Book Review - Surrender to You

Happy Thursday, everyone! Wow. I can't believe the week is almost over. What a crazy time it's been, too. NaNo isn't gonna happen for me this year, I'm afraid. But, I plan to work on Markaza and M, so you can all have something new by me to read early next year. Of course, Fractured Glass will release this year, too. Anyway, enough of all that. Let's get to what you came here for: a book review. This is the second to last novel I'm reviewing for my Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge. As a collective, the 29 readers in that challenge have read and reviewed 351 Indie books! What an awesome thing to be part of. I'm not doing a recap today, but my last book review will come the first week of December and my review video will be ready sometime that week as well. I'll recap then.

Here's a little about the book up for review today:

Title: Surrender to You (Pierced Hearts #1)
Author: C. S. Janey
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 252 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Stefan never thought she’d come home…
After five long years, she’s within his reach and he’s determined to find out what she kept hidden from him, while hoping that his own secret won’t tear them apart again.

Simon never expected to fall in love with her…
Asking her out had been impulsive, but suddenly the Doctor is falling for this woman who makes him ache like nobody else ever has and he’s determined to make her his.

Elizabeth never knew she’d feel so strongly for two men…
Torn between the love of an ex she pushed away in the past and the love of a new man that makes her feel alive again, she must make a decision that will ultimately result in a broken heart for one of them.

When tragedy strikes, will she be confident in her final decision?

(Contains mature content and adult language; suitable for 17+) - Can be read as a standalone.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. Man oh man did I love the cover for this book! Perfect set up for the story. I was nervous at first, thinking I was getting into a series, but the standalone note is something to take into consideration. As of the time I'm writing this, there aren't any more books in this series out.***

Now for the fun stuff!

I picked up this book during my 12 Days of Christmas event, where I ask Indie authors to pitch me their books for purchase and review. I read all the samples, and this one grabbed me because of the excellent writing style. But, let's move on to what's inside.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I was really caught up in the relationships in this novel. First, there's the love between Stefan and Elizabeth. She's confused, angry, and hurt by everything that passed between them through much of the beginning of the story. I saw her grow as a person during the tale, and that's really what a main character should do over the course of a novel. Plot was awesome, and pacing was spot on. I never felt like the story dragged.

I did tear up a time or two, but I refuse to tell you why because it'll spoil the story. There are a couple of twists and turns I didn't see coming, but I enjoyed the way they were woven in. No insta love here, which is great. In the last 1/3 of the novel, there's a little bit where, if you aren't paying attention to the timeline, it seems like things are rushed; but, overall, there's a good progression of the different relationships developing. I could totally identify with Elizabeth, and I even enjoyed the tension between her and her best friend.

One thing that bugged me was how Elizabeth kept talking about how not buff Stefan is, but how he's still good-looking. It happened enough that I noted it. Other than that, the story was great and the characters felt real.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were a number of errors, but they were mostly wrong word usage or dropped words. It wasn't anything that tripped me up too badly, but it'll lose the book half a star for editing. A good proofreader could clean the MS up in a few days.

Rating:
+ 1 Star for making me tear up
+ 1 Star for great twists and turns
+ 1 Star for the lack of insta love
+ .5 Star for friendships I could believe were real
- .5 Star for the repeated rebuffing of Stefan's physique
+ .5 Star for punctuation, sentence construction, and writing
- .5 Star for dropped words and incorrect usage
Overall: A solid 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended for those who love a romance with angst, or those who wish for a well-written read.

What do you think? Will you check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Off Target

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Wow. I can't believe we're already blazing through October. NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. I do hope you're all prepared. Today, I have another review for you all from my Indie Fever Reading Challenge 2014 list. I've sworn to get through them all before my review request event happens in December. Some of these titles were added after the event, and will be reserved for reviews next year (I already have them scheduled), but they weren't part of my promise list. So, yada-yada. I've marked the additions with a ~.

Here's the list again. Progress is being MADE!

Molly Taggart Off Target REVIEW BELOW
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh REVIEW HERE
Tamar Hela Feast Island REVIEW HERE
Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter REVIEW HERE
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements REVIEW HERE
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW HERE 
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $3.99 ~
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $3.99 
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE** ~
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $0.99 ~
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $2.99

About the book up for review today:

Title: Off Target
Author: Molly Taggart
Genre: YA Contemporary Coming-of-age
Length (print): 198 Pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Sophie Mitchell may be the top marksman on her high school rifle team, but she has bad aim when it comes to boys. Her best friend Cory tells her that she doesn’t have to date, but how else is she supposed to fit in? Even her own mother thinks she’s eccentric. What almost eighteen-year-old girl isn’t interested in romance? So Sophie resolves to date even while she remains bullet-proofed from love. As Cory observes her amorous adventures from downrange, he worries that, these days, Cupid might be making armor-piercing bullets.

Off Target is a humorous coming-of-age story and a tender romance that can appeal to any adult, young or old, who has ever learned through love.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere! What a cute little cover! I do wish for stronger typography, but the imagery is bang on (no pun intended). It also has good contrast. It just feels somewhat flat.***

On to the good stuff!

Off Target was pitched to me during my 12 Days of Christmas event, where I ask Indie authors to pitch their books for purchase and review. I grab a sample of the ones with great pitches and give them a read. This title was intriguing because of the eccentricities of the main character, Sophie. Let's get going, and I'll tell you about it.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Sophie cracked me up, made me cry, and had me cheering throughout. She's a tough cookie with a penchant for everything guns. I know girls like that, so I could totally see it. I'd be friends with someone like her. That being said, I would've liked to see her with more flaws. She seemed way too perfect. Sure, she had her moments, but her hair, eyes, grades, shooting, and ideals about boys felt just a hair contrived. Either way, I liked her crazy moments, so I'm choosing not to give too much weight to the perfection. Cory was interesting, but I liked his twin brother, O, better. Surprisingly, he was more fleshed out. Pacing of the book was excellent. I didn't find there was a time where it dragged on. In fiction, I prefer none of the comparisons to older times, or things other people said in the past, to be put in parentheses. This novel had a lot of that going on. Feels like an infodump when it comes up, and without all the little quips, it would be an even better story. Plot was awesome, and surprised the heck out of me a couple of times.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were some inconsistencies in age when things began to happen in the story, misspellings (riffle instead of rifle, a sleep instead of asleep), and one huge snafu where the parents are yelling and tell the MC she's about to be seventeen (she's about to be eighteen). Sadly, this many errors take away the ability to give anything for editing.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me a main character and a supporting cast I'd actually like to meet
1 Star for pacing and plot
1 Star for the happily ever after and tying up all the loose ends
- .25 Star for perfection of the MC
- .75 Star for parenthetical sections that came up way too often
- 1 Star for editing
Overall, 3 out of 5 stars. Recommended for those who enjoy coming-of-age tales with a tough cookie for an MC.

What do you think? Will you pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Finnegan's Quest

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I have another book review for you all today. Seems to be a bit of a theme with them showing up on Wednesday's, eh? Well, when I scheduled my blog through the end of this year, I decided to try and give you a review once a week through the end of October. I'm blazing through my pile for the Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge (check out more reviews by that group here)! Speaking of which, here's a little reminder of the books I've reviewed so far, and the ones that are coming soon (no particular order):

Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest  REVIEW BELOW
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh REVIEW HERE
Tamar Hela Feast Island REVIEW HERE
Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter REVIEW HERE
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements REVIEW HERE
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW HERE 
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $3.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $3.99 
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $0.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99

As always, a little about the book up for review before we get going!

Title: Finnegan's Quest
Author: Gloria Piper
Genre: Fantasy Satire
Length (print): 284 Pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $4.99

Synopsis:
Who will be Finnegan’s most perfect guru? Someone big, mysterious, and scary? It’s what the young fox believes. His quest leads him into Squiggly Wood, only to find no welcome from its critters, except for Crookshank, an elder crow reputed to have an evil foot. Finnegan, if he is to have any help in his search, accepts her offer of friendship. Shortly after, the woods erupt with guides and misguides vying to mentor him and separate him from Crookshank. Why should anyone care? The two friends investigate the cause of this attack and find it tied to a scheme by a secret force to take over Squiggly Wood. Finnegan’s Quest is a fantastical allegory that pokes fun at life’s foibles, political, religious, and social. Young and adult readers will find a quick and amusing read that invites them to look at life in new ways.

I'm jumping right into my review here, so strap in and get ready! *grin*

I picked up Finnegan's Quest during a promotional span on my blog where I ask Indie authors to come pitch their books for a chance to win a purchase and a review. Well, dear Finnegan got me from the sample, I bought it, read it, and will now get to my thoughts on it.

From a Reader's Perspective:
What I thought I was getting into--a book about a wily little fox on an adventure to find himself--was almost what I found. That being said, I didn't expect the very human situations and agendas I discovered buried in the text. I adore books about critters (loved Watership Down), and I figured this one would be more along the lines of a fox story with a rabbit flavor. But, sadly, I was disappointed. As a whole, the plot moved at a good clip sometimes and dragged along at others. I loved the crow, Crookshank, but she wasn't enough to save the story for me. It seemed the author had so much to argue against, her moral tale and overall agenda got lost as the story ambled along. Some of the puns were funny, and I laughed at those a time or two, but I kept reading in the hopes that the story would get better, which it didn't. If you enjoy books with a thick undercurrent of opinion about religion, politics, and other such things, this book is for you. If you're looking for a fluffy critter story, it won't whet your appetite. I did like little Finnegan, and enjoyed watching him grow into his own through the pages with Crookshank's guidance. Also, I see satire and I expect to laugh a lot. This book missed that mark, too, but I'm not gonna ding it for being categorized in that way.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I didn't find a lot of errors. No more than a usual couple. But those were negligible. Nice editing job on the grammatical end.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me Finnegan and his bushy curiosity
1 Star for showing old arguments in a new light
1 Star for editing
-1 Star for plot and pacing
-1 Star for too many agendas packed into one book

Overall, a solid 3 out of 5 stars. Recommended for those who enjoy opinion books.

Would this title be up your alley?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I have yet another book review for you all from my Indie Fever 2014 reading list. There's still time to join in the fun of the challenge. Just go here, add your name to the linky thing with your pledge level, grab the badge, and read on! I always choose my books in December (and some are added along the way I find on my own) so I know about how many I can promise to read over the next year. I've already hit my goal for 2014, but I'm gonna keep going until the end. *grin*

Here's a recap of my review list:

Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh REVIEW BELOW
Tamar Hela Feast Island REVIEW HERE
Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter REVIEW HERE
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements REVIEW HERE
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW HERE 
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $3.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.99
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $3.99 
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $0.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99

Title: The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh
Author: Skylar Hamilton Burris
Genre: Historical Romance
Length (print): ~ 106 Pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
When Mr. Collins leaves his living at Rosings for a higher (or at least more lucrative) calling, a lascivious new rector takes his place. Mr. Darcy fears this handsome man of the cloth may have designs on his sickly cousin Anne, and he races to rescue her from a fate worse than death: marriage. In addition to the title novelette, this collection also includes three Pride and Prejudice inspired short stories that offer playful glimpses into the future life of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy.  These short Regency romance selections will provide you with an enjoyable introduction to the writing style of Skylar Hamilton Burris, who has also authored two popular, novel-length sequels to Pride and Prejudice.

**Will not appear in review elsewhere. I think the newest version of the cover does the most justice to the book inside. It depicts Anne looking sheepishly over her shoulder. How awesome is that? You can check it out by clicking on the Amazon link above.**

Review time!

I read P&P about once a year. I love the characters, and always wanted to know what happened to poor Anne after Mr. Darcy chose Elizabeth.When Skylar Burris appeared on my blog to pitch The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh to me, I snapped up the sample right away, and I enjoyed it so much I bought the book. Without further dawdling...

From a Reader's Perspective:
What I love most about Pride and Prejudice is the language. I get caught up in the flow and rhythm of Austin's words on the page. While this is a collection of short stories based on the P&P characters, it doesn't have the same cadence (which I firmly believe is one of the major reasons so many of us love the root story). Even so, I enjoyed the easy banter between Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, further rooting their odd relationship as one that works. Both were overly witty in P&P, and that was both a blessing and a curse. My favorite short was the letters the couple exchanged, as it displayed a lot of their nature and gift with words. There was no backstory, so if you aren't familiar with the original, you probably won't enjoy these short tales. Writing was well done and flowed smoothly, but was missing that je ne sais quoi I was looking forward to.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There was one instance where the author lost her character's name (Jonson became Johsnon), but there were only three or four other errors.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me laughs with some of my favorite P&P characters
1 Star for the letters short (which was very well done)
1 Star for giving Anne a happily ever after
1 Star for writing that had few errors
- 1 Star for not capturing me with prose that had cadence
Overall 4 out of 5 stars. Enjoyable read with fun shorts that'll keep you entertained.

Do you love the original? Ever read a spinoff? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Feast Island

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Heck yeah! Today, I have another book review for you all from my Indie Fever 2014 reading list. I'm making one hell of a dent in my list, and I've scheduled myself a review a week (sans November, because of NaNo) until I get them all done. Then, I'll have a new collection coming at me in December from my 12 Days event. If you're an author, you don't wanna miss that fun! I only take review requests once a year, and if you miss it, you're out of luck.

Now, if you're a reader, join us over on the Indie Fever Challenge! So far this year, we've reviewed over 300 Indie books! Wow! That's a lot of awesome for self-pubbers right there. You can join in the fun here. Just add your name to the linky thing with your pledge level, grab the badge, and get to reviewing. Here's mine so far:

Tamar Hela Feast Island REVIEW BELOW
Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter REVIEW HERE
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements REVIEW HERE
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW HERE 
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $3.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.99
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $3.99 
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $0.99
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99


Here's a little about today's book:

Title: Feast Island  (Spirit Lake Book 1)
Author: Tamar Hela
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Length (print): ~ 192 Pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Seven teenagers from Northern California are assigned a seemingly innocent group project for their freshman English class. Little do they know, this project will literally take them on a journey out of this world. Cantelia appears much like Earth, until the kids realize magic is as plentiful as the danger surrounding them. A dark and evil ruler has placed a curse on the tribal people of Sikuku Island—the same island where the teens have been transported. Now, they must help the tribal people break the curse if they ever want to see their own planet again. Join Alex and her friends as they learn that there is so much more beyond their comfortable lives in Pollock Pines and its legendary Spirit Lake. 

**Will not appear in review elsewhere.  While the cover does capture the story on the pages, it's a bit too dark overall, in my opinion. This is YA and I feel like it needs to be a bit lighter. That being said, it's just an opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt.**

I picked up this book when the author, Tamar Hela, pitched it to me on my blog during my Twelve Days of Christmas event. She was looking for reviews, and her book got me from both the pitch and the sample. I ran out and bought it, as I do all books I review, and the rest, as they say, is history. Enough about how I came upon the title! Let's get to the good stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
This book has a lot of heart and a great story. I enjoyed the main character, and felt like she grew as the book progressed. It's a standalone in the beginning of a series, but there's no crazy cliffhanger at the end. Everything is wrapped up in a pretty bow. Plot-wise, Feast Island was spot on. Teens getting whipped away into another world? Yes, please! I also adored the idealism of the youngsters. I felt the story was paced well, and will be a great read for younger people. All that being said, I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I think it's because there were too many for me to get a firm grasp on one. I did like that I got to hear Alex's thoughts (she's a typical teen with a snarky process), but I found myself wishing for more of the Spirit Lake legend to be intertwined with her journey. There were also a ton of redundancy issues. Head hopping happens a lot, and there are at least three POVs (though the only one I could put a finger on whose head I was in was Alex's). There were a few times the author's voice intruded, and pulled me out of the story. Dialogue felt forced with names spattered in often. Which leads me to...

From an Editor's Perspective:
Very few pronoun issues. I was pleasantly surprised by that. However, the issues I found were redundancy (as mentioned), lack of comma lists where needed, author's voice intrusion, and confusions/dropped words. Examples: She had long, white hair that was braided and pinned close to her head and looked younger than she was. This translates to: her hair looking younger than her face. Nominated and voted. Same meaning in two words. Use of ?! and ?? happened often. Corporal and corporeal. Two very different words, the first used where the second should've been. I dismounted and chained my bike to a tree and made my way... Needs commas to improve flow.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me a fun read with great pacing
1 Star for making me laugh at some of Alex's inner monologue
1 Star for tying up all the loose ends and an interesting plot
-1 Star for redundancies and forced feeling dialogue
-1 Star for confusions of words and phrases and for head hopping with no focus
Overall, 3 out of 5 stars. A good read for a teen (very clean), and something to enjoy on a rainy afternoon.

What do you think? Have you read it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Five Elements (The Alchemancer: Book One)

Dancing on Wednesday! How is everyone this fine morning? Happy Hump-day! Today, I'm bringing you all a book review from my overly massive list that goes hand-in-hand with the Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge. Yes, I'm finally back to the novels on that list. Yay! From now until I get caught unawares, every Wednesday will be a book review. Other days, watch out, because I have some awesome stuff planned! What's Indie Fever you ask? Well, allow me to enlighten you. IF2014 is a group of folks who got together and pledged different levels of support for the Indie author community. We promised to read a certain number of self-published books for the year by authors we've never read before. It's so much fun! You can join us here (it's never too late). Just click the link, grab the badge, add yourself to the linky thing with your level of pledge, and get to reading! I know I'm late, but I had to actually finish the book before writing a review. I'm not one of those that reads only part.

Here's my list for 2014 (something I curate during my 12 Days of Christmas event every year):

Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements REVIEW BELOW
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.9
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW HERE 
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tamar Hela Feast Island Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $0.99

I threw all the titles in a hat and drew them out. Now, I have a tackling list order. No, I'm not gonna share it with you. *grin*

Let's get to what you all came here for, eh? Here's a little about the book up for review today:

Title: The Five Elements (The Alchemancer: Book One)
Author: Scott Marlowe
Genre: Young Adult Epic Fantasy
Length (print): 389 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99  ~  Paperback $14.16

Synopsis:
Aaron—scholar, alchemist, and sorcerer's apprentice—wants nothing more than to study his tomes, perform his experiments, and spend time with his best friend, Shanna. Except for the studying and the experiments, Shanna wants the same, though with the occasional romp about the city and plenty of games of crutchit thrown in, too.

Their routines—and their lives—are thrown into chaos when an elemental attack is launched against their home. Aaron thinks Shanna killed, while Aaron himself is forced to flee for his life. For Shanna, who survives that fateful night, the greatest adventure of her life is about to begin. Only the worst of nightmares awaits Aaron: pursued by dwarves, hell hounds, and a demon who will not stop until he is dead, the only thing keeping him alive is his own resourcefulness and an eslar mercenary whose reputation as a killer might make him the worst threat of all.

Though Aaron and Shanna travel different paths, their purpose is joined when they individually learn of the mysterious Fifth Element. Shanna sees it as the final piece in the puzzle that is her destiny. To Aaron's logical mind, it is an impossible ambiguity. Whatever the answer, the Fifth Element draws them back together and into a final confrontation not as allies, but as adversaries.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere! I have a little bit of an issue with the blurb for this title. It gives away some of the key plot points that kept me reading. I'm soooo glad I didn't read it before I started. I would've been very upset. That being said, I love the cover for this book. It's colorful and captivating in a great way.***

Okay, I'm getting to the story inside right now.

I snagged a copy of this book during an event on my blog where I allowed authors to pitch titles to me for consideration. The Five Elements got me from the sample and I happily purchased the novel and added it to my TBR list for 2014. I'm a fan of fantasy, so this was right up my breezeway. Let's move to the good stuff you really want to know about.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I've been reading on this book for a while, putting it down and picking it up again. In the beginning, the characters didn't click with me on a care level, and I had a difficult time worrying about what would happen to them next. Pacing was a bit slow at the start but picked up about halfway through. I'm glad I didn't give up on this title! Once the action started, it never stopped. I was dragged through a world of sorcery and alchemists that was well built and kept me guessing through a number of turns. There was an excellent plot and a sub-plot I rather enjoyed, because it tied in with the main story well. But, I had problems with the characters' names and kept getting them confused. Too many began with the same letter: E. Both girls had similar first names, too (both beginning with an S); and that threw me off at times. There are several POVs in this book, and a couple of head-hops resulted. Having to turn off my editor's brain while reading isn't easy, but this is one of those titles I had to do that with. While the story was good, there were errors in the writing mechanics. Let's move on to that.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Too many pronoun confusions left me wondering at times if one of the characters was inflicting harm upon him/herself or upon another. As I mentioned before, the characters' names were too similar and I kept having to flip back to see who the heck I was reading about. Also, homophones were confused here and there. One glaring error was in the use of the word brooch when it should've been broach. Small things a reader may not understand, but will know something is "off." That being said, all this had minimal impact on the story itself, but did play a part.

Rating:
1 Star for an awesome sub-plot that tied into the main plot seamlessly
1 Star for world building
1 Star for surprising me a couple of times
.5 Star for pacing after the first half of the book
-.5 Star for confusing me with the names
.25 Star for quality of story and sentence construction
-.75 Star for pronoun, character names, and homophone oopsies
Overall: 3.75 stars out of 5. But I round up, so this book gets a 4. Overall, a clean read suitable for teens with epic world building.

What do you think? Do you enjoy fantasy?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Reap

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today I bring you yet another book from my Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge list. If you haven't heard of Indie Fever, I invite you to sign up and join us here. It's never too late to join the party! We're a group of readers trying to give Indies the love and attention they deserve. So far this year, I've read and reviewed twelve books by authors I've never read before. I've written a number of reviews this year of books by authors I love and follow, but I don't include those on my list. Because I haven't shared it in a while, I'll give it to you again.

Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99 (currently reading)
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.9
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW BELOW
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tamar Hela Feast Island Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $0.99

I'm getting there. Slowly but surely!

Now, more about the book to be torn apart reviewed today:

Title: Reap (The Harvest Saga #1)
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: YA Dystopia
Length (print): 247 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Synopsis:
The remnants of the United States of America have been divided. From five enormous, technologically-advanced cities, the Greaters rule over the Lessers.

In the Lesser village of Orchard, things are not as perfect as Abby Kelley thinks they are. When the apple harvest draws near and the Greater’s engineered fruits become too much for one village to handle alone, reinforcements from neighboring villages are called upon.

Having to choose between her best friend, whom she has no romantic feelings for, and mysterious newcomer Crew, Abby finds herself in the middle of a harvest that she had no intention of becoming a part of. She becomes involved in a situation that threatens the strict rule of the Greaters, and just might give the Lessers hope for a better tomorrow. But, can she help the Lessers without losing Crew? And if she chooses Crew, will she lose her best friend? 

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. I have to say, I LOVE the cover for this book.  I want to jump in there and take a big bite out of that apple. I adore the colors, the layout, and the light. One tiny criticism would be to just use two fonts, enlarge the R, and apply a little kerning on some of the text. But, that's my designer eye looking at it.***

Let's move on to the stuff between the pages, shall we?

I snagged a copy of this book on Amazon and I'm so glad I did! It was an amazing little read and I got through it in just two days. You won't look at life the same way after you read this story. It's something you won't be able to quit thinking about when you're done reading (a sign of a great story). When you have to put it down to do something else, you'll be thinking about the story and yearning to pick it up again. But, enough of my rambling, let me tell you why it's awesome.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Holy wow. I couldn't put this book down until I got to the last page (and I still wanted more)! I'm completely intrigued to find out how this is all going to turn out in future books. Fans of the Hunger Games will see vague similarities in the Harvest Saga series, but Bond is taking it in a whole other direction. There's no slaughter in this book in order to reign supreme, rather a struggle to just be human and be allowed to live life. I adored the idea of Greaters and Lessers, and found it amazing that the author could think up something like that. Abby was a character I loved. I was shown her tough, motherly side in the first chapter, and she felt like she fit in with people I'd pal around with because of their virtues. Bad guys in this book are despicably evil, and the good guys are awesome, though the lines get blurry now and then as you read. I got so angry with the behavior of one of the devious characters, I wanted to reach in the book and slap his whole family. That's when you know you've gotten hold of a good read. World building was perfect, and the ending was everything a first book in a series ought to be: Engaging, nerve-racking, and surprising in many ways.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Well, let me just say, there were a ton of run-on sentences, comma splices, and tense jumps; but, oddly, none of it took me out of the story. I kept reading until I was finished. While those things were irritating sometimes, they didn't take away from what I was getting out of the words. Sadly, I can't give a star for editing in this case.

Rating:
+1 Star for keeping me engaged and vested in the story
+1 Star for awesome world-building
+1 Star for the characters and the connection (and, alternately, mad hate) I felt
+1 Star for a wonderful ending that felt like the author didn't rush, but left me on the edge of my seat
- 1 Star for editing
Overall 4 out of 5 stars! Highly recommended read for fans of dystopian novels with a twist of romance.

What do you think? Plan to check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Druid's Doorway

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today I bring you another book review from my list for the Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge. If you haven't joined up yet, I invite you to do so. You can find the signup page here. Just add your name to the Linky thing with the level you wish to sign up at, snag the badge, and get to reading. I have to brag on this group for a moment. Last year, we reviewed over three hundred Indie books (almost made it to four hundred)! I'm hoping this year beats that number. We're already at one hundred sixty! Add one for the review I'm about to write. How amazing is all that love for Indie authors? Okay then, moving on!

As always, I'll begin by giving you a little information about the book up for review:

Title: The Druid's Doorway (The Reese Brothers - Book One)
Author: S. G. Daniels
Genre: YA Paranormal/Urban Fiction
Length (print): 342 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99  ~  B&N Nook $0.99  ~ Smashwords $0.99

Synopsis: Jake Reese thinks he’s just a screwed-up high school kid living in a small town isolated in the Arizona desert. Traumatized at an early age by his mother’s sudden death—and believing he might have had something to do with it—he’s allowed his guilt and lack of self-confidence to rule his life.

Hailey is the fiery little redhead that sees Jake as more than just a good friend. When she invites him as her date to a school function, it brings down the walls he's built to protect his heart, and sets off a series of events that threaten not only Jake’s life, but that of everyone around him.

The discovery of a portal on the outskirts of town brings Jake face-to-face with death and reveals a closely guarded secret about his mother. No longer is his memory of her the only thing that haunts him. Something evil from her past has escaped through the portal, and nothing will prevent it from trying to steal Jake’s future.

Can Jake overcome his fears to keep Hailey safe? Will the decisions he's forced to make destroy everyone he knows and loves? And ultimately...is he strong enough to live with those choices?

Pretty, huh? On to my inner musings!

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. I did a cover reveal for this book when it first released. All I can say is wow. I love the color, the font, and the imagery. I do wish the author's name were a bit bigger, but that's my marketing brain kicking in. This cover made me eager to pick up the book when it released, and I snagged my copy not long after it hit the virtual shelves. I'm a huge YA fan, and I love anything paranormal, so I was eager to wrap my teeth around the story in this book.***

Okay, that being said, let's get to the review!

I bought this book over on Amazon not long after the release. Being a foaming-at-the-mouth kind of YA fan, I was eager to read something that promised me druids and portals. It was certainly a step away from vampires, and I appreciated the different paranormal aspect.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I adored Jake's character. He's such a sweet guy, but messed up enough so he doesn't have that "perfection" aura surrounding him. While he tries to do the right thing, he sometimes ends up bungling the whole scenario. All in all, a guy I could really root for. Hailey, on the other hand, was a little too perfect. She could've used a little bit of bad girl or naivety to really round her out. There were a few jarring places in the book where time skipped forward without letting me know what was going on. I had to turn back and be sure I didn't miss something. Pacing in the beginning of the book is slow, but it picks up toward the end. Speaking of the end, there's a huge cliffhanger and an unexpected twist that kind of left me with my jaw dangling. I won't ruin it for you, you'll have to check it out on your own. World building and descriptions were well done, and the author rounded out the main character well.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I'm a huge stickler for pronoun usage. There were so many pronoun errors in this book I became frustrated and put it down often. I don't usually give examples in my review, but this one calls for at least one. "His dad started laughing so hard he had to bend over to grasp his knees. It was contagious, and he started to laugh right along with him, and it lifted the load off his shoulders." Now, the author means Jake in the second sentence up until the use of the word him, then it should be Jake's dad, and then Jake again when the word his is used. There were other errors as well, but I'm not going to detail them all out here. I mentioned above about the jarring time shifts.

Rating:
+1 for giving me a well rounded main character I could root for.
+1 for the twist at the end that left me a little sad
+1 for an awesome cliffhanger that I didn't see coming
+.5 for descriptions that were well done
-.5 for jarring time shifts that left me scratching my head a few times
-1 for need for an editor to correct pronoun usage, time shifts, and other little things
Overall, 3.5 out of 5 stars. But I round up, not down. Highly recommended if you want something to take you away from the world for a little while and if you want a very different kind of paranormal read.

I hope you all enjoyed this review. If you've read it, what did you think? If not, will you pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Sanctuary

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today I'm bringing you another book review from the Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge. If you've never heard of this event, it's a group of readers who get together every year and try to read as many Indie books as they can. We strive to discover new, awesome Indie authors and share them with the world. If this sounds like something you may be interested in, pop on over to this page, commit to the level you're comfortable with, add your name to the linky thing, grab the badge, choose your books, and off you go! So, today I have a review of Sanctuary by Pauline Creeden.

As always, let's start with a little information about the book I'll be reviewing for you.

Title: Sanctuary
Author: Pauline Creeden
Genre: Christian Science Fiction
Length (print): 280 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99  ~ B&N $2.99  ~ Paperback $9.36  ~ Audible $17.46

Synopsis: In a heart-racing thriller described as Left Behind for the Hunger Games Generation, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…

When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. Tidbits for my blog readers' eyes only! I saw the cover of this book and just fell in love with it. Pauline was my UtopYA secret Santa this past Christmas and gave me the book as a gift. It was a lovely surprise because I'd just finished writing I, Zombie, and have been consuming (no pun intended) zombie books for the last year and a half. When I got this one, I was over the moon.***

Moving on to the review.

Zombie novel? Love! Christian science fiction with zombies? Um... Wow. I had no idea what I was in for when I started this book. What an awesome twist on the biblical apocalypse. Rather than being some mutated disease causing people to start acting like zombies, what if it's an alien invasion? Well, this is the direction Sanctuary takes you in. Let's get to the good stuff, shall we?

From a Reader's Perspective:
I loved watching the main character, Jennie, come into her own through the story. When we begin, she's a lot like any tween would be: Self-centered, technology reliant, BFF in place, and has dreams of what she plans to do with herself down the road. As the tale moved on, she becomes a strong, self-reliant young woman. This change was perhaps the most moving one in my eyes. Pacing through the story was great, and I loved the little twists and turns thrown in. Hugh was a great character and I'm eager to see how his relationship with Jennie develops in future books. Oh my goodness what a cliffhanger at the end! If you're not a huge fan of being left with a juicy bone dangling in front of you, the ending will be less than satisfying. But I loved it. I'm now chomping at the bit for the next installment. Aliens were a nice twist to the common zombie novel, but the thing I love most about them was still prevalent: human survival struggles. What would one do in any given situation when they're terrified out of their minds? There's plenty of that going on in Sanctuary. Having said that, let's move on to part two.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I found a few niggling little errors like: "...but she knew the door would be locked as the red sign on the door clearly stated they were sorry about." and: "The ideas spun in his Hugh's head like..." But none of them really took me out of the story, and there were only around fifteen in the whole book.

Rating:
+1 Star for bringing Jennie into her own via life and death events
+1 Star for pacing and plot (both were excellent)
+1 Star for the awesome twist on the cause of the zombie virus
+1 Star for plenty of human angst during a crisis situation that left me biting my nails
+.75 Star for writing and editing
-.25 Star for need for a proofreader to eradicate those tiny errors
Overall: 4.75 out of 5 stars! But I round UP, not down. Highly recommended if you love zombie novels or any book that's gonna make you think about your own humanity.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Witch Who Cried Wolf

Happy, happy Friday, everyone! Today I bring you another book review. I know you're all super excited to get another book to look at. This is part of my Indie Fever Reading Challenge for 2014. I committed to read at least 1-24 Indie books this year. If you want to join in the fun and support great Indie authors, go here, fill out the linky thing, and get to reading! Before I move on, I'm gonna give you a rundown of the books on my list for 2014 along with links to the ones I've reviewed so far:

Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW BELOW
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.9
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary Amazon Kindle $0.99 (Currently Reading)
Casey Bond Winter Shadows Amazon Kindle $7.99
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tamar Hela Feast Island Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway Amazon Kindle $3.99
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $0.99

I'm not gonna ramble on and on here. Grab a cup of something warm to drink (it's still freaking cold out), snuggle up with your computer, and let's get going.

As always, here's a little information about the book being reviewed today:

Title: The Witch Who Cried Wolf (Cry Wolf Book 1)
Author: Sarah Mäkelä
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Length: About 105 Pages
Links to Purchase: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Synopsis:
Be careful what you wish for…

A potion gone wrong: Mia Brooks is a reluctant witch, with powers that she tries to hold in check. But when her magic gets mixed up, supernatural forces are unleashed and suddenly she’s being pursued by werewolves—that she didn’t even realize existed…

Hidden emotions: Ethan Parker, Mia’s brother’s best friend, is home from deployment for the holidays. Mia’s not only hiding from werewolves, she’s trying to keep her feelings for Ethan secret; it would be a disaster if he knew she’s been nursing a long-time crush…

The power of love: things take a terrifying turn when Mia and Ethan are attacked by a werewolf. Ethan is amazed when Mia reveals her paranormal prowess as she tries to shield them from danger. But can she really protect them from the darkness that lurks? And how can he tell her that, for ages, he’s been denying what he really wants? Mia...

On to the review!

I picked this book up after the author pitched it to me during my 12 Days of Christmas event. I read the sample and the story intrigued me. I had to know more. I'm not a fan of romance novels, but the paranormal aspect of The Witch Who Cried Wolf snagged me. I love dark things, werewolves, and witches so I was willing to overlook that it was labeled a romance. Paranormal aspects really took the front and center stage, with the romance being like a backdrop draped over the whole thing to give it color (think: Twilight). With that said, I have to move on to the meat and potatoes of my review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
This novella was told in first person, alternating viewpoints (Mia and Ethan). I kinda liked that I got to see the whole situation through two peoples' POVs because it showed me how grossly misunderstood many of the situations/remarks were. I liked connecting with the characters in this way. Mia wasn't someone I could get a good handle on, one second she's whimpering in a corner and the next she's fighting with everything she's got. I didn't see enough to really grasp the sudden change in her attitude. I could relate to Ethan and found him to be a good guy on the surface. I would like to see him with more flaws; but perhaps those are unveiled in later books. Oftentimes, the seemingly good guy has some vein of bad boy running through them. I hope to see him come into his own. World building was good for such a short book and I enjoyed discovering the hidden world of the paranormal among us. I could've done without some of the language in the book. It was pretty strong. I wouldn't recommend to those under age 18. Tenses jumped at times, and I found that rather jarring, and it felt like a lot of things were skimmed over or left out (what about Grandma?). There were also a number of sentences that made no sense at all. Which leads me to...

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were a lot of noticeable grammar and structure issues throughout. I mark these on my Kindle as I go, so I'll give you two out of the many I found: Was I thrilled about my relationship as much Greg was? and I set aside the empty beer can aside, then popped open a new one. This novella needs a once over. But, the story was entertaining and something enjoyable to read on a cold and rainy afternoon.

Rating:
+1 Star for giving me an entertaining read
+1 Star for using alternating viewpoints successfully
+1 Star for world building
-1 Star for the tense hopping, and things left out that were mentioned
-1 Star for the need for an editor
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars. Like I said above, it was something fun to while away the time on a cold/rainy afternoon.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Memory Witch

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today I bring you another book review from my extensive TBR list that was created to support the endeavors of Indie Fever 2014. What's Indie Fever? Well, it's a collaborative of readers who get together and read Indie books all year and write reviews. There are many different levels to sign up at! You can see them all here. I invite you to join the reviewer roster, read Indie books until your eyeballs ache, and write some reviews. It's easy; just decide how many books you're going to review, add your name to the linky list, and get busy. Not interested in reviewing but love to read reviews? Check out the reviews written by members here. Grab your comfy chair and let's get going!

First, a little about the book on the butcher block today!

Title: The Memory Witch
Author: Heather Topham Wood
Genre: Young Adult (I think it's maybe supposed to be New Adult) Urban Fantasy
Length (Print): 230 pages
Links to Purchase: Amazon Kindle $7.99 B&N (paperback) $12.98

Synopsis: Ten years ago, Quinn Jacobs’ mother made a bargain with a local witch—steal away Quinn’s memories from the first eight years of her life and in return, Quinn would spend a year in servitude to the witch.

On Quinn’s eighteenth birthday, she’s forced to leave her home and friends behind. For the next year, she’ll live at the Chadwick House, learning everything she needs to know about being a spellcaster. As her powers grow, Quinn begins to unravel the secrets of the past and the reason her mother was so desperate to conceal the horrifying truth.

~                  ~                   ~

*Will not appear in review elsewhere*
Let me start off by saying how much I LOVE the cover for this book. I did a look inside over on Amazon and I wish the inside matched the cover awesomeness. Even the chapter lead-ins done in the same font as the cover would've given it that little something extra. Being a lover of great typography and a graphic designer, I'm a huge fan of those gems I find in interior design when checking out the preview of a print book I enjoyed on Kindle. All that being said, I don't knock off points in a review for the cover of the book; I just like talking about them. *grin*

On to the good stuff!

I grabbed this title during my 12 Days of Christmas party, that special time of year when I stock my Kindle with books I intend to review over the next twelve months. Heather is an author whose work I love reading and she showed up with a pitch for The Memory Witch I couldn't say no to (I've also been sitting on pins and needles waiting for this title to hit the shelves). So, I popped on over to Amazon and ponied up the dough. I have to say, I'm glad I did. While Amazon has this categorized as Teen and Young Adult, I don't think it's appropriate for those under the age of sixteen/seventeen because of some graphic scenes. But, enough rambling, let's get to the review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I loved the main character, Quinn. Wood has such a unique way of painting her characters so the reader can identify with them, I really enjoy delving into the mind of a new one she comes up with. That being said, Quinn seemed a bit prudish to me. According to the book, she's eighteen and a member of the dying breed known as virgins. That doesn't bother me so much, but her actions during the story threw me for a loop a time or two. I was left scratching my head and asking, "Why?" But the premise of the story and the pacing (which was wonderful and fast) made me care less about the questionable morals of a teen and more about what secrets would be unraveled during the course of the tale. I was hooked. Magic, a father Quinn can't remember, and an unanswered mystery about the past kept my eyeballs riveted to the pages. You'll cringe a number of times when the author gets to some very graphic scenes, but she wrote them well. Details were horrifying. Either way, I adored the story and stayed up late to finish it. Can't wait for the second installment! Let's move on to talk about the writing.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I waited on this novel for so stinking long, I thought I'd get the best of the best of the best (Sir! With honors!) as far as writing goes. Well, not so much. As anyone who reads my reviews knows, I mark errors as I go (it's an editor/proofreader thing). I found over seventy errors. Not misplaced pronouns or comma drops, but errors like: "I hadn't stay up hours each night..." and "...dating back almost thousand years." or "A startled sound broke into..." Needless to say, my head landed in my hand a lot. This isn't the norm for Ms. Wood. These errors didn't fudge with the story, but they were noticeable and did make my mind stutter over the words.

Rating:
+ 1 Star for a great reveal
+ 1 Star for pacing (fast)
+ 1 Star for the well written magic and horror scenes
+ 1 Star for hooking me with a world I felt could exist
- 1 Star for editing
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. A highly recommended read if you love fantasy, magic, and curses.

Join me next week for a review of The Bestiarum Vocabulum (a collection of beastly short stories).

I hope you all enjoyed that review. If you've read it, what did you think? If not, will you take a chance on it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Masked Encounters

Happy Hump-day, good people of the blogosphere! Today I bring you yet another book review from the Indie Fever Reading Challenge 2014. I'm slowly but surely making my way through the list. If you'd like to join in the fun, click here, fill out the linky thing, and grab the badge from the sidebar. Indie Fever is all about reading and reviewing great Indie books.

My list for 2014 (in no particular order):

Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf Amazon Kindle $0.99
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW BELOW
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.9
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum Amazon Kindle $3.99
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch Amazon Kindle $7.99
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary Amazon Kindle $0.99
Casey Bond Winter Shadows Amazon Kindle $7.99
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tamar Hela Feast Island Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway Amazon Kindle $3.99
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $0.99

Now, let's get into the book on the chopping block today!

Title: Masked Encounters (Intoxicating Passion #1)
Author: Felicia Tatum
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 44 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Synopsis: Korah Daniels has been through a lot in her nineteen years. Broken hearts, abusive relationships, and horrid dates have caused her to doubt love. When her friend talks her into attending the local frat house’s Halloween party, will she find the one person who can change her outlook on life?

Dane Davidson is the worst kind of playboy. The ultimate frat boy, drinking and ending up with a different girl every night. When his frat house throws a masked Halloween party, a certain angel catches his attention and may just turn his life upside down.

Masked Encounters is the first in a five part novelette series.


I think the cover fits the contents perfectly! It's enchanting and clandestine, like the characters. But let's move on to the really important stuff, shall we?

I snagged this book after I checked out a sample on Amazon. Felicia Tatum pitched the title to me during my 12 days of Christmas party and I really got into it. Needless to say, I picked up a copy pretty quickly when I hit the last page and was left screaming, "Noooo! Not yet!" I read it in an hour or so and will now give you my review.


From a Reader's Perspective:
I liked the main characters, Korah and Dane. It was obvious each had their fair share of pain the in past, and a novella was the perfect way to introduce the two. Masked Encounters is a quick read with a lot of action and college-age angst between the sexes. There are a couple of graphic scenes that bordered on erotica but they never played out "just because." It seems the main characters needed the interactions to happen and the reader needed to see/feel exactly what was going on during the act(s). That being said, there's plenty of good stuff for a series starter and the characters are well developed for this to be a novella. I'll be checking out the other books in the series because I want to find out what happens between these two.


From an Editor's Perspective:
There are a couple of tense hops in the beginning of the story that left me scratching my head until I worked through them. Other than those, the editing was pretty good. I did find a couple of minor errors. Here's a funny one: ...I shared with Leela and Windi, I slid my shoes off hoping they wouldn't hear me enter. Again, this is a pronoun mix-up. They is referring to shoes, not the roommates like it should be.


Rating:
+1 Star for giving me a fast, interesting read that left me wanting more
+1 Star for well developed characters despite the length of the book
+1 Star for making me actually care what happened to the characters
+1 Star for a great plot (so far)
+.25 Stars for not writing "those" scenes just because
-.75 Stars for the tense hops, making for a slow start
Overall, 4.25 stars! A highly recommended read if you want to lounge and indulge in something that will read fast and hold your attention.


I hope you all enjoyed that review! Next week, I'll be reviewing The Memory Witch by Heather Topham Wood. You don't wanna miss that one!


Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!


Jo