Book Review of Prisms by Amy Durrant

Synopsis:

Year DC12. The parallel worlds of Earth and Mara are wastelands of corruption, ruled by the unforgiving conference. Seventeen-year-old Faye finds herself thrown into the heart of rebellion with one aim; destroy the conference at whatever cost.

Time is ticking. The Runners are coming. But can she win out before she loses herself forever?

Review:


Prisms by Amy Durrant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This was an interesting science fiction thriller. I really enjoyed it.

Faye (real name, Anna Link) is a great character. She is a normal teen, full of angst and sarcasm. I really liked her. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder because of her mixed heritage. This is a bit understandable; it has it's advantages, but also some disadvantages.

I started to read this book, and was struck by the unique way the author has written this story. I was quickly drawn into the story, and I found myself turning pages; the world building was wonderful. I read this book in one sitting. Prisms is a fantastic dystopian thriller, full of twists and turns. The description of how one travels between the parallel worlds of Earth and Mara was unique, and made me wary of standing under a street lamp; I now worry I would get pulled into that world if I did! The story is told through several characters' points of view. Each chapter is dedicated to a different character, which gives an interesting perspective on the tale. Dax is Faye's older brother. He works and lives in Mara, with his fiance, Kash. Lark Lyre is a soldier in the resistance against the conference (a tyrannical and corrupt government on Mara), until his capture and he is turned into a Runner (soldiers made to keep the citizens of both sides from travelling between the worlds). There are also other interesting characters that are introduced in this tale, and several surprises and twists that I didn't see coming. However, this story has a "Hunger Games" and "Divergent" feel to it. I wasn't quite sure who were the "bad" or the "good" guys at times. The only truly "bad" guy seemed to be Torre Fynn, the President of Mara. He is a total megalomaniac and despot. The ending was a bit shocking in it's abruptness, but it sort of made sense in a weird way. I must admit that I did feel a bit disappointed that it ended the way it did, though; I felt slightly cheated. However, this is only my opinion. I will leave it up to you to decide for yourselves.

Amy Durrant has written a wonderful debut novel that was fast paced and exciting. Her writing style kept my attention, and the story flowed wonderfully. Her characters were so lifelike that I expected them to pop onto my street and walk through my door. I would definitely consider reading more books by this author in the future.

I recommend this book if you love YA, Dystopian, Science Fiction or Thriller genres. - Lynn Worton

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To be a female cop in the 1970's in Cop Town by Karin Slaughter

Honestly, this is another of those authors that I have a love / hate relationship with.  I loved Triptych, not so much Thorn in my Side.  

Never the less, when this book became available on Netgalley to review I could not click that request block fast enough

Set in the 1970's this book is amazing in setting the reader in an era that most people lived in, few tried to start a new life in it...well unless you are now 60 +.  

The racism, the anti gay sentiments the discrimination against woman in the work force, especially as a police woman is something the author made come to life with a clarity that took my breath away.

I simply can not imagine working in that age, and in the same breath it is scary to see how little the world has really moved on since the 70's.  

I loved the fact that our main protagonist does not have a handle on EVERYTHING in her life.  She is learning on the job.  Working for respect and I also adored the fact that some of the information she obtains is not relevant immediately.  She is not a superwoman that puts everything together withing a second or two.  No, she has to go through the motions.  Learn how to recover from walking into a wall, learn how to pull her gun.

An amazing book by this author and I would recommend you pick up your copy as soon as it is available!

WaAr

Book Review of Reckless Magic: The Star-Crossed Series #1

Synopsis:

16 year old Eden Matthews has been in and out of private schools for the last two years. She can't seem to stop herself from closing them down. Kingsley is her last chance to finish high school and the last private school willing to accept her.

She is focused on just getting through graduation until she realizes Kingsley is not like the other private schools she's been to. The students may be different, but so is she. And after meeting Kiran Kendrick, the boy who won't leave her alone and seems to be the source of all her problems, she is suddenly in a world that feels more make-believe than reality.

To top it off, she is being hunted by men who want to kill Kiran and her best friend Lilly is taken away to a foreign prison. Eden finds herself right in the middle of an ancient war, threatening everything she loves. She alone has to find a way to save her best friend and the boy who has captivated her heart.

Reckless Magic is an intricate story about mystery, adventure, magic and forbidden love. Eden Matthews is an unlikely heroine determined to save the world and be with her one, true love before it's too late.

Review:


Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in The Star-Crossed Series. This is another book, I am ashamed to say, that I downloaded over two years ago when it was free, and I am kicking myself for not reading sooner. I loved it!

Eden Matthews is only sixteen years old, but she has had more trouble in her life than most teens at that age. She is a typical teen, who thinks she is always right, and tends to be very reckless (in my opinion). I really liked her, but due to her reckless behaviour, I also wanted to shake her at times.

I started to read this book and was hooked from the first page. I have read a few YA books with a similar girl meets boy, instant attraction and forbidden love theme. However, this story is quite different in many ways. It has a unique plot line, with twists and turns that completely surprised me. The story is full of danger, magic, adventure and romance. This story is told from various character's points of view, but mostly through Eden's eyes. The characters in this story are very interesting. Kiran Kendrick is actually a prince. I liked him, but due to his upbringing, I found him to be a bit of an arrogant jerk at times. However, whenever Eden and Kiran are in the same room, their attraction is magical. I don't mean that in a dreamy way (although there is some of that), but because there is magic involved. They are like magnets that cannot stop snapping together whenever they meet. This creates some interesting situations. Lilly is Eden's first new friend at Kingsley, and has secrets of her own. I really liked her. She is a lovely character and a great friend. Avalon is also a fantastic character. I guessed who he was in relation to Eden, but his upbringing was completely different to his twin, and this, I felt, gave him an advantage that was denied to her that was slightly unfair. However, there is a reason why this happened, but I felt that if Eden had not been as sheltered, she wouldn't have been so reckless in her actions. Nevertheless, the story took me on an amazing journey from beginning to end. Although this story doesn't finish on a cliffhanger, I am looking forward to continuing the rest of the series as soon as possible. I have a lot of catching up to do, since there are 6.5 books in this series - I had better get cracking!

Rachel Higginson has written a fantastic YA romance. Her characters are very lifelike and likable. I loved her fast paced writing style, and the flow was wonderful. I have never read any of this author's books before, but I will certainly be adding her to my favourite authors list, and reading more of her books as soon as I can.

I highly recommend this book to teens aged 15+ and to adults who love YA or paranormal romance genres. - Lynn Worton

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The City by Dean R Koontz

The City by Dean Koontz an arc copy review via Netgalley

The City by Dean R Koontz

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review.

A few days back I read two bits of social media gold…ok not really gold.  At the time I figured the one may have some validity and the other advice simply sounded ludicrous. 

The first nugget claimed that a good writer tells the reader something they already know. 

The second said that if you want your review to go viral, you MUST start of by telling the reader how this book made you feel. 

So let's see.  This book, more than anything made me feel part of something larger.  Not only a part of The City, rather part of the soul of the world.  Since I live across the world (almost -- I live in South Africa) feeling so much part of the music, I knew every tune mentioned.  The history, I even got the reference to the Japanese art at the very start…simply everything, the world view.  The innocence, the fear.  This book dragged me into the story, kept me there and made me sit down and have a look around at my own life.  Now how can this then simply pass me by…I can't, it did not. 

I adored this book.  The Japanese neighbor introduced at the start of the book first only as a passing character, later slowly fluffed out with not what he says or even do but by the little art he owns.  The fact that I could already fill in blanks not even identified as blanks to this man astounded me, it enchanted me and it made me wonder how an author can so accurately give hints that a character got a back story much more intricate than he ever took the time to describe. 

Noah Kirk with his eight names in between and his friends, all proves one thing - it takes a village to raise a child and if it is a butter side down day, sigh, clean up and go on.  Tomorrow - or the day after will be butter up day.   And remember to call him Nicholaas, or Nick but never Nickie. 

So that concludes the second nugget.  Now for the first nugget.

A good writer tells the reader what he/she already knows.

Now ain't that the truth with this book.  The story is amazingly close to home sprinkled with a feather.  The embodiment of the spirit of The City and like this embodiment the city is a character all it’s own.  An example of this is, "it was so humid that afternoon, the birds did not fly and the bees did not zoom. 

The thing is about the first nugget….it should have given one more sentence, while telling the reader what they already know it should do it in such a fashion that the reader is shocked that their inner voice never made the claim in such terms.  And thus, this book is not only good, this author is not only good (I have a love/hate relationship depending on the book I finished with Koontz).  This author, this book is amazing.

WaAr

Book Review of Island of Tory by Regina M. Geither

Synopsis:

When sixteen year old Arella Cline's summer vacation begins with the tragic death of her parents, she is sent to live with her aunt to begin a new life on a remote island off the western coast of Ireland. But there are strange things happening on Tory Island—shadow figures, mysterious auras, and the haunting sound of her deceased parents’ voices.

The only thing Arella finds appealing about Tory is the handsome, dark-haired Declan McQuilan. But Cannon Fidelous, a mysterious outcast, warns her that the island and its inhabitants are hiding a dark secret. And when Arella finds an ancient book of prophecies, she discovers the island's curse—a curse that only she can undo.

Review:


Island of Tory by Regina M. Geither
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is a fantastic YA Fantasy Thriller. I am very sorry it's taken me so long to get to read it, as I loved it!

Arella Cline is a wonderful character. I liked her a lot. She is an emotionally strong character and is stubborn and determined. She has had her life completely destroyed by a terrible car accident that killed her parents. Sent to live with her aunt on the small island of Tory, Arella finds herself in a race to break a curse.

I started to read this story and was hooked from the first page. Arella is a normal teen, but dealing with a traumatic experience. Being the "new kid" is scary enough, but Tory is an island with secrets. There are some interesting characters living on the island. Declan McQuilan is Arella's first friend on the island. He is charming, funny and has a charisma that people respond to, but he also has a secret. I liked him very much, but as the story progressed, I found I didn't like him as much as I did in the beginning. I am not saying why, you will just have to read the book yourself to find out. Cannon Fidelous is also new to the island, but he is a loner and tends to keep to himself. He is a bit of an enigma, but I really liked this character too. The story was quite gripping, with a steady building suspense that held me in thrall. I found myself getting anxious as the story twisted and turned with mystery; Just when I thought I had a grip on the story, it would take a gigantic twist in another direction. This story was a roller coaster ride of danger, action and adventure. All the characters came alive on the page, and the description of the island was so vivid, I could picture it with ease. The Irish folklore used in this tale was very interesting. I have always been interested in the myths and legends of various cultures, and none more so than those of the Irish or Celtic ones. I was very disappointed when I reached the end of the story, as I wanted to keep reading. However, I loved the ending, as it was sweet and, although it doesn't finish on a cliffhanger, it made me look forward to reading the next book, The Cursing Stone, as soon as possible.

Regina M. Geither has written an absorbing and thrilling YA Fantasy. I love her fast paced writing style, and the flow of the story was wonderful. I would definitely read more of this author's books in the future.

I highly recommend this book to teens (13+) and adults who love YA, Paranormal, Fantasy and Thriller genres. - Lynn Worton


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Book Review of Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh Book 1) by Samantha Young

Synopsis:

What would you do if you were born to be a predator? Would you fight your natural instincts or give in to your nature? 

Eden is a soul eater closing in on her Awakening. Her family has convinced her that soon she will have to take a life in order to save her own. It’s a decision Eden doesn’t want to deal with even as her hunger for souls grows stronger every day.

To complicate her impossible position, new guy in school Noah Valois’ determination to befriend her puts Eden in touch with a humanity she’s never known. Addicted to his company, his friendship and affection, she becomes more and more terrified that giving into her hunger will mean losing him forever…

… But when she discovers that Noah is not what he seems, his betrayal forces her to face two choices. One will offer her revenge and the destruction of a boy she loved. The other may offer her a life of eternal redemption…

Review:


Blood Will Tell by Samantha Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Warriors of Ankh series. I downloaded this book, I am ashamed to say, nearly two and a half years ago when it was free, but never found time to read it until now. I am seriously kicking myself for not reading it sooner, because I LOVED it!

Eden Winslow is not a normal teen. She is a soul eater, or soon to be, once she goes through her Awakening ceremony. I liked this character a lot. She has a lot to deal with. She is scared, but determined to resist impulse to take a soul. However, it's not easy when your only friend is a temptation.

Noah Valois is a fantastic character and is also not your average teen. He is a little enigmatic at times, but I suppose being a Warrior of Ankh, a little mystery comes with the territory. Being friends with Eden is a complication he never expected, but can he save her before she makes a terrible mistake?

This is a fantastic YA paranormal romance. The story is basically good versus evil, but with a twist. The Warriors of Ankh are a group of immortals that protect mankind from the "Blessed" - soul eaters to you and me. However, there is a complication in the form of a rebel faction of Neith (human warriors that fight along side with the Ankh) wanting to kill Eden because of who she is. The story is told through both Eden's and Noah's point of view. Once I started to read this book, I struggled to put it down! This book is an amazing roller coaster ride of excitement, danger and romance. There are some really interesting characters in this story. Stellan is Eden's brother, and her rock in an emotional sea. I liked him very much, even though he too is a soul eater. Teagan, Eden's cousin, on the other hand, is a loathsome character, with very little in the way of redeeming features. He, along with Eden's parents, are characters that made me angry. I very rarely get angry, but their behaviour towards Eden really raised my ire. If these were real people, I would probably be sent to jail for their murder - that's how angry I became.
The story was full of twists and turns, some of them shocking, and some violence. The scenes were well written, and I could picture them quite clearly in my mind's eye. It was interesting to see how Eden's character grew through the story. I liked her in the beginning, but by the end of the story, I was in awe of her strength of character and bravery. I was disappointed when I reached the end of the book, as I wanted to keep reading. I will have to download the next book in the series, Blood Past, and try not to take so long to get to read it!

Samantha Young has written a wonderful story, with characters that come alive on the page. I love her fast paced writing style, and the story flowed wonderfully. This is the first book I have read by this author, but it certainly won't be the last.

I highly recommend this book (and series) if you love older YA (15+) or Paranormal Romance genres. - Lynn Worton

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Next month on Wanda's amazing Amazon reviewers.

So this month WaAr took a break.  But July brings us three more amazing authors.....wanna know who?
Well I am sure you do.   So here goes....

Christoph Fischer brings us Time To Let Go, read the blurb via Amazon here....Oh and click on the pic to get your free copy today!!!!

Time to Let Go is a contemporary family drama set in Britain. 

Following a traumatic incident at work Stewardess Hanna Korhonen decides to take time off work and leaves her home in London to spend quality time with her elderly parents in rural England. There she finds that neither can she run away from her problems, nor does her family provide the easy getaway place that she has hoped for. Her mother suffers from Alzheimers' disease and, while being confronted with the consequences of her issues at work, she and her entire family are forced to reassess their lives. 

The book takes a close look at family dynamics and at human nature in a time of a crisis. Their challenges, individual and shared, take the Korhonens on a journey of self-discovery and redemption.

Our second book....

Uvi Poznansky brings us our second book and I am sure it is again poetry in motion.  Here is the blurb...

Here is the story of David as you have never heard it before: from the king himself, telling the unofficial version, the one he never allowed his court scribes to recount. In his mind, history is written to praise the victorious—but at the last stretch of his illustrious life, he feels an irresistible urge to tell the truth. In the first volume, Rise to Power, David gives you a fascinating account of his early years, culminating with a tribal coronation. Rooted in ancient lore, his is a surprisingly modern memoir. 

In an era of cruelty, when destroying the enemy is deemed a sacred directive, the slayer of Goliath finds a way to become larger than life. His search for a path to power leads him in ways that are, at times, scandalous. Notorious for his contradictions, David is seen by others as a gifted court entertainer, a successful captain in Saul’s army, a cunning fugitive, a traitor leading a gang of felons, and a ruthless raider of neighboring towns who leaves no witnesses behind. 

How does he see himself, during this first phase of his life? With his hands stained with blood, can he find an inner balance between conflicting drives: his ambition for the crown, his determination to survive the conflict with Saul, and his longing for purity, for a touch of the divine, as expressed so lyrically in his psalms and music?


And last but certainly not least....Helen Christmas brings us Same Face Different Place!

The blurb via Amazon....

16 year old Eleanor had no idea her father was involved in organised crime. But then came the turf war - the threat of a deadly rival - and the promise of revenge which would eventually force Oliver into hiding. 

Left to the mercy of dangerous people, Eleanor knows her life is spiralling out of control. But on the night she plans her escape, she stumbles across a mysterious prisoner. His name is Jake, he is a rock musician from Holland - and he has a contract on his life. 

A daring escape across London eventually draws them into a place of hiding - before Jake's own chilling story gradually begins to unfold. He is the one vital witness to a sinister scene leading up to the death of a British MP and now those responsible want him silenced. As two people, thrown together by fate they develop intense feelings of love for each other - and it does not take long for Eleanor to realise, that she will do anything possible to keep Jake alive. 

Beginnings is a powerful love story, set in the dark criminal underworld of London, of two people whose powerful love bond will keep you turning the pages, as they live on a knife edge, desperate to escape the deadly enemies who stalk them.

So happy reading.  And if you are a reviewer.  Want to read free copies in turn for an honest review on Amazon, then please join us on FB.