Book Review - Untamed

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Well, I did a boo boo. I actually read Ride the Wind by Starla Huchton this year, too. I'll be writing that review Monday. How fun is this week? Anywho, today I have the novella from the Splintered series by A. G. Howard, Untamed. I wrote reviews for both the second and third books in the series, but not the first (I don't know why). You can find Unhinged here and Ensnared here, if you wish to check them out.

Let's get to it, shall we?

As with every time, we'll start with the details!

Title: Untamed (Splintered Companion Novella)
Author: A. G. Howard
Genre: Young Adult Dark Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling
Length (print): 288 pages
Buy Links: Hardcover $10.41

Blurb:
Alyssa Gardner went down the rabbit hole and took control of her destiny. She survived the battle for Wonderland and the battle for her heart. In this collection of three novellas, join Alyssa and her family as they look back at their memories of Wonderland. In Six Impossible Things, Alyssa recalls the most precious moments of her life after Ensnared, and the role magic plays in preserving the happiness of those she loves. Alyssa’s mother reminisces about her own time in Wonderland and giving up the crown to rescue the man who would become her husband in The Boy in the Web. And Morpheus delves into Jeb’s memories of the events of Splintered in The Moth in the Mirror, available in print for the first time.


You guys. When I saw there was another book in this series I almost lost my mind. Not only are the covers some of the most beautiful I've seen, but the stories inside continue to take me on wild rides. I grabbed this puppy on Amazon and gobbled it up in just a couple of days. Since I'm positive you don't give two shakes about where I got it or why, I'm moving on to the meat of my review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Wow. I loved seeing how Alyssa is managing both worlds in this story. Watching everything unfold, and learning some of the backstory, was an escape like no other. How beautiful the love was between Alyssa and Jeb, and what a gentleman Morpheus turned out to be! I found myself lost in the beautiful, chaotic Wonderland that Howard built (but didn't go overboard on), and when I had to put the book down to adult, I was torn asunder. Alyssa continued to grow as a character in this novella. I could see myself being friends with her in the real world. What blew me away the most were the stories from Alyssa's mother. I always wondered how, when, and why everything came to be, and this book answered all my questions. There was never a dull moment, the action moving from one thing to the next constantly. So glad I read this one. Splintered fans will be dancing in the streets.

From an Editor's Perspective:
While there was a typesetting boo boo near the back of the book, there were no grammatical errors or anything like that. Wonderfully done.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me all that backstory I was craving
1 Star for showing how Alyssa grew since Ensnared ended
1 Star for glorious world building without bogging me down in details
1 Star for excellent pacing
1 Star for stellar editing
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommend reading this book (whole series) if you're a fan of dark fantasy. Loved. It.

Have you read it? What did you think?

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

Jo

Book Review - Ensnared

Happy Wednesday, everyone! It's been a hot minute since I gave you a book review, but the 2015 Review Team is kicking it out. So far this year, they've read and reviewed 136 books. Wow! If you'd like to check out the reviews, go here. Let's get going on my review for the day. I'm super excited about this book, and I can't wait to share my thoughts.

Here's a little about the book:

Title: Ensnared: Splintered Book 3
Author: A. G. Howard
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy/Fairy Tale
Length (print): 416 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $9.99  ~  Hardcover $12.81

Blurb:
After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts.

In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. OMG at the covers on this series. What amazing branding, huh? I wanna crawl in there and be. So beautiful! Mad love for the cover designer. Well done.***

I snagged a hardcover copy of Ensnared over on Amazon not too long ago. Man, was I eager to get into this story. I've read and reviewed the first two novels in this series, and I loved them. Book three couldn't get to my grubby little hands quickly enough. I had to find out what happened next with Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus (what an awesome name). Well, I wasn't disappointed. Let's get to the meat of the review, shall we?

From a Reader's Perspective:
There were zero inconsistencies through this series. I was sucked into Wonderland once again and ensconced in the darker side of the world quickly. Pacing was perfect; I didn't feel rushed or like the story was dragging at any point. All plot points were tied up beautifully: Where Alyssa's dad came from; the relationship between Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus; the curse Red put on Alyssa in book one; and the plague attacking Wonderland. Overall, there were no hokey moments where I said, "I knew that was coming." Many things kept me on my toes, guessing, only to be proven wrong.

I don't do spoilers, so I won't tell you how the love triangle worked out. What I will tell you is: It was exactly as it should've been. A perfect ending to a trilogy.

Alyssa isn't perfect. Her flaws make her feel human, and being able to root for a character is one of the building blocks of a great story.

You'll love the descriptions of the creatures in Anyelsewhere and Wonderland. A. G. does a great job of painting the madness, and it'll draw you right in. I love the puns, too. There's nothing quite like a novel that gives you the idea of something and lets you fill in the blanks with your imagination. Howard is exceptionally skilled in letting the reader's mind be creative.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were a couple of missing commas and comma splices, but nothing I'd write home about. Beautifully edited.

Rating:
1 Star for tying all plot points up so wonderfully
1 Star for giving me the perfect ending
1 Star for vivid descriptions that didn't go too far
1 Star for giving me a main character I could love
1 Star for great editing
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. Recommended for fans of books that show you something new and different from everything that's been done.

Have you read it? What did you think? If you haven't, do you plan to?

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

Jo