Fraction of Stone by Kelley Lynn

I participated in the blog tour hosted by Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours

Title: Fraction of Stone
Author: Kelley Lynn
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: March 21st, 2013
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Pages: 293
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: From Author
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

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 have to say, I don't know what I loved more about this novel. The romance between Akara and Rydan or the plot that just take the reader away into another place.

Lynn really had me impressed me from the gripping beginning when Rydan finds Akara in jail, and the moment he sees her he knows that he has to take her with him. After Rydan takes Akara to his instructor, they both try to find answers to who they are: magic welding Namaqua people, the last two, actually, remaining in the world.

When they find out that they have the ability to save the world, Akara is not interested. The girl has had a rough life and doesn't want to save a world that has abused her greatly.

And the journey and adventure that they take throughout the tale, facing crazy whether and evil Faris, who have been angered by Rydan's action in taking Akara in the first place.

The world made is wonderful and full of such imagination, I really want to know where Lynn got all this from.

This story sweeps you away in another place that you never been before and it is just wonderful. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

 

  I participated in the blog tour hosted by Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours

Title: Surrender
Author: Rhiannon Paille
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: October 2nd, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 402
Format: Electronic
Acquired: From Author
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?

Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice

 I was a little hesitant about reading this series. Not just because it has been a long time since I've read high fantasy, but because I wasn't sure how much I would like this book or not. And, at first, it did feel a little confusing. The author just dives right into the story, with a prologue that doesn't make much sense at first, but as the story goes on and it unravels my confusion lessened and I was able to actually enjoy it!

Kaliel is a Flame, who is in live with a Ferryman. This is something that is heavily looked down upon.

The way the story opens, from the captivating and mysterious entrance, to the way it slowly begins to reveal itself along the way made the imagery and the world come to life. Kaliel originally appeared as gentle as a rose to me (like the way the book cover pictures) but as it continued I saw the way she was just as wild as a tiger.

I had a small problem connecting with Krishani, mainly because he just didn't seem like the kind of guy that I could picture a girl with. But his motivation to prove himself stuck out at me a lot and I found myself warming up, but just a little. I wasn't completely crazy about him throughout the story. 

Either way, with approval or without, the story developed in a fantastical way. Paille created a wonder in this series that I hope more people get to experience. The limits on love, the limits on what is right and wrong in this world - all those boundaries are pushed in this tale.  

Frost Fire by Olivia Rivers

 I participated in the blog tour hosted by Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours

Title: Frost Fire
Author: Olivia Rivers
Info: Website | Twitter
Release Date: November 20th, 2012
Publisher: Red Sparrow Press
Pages: 213
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: From Author
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Like sand in an hourglass, Allai’s future is dwindling away. She’s spent her entire life fighting the Mages who threaten humanity, and dreams of someday eradicating magic. But all it takes is an anonymous phone call for the truth to spill out: Allai is the one thing she despises most.

She’s a Mage.

Though ancient law mandates Allai’s death, she still has one last chance of survival. His name is Drake Rhaize, and he swears he can lead Allai to a sanctuary for Mages. Allai hasn’t seen Drake in years, but she remembers him as the Demon boy who used to hold her close and softly whisper that he’d keep her safe. But Drake has changed since then: He’s now suspected of murder, and has been out-casted for betraying his own kind.

While Allai doesn’t trust Drake, she has no choice but to put her life in his hands and hope he can get her to safety. Because Allai’s father has hired a pack of Demons to bring her back to him, dead or alive–and Demons never stop the hunt.

I have been thinking about a million ways to start this review. It wasn't that this story was bad - it was different. It was different in a good way.

It has been a long time since I've read a story like the one presented here, because I've been stuck in the contemporary/erotica world for a little too long that sometimes I tend to forget that fantasy tales like these exist and that they make me happy.

Allai has been fighting Mages all her life and in a twist of events (or not, depending on who's point of view one is looking) Allai discovers that she is a Mage. In order to escape the death sentence she must put her life in the hands of Drake Rhaize, but can she trust him?

In a tale filled with magic and deception and love and sadness.

I think Allai is instantly a character that one can connect with. She is forced to bring out the bad side of herself, but that doesn't mean she's made of steel - there were a lot of good parts to her as well. And Drake...well, he was Drake, I don't really have an opinion on him.

What I do now, though, is that I will be reading the second book because it would be crazy of me not to!

It is a worthwhile read!

Wings of Tavea by Devri Walls

 

I took part in the tour for Wings of Tavea hosted by Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours

Title: Wings of Tavea
Author: Devri Walls
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: December 11th, 2012
Publisher: Stonehouse Ink
Pages: 450
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: From Author
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Wings of Arian
Age Group: Young Adult

Kiora is rapidly learning that evil and lies come in shades of black and white and swirling greys, but nothing could have prepared her for the shock of leaving Meros.
Kiora and her protector Emane step through the pass into a world they never knew existed but were always meant to save, only to find it far worse than they could have ever imagined. Good has been forced into hiding for its own survival, while the rest of the land bows to the Shadow, a force that pushes any remaining thoughts of Dralazar from Kiora’s mind. This land is full of new creatures, each more dangerous than the last. Her visions have taken on a deadly twist, and magic, or what comes of it, was never so real. And then there is Alcander: a Tavean, their guide, and an entirely different kind of trouble

So, I just want to start out by saying that this is the second book in a series and I did not read the first book, so I was a little lost in the beginning as I was being caught up as well as having the story move forward.

From what I read and picked up, though, I think that even if one doesn't read the first book it is still readable.

Now onwards to the story. I absolutely love high fantasy. In my opinion this feels like one of the most creative genres around because essentially a whole world with a whole new set of rules is being created and anything can happen. Kiora, our heroine, is a mess that even she doesn't know how to handle.

Walls brings together a world of intrigue where lies and deception can come from some of the most unexpected places. And when Kiora travels to new lands, the reader gets swept away by this tale.

Overall, I loved it. The imagery was beautiful, the story was beautiful, and a lot of the characters really surprised me.

I have to go out and find the first one and read it because I think this story would be so much better (not to mention just help me figure out what happened beforehand).

If one thing can be said about Walls is that she is just a natural storyteller that takes the audience in and never lets go.

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Title: Days of Blood and Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: November 6th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Pages: 517
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Age Group: Young Adult

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

I am speechless. I am completely and utterly speechless. Not really, since I do have stuff to say about this book, but wow.

When I read the first book I thought that nothing could ever top this. Taylor as such a way with writing, there's this poetic nature to it, and I think that's the initial appeal to me about that book. So, when I read this book I could not believe how well Taylor kept the voices of Karou and Akiva alive. Her poeticness traveled across and held strong.

I was so mad at Akiva and Karou. I wanted the best for them but at the same time I knew that wouldn't be possible because of all that happened between them. Still, I have hope. And hope is the main theme of the series. It spreads across the pages, dancing into the minds of the readers as they soak in all that occurs.

What I found interesting is that I can't be mad at one or the either, I have to be furious at both. They both did things that were unpleasant but they felt were necessary or at least tricked into thinking it was necessary. They were both placed into difficult situations that neither were prepared for. And the events that played out, the foreshadowing of what will most likely happen in the last book, and the revelations that occurred just took me by surprise.

I was not expecting so much. There was never a moment when I wanted to put the book down and never pick up again. Action occurred on every page and brought the story to life.

The sacrifices that were made, the heartache, the sadness, the hallow victories, the choices - everything fell into place. There were so many moments when Taylor took me by surprise; jaw-dropping moments, to be more specific.

I didn't want to the story to end. The atmosphere that Taylor creates in her world takes hold and never wants to let you go - and to some extent you don't want to leave. I know I didn't. And even though Karou and Akiva are anything but fully human, they make choices and mistakes just like us; they have failures and heartbreaks, and I'm sure that this is the only reason why they seemed so alive. Taylor creates memorable, realistic characters/world.

And as for the surprise twist? I love how they didn't just come out of nowhere; the moments were coming and the readers knew. Just not knowing exactly how things would play out.

Honestly, Taylor has probably written my favorite book of the year. I am so glad I finally read it. When is book 3 coming?!!!! I need it now!!!!

Readitreaditreaditreaditreadit!!

The Brotherhood of Piaxia by Michael Drakich

Title: The Brotherhood of Piaxia
Author: Michael Drakich
Info: Facebook
Release Date: March 15th, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 340
Format: Electronic
Acquired: From Author
Age Group: Young Adult

Years have passed since the overthrow of the monarchy by the Brotherhood of Warlocks and they rule Piaxia in peaceful accord. But now forces are at work to disrupt this rule from outside the Brotherhood as well as within! Follow Tarlok, Savan and Tessia as their paths intertwine, with the Brotherhood in pursuit and the powerful merchant’s guild manipulating the populace for their own end.

Twenty years have passed since the corrupt royal family was put to the sword by a group known as the Brotherhood, made up of warlocks. The story tells a tale of good trying to triumph over evil in a fast-paced novel.

This book is made up of a lot of action, mystery, intrigue, and magic. And I think this is why I gave it three stars. There was such an overload of material, it felt almost overwhelming, especially with the amount of characters that was in the novel.

Admittedly, once the reader gets into the story, it almost feels a little less overwhelming. But, I'm getting a little ahead of myself right now.

Drakich weaves together a magical tale filled with imagination and surprising twist.

I, for one, thought that the novel was a little cute. It has been awhile since I read a fantasy novel, so it was refreshing from all the adult fiction that I've been reading. It has been a really, really long time since I read something just purely fantasy.

It did take me awhile to get through this book, which is another reason for my rating. It wasn't something that I could get into right away, but once it picks up it picks up.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: April 1st, 2006
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Pages: 377
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Borrowed
Interest: Series
Age Group: Middle School/Young Adult

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I never even heard about this series until the movie, which I loved just as much. This book, though, surprised me! I was not expecting to like it so much. These days I'm not the biggest fan of middle school books, but Riordan wrote this book in such a way that it didn't make me feel like I was reading a middle school book. Even though Percy was twelve, he spoke in such a mature manner for a moment I had to remind myself he wasn't even a teen yet.

Obviously I liked this book better than the movie (which is something that I will have to watch again since I don't remember a thing that happened in that film!). The characters felt more personal and real, and I'm curious to see what happens from here.

I loved how the story moved forward so well and for a moment I had to ask myself why, at that age, I couldn't love novels like this. I was only thirteen in 2006, which makes me wonder what else I could have missed out on.

I can see why this book is such a big hit with kids. There is a lot that they can relate to, especially with what Percy goes through that isn't supernatural.

Even though I'm nineteen now, I can say that this book isn't just for the super young anymore, though if they had to pick a gateway novel, I would have no doubt this would be it. Riordan blew me away and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series, including his newest one.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

fter serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined

I was very excited to read this book. I have been hearing about it all summer and it was just getting amazing reviews. I was really looking forward to diving into Celaena's world and finding out the mystery and hoping for an epic time. I have been sorely lacking in reading some high fantasy novels, so this would have been a nice change.

Well, turns out that I was excited for nothing. This book was such a disappointment that I actually gave it away, and apparently not even my friend wants it. I think my biggest problem is that the story was very obvious, the reader knew who the killer was not even half-way through the story. I mean, let's not be too settle or anything but let's not be too confusing either so we'll just point a finger to a group of people, who the reader knows right away there's a problem with one of them.

And my second biggest problem was Celaena. Talk about a Mary Sue, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her, except that there was something wrong with her. I mean, can she not be good at something, please? And at such a young age, I just found it so unrealistic. I get, we're in a fictional setting, but reader's expect real characters, and she was not real. She was self-centered, and for an assassin she was a little too obsessed with clothing and looking pretty. I understand if the author wanted to give us full visuals, but we did not need paragraphs describing clothes, and I do mean it by the plural form.

Then there were the two guys. Fine, I get love-triangles are really in, but can we get these guys to have flaws, please? It doesn't help that the way they look at Celaena with this awe-she's-amazing sense that she looks at them. And I don't know how much of a love-triangle this was. Again, it was obvious who she would end up with, because from the beginning the reader understand that one sees her like a person, I guess, while the other sees her for a temporary moment as exciting.

I almost didn't finish. I didn't want to. I only did because I was on the Amtrak and I foolishly packed all my books in my luggage and all I was this book to read.

I would not recommend this books. All the characters are flat, there's no personality. They are all greedy and selfish, despite the fact that Celaena doesn't want to see herself in such a light. And it was a little obvious who would win. Nothing in this book shocked me. I was really annoyed with the focus on the clothes, and I felt like the mythology was poorly constructed. The author kept throwing in country names and I had to keep referring to the map, but in the end decided to just give up. I didn't understand anything.

And to drive home a deeper point, are any of these characters polite? I did not see Celaena utter one thank you. And granted, she's in a tough spot fighting for her freedom, but when someone does something nice you don't question the motives, you say thank you and then question the motives. I was so mad at her. Not to mention she was so demanding. She didn't even live in the palace and already she was giving orders. I just wanted to tell her, "It's your dog, take care of it yourself." And that makes no sense unless you read the book, but I just couldn't take her.

The whole thing was poorly constructed and I could have gone the rest of my life without reading this novel. I do not suggest it for anything.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Little Brown & Co.
Pages: 417
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

I had been dying to read this book for so long and when I saw it I knew that I had to have it. And I am so upset with myself for waiting so long. This book was like nothing I expected.

Honestly, I really never read the summary so I had no idea what to expect. I just knew the title and knew that I had to read it. At first, I keep thinking to myself, "What is going on? What's going to happen? Who is this Karou?" I never imagined what actually happened in this book.

Taylor is amazing. If you want to read a story that sounds a lot like poetry this is it. The entire story is original and moving. Karou is such a compelling character and I love that reader's get the chance to look at Akiva's point of view as well.

The story is hauntingly beautiful with angels, demons, and creatures that come out of a child's storybook. Creativity is high in this book where a story that starts in our world slowly transforms into a high fantasy world where Taylor takes you into a wild ride of forbidden romance, family, allegiances are made, and secrets are revealed that take this book to new heights.

Karou, an art student from Prague, is not like everybody else. She's special in many ways than one. She was raised by four monsters, but something about Karou is not completely human and when she has a run in with Akiva everything in her world changes.

This novel slowly turns from a book into a piece of artwork. Taylor is an artist that takes readers on an epic adventure that will leave reader's in a daze when they turn the final page. Book 2 needs to come out a lot sooner, because the way this book ended...yikes. It's a novel that you never want to finish.