Castigate My Sins by Elicia Clegg

Title: Castigate My Sins
Author: Elicia Clegg
Release Date: August 5th, 2011
Publisher: Smashwords
Pages: 255
Format: Paperback
Acquired: From Author
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 4 Stars

It has been said perception is reality, and yet, what if the reality in question was twisted and corrupted to a disheartening degree of depravity? Would the corruption have the power to shift the human consciousness and control the very nature of what is and is not?  In Elicia Clegg's newest novel five teenagers: Michael, Suzy, Christopher, Beth, and Leigh will have to answer that very question. Their souls will be thrown into a pit of malevolent despair where they will come face to face with their archetypal selves. their characters will be tested, they will be deceived, given half-truths, and face punishment for crimes they did not commit. Will any surrender to the ever growing lies, or will they escape the void of light and breathe life once again?

What I think must first be noted about this novel is that Elicia Clegg  does not slap you in the face with the plot, but slowly eases in and BAM! here's how it is. It's been awhile since I read a story that held such twists and turns and kept me on my toes.

The basic premise of the novel is the secrets that each of these characters hold and what they do to handle these situations they get placed in. While this story doesn't exactly scream, "Amazing" at first, I slowly get swept into their lives and had been held there.

I think that what works best for Clegg when it comes to her book is the dark world she creates. She is excellent with describing not just the setting but the characters emotions, their thoughts, and everything that's inside of them to the point where it's like the reader is being sucked into their lives and taking a part of the action in the novel. I feel like that is what makes such a book good. When the reader is trapped into the place and no chance of being let go.

The themes are important, obviously, since they drive the book. And I think what stuck out for me is the title of the story and where Clegg was going. I won't reveal much more than the fact that they are tightly intertwined together.

I loved that I got the chance to read it, but the only reason it got a four is because I felt like a little bit more should happen. This is not a very long book, I took in within three hours, but I feel like Clegg could have played a little more with the characters and really give insight into them.

Either way it was a well done job.

Quest of the Demon by M.L. Sawyer

Title: Quest of the Demon
Author: M.L. Sawyer
Release Date: January 28th, 2011
Publisher: Smashwords
Pages: 277
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: From Author
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 4 Stars

 Darci is your average every day sixteen year old girl who plays basketball and lives in an ordinary country town.  Her life changes forever as she is 'accidentally zapped' to the land of Nahaba by the apprentice wizard Taslessian.

Within hours of her unexpected arrival, both teens are thrust into a dangerous journey to the cave of Grisham the Great, who will hopefully be able to send her home.  When they get there however Darci soon finds out that there is no such things as accidents and that their journey is only just beginning.

 It's been a long time since I read fantasy, and not fantasy in the sense of our world full of monsters or starcrossed lovers, but in the sense of actually getting away from our world and into some place new and exciting. And this story was the one.

One thing I will give this story is that it is full of action. Even in the first pages you already get the feeling that something big is going to happen. There is so much going on it's like a race is going on to see how much stuff can happen at once.

It holds to the classical fantasy story, where you have the main character who is thrust into an unknown world and has to find her way back home through a long journey that has her encountering friends and foes on her path to getting home.

I felt like the whole story line between Darci and Taslessian was a little obvious, though the added love triangle did add a little something to the story.

What I felt was wrong? I felt like some of Darci's reactions weren't very believable. Personally, if I were in her shoes I would not be as easily accepting of the things around me as she was, either that or she's more adaptable to her surroundings. Anyways, I just felt like everything was moving too fast and that she took everything in like it was just another day. I'll admit there were moments when even Darci was a little hesitant, but still.

And then in the beginning when Belderon did what he did for Darci, also had me a little skeptical.

But I love the originality, I love the world, and I have a soft spot for these characters. The ending was a little surprising, and you can keep a look out for the sequel.

Adventure, romance, fantasy, creativity, and mystery surround this tale. It is a never ending ball of excitement.