Book Review-Student Bodies by Sean Cummings

Title: Student Bodies

Author: Sean Cummings

Series: Poltergeeks #2

Published: 3^rd September 2013 by Strange Chemistry

Length: 304 pages

Source: Netgalley

Summary :
Whoever said being a teenage witch would be easy? For fifteen-year-old Julie Richardson and the city’s resident protector from supernatural evil, the Left Hand Path doesn't give a damn if you've found true love for the first time in your life. There’s someone lurking the halls of Crescent Ridge High School with enough malice to unleash an epidemic of Soul Worms – supernatural larvae that feed on the very fabric of a victim’s humanity. After witnessing the death of one of the most popular kids at school, Julie and über genius boyfriend Marcus are in a race against time to find out who is behind the attacks. All the evidence points to a horrifying plot at the City Weir during the Winter Solstice; the place where icy waters of the Bow River and a thunderous spillway will mean the deaths of more than a hundred of Julie’s classmates. If she has any hope of saving their lives, she’ll need a little help from a coven of white witches and an Aboriginal mage whose snarky attitude is matched only by her magical prowess.

Review: Julie Richardson is now a Shadowcull, the city's protector from evil, and she's needed. Because, after one classmate almost dies and another one actually does, they discover there's a plot involving Soul Worms, turning the students of the high school into hollow shells of themselves. Julie teams up with Twyla, a practicioner of ancient, Aboriginal magic, in the battle to keep everyone safe.

I really enjoyed Poltergeeks, and knew as soon as I finished it that i'd want to read the sequel.

Very quickly, it's established that this is different to Poltergeeks. There's still a bit of Julie's trademark humour in the writing, but the subject (bullying, the whole depression aspect of the soul worms) and the general tone of the thing is a lot darker than Poltergeeks.

Julie is still awesome. Marcus is pretty cool, and their relationship development was good. Twyla was really awesome (I think she might now be my favourite character), as were the Maven and Twyla's grandfather. Generally cool cast for Student Bodies.

I love the fact that family is important in Student Bodies. Both the Julie/her mother and the Twyla/her grandfather relationships are developed and important, when most of the good relationships in YA are romantic.

The inclusion of another magic system is great. It adds a good dose of diversity to the fantasy and YA selection of books, and it mixes in with the lore from Poltergeeks really well.

Unexpected ending. Be prepared for sadness on two counts. 

Overall: Strength 4 tea to a darker, but still great, book in this series.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads |

Book Review-Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Title: Spellbound

 Author:  Cara Lynn

Series:  Spellbound #1

Published:  

Length: 341 pages

Source: I think the publisher. Or a gift. Forgotten.

Other info: Book 2, Spellcaster, was published last year.

Summary :  What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death? Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Connor, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to— Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight. But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives— visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

Review:  Emma Connor moves to a fancy new school, after the latest near death experience is the last straw. Not much happens to begin with, but things start drawing her to Brendan Salinger. Such as his good looks. And his niceness. And the fact that they’re soulmates. Which shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but it is due to the fact that she’s meant to die horribly after she finds him. As they try to escape the evils of fellow   students and the while idea of the curse, Emma and Brandon realise how tightly together they are bound.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from this, but it certainly wasn’t this!  It’s a nice new take on the concept, and it comes off really well.

Emma was very nice. You get into her head really well and she’s funny and real. Brandan was nice, but he has annoying habit of showing up to save Emma most of the time. I would have liked her to do a bit more, considering that she handles everything else pretty well-she shouldn’t need someone to come save her from the school bully. Angelique was my favourite character-the fact she’s a witch and also her general way of being makes me think that we’d be good friends. Anthony and Kirsten were realistic and good antagonists.

The thing I enjoyed most was the book of the legends and the stories they  tell-beautifully written and intriguing.

This is very romance, which works plotwise because of the way the legend has it all set up, but when translate into actual  happenings, it makes it all a bit instalovey, even when you know it’s all due to the legend.

Plot wise, interest levels vary. Low to medium to start with, then you get the legend, theyget higher, then it goes down a bit, then comes up for the climax.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the magic side to it all.

Overall:  Strength 3 tea to a book for people who want a lot of romance with their magic.

Links: Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads | Author website | 

Tour Spotlight and GIVEAWAY - WitchLove by Emma Mills

WitchLove 

Synopsis (Sequel to WitchCraft – Book 3 in WitchBlood Series)

With the reappearance of a lost love, Jess flees to the only people who can help her control her increasing powers and gain independence – her family’s coven. But with a bruised heart can Jess learn to forgive or will she find new love in the United States? Witchlove, the third installment of the Witchblood series, is a new adventure that takes Jess from New England to Voodoo country in the South.

What others are saying:

“I love this series. I can hardly wait until the 3rd book, WitchLove is released… This is a series that I will look forward to re-reading just as the new book is ready for release.”

—Carrie, book reviewer at OnceUponATwilight.com

“The characters feel real, the world feels authentic, and the story literally throbs with an underlying intensity that builds with each page. In short, Witchblood is an imaginative, satisfying read that still manages to leave the reader hungry for more.

—Thomas Winship, author of Vaempires: Revolution & Vaempires: Zombie Rising

What I say 

This series is really really cool. Vampires, witches and angels? Heck yes. Throw in a strong main character and some romance I'm sure you'll all love and you have nothing to lose!

You can find my full  reviews of WitchBlood and WitchCraft around here too.

Author Bio

Hi I'm Emma. I am happily married with two lovely children. I have always loved reading and writing and published my first novel WitchBlood in Jan 2012 with Witchcraft following in June and WitchLove due in Feb 2013. After acquiring an obsessive love of supernatural teen novels...yes I'm a Twilight fan...I decided to write my own supernatural story based here in Manchester in the UK, near where I live and grew up. It's currently dark, windy, cold and very very wet... and easy to get inspiration.

Find Me- Facebook  |   Blog   |  Twitter   |   Goodreads  |

Buy US - Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble

Buy UK- Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble


GIVEAWAY!

It'll be a PDF, .epub or kindle file, and is therefore open internationally.

Giveaway open to anyone over 13.
Ends 8 March 2013.
Use the rafflecopter.
Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book tour review - WitchCraft by Emma Mills

Title: Witchcraft

 Author: Emma Mills

Series:  Witchblood #2

Published:  15 June 2012

Length:320 pages

Warnings: attempted rape

Source: author

Other info:  This is the second in the Witchblood series. The first was reviewed here.

Summary : Jess is no ordinary vampire. Protected by the Manchester vampire clan, and initiated by her family’s east coast American coven, she is sought after by every dark witch and warring vampire faction. Jess must fight if she wants to keep hold of her friends, her sanity and finally her existence.
As the dead bodies of human girls begin to stack up, and her recently accepted vampire boyfriend, Daniel, finds himself in prison, Jess goes on a crazy, forbidden trip to London, racing against time to save an old friend and solve the mystery behind Daniel’s incarceration. In battling new enemies and finding new friends, Jess’s confidence finds room to grow, but who will she lose along the way?

Review: Jess has just learnt that her heritage includes a family of witches. Then one of the shows up and initiates her into their coven. Now she’s a mix of both witch and vampire and everyone wants a piece of her.

It’s really nice coming back to characters you love. Jess is now vaguely used to being a vampire, but still wants remnants of her old life, leading to a rather amusing scene involving tea.The being a witch makes for a new set of discoveries waiting to be made. Once again, she’s strong, independent and takes it all in her stride.

I really like the supernatural mix of vampires, angels and witches. It’s not your typical mix, but it works really well. Each supernatural subset has their own society/heriarchy/ whatever and I really enjoyed seeing Jess navigate these.

It’s a very quick read, or maybe it’s because I was kept reading it for ages. Or maybe both. The writing is descriptive, and also accurate in the cases of the Wiccan ceremonies. The first bit is mainly grounding the setting with Jess’ witchiness, still with a lot of action there, but the second part is where it builds up and people die and such.  

Wholly shipping Jess and Luke. We definitely get to know him a bit more (after not getting that much of him in Witchblood) and I think they share a deeper connection than her and Daniel, even if both of these boys are annoying to her at times.

THE ENDING. EVIL AUTHOR. There are certain cliffhangers which should not be allowed to exist. This is one of them. Two of the characters who I was starting to really really like....and then.... WE DON’T KNOW. Must read Witchlove sooner rather than later!

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a mustread for any supernatural lover.

Links: Amazon |  Goodreads | Author website |

Book Review- Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

Title: Witch Eyes

 Author: Scott Tracey

Series:  Witch Eyes #1

Published:  8 September 2011 by Flux

Length: 322 pages

Source: bought

Summary : Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.
After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.
To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.

Review: Braden has Witch Eyes-he is able to see all the magic, feelings, and generally everything in the world. After hearing Uncle John talk about Belle Dam, he is drawn there, to find out about the family he's not known. There, he finds two feuding families, the Lansings and the Thorpes, who both want him.

I've heard lots about this, and I probably got a bit hyped up over it. I like LGBT fantasy because then, sexuality isn't the focus of the story. There's some references to homophobia, but Braden and Trey are both comfortable with being gay, so there's more focus on the story.

It's a very Romeo and Juliet-y set up, with two young people from separate sides falling in love (though happily without the same ending). The romance is quite rushed, and I didn't understand the conenction between Trey and Braden. Braden should go for someone else.

The characters on their own, are good. Braden is on the very long list of characters who really needs hugs. Trey, he is very moodswingy. And quite annoying at times. Jade and Riley are really cool. Lucien, you can tell he's hiding something and  it comes to a good end. Catherine and Jason, I'd like to get to know a bit more. I didn't understand Gregory.

Plotwise, it was a bit too jumpy for me to get into it. Lots of things happen, but they don't seem to connect. It's also quite open ended, finishing off the bit with Lucien but leaving a lot of questions unanswered, and a lot of areas with more to explore.

The magic. The idea of the eyes is really cool, and quite original. This leads to some beautiful passages where we get the description of what Braden sees without his eyes being shielded. There's a lot of rich history and mystery in Belle Dam, to do with Grace, and her legacy.

Aside from the whole Romeo Juliet family feud fall in love  thing, it's definitely  original.

Overall:  Strength 3 tea to a book that I was expecting more for, but I enjoyed what I could get out of it. I'll read the sequel.

Links: Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

IN HONOUR OF TOMORROW'S APOCALPYSE. IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THE WORLD ACTUALLY ENDS WITHIN A CLOSE TIME PERIOD, IT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU. 

IN THE MEANTIME, ENJOY THIS REVIEW.

Title: Good Omens

 Authors: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Published:  First published 1990.

Length:  398 pages

Source: bought

Summary : According to "The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter," "Witch" (the world's only "completely" accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.

Review:  The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter tells us that the world will end. Next Saturday. As foretold in Revelation, the Four Horsemen (or now, Bikers) will ride, Heaven and Hell will fight and the world will end. Crowley and Aziraphale are the only demon and angel that don’t want this to happen. And to make sure that it doesn’t, they have a lot to do. For example, deal with the Antichrist-an 11 year old named Adam who is a generally nice boy. Other things happen too. Lots of other things.

I’ve not read much of Pratchett’s work (I think Nation and Maurice and that’s it) and only a little bit of Gaiman’s. But what I have read of both was generally awesome, and Good Omens is no exception!

The dramatis personae really sets the scene for this. Quote:

Satan (a Fallen Angel, the Adversary). Beelezebub (a Likewise Fallen Angel, and A Prince of Hell), *other Fallen Angels* Crowley (an Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards).

 Also generally descriptive of this book are the explanation for the M25 being such a hellhole, the Angel’s conversation with the Snake, and the Satanic nunnery in which the nuns are meant to keep talking. If you  laughed, liked, or weren’t morally offended by these things, then you’ll enjoy the rest of this.

There’s a lot of plots that intertwine with each other eventually. Crowley and Azireaphale running around, Anathema dechipering Agnes’ prophecies, the Four Horsepersons getting together, the witchfinders running  around, and Adam and his friendship group. There’s also a lot of shorter plots featuring characters for one block of text and then moving on. For some reason, this works in Good Omens (cameo characters in this volume don’t work in other books).

The main characters are all one of a kind. Crowley and Aziraphale aren’t your typical angels/demons, and most of this defys your stereotypical views of heaven and hell. I loved the Four and the way they’re presented-both darkly funny and a little creepy (especially when their disguises drop) at the same time.

The thing that really makes Good Omens is the writing. The “Who wrote what bit”  of the Q&A proves you can’t say exactly which is Neil’s and which is Terry’s, but I’d say they’re both equally good. The footnotes! There’s more of them at the start, but they crop up throughout in amusing and appropriate places. The writing style of the whole thing contains many pus and is full of sarcasm and dry wit.

Overall:  Strength 5 tea to a comedy of apocalyptic proportions you just have to read again and again.

Links: | Goodreads | Neil’s website | Terry’s Website

Book Review- Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule

Title:  Beautifully Broken

 Author:  Sherry Soule  

Series:  Spellbound #1

Published:  30 August 2011

Length: 344 pages

Source: Author

Other info: Moonlight Mayhem, the sequel, came out recently.

Summary : Sixteen-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf is a heritage witch from the Broussard family, a family both destined and cursed. After she takes a summer job at Ravenhurst Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan. But Trent may be the next victim on the supernatural hit list, and Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him.
Complicated much?
After receiving cryptic messages from a creepy wraith, and then frightening threats from a demon, Shiloh finally begins to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist. Now Shiloh must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.
Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance

Review: For a long time, Shiloh Ravenwolf has been able to see shades. And auras. And other things. This is because of her family background, which she doesn't know about. So she doesn;t know that she's a witch (I think-sorry if I'm wrong) and she doesn't know why there's a ghost stalking her. So when she starts a job at Ravenhurst Manor, she finds a ghost. She also finds Trent Donovan, who she instantly falls in lust with. Obviously. Then teenagers start going missing, and it's all being blamed on some spirit in the house. And Trent's on the list for disappearences. And maybe Shiloh is too.

There's a lot going on in this. Demons. Witches. Ghosts. Haunted house. All really good stuff to go in a YA paranormal novel. And then there's also Trent, the typical love interest. All these things come together after a good amount of anticipation and time to get really invested in the story.

I liked Shiloh (rather surprisingly as I'd recently watched a film with a MC called Shilo who was one of the most irritating characters ever for the majority of it). I especially liked her heritage-even though we don't know fully about her mother and such, the Native American side of her ancestry isn't the kind of thing we see often so it's a really nice change. She takes things well, ie realistically. Seeing her develop her powers and her understanding of the supernatural world she's in is really nice.

Trent. He's cool. i don't really like characters when they're described as being "the hottie" (I respect the character's opinions but I'll decide that for myself) but I liked his relationship with shiloh. Not the instalove aspect, but the way they work together makes them a great team. At times, I got a little confused with the other side characters, what they were for and what their motives were. They're all important in some way though.

There's a lot of build up so if you like suspense built stories, this is definitely one for you. The manor, the murders, the parents, the powers. Four side plots that end up coming together to a conclusion that leaves you wanting more. It would have been nice if it could be a little bit faster paced, and also have a bit more emphasis on the family who seemed a bit left out for the start of this.

I don't normally comment on settings, but I really loved Ravenhurst Manor. Lots of things happen there, a little spooky and very thrilling.

The writing is nice. Somethings like Shiloh's thoughts about Trent were a bit repetitive, but it doesn't detract too much.

The last fifty pages. So good! With everything simmering to start with, as it ends, it's all really exciting and you just don't want to stop reading.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a promising start to what should be a really good paranormal series.

Links: | Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

Title: Carnival of Souls

 Author: Melissa Marr

Series:  N/A

Published:  4 September 2012 by Harpercollins

Length: 306 pages

Warnings:  violence, kissing, prostitution

Source: Publishers

Other info: Melissa has also written the Wicked Lovely series, as well as Graveminder.

Summary : In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.
 All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

Review: We begin with a daimon bargaining with a  (male) witch for the safekeeping of her child. Nearly seventeen years later, this girl, Mallory, has grown up knowing the dangers of daimons, and training with her adoptive father so she will be able to fight them should they attack. Meanwhile, the majority of daimons live in the City, the only place that the witches left them with.  Here, the Carnival of Souls is  running, where assassins, prostitutes and others sell their services and goods. There is also a completion in which young daimons fight to the death in order to rule the City. Kaleb is a demon who is in the later stages of the tournament. He also  crosses over to the human world looking for Mallory.  When he finds her, she starts learning who she really is.

I’ve never read any of Melissa’s stuff before, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect in terms of writing quality and such. However, the premises of this was great-how could I not love a carnival full of demons?

When we first enter, I wasn’t disappointed. The description is vivid, full of action and Melissa has created a world that I’ve always thought about and loved the idea of. The Carnival is the latest on my list of fictional places I really really want to go to.  So much is going on, and it brings to my mind a fantastical gothic Renaissance fair.

The modern world seems quite boring in contrast, with not too much going on there at the start. Things soon pick up for Mallory though. I found her a bit annoying, constantly worrying even though she had good reason to, and I felt that she didn’t really do much apart from worry about if the guy she liked would be able to find her after she moved. When he does, and he tells her how he feels, she takes it in a realistic  and funny way which made me like her a little more.

I really liked Aya. She’s strong, determined and goes against the norm by not wanting to breed (here, daimons need to breed to keep the bloodlines going), instead aiming to rule. Her willingness to kill her childhood friend and ex-betrothed made me like her a bit more. Kaleb is the main male character, and his sense of family and duty offsets the fact that he fights a lot, and fights viciously. Adam is Mallory’s father, who is ridiculously overprotective and he reminds me a little of Nathan from Repo. Zevi is my favourite character of the lot. Fiercely devoted to  Kaleb, taking care of him, they have a great relationship between them. The way he reacts when Kaleb goes off and gets himself torn up or signed up for death if something doesn’t happen is both cute and provides a little comic relief.

The whole way the daimon competition for ruling is set out is really different but intriguing. I really enjoy this world that’s been developed.

Plotwise...the Mallory and Kaleb thing is good, but not my kind of thing. The tournament is more my kind of thing as is  Aya’s manipulations of various people to try and get what she wants. It was instalove on Kaleb’s part, which I really didn’t like.   I’d like to see Mallory become more integrated with the City in the next book as she tries to learn more about her family.

 Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a novel with a rich setting and a lot of promise.

Links: | Goodreads | Author website | Enter The Carnival

Book Review- Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

Title: Poltergeeks

 Author: Sean Cummings

Series:  Poltergeeks #1

Published:  2 October 2012

Length: 320 pages

Source: Netgalley

Summary : 15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection.  In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Review: We start off meeting Julie, a teenage witch, and her friend Marcus as they investigate a house that’s been messed around with by a poltergeist. This isn’t the normal kind though-it’s a bit malevolent and tries to attack Marcus. After trapping it in a teddy bear, Julie goes home and shows her mother, who also doesn’t like it. Things build from there as a spirit gets loose again, and takes Julie’s mother with it. Julie is put on a mission to get her mother back, discovers her heritage and gets caught up in a hunt for a Witchfinder...

Of all the Strange Chemistry titles to start with, this was the one that I really wanted to read. Ghosts, witches and a badass heroine? My thing exactly.

From the start, it was slyly funny, with Julie calling out the poltergeist with unconventional words. She also explains her situation with humour and a voice that I knew I’d love throughout. From the writing, Julie is smart and sassy. From her actions, Julie is this and more. She takes initiative all the time, and she produces amazing comebacks. She’s a really likeable character, and you do find yourself rooting for her.

Marcus too. He’s not your average hero, “not suitable material for the cover of a romantic novel”, a bit awkward when it comes to social etiquette, taking Julie’s magic in his stride, but he’s really funny and sweet. Oh, and his text alert tone is the Doctor Who theme tune. Win! His feelings for Julie are so cute, and I really wanted them to get together. As a couple, both magically paired and otherwise paired, Julie and Marcus work excellently. Both of them are fresh, unpreoccupied with love, and the kind of characters that I really want to be real because they’d make awesome friends.

Other characters are good. Marla, school goth, is nice, and I liked seeing her try for Marcus’ attention while knowing that he was in love with Julie. Having Julie’s father be a ghost was excellent. Matthew Hopkins brings the right amount of evil to this, while still keeping it light hearted. And having magic tutor/guardian Betty changed into a talking dog...

Plot develops well, at just the right pace. Some things seem to work out a bit too well, but it’s easy to over look these as it doesn’t happen too often and you’re just so caught up in the fun. the action at the end was well written, with magic and intensity well fitting the drama.

Overall:  Strength 5 tea to a story that’s full of phantoms, fantasy and fun. I really really want a sequel soon, or just more from Sean! (although I think in the author’s notes, there was something about a sequel.)

Links: Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Crave by Melissa Darnell

Title: Crave

 Author:  Melissa Darnell

Series:  The Clann #1

Published:  6 April 2012 by Mira

Length: 416 pages

Warnings: 12+

Source: Publisher

Summary : When Savannah Colbert returns to school after a mystery illness, the fact that she has changed is clear to everyone. None more so than every school girls golden boy Tristan Coleman. Ever since their first kiss in fourth grade, Savannah and Tristan have been cruelly and inexplicably banned from associating with each other. Now, as the pair navigate the tricky social life of high school, the truth is about to be revealed. As Savannah learns of their paranormal ancestry and Tristan deals with the repercussions of her new powers, the relationship they have been denied for so long becomes utterly irresistible and all consuming. Like Romeo and Juliet centuries before them, Savannah and Tristan’s love is destined to fail; and Tristan’s powerful magical family, the Clann, are watching.

Review: In the wake of Twilight, forbidden romance boomed in popularity. And another crops up on the market? Let’s go for it. Savannah Colbert learns that her father is a vampire, making herself a dhamphir (half vampire). And then she finds that she’s becoming even mor9e attracted to her fourth grade boyfriend, Tristan Coleman. But this time, they’re being watched. Both the Clann, a powerful group of witches, and the vampire council are making sure they don’t endanger the peace between the species. But to do that, they can’t be in love...

In the interview at the back, it says that Melissa wanted a female vampire at the heart of the book. Good. she thought it would be cool if her hero was a witch. I like. The species being mortal enemies...a little overdone, but can be done well. So a good premises.

It starts off well, introducing the Colberts and the Colemans quite soon, and filling in the background. There are a lot of sideplots in this that get kicked off soon, such as Savannah’s longing to dance with her school.

It’s quite a relatable novel.  With Savannah not getting everything to work her way all the time, being bullied and having another boyfriend before settling down with Tristan, it’s a bit more believable and adds depth to her character.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the vampires and magic. It get that this is a paranormal romance orientated novel, and don’t mind that. But the vamps and witches are important to this and should get a little more significance. Oh, and I approve of the lack of lycanthropes.

Tristan and Savannah work well together and make a good couple. Their powers develop along with their relationship, and the backstory between them is really nice. A note for Tristan-your grounding was funny. *casually steams up tap* My favourite character was Emily, Tristan’s sister. She’s smart, she’s funny, and a much more relaxed Hermione Granger.

I liked the dual narration, because we saw a lot of scenes from two perspectives. However, some things did seem drawn out, and important events came quite slowly. The book could easily have been shorter without losing any of the plot.

Overall:  Strength 3 tea to a nice romance with side elements of magic, that just doesn’t leave me craving more.

Links: | Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Title: Grave Witch

 Author: Kalayna Price

Series:  Alex Craft #1

Published:  5 October 2010

Length: 325 pages

Warnings: violence, sex(m/f, 4 pages, kind of graphic) 16+

Source: Spinebreakers

Other info: Book two is called Grave Mercy and book three will be called Grave Memory. She has also written the Haven series.

Summary : Not even death can save her now. As a grave witch, Alex Craft can speak to the dead-she's even on good terms with Death himself. As a consultant for the police, she's seen a lot of dark magic, but nothing has prepared her for her latest case. When she's raising a "shade" involved in a high profile murder, it attacks her, and then someone makes an attempt on her life. Someone really doesn't want her to know what the dead have to say, and she'll have to work with mysterious homicide detective Falin Andrews to figure out why...

Review: Alex Craft is a Grave Witch. Her power means she can raise shades and otherwise interact with the dead. And Death. They’re quite good friends. So she’s seen a lot of dark magic in her time-but not as dark as this. The shade she raises tries to kill her, then ends up leaving a soul-sucking charm on her, then somebody tries to kill her in the actual world. Teaming up with Falin Andrews, the new homicide detective that seems to hate her, Roy, a ghost who claims the late Governor stole his body, and some other Fae/witches,  Alex attempts to work her way through this mess, keeping her life and soul intact.

I wasn’t really expecting much because I didn’t know the author. The premises isn’t really original, but it’s the kind of stuff that I like reading about anyway to see how it’ll be worked around.

It starts off well. Alex is dealing with an angry customer, even though it isn’t her fault the shade doesn’t talk. Then the customer dies, prompting Alex to scold Death - “You could’ve waited until I got paid”. From there, they learn about the murder of the governor, and things go downhill from there.

I really liked the mix of witches and fae and ghosts. It was interesting not having the normal mix of vampires and werewolves to compliment this, but I suppose that these three creatures would fit in best to “normal” life.

Alex is a medium quality character, not amazingly strong but interesting to read about. I didn’t like Falin-he didn’t really do anything. The whole meeting boy, boy hates her, somehow they end up together is rather annoying, and features again in Grave Witch.

I never realised it was a more adult book until I got to that section. Damn. And it wasn’t even well written.

The rules surrounding  Alex’s Grave Sight were easy to pick up after a little while. The rules surrounding all of the magic in this book were clear cut. I liked the magical community and the way it all interlinked.

I really liked Roy, and the whole body swapping idea. It was something different and, in this context, unique to Kalayna’s book, and I’d like to see more of that idea. I also really liked Death and the humour that surrounded his and Alex’s relationship. I think Death and Alex should have got together. It could have worked well.

Overall:  Strength 2 tea to a book that is a good break from anything serious, but not much more.

Links: Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Title: Hollow Pike

 Author: James Dawson

Series:  N/A.

Published:  2 February 2012 by Indigo

Length: 312 pages

Warnings: murder, witchcraft, violence, romance 13+

Source: bought

Other info: This is James’ first YA novel.

Summary : Something wicked this way comes... She thought she'd be safe in the country, but you can't escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she's being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn't believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn't believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you're alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.

Review: I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this one-I got it on the basis that everyone was saying good things about it, and that witchcraft and murder were involved. But then it was cheap on amazon, so I thought why not?

Lis London moves to Hollow Pike after bullying in Wales made her want to leave. Instantly, she’s the new girl, and gets in with the popular ones. But somehow she’s also drawn to the strange trio of Kitty, Delilah and Jack, the outcasts who repeatedly get insults such as “gay” and “freak” thrown at them. New friends, new start, everything should be ok, shouldn’t it?  But Lis has been getting recurring nightmares-she’s been running and someone’s trying to kill her. And the local legends of witchcraft are just legends, aren’t they? Still, for Lis and her new friends, they’ll learn that Hollow Pike’s history has more to it than maybe they can take.

From the start, we get pulled into Lis’ life. We easily get a sense of what she likes, what she wants from life and so on. Laura and her friends lean a little towards being stereotypical mean girls, but in the school context they work well. From the moment we first met her, I really liked Delilah, and throughout she was my favourite character. Took me a little longer to get used to Kitty, but fell in love with her after standing up for herself very well in a verbal and physical fight against Laura. In the character ranking, she came a very close second. Jack was an interesting character, one that took a bit of time to grow friendly with due to his being quiet and reserved, but still. I think, if they were real, Jack, Kitty and Delilah and I could be great friends.

The romance was nicely worked in, something that you don’t get too often from male authors. Kitty and Delilah make a great couple, and they’re believable too, with a nice backstory and the kind of troubles that most relationships face. Lis and Danny are also a great couple, and it’s nice to see their relationship develop naturally. For the most part. Until the end, where things get a bit nasty. But you can forgive Lis for that. And it all works out for them in the end.   As for Jack, I felt quite bad for him. The girls have each other. Lis is falling for Danny and he likes her back. And Jack’s a loner. I really hope he finds someone to fall in love with some time soon. 

James really captured the atmosphere of the school. I think it may come from him once being a teacher but “his work surrounding bullying and family diversity” (taken from author bio flap) shows-the homophobic insults and the Monroe family really were realistic.

It’s not often you read a mystery where you essentially suspect everyone. Even the three friends that Lis falls in with- Kitty, Delilah and Jack, at times are hard to read and work out whether or not they’re joking about various things. I think at some point, we  have feeling about everyone “Did they do it? Was it them?” Even when you think Lis has found out who it is, there’s still a final twist.  I really couldn’t put this down, and by the end, I really wanted there to be more.

Overall: Strength 5 tea to a richly woven mystery that has a lot of other amazing stuff in it. I’d definitely like to return to Hollow Pike some day.

Links: Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads | Author website |          

Book Review-Acadia book 1 by Ali Naqvi

Title: Acadia book 1: The Lost  King and the Goddess of Time

 Author: Ali Naqvi

Series:  Acadia #1

Published:  30 March 2011

Length: 376 pages

Warnings: death, arson, semi-graphic gore, semi-nudity, something like a vampire, something ghosts,

Source: Author

Summary : It was only a nightmare at first, but Damont soon realizes that he can see into the future-a curse he has to live with for being the only son of a king dead for a thousand years, with a mother who is the goddess of time.

A man in black armor with a face as obscure as the shadows mantling him laughs wickedly. Who is he and why does he continue to haunt me, Damont wonders. Appearing only in his dreams, the man in the black armor stands alone and laughs high as if to mock him while the world around him burns to cinder. "They are not dreams, my son," a voice calls out to him in a vision after the many nightmares-claiming to be his mother whom abandoned him when he was but a child. "They are shards of a broken world to come if you so take the path of your father." If such a path does lie ahead beyond a throne that sits vacant for centuries, with an empire in the east growling for war, then Damont Langörn realizes he has but one choice: follow the visions and seek out the truth lost to both him and the world behind his lineage-but will he be strong enough to face such a malevolent foe of his nightmares?

With a vampire and a sorceress at his side, Damont begins his journey, but such a road is not an easy one to take if the gods themselves do not wish for his return as the king who would unite the world against their existence and bring demise to their very doorstep.

Review: Damont is a young man who is told at some point along the line that he is a descendent of the lost King Larius Langorn, the one who united Acadia. He travels to the nearby country for advice, where the local Seer and Queen tells him to go into the Forests to prove he is worthy to be king. He is also sent with a sorceress, Amber, and Virden, a strange man who seems to drink blood. From there, there’s people out to kill him, life in a forest with two not completely normal people, run-ins with gods and the heir to the neighbouring enemy country already planning Damont’s downfall.

The prologue was terrible. I get now that it’s some kind of foreshadowing, but I read it about five times to try and understand what was happening. In the end I just gave up, hoping it wouldn’t be too important to the story. It wasn’t. However, from there, it picks up. The first chapter seems to be world building, character introductions and the like.  In the second one Damont finds out the truth about his bloodline, and in soon he’s off. And encountering the things I mentioned above.

Damont was  an interesting character. He starts off as a fairly nice young man, sleeping through lectures, talking back and such. He’s a good friend to Caleb, and a good horseman too. And he happens to be the son of a king and a goddess.  I think I may have connected to him as a young adult hero if he was slightly younger-most main characters in young adult are in between 15 and 17. At some point Damont turns 25. A bit too old for my liking.

The rest of the characters really only support him. While I got a good idea of them, their appearances and such, I found that half of them were introduced at the start, brought in again through the middle, and never came back at the end, leaving you wondering what on earth had happened to them.

I like the way we get a lot of backstory for most characters and  things. people’s backstories are revealed when they talk, the backstory of the land is revealed during a lesson. This really adds intrest to the world, and helps it to seem a little more real. I also like the way that quite a lot of actual things got tied up well, such as the white wolf that kept coming up.

The writing style kept you interested, but didn’t move the story along quite enough for my liking. The really good bit starts about halfway through, which for some may be too far on in a book to be interesting. You got a real sense of Acadia from the writing-there was a lot of description in the book to bring it fully alive. However at times it got a little too much, a little too long winded that slowed the story down. The third person perspective was good though, as it meant that we could have some things that don’t focus entirely on Damont,  which you couldn’t get from a first person novel.

Overall:  Strength 3 tea to a fantasy adventure novel that picks up a lot after a slow start, and is definitely one for the boys

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website | Trailer | Facebook page and giveaway (apparently. I don’t have facebook and I can’t see what’s on it. Look anyway.)