Dragon Court (Dragon Highlands: Book 2)by Jennifer Amriss

Dragon Court (An M/M Gay Fantasy Romance)

Title: Dragon Court

Author: Jennifer Amriss

Publisher: Magelight Press

Date of publication: May 3rd, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, Romance

Number of pages: 379

POV: 3rd person

Series: Dragon Highlands

Mage of Legend (review here)

Dragon Court

Where you can find Dragon Court: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The Dragon King Returns.
But his reign may be at an end.

Xastrian and Velithor return to the Dragon Highlands expecting a celebratory welcome. Instead, his assassin is still at large, and the court is in an uproar. Xastrian may lose his right to rule, if not his life.

A kingdom at war.

A long-exiled warrior race is invading through a rip in the veil between worlds, and the court lays the fault at Xastrian’s feet. Faced with this new threat, the court wants to see a new elf on the throne.

A reluctant new co-ruler.

Velithor has kept away from crowds all his life, but his love for Xastrian is stronger. But when his father-in-law raises him as the new Dragon King, serving beside Xastrian, it might be too much. Especially when an old enemy emerges, this time with Velithor in his sights.

My review:

I can’t tell you guys how excited I was to read this book. I had read book 1 (Mage of Legend) and fell in love with Xastrian (Xastri) and Velithor (Veli). So when Jennifer was sending out the ARC’s for Dragon Court, I pounced on it. It exceeded my expectations and I was literally glued to the page.

The romance between Xastrian and Velithor was what made the book.  Their love for each other couldn’t be broken. Not by anyone or anything. I loved reading a book where such a love was put on display. Sure, the relationship was majorly tested, but they overcame it by talking about their issues (gasp). Amazing that fictional characters can do what real life people don’t do….talk about things.

I liked how Xastrian’s grandfather and father were portrayed in the book. I feel into Instalove with his grandfather, Va’asdrian. He was so accepting of Velithor and went out of his way to make sure that Velithor was comfortable. Now, Xastrian’s father, Mivikial, was a jerk when he first met Velithor and to be honest, I didn’t care for him. But the more he showed up in the story, the more he grew on me and I will say, that after a certain scene…..I loved him. If you want to know what that scene is, read the book.

The invasion storyline was very interesting because the invaders were coming through a rift caused by Xastri in the first book. I did wish that we were taken to that world by the author. That way I could have understood how they had magic nulling powers. Maybe another book because I find it is a race that I am fascinated with.

The Red Dragon storyline was very interesting. I say that because of what is revealed when Veli is taken there. I’m not going to go into it much because doing that will kinda ruin a part of the book. I will just leave it at this: Red Dragons are not what you think they are. Read the book to find out more about them.

Now, the assassin storyline. I will say that I did figure out part of it pretty early in the book. I figured it out right before Asseisal called for Xastri to be dethroned for his actions. I was a little shocked, though, at what happened afterward. Actually, a little shocked doesn’t cover what I felt. Again, something that I don’t want to show because it is a big part of the latter half of the book. You really need to read the book to find out what I am talking about.

I have to mention Velithor’s father. He was such an idiot (keeping that Amazon PC) and I was honestly surprised that Xastrian didn’t beat him down. But, when Velithor was stabbed, his father was there for him and took over his healing. It was during that healing that Velithor’s father reveals why he said was he said and expressed remorse for his past and present behavior. He also admitted a ton of guilt for the way Velithor was conceived and the miscarriages that followed his wife’s blood ritual. I was glad to see that Velithor and his father were working things out.

The sex scenes were hot. The last sex scene, though, speared my heart. Talk about an awesome way to heal and it made me love Veli and Xastri even more.

The end of the book had a twist in it that I didn’t see coming. Nothing was mentioned up until it was revealed and I was pretty shocked. But what also shocked me was what happened afterward. But, it was very fitting for all the mischief and mayhem that was caused in the book. There is a hint of a HEA in the book too….which makes me very happy.

How many stars will I give Dragon Court: 5

Why: This book exceeded everything I hoped for it. Amazing, well-written characters, storylines that were intense and kept me on my toes and a love that couldn’t be kept on the pages.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence, sex, and language. There are some scenes that could easily trigger people so I would read with caution

I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Excalibur Rising: Book One by Eileen Enwright Hodgetts

Excalibur Rising: Book One of an Arthurian Saga by [Hodgetts, Eileen Enwright]

Title: Excalibur Rising

Author: Eileen Enwright Hodgetts

Publisher: Self-published

Date of publication: September 1st, 2016

Genre: Fantasy

Number of pages: 326

POV: Alternating 3rd person

Series: Excalibur Rising

Excalibur Rising: Book 1

Excalibur Rising: Book 2

Excalibur Rising: Book 3

Where can you find Excalibur Rising: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

In a villa in Florida, a woman with violet eyes dreams of an ancient document. In a hotel room in Las Vegas, a renowned historian who claims to have found the sword Excalibur dies a violent death at the hands of one-eyed man. In London, a treasure hunter sets out to find the sword that cannot be and the resting place of the king who could not exist.
Powerful forces are at work breathing life into the legend.
At long last Excalibur is rising.

My review:

Now I know that I have mentioned my love for all things King Arthur/Camelot in past blogs. I can’t read enough about it and when Eileen approached me to review Excalibur Rising, I pounced on it after reading the blurb. I am glad I did because this book is not what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be a love story with some action mixed in. Instead, what I got was a book that was definitely not a romance. If I had to classify it, I would say that it was more like Angels and Demons except thrown in a whole fantasy element and a dash of romance along with the intrigue and adventure.

The book starts off with Marcus Ryan, a professor of archeology who used to be a star on his own syndicated TV show. He is now a has been and is working for a mob boss verifying different artifacts that come through his hotel. Honestly, I didn’t like him at first. He just rubbed me the wrong way. He came off as an irresponsible, selfish man who only cared for himself. The scene where he justified to himself why he did certain things (like not having a relationship with or supporting his wife and daughters) made me dislike him even more. He also could not stick up for himself and if he did, people ignored him when he did stick up for himself and he just went along with what people planned. Which is how he ended up with a chalice, a paper and a piece of crystal that was given to him by his mentor before the mentor died. The chalice, paper and the piece of crystal were clues to finding Excalibur.

Violet Chambray was a very interesting character to read. When she was first introduced into the story, she was somewhat of a con artist. I say somewhat because she can see images from objects that she touches and she has visions but she chooses to use her gifts for her own gain. She knows nothing of her past….except that she was left at an orphanage in France and at an early age. She saw something on that piece of paper that made Ryan’s mobster boss take her with them. What she saw, though, revealed clues to her past and to where Excalibur could be.

What I really liked about this story is that the author chose to explore the myth that Arthur was sleeping instead of waiting to be resurrected by Merlin. Every angle of the Arthurian myth discussed and basically disproved…..except for the Arthur is sleeping myth.

I also liked how the two main storylines (the dam being built along with Ryan’s search for Excalibur) were woven together pretty early in the story. The sense of urgency that showed up when Ryan and company were in England became even more pronounced once the sluice gates to the dam opened up.

The one-eyed killer was a pretty evil dude and he left a wake of mayhem behind him wherever he went. At first, I couldn’t understand why he was so vested in finding Excalibur but the explanation was later in the book. That’s when I went “Ahhhh, ok. Makes sense.”

The end of the book was very anticlimactic and it definitely left an opening for book 2. Which I can’t wait to read because I need to find out what happens to certain characters!!

How many stars will I give Excalibur Rising: 4

Why: A great take on the King Arthur myth. The plot was fast and the characters were engaging. I couldn’t read this book fast enough.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older Teen

Why: Mild language and violence

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Real Friends by Shannon Hale, Illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Real Friends

Title: Real Friends

Author: Shannon Hale

Illustrator: LeUyen Pham

Publisher: First Second Books

Date of Publication: May 2nd, 2017

Genre: Comics, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade

Number of pages: 224

POV: 1st person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book Synopsis: 

When best friends are not forever . . .

Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends ever since they were little. But one day, Adrienne starts hanging out with Jen, the most popular girl in class and the leader of a circle of friends called The Group. Everyone in The Group wants to be Jen’s #1, and some girls would do anything to stay on top . . . even if it means bullying others.

Now every day is like a roller coaster for Shannon. Will she and Adrienne stay friends? Can she stand up for herself? And is she in The Group—or out?

Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this graphic memoir about how hard it is to find your real friends—and why it’s worth the journey.

My review:

Real Friends is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a girl who is trying to find her place at school and at home. Dealing with subjects like bullying, anxiety, and OCD, Real Friends is a must read for any child or parent who is going through something similar.

I think that this should be a book that every parent should have their children between 2nd and 5th grade read. Shannon could be any child, in any school with these very real problems and I think it would do a child good to read a graphic novel where the character is going through the same things as they are. That way they can see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that one day, those that were picking on them eventually end up in their shoes.

Shannon did come across as someone who would do anything to stay in “The Group”. Anything and when I was reading those chapters where she was doing that, I wanted to cry for her. She was trying to so hard and they just treated her like she was invisible. But as she got older and more mature, she slowly began to realize that it wasn’t her. I think that when she broke up with “The Group” and started making friends with the older kids in her grade (she was in a 5th grade/6th-grade split class), that she realized her worth.

Adrienne and Jen annoyed the ever-living out of me. Adrienne for not being a true friend to Shannon. She allowed those girls, well mainly Jen, to bully Shannon, spread lies about her and just make Shannon’s life miserable. What really got me annoyed with her was when she allowed her brother to scream at Shannon and then agreed with some of what he said.

And don’t get me started on Jen. What a miserable, unhappy girl. She found an easy victim in Shannon and took every opportunity to let her know how unpopular she was or how lucky she was being allowed to hang out with them. I will say that I agreed with Shannon’s decision at the end of the book. I know the author had some reserves about writing that part of the story the way she wrote it and I will say…I agreed with the way it was written.

The drama at home was pretty hard to read too. Shannon’s sister, Wendy, was portrayed as a bear for most of the book and she was so mean to her. I was a little shocked that there was physical violence shown. That being Wendy smacking Shannon around and I started to get angry at Wendy. But, the more the story went on, the more that the author let little things slip about Wendy. About her struggles with bullies and making friends at school. Which made me understand why she acted the way she acted.

The end of the book was very well written and I loved the afterward that the author wrote.

How many stars will I give Real Friends: 4

Why: I enjoyed reading this book and thought that the message that was included in it was one that every child should read. This was the 2nd graphic novel that I have read and I really liked it. The illustrations were fantastic!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Child

Why: This is a middle-grade book, written for children between 8-12. There is some slight violence in the book but it is going with the storyline about bullying and drama at home.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Mostly Human by D.I. Jolly

Mostly Human: Young Adult Werewolf Rockstar Fantasy Novel by [Jolly, D.I.]

Title: Mostly Human

Author: D.I. Jolly

Publisher: Tinpot Publishing

Date of publication: July 4th, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Number of pages: 494

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find Mostly Human: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Alex Harris is a world-famous rock star, lead singer of the Internationally acclaimed band The Waterdogs. But Alex is no ordinary rocker, he has a secret that he and his family have painstakingly kept since Alex was ten years old.

This is the story of him, and his life, growing up with his parents and his elder sister Annabel whilst coming to grips with a strange condition.

Follow them as this Journey twists and turns its’ way through tragedies, heartbreak, intrigue and into the clutches of organized crime.

My review:

I am going to be blunt. The cover of Mostly Human does not show the awesome story that is beyond the cover. If I were browsing on Amazon and saw this, I would pass on by. My suggestion to the author would be a new cover that reflects the story. Because Alex looks like he’s part zombie and the picture of Annabel in the background doesn’t do her justice….at all.

I really liked that the book was told in 3 parts. Alex as a child, Alex as a teen and Alex as an adult. I think that it fully showed how being a werewolf affected Alex at each stage of his life. As a child, he couldn’t do sports anymore (because of his strength and speed) and he had to adjust to being a werewolf. He couldn’t get his heartbeat up, get upset in public or do anything that a normal tween that age would do. He had to learn to live with his wolf which was achieved through breathing exercises, meditation, and Tai Chi.

As a teenager, Alex had to learn to deal with typical and atypical situations as both a teenage boy and as a teenage werewolf. While he was dealing with changes, an awful thing happens and Alex blames himself. Actually, blames himself to the point where he starts looking for a cure so he could be normal again. I wanted to cry during his scenes with his grandfather and grandmother when he went to live with them to get over what happened. That was the saddest part of the entire book. The guilt he had was very overwhelming.

As an adult, Alex was successful, a great brother/son/uncle and still was a werewolf. He explained his absences during the full moon as a “medical condition”. I do think that he still struggled with being a werewolf at times but it came across that he accepted it. He also came across as a bit of a player. His relationships didn’t last beyond 3 months and when he wasn’t exclusive with a girl, he was sleeping with a different one each night. That was probably the only thing I didn’t like about the book.

The end of the book ended with a cliffhanger and it made me scream. If you have followed my blog for any time, you know that I don’t care for cliffhangers. While I see their purpose, they annoy the ever-living out of me. Saying that this cliffhanger does make me want to read book 2 when it comes out. I need to find out what happens to Alex!!

How many stars will I give Mostly Human: 4

Why: Mostly Human was a different take on the typical werewolf story and it definitely appealed to me. The plot was fast and engaging, the characters were 3 dimensional and there was plenty of action.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older Teen

Why: Sexual situations, language, and some violence

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

The Millionaire’s Wife by Shalini Boland

The Millionaire's Wife: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller by [Boland, Shalini]

Title: The Millionaire’s Wife

Author: Shalini Boland

Publisher: Adrenalin Books

Date of publication: April 27th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

POV: 1st person

Number of pages: 306

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

How far would you go for the one you love? Lie…cheat…KILL?

When a woman is killed on the other side of the world, Anna Blackwell realizes that her past has caught up with her. That her greatest fear is about to come true. That it’s her turn next.

Uncover a web of lies and deceit in this chilling, twisty suspense thriller.

My review:

I like it when a mystery/suspense/thriller is so creepy that I am still creeped out…the day after I read it. This book kept me on the edge of my seat while I was reading it. I devoured The Millionaire’s Wife and I finished it within a day.

The suspense and thriller parts of the book are what sold me. From the first chapter, when Anna is getting the mysterious texts to when Fin showed up to the one twist I didn’t see coming and the twist I figured out, I couldn’t stop reading the book.

What I also liked about this book, which normally I don’t like and usually complain about, was that the book went back and forth in time. The book mainly takes place in 2017 but every few chapters, the author would flashback to different times. Starting with 2005 and ending in 2014, you got a good look into Anna and Fin’s relationship. As well as her relationship with Sian and her parents. Like I said, I normally don’t like it but in this case, it worked with the book. While Anna is dealing with her present-day issues, the past Anna has a whole bunch of issues that give to her present-day problems.

I did think Anna acted like an ostrich during the first couple of chapters. But honestly, if I were in her shoes, I think I would have done the same thing. Just keep everything to myself and pray that it goes away. But in her case, it didn’t go away. But that is what made the book so good.

Fin was a seriously deranged dude. Even when Anna and he first got together, I could see it. And the years that they spent apart didn’t do anything but make him even more insane. If you want to know what I mean, read the book.

There are two twists in the book. One that I saw coming (the way that the past scenes ended really did hint at it and it was a no-brainer when the twist became known). But the other one, well that shocked me. Talk about a character doing a 180. I couldn’t contain my shock. I was also shocked by the puppy hatred by another character. It made me sad but I can see why the author wrote it that way.

The end of the book was also a bit of a surprise but I enjoyed it. It was the perfect ending to the story.

How many stars will I give The Millionaire’s Wife: 4

Why: I really enjoyed this book. It had a great storyline, characters that I felt bad for, rooted for and that creeped out me out.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language, violence, and some sexual situations

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

A Chosen War by Carly Eldridge

A Chosen War

Title: A Chosen War

Author: Carly Eldridge

Publisher: REUTS Publication

Date of publication: April 25th, 2017

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Science Fiction, New Adult, Romance

POV: 3rd person

Number of pages: Unknown

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Nineteen-year-old Maia has spent her life haunted by dreams of a man with uniquely brilliant blue eyes. She never expected she’d actually come face-to-face with him, or that he’d be the harbinger of a chaotic new life. But as shocking as meeting Blake is, it’s less unsettling than her sudden ability to adversely affect electronics and seemingly control—even heal—plants.

Before she can figure out what’s happening, Blake’s cryptic warning about the impending approach of something big manifests as a freak earthquake, destroying Maia’s home and killing her parents. Devastated, Maia has no choice but to turn to Blake, where she learns that the earthquake was not as natural as it seemed. The reigning Terra guardian, or Mother Earth, has gone rogue, wiping out her replacements in a series of orchestrated natural disasters around the world—and Maia is next.

Worse, she’s the only one who can stop the Terra guardian from destroying not just Earth, but the fabric of the universe itself. Now, thrust into a world of celestial beings charged with the protection of the universe, Maia must come to terms with her new powers and the idea that her destiny was shaped long ago. And she must do it all before she faces off with the woman who controls nature itself.

Intelligent and thought-provoking, A Chosen War takes the idea that everything is connected and wraps it in a globe-spanning adventure with just a tinge of romance.

My review:

For those of you who have followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I have recently started reviewing New Adult books. The genre is growing on me. As with all genres’, you have the exceptional books, the good books, and the bad books. A Chosen War falls somewhere between exceptional and good.  Why does it fall between exceptional and good? Because I didn’t feel that connection with two of the main characters….which is important in books that I review. What also caused this book to fall exceptional and good was that the plot seemed to creep at points.

I think that A Chosen War did fit into the paranormal, fantasy, romance, and New Adult perfectly. I loved that there were guardians (or praeses) of the earth, animals, plants, air, water, and the moon with mythical guardians, called Talis, who guard the Council that watches over them. It was a perfect blend of mythology (angels, demons) and the author’s own imagination. The way that each praeses interacted with their environment was pretty cool. Blake was the praeses of the Sun, Leo was the animals, Reed was the plants, Lana was water, Poppy was Air and Selene was the moon. The ruler of them all was Gaia (Earth). Actually, the Sun ruled them all but Gaia co-ruled with him…if that makes sense. They were like the King and Queen of the praeses.

Maia, I actually didn’t like at first. She was socially awkward, riddled with anxiety and really didn’t want to be the new Gaia. She even kept pushing Blake away. Well until Russia and then she did a 180…which drove me nuts. I understand that her past made her not trust people. Also, I didn’t like that the author started mentioning her past with her abusive grandparents and then just dropped it. Again, something that makes me go nuts.

Blake was too patient, in my eyes. It must have killed him to not say anything and let her find everything out for herself. I am going to say this, I thought his written Australian accent was kinda annoying. The expression “Yeah-nah” drove me absolutely crazy when I saw it. Also, he decided to and go live with Heidi and look how that turned out (read the book)

I did find the romance between Maia and Blake to be very cute but almost too sweet. Actually the romances between Leo and Lana, Reed and Selene, Poppy and Mac were the same way. Saccharine sweet. I did like that they were able to communicate without talking. Which was very helpful when Blake was living with Heidi because she couldn’t read his thoughts.

Heidi was a bad, bad girl. She struck a deal with an unknown man (he wasn’t revealed until the end of the book). She was abusive towards Selene and decided to exterminate her replacements and succeeded until Maia. Put it this way, she was so bad that her powers were voluntarily leaving her and going to Maia….which is something that was unheard of.

The end of the book was a cliffhanger, which I didn’t like. I do want to read book 2 because I need to find out about certain things/events.

How many stars will I give A Chosen War: 3

Why: While I loved the storyline, I couldn’t connect with either Blake or Maia. I also felt that some of the dialogue was a little annoying (like Blake saying “Yeah-nah”….a lot) and that the story did lag between Blake going to live with Heidi and the end of the book. But, saying that, I did like the “treat the Earth right” theme that ran through it and I am interested in reading book 2 when it is published

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Late teen

Why: Language, violence, and some sexual situations

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Fly Like An Eagle by (Ages of Invention: Book 2) by S.B.K. Burns

Fly Like An Eagle

Title: Fly Like an Eagle

Author: S.B.K. Burns

Publisher: Self-published

Date of publication: February 28th, 2017

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Steampunk

Number of pages: 263

POV: 3rd person

Series: Ages of Invention

Entangled – Book 1 (review here)

Fly Like an Eagle – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

It’s 1824 Philadelphia at the opening of the Franklin Institute of Science, and one of its founders, Samantha’s father, wants her to marry his business partner, a much older man, to keep their war industry dealings secret.

Looking for a way out of the arranged marriage, tomboy Sam finds it in Eagle, the half-Native American son of the man she is to marry.

Eagle brings Samantha into his spiritual world, his bimijiwan, in order that she might stop their father’s preparations for an ironclad Civil War at sea. To do this, Sam might have to convince Benjamin Franklin to abandon his kite experiment.

My review:

What attracted me to Fly Like an Eagle was the cover. I absolutely loved it. You have the heroine with her back to the hero, who is in full Native American attire. Above them, is a hang glider (which does have a major part in the story) and next to the title is a small picture of who I am going to assume is Electress Sophie. Normally I really don’t pay attention to the cover’s but this one caught my eye. I mean look at it. Migizi is almost defiant looking, which goes 100% with his character in the story. Samantha is trying to act demure but you can see her looking at Migizi out of the corner of her eye….like she is almost afraid to look him. If I saw this in the store, with this cover, I would be buying it.

The science fiction element of the book was fantastic. I will admit, that during the time travel scenes (where they used the flow to runtime machines), I did have visions of Doctor Who popping up. But that aside, if I were to picture time travel, this makes the most sense to me. The reason it made sense to me….well because it was found (note that I said found not founded) by a mathematician. I also liked that there were people who could travel the Flow naturally. Migizi was one of them and it went with his native American roots. Except it wasn’t called the Flow, it was called bimijiwan and it was revered by Migizi’s Delaware clan.

I really liked the steampunk elements of the book too. I think I would have acted like Samantha if I had to go to Piscatawnia. I mean, you have people dressed like you have never seen them dressed before (corsets worn over dresses, watch fobs as accessories) and then you have all the machines flying around. It was awesomely wonderful. I also like how certain famous missing people showed up in the book and how it was explained how they got there.

The romance part of the book was pretty standard. I didn’t like, though, that there was a love triangle, of sorts, between Migizi, Samantha, and John (Migizi’s father). To be honest, it creeped me out….even though it was explained that the marriage was to be in name only. I do think that maybe it should have been just Migizi and Samantha from the get-go. Other than that, I thought the love story between Samantha and Migizi was sweet. The sex, which there was a lot of…both were insatiable, was pretty hot too.

I liked the appearances of historical figures in the book. Ben Franklin definitely gave the last part of the book that “oomph” it needed and he was hilarious to boot. The whole scene where he was talking to Samantha’s father and Migizi’s father and giving advice about the ladies. Oh lordy…I was dying laughing.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book but you do need to read book 1 first.

How many stars will I give Fly Like an Eagle: 4

Why: I enjoyed reading the book. From the cover to the characters, I enjoyed everything about it. There were some parts that bothered me (mainly the father/son love triangle) but they were resolved in a way that made me very happy for everyone involved.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language, and some mild violence

I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it

Burntown by Jennifer McMahon

Burntown: A Novel by [McMahon, Jennifer]

Title: Burntown

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Publisher: Doubleday Books

Date of publication: April 25th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Women’s Fiction

POV: 3rd person

Number of pages: 304

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The major new novel from New York Times bestselling suspense writer Jennifer McMahon.

Eva grew up watching her father, Miles, invent strange and wonderful things in the small workshop behind their house on the river that runs through their old mill town. But the most important invention of all was the one that Miles claimed came from the mind of Thomas Edison himself–a machine that allowed one to speak with loved ones long passed. Smuggled out of Edison’s laboratory, the blueprints were passed down to Miles, and he’s been using them to protect Eva, her mother, Lily, and her brother, Errol, ever since.

Then, one night when a storm is raging and the river is threatening to flood, the machine whirrs to life on its own. Danger, it says. You’re in terrible danger. The next thing Eva knows is waking up on the side of the river and seeing her mother’s grim face. Eva’s father and brother are dead, their house has been washed away and an evil man is searching for them both. They need to hide.

Eva changes her name to Necco–a candy she always loved–and tries to put everything in her past behind her as she adapts to her new life off the grid. But when her boyfriend is murdered and her mother disappears, she knows that the past is starting to catch up to her.

What really happened the night of the flood? As Necco searches for the truth, her journey unites her with two women who are on desperate quests of their own. And as the trio follows the clues to solving the mystery of Necco’s past, they discover that sometimes it’s the smallest towns that hold the strangest secrets.

My review:

I really wasn’t too sure what to feel about this book. It had everything I like about mysteries in it: an unknown villain, a plucky heroine, and a good cast of supporting characters. The only thing that this book lacked was a plotline that stayed engaging. I lost interest in the book after Hermes was killed and both Theo, Pru and Fred were introduced into the story. While I wanted to find out who Snake Eyes/Chicken Mask Man was and if Necco/Eva had the plans for the machine that can talk to the dead, I almost didn’t finish the book because I couldn’t get involved.

I also didn’t like that there were so many points of view. If the author had just kept with Necco and Theo, I would have been fine with it. But you had Martin, Pru and Fred’s point of view added in. While I appreciated it, again, my focus was lost with so many points of view and I felt that it took away from the story.

I also wish that the machine that could talk to the dead was featured more in the book. I was fascinated by it from what was described and I really felt that the author could have gone a whole different direction with the story if Martin hadn’t told Errol to destroy it.

I did like Necco. She was so strong even when everything that she had been told by her mother ended up being all false. Honestly, that would have broken me.

When it was revealed who Snake Eyes/Chicken Mask Man was and his ties to Necco, I was very surprised. I was only surprised because that character I assumed died. Don’t ask me why I assumed that because it was never mentioned. But that person was never mentioned in the book again, so I just assumed that person died. Guess I was wrong.

The end of the book was your typical HEA with the mystery being blown wide open.

How many stars will I give Burntown: 3

Why: I just couldn’t connect with the characters or get into the storylines. I wish I did or else this review would be different….sigh.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Ensnared by Rita Stradling

Ensnared by [Stradling, Rita]

Title: Ensnared

Author: Rita Stradling

Publisher: Kindle Press

Date of publication: March 6th, 2017

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction

POV: 3rd person

Number of pages: 380

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A Near-Future Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Alainn’s father is not a bad man. He’s a genius and an inventor. When he’s hired to create the robot Rose, Alainn knows taking the money is a mistake.

Rose acts like a human. She looks exactly like Alainn. But, something in her comes out wrong.

To save her father from a five-year prison sentence, Alainn takes Rose’s place. She says goodbye to the sun and goes to live in a tower no human is allowed to enter. She becomes the prisoner of a man no human is allowed to see.

Believing that a life of servitude lies ahead, Alainn finds a very different fate awaits her in the company of the strange, scarred recluse.

My review:

This book was very interesting to read but I really wouldn’t compare it to Beauty and the Beast. Honestly, I would compare it to more I, Robot than anything. I mean, I get where the Beauty and the Beast lines were drawn: a beautiful woman trapped by scarred (physically and mentally) man but that is it.

What I really enjoyed was the usage of robots and AI’s in the book. I also like that Rose, the main AI, was self-sufficient and admitted to starting on rewriting her programming. It was at that point where I went “Oh no” and started reciting the 3 rules of robotics to myself:

  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
  2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Just based on these rules of robotics and the fact that at least one of them were broken within the first couple of chapters, I was hooked. Seeing that AI’s are becoming more commonplace in daily lives (hello, Cortona, Siri, Alexa/Echo!!!), I was pretty interested to see where the author would take this book and I wasn’t disappointed.

I really felt that Alainn didn’t have a choice to masquerade as Rose when given the choice. Actually, she wasn’t given the choice. Rose, the AI, basically told her to do it or her father would go to jail. All Alainn wanted to do was to go back to work on the ski patrol and not clean up her dad’s mess (not delivering Rose as promised to Lorcann). But she did it because she loved her father and she wanted to keep him out of jail.

Lorcann was messed up. He never leaves his tower and only has automatons and AI’s as companions. He is a germaphobe (requires everyone to be decontaminated before they enter the tower). I put the way he is on his parents. They never let him leave, installed a fear of germs and I believe abused him (there was one scene where he was getting beaten by his mother). Let’s not mention the scars on his face. The whole side of his face is scarred. It really wasn’t gotten into about why he was scarred. If it was an accident or if the scars were done intentionally. He believed that he was a beast. His only relationship is with a woman that he talks to over the phone. Until Alainn, under the guise of being Rose, enters the tower.

I thought that the romance between Alainn and Lorcann was kinda creepy at first. I mean, he thought she was an AI that was programmed to be absolutely humanlike. She, however, was there to buy her father time to finish Rose. But it happened, as creepy as it was. I really thought, during certain scenes, that Lorcann had caught onto Alainn’s ruse. Oh, was I wrong.

The AI’s were split between those that obeyed the three rules of robotics and those that didn’t. I actually felt bad for Rosebud, Lorcann’s house management AI. I had thought the whole time that she was working against Alainn when she was trying to help her and ended up getting hijacked by Rosette and Rose.

The last half of the book was nail-biting. I mean, I was on the edge of my seat and was literally cheering Alainn on. There were a few plots twists that were thrown in that actually made sense and gave me more insight into Alainn’s character.

The author didn’t end the book after the rescue (consider this a clue). Everything after that was a build to the second climax of the book. I have never read a book where the author has successfully had two climaxes in the same book. So be warned when you think there is a lull. It isn’t and the other climax is something that I didn’t expect. All I am going to say about that. Read the book!!

How many stars will I give Ensnared: 4

Why: I enjoyed reading this book. It was fast paced with characters that you actually like and a plot line that is engaging.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Ignite by Danielle Rogland

Ignite

Title: Ignite

Author: Danielle Rogland

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: April 8th, 2017

Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Number of pages: 329

POV: Alternating 1st person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

In the ruins of dystopian London, the Empire rules through fear and fire.

“Everyone knew about ‘The Flames’ and how much trouble they had caused the Empire. They were the only rebel group anyone knew of that had lasted longer than a few months without getting caught, leaving candles behind whenever they snatched somebody out of the Empire’s grasp. To get involved with people like them is stupid. So stupid.”

Ever since her parents were murdered by the empire’s agents, Jacks has been living on the street as a pickpocket trying to keep away from trouble. When she accidentally witnesses the rebel group ‘The Flames’ in the middle of an operation she is unwillingly swept up into their world and has to decide if she’s going to go back to looking after herself or join the rebellion and help them fight for the people of London Ruins.

She knows that getting involved was stupid, but does she really have a choice?

My review:

I am a fan of dystopia. I just love reading about what civilization could be like in the future. So when I was approached by Inkitt to review Ignite and I read the blurb that came with the email, I immediately responded with a yes to my contact person. I wasn’t disappointed by Ignite. Honestly, I was blown away by it.

Usually, when I read 1st person and the views keep switching from person to person, it does something to the story. Makes me disconnect from the story and I usually end up not liking it because of that. I have read books, though, where the switching back and forth between different people has worked and it worked well. Ignite is one of those books. The switching between the characters did not take away from the story. The author actually labeled the chapters with the main characters name (Jacks, Corry, Zira, and Jeremy). That way you could always tell who was speaking.

The Emporer and the Burners were pretty bad people. The author only touched on what happened to dismantle the government that used to rule London and replaced it with an Emporer who liked to burn things. I am going to take a wild guess and say that it was pretty bad. I mean, there is a part of London called London Ruins. Kinda answers my question right there. The Burners I perceived as reverse firefighters. They lit contained fires that forced people out of their houses. Then they killed them for being rebels. Hence reverse firefighters. I never figured out if they put out the fires or if the fires went out themselves.

My favorite character was Zira. At first, I didn’t like her and I did have my suspicions that she definitely had her secrets. When they were revealed, I was just as shocked as the rest of the Flames. But, during her chapters, you could see her anguish over the past and her past deeds. It was after that confrontation with Jacks, that I started to like her. By the end of the book, she was my favorite character.

Jacks had to be my second favorite character. She was a tough cookie and she had overcome a lot in her life. It was that strongness that showed in the last part of the book.

The ending was pretty much what I expected but the author did throw in a few curves which made the story a lot better and added depth to it.

How many stars will I give Ignite: 4

Why: I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick read with characters that you couldn’t help but like.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older teen

Why: Violence

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**