life researching The Disappearance. And that's also why eight Neighbors show up on her doorstep, demanding that she accompany them into the Forbidden Cities ruled by the Southern gods to speak with the Spirits of Glory. Everyone thinks Hawkeye is an expert on Neighbors, these almost-humans who move, talk, and think as if they were born inside one of the Time Fractures. But she can't imagine what they want to ask the ghosts of their ancestors, or why they need her to go along. The Southern gods caused every human inhabitant of the Southern cities to disappear overnight, what else might they do?

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Wow, I got through this book in one sitting (it's pretty short) and every single page of it had me entranced. I like my books to have some good world building and I think that that is exactly what gripped me with this one. Devenport's sci-fi world of Jigsaw was so well written, there are so many places where the world could have gimmicky, or confusing but despite everything going in in the history of this world it was so easy to follow. I loved how well written the sci-fi elements, like the 'time fractures' were and I was totally immersed in this broken world that I was reading about.


The storyline was fantastic. I knew it was going to be different from page one, but it was so unique. I loved reading about the Neighbours, as well as discovering their secrets along with Hawkeye, I loved travelling to all these places which were fascinating and thrilling as well as damn right scary. The pace of the story was perfect and never let me get bored and Devenport's writing is just magical, it literally took my breath away at places.


If anything was even slightly lacking it was some of the characters. I don't think that Boss was developed quite as well as I would have liked, which gave him an air of mystery but also made him unnapproachable as a love interest, none of the other neighbours were quite developed very well. Ebony and Ivory were nice enough, but I didn't really feel anything for them. On the other hand, the scavengers were developed as bad guys and I was terrified of them, I loved the characters of Brat Cat and Wolfy Dog as well, for animals they were pretty awesome. Hawkeye was an amazing protagonist, though not as relateable as I like but then again she is living in a world very different to our own.


Overall I absolutely loved this book, it was sci-fi at its best. If I have any issues it may be that the characters weren't developed as well as I would have liked.


Overall Rating: A

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Book received as an eBook from the author, for review.

Review: Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer

Two climbed up. Two fell down.
One woke up.

In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury, Robin Saunders has to relearn who she is and find out what happened the night everything changed.

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I can't believe how much this book moved me, I actually struggled to get into it at the beginning but then I was gripped, Robin's story was beautiful and touching and dealt with not only her brain injury but also the worry over her best friend, love, the loss (and creation) of friendships and finally, deciding who she is.


As I said above, I did struggle with the pacing at the beginning a little, and to be honest it wasn't amazing all of the way through - it seemed slow and it was really only the storyline that kept me reading. I'd advise anyone to push their way through it because it's definitely worth forcing yourself through one or two slow chapters.


I was so involved in Robin's story and I began to feel so much emotion for her, when she was happy, so was I and when she was sad I was too. I felt at times she became a little whiny and I was put off her a little but most of the time she was a pleasant and realistic main character. I loved her story because it wasn't just her getting over her accident, it was the journey that she went to to find out what happened and to find herself and it was such a beautiful and well written story.


The side characters are well written, it wasn't hard to fall for Reno, or sympathise with Josie. I had mixed feelings for Emily, but came to like her at the end, I think this was because I didn't actually get to know her as a person, only through Robin's memories.


Overall, a beautifully written book with great characters. A fantastic coming of age story. The pacing was lacking a little though that was my only issue.


Overall Rating: A-

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Book received from the author for review.