Meteor Men - Review

On a summer night, Alden Baylor sits in a field watching the largest meteor shower in human history.What begins as teenage adventure becomes something more - the celestial event brings travelers who will change the world completely, and Alden discovers a connection to one of them. How does a young man who had to grow up fast handle the invasion of his planet? Can Alden keep humanity from oblivion? From writer Jeff Parker (Aquaman, Hulk) and artist Sandy Jarrell (Batman'66) comes this story of adolescence, friendship, and hard decisions.

Meteor Men by Jeff Parker, Sandy Jarrell and KevinVolo 

Read July 6, 2014

Find it on GoodReads

Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review:

*Thanks to the publisher, Diamond Book Distributors, for the free review copy via Netgalley.*

This is a hard book for me to review, simply because I wasn't quite sure what I thought of it - even as I was reading it. One thing's for sure, "Meteor Men" had a very memorable story line. There were twists and turns in it that I hadn't even considered as possibilities for where the book might go. The art wasn't my absolute favorite, but it was definitely good and really held my attention throughout the storytelling.

Without giving too much away, I'll say that I enjoyed the uniqueness of the aliens and their capabilities. Everything about them was intriguing even by the end, as well as some of the finer points of how Alden, our MC, was involved with them. I would definitely recommend this to science fiction fans and I'm sure that it will gain many fans once published.

Pinocchio Vampire Slayer - PREVIEW

Pinocchio Vampire Slayer by Van Jensens

Read July 6, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 4/5 stars

This puppet may not be a real boy... but he just might be a real hero! When bloodthirsty monsters invade Pinocchio's hometown and kill his father, Geppetto, Pinocchio discovers a new benefit to his magical nose: telling lies produces a never-ending supply of wooden stakes to combat the vampire hordes! Will Pinocchio be able to defeat these horrors, avenge his father, and save his friends? Now, for the first time, the complete trilogy is collected together in a single deluxe softcover edition. Jensen (Green Lantern Corps) and Higgins (Knights of the Living Dead) present a captivating blend of comedy, horror, romance, and adventure, rooted in the original Italian novel, but brought - as if by magic - to new life.

My Review:



*An extended preview of this novel was provided by the publisher, Diamond Book Distributors, in exchange for a review. The fact that I received a free copy has in no way influenced my review, nor have I received any compensation.*

In this interesting take on the classic Pinocchio our hero, Pinocchio obviously, has an interesting way of taking out the vampires. Lie, break off nose, stab vampire, repeat. In my opinion this makes it much more unique than the many scores of classic vampire retellings that have made an appearance in recent years. Unlike most of the many books that have surfaced "Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer" has more to it than taking the same story and adding vampires to it. Instead it expands on the original tale and gives it a new level of depth, differentiating from the original tale so that it becomes something new and original. 

The illustrations were also very well done, there was consistency in their quality and there was definitely quality. The humans and puppets alike looked realistic enough to be believable, but not overly so. 

The only real reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was because there were some grammatical errors. Perhaps once I read the entire work I will give it a higher rating, because I will quite possibly better understand how the particular characters talk.

The Artful - Review

The Artful by Wilbert Stanton

Read June 23, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 4/5 stars











New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world.
Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels - their playground. They aren't heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket.
On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world

My Review:

*Thanks to the publisher, Curiosity Quills Press, for the free review copy via Netgalley.*

Possible Spoilers of a Minor Nature

The Artful by Wilbert Stanton has become one of my favorite books of the year so far. It features as it's main characters Twist and Dodger, two thieves who call themselves the 'Gutter Punks' and act like a post-apocalyptic version of Robin Hood. They take medicine from the privileged Tower Babies and give it to the poor, who are forced to live on the streets. Its set in Manhattan and Brooklyn in 2025, anyone who is still around is unable to tolerate the sun's rays and burn much to easily without shelter and protection. The story picks up when the two boys rescue a girl named Gia and Dodger is injected with a lethal virus only their enemies have the cure to. They'll have mere days to take back something their other friend stole before Dodger dies a painful death.

Twist was by far my favorite character. Unlike so many scores of YA main characters, he not only saw his flaws but also embraced them. He didn't whine and moan about his imperfections and he didn't over or under look them to any extreme. They were simply there and a fact of life.

He also really grew as a main character. In the beginning he resented the fact that everyone thought he was Dodger’s shadow, but it was sort of true, by the end he realized his own strength. He neither needed or wanted Dodger’s assistance because he had become his own person, Dodger’s illness really forced him to see his potential as it was.

One of the things I love about YA books with male main characters is the lack of drama. In particular girl type drama, evil in the clever disguise of words when it’s overused, so I also appreciated how there were no real frivolous type problems in the book. All of the issues the main characters faced were realistic and understandable. It was a lovable novel about the true pains of survival in a futuristic world that has been destroyed through something realistic. The only thing I didn't like about it was some of the dialogue. Whenever Dodger and Twist were separated, Dodger would tell Twist what happened to him while he was gone. That doesn't seem like a bad thing, but everything Dodger said during those times was a big block of text that told what happened just about word for word with no details omitted. Too many words were used at these times and it happened all at once, leaving the reader with no question as to what happened to Dodger during those times. It got to be quite annoying.

Although not everything about the book pleased me, The Artful was a greatly enjoyable read which I highly recommend to dystopian lovers. In particular those who enjoyed Andrew Smith’s The Marbury Lens.

Lunation by J. J Gadd

Lunation by J. J Gadd

Read: June 19, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 5/5 stars






An exciting digital story that allows the reader the choice of following various characters in the style of the much loved Choose Your Own Adventure stories.

Seven companions set out to free the woman trapped in the moon, and change the world along the way. Young, sheltered Branguin discovers that his ancestor, Marama, has been trapped in the moon, and sets out to free her. But he must first unravel the mystery of how she got there, confront and defeat the sorcerer Raul, and counter a menacing new force that's assembling an army to attack the capital. Branguin deciphers the clues with the help of his companions, several lost relatives along the way. The Lunation Series is a modern-day moon myth about ordinary people discovering their inner strength and overcoming extraordinary challenges, in order to solve a great mystery.



My Review:





A thousand thanks to HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the free review copy of this book. The fact that I received a copy has in no way altered my opinion and review of the book. 

'Lunation' was an intriguing and powerful book. Although I thought the choose your own adventure part was unnecessary, it was amazing (keeping the minor grammar errors) I really got a sense of the world's culture, possibly because the Boy was also somewhat new to it. Not only was it rich in culture, 'Lunation' had a powerful plot and strong, quite well developed characters. 

My favorite out of all of the characters would have to be the Boy, or Branguin as some call him. He was interesting in a unique way. I can't imagine not knowing my own name, but then again the Girl doesn't sound quite as cool as the Boy does. He is oblivious and knowledgeable at the same time and his mysterious family history only added to my interest in him.

The different religions were also very interesting. I liked seeing how many versions of one faith there could be. I highly recommend 'Lunation' to fans of legends and fantasy.

Flawed - A Review

Flawed by Kate Aveynn 

Read: May 30, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 5/5 stars



Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact . . .




My Review:

All those times I've said a book is depressing? I lied. Nothing I've ever read can even compete with the level of sadness this book made me feel.

Pain.
Pain.
Pain.


major spoilers ahead
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Flawed is one of those books where you can easily find yourself in a situation where you don't know want to think of the main characters. They were all so very messed up, but this made them seem almost beautiful at the same time.

Sarah has had to watch her brother protect her for years to a point that she has some difficulty making choices that will make her happy. She's all too worried about James to think of herself. Especially with a father as psychopathic as her's.

James has suffered more than Sarah should or will ever understand. His mentality is a bit screwy, presumably caused by his childhood of abuse and suffering. This shows up most obviously in his sick obsession with his younger sister. She seems to remind him of who his mother used to be before their father ruined her and of who she could have become before she begged James to kill her. His unrequited love for Sarah has caused the two of them great pain, as she loves him as a brother and has no desire to take their relationship past that while she still at the same time doesn't want to hurt him in anyway.

When James and Sam died, I wasn't as surprised as I wish I had been. I wanted them to live more than anything, but the story couldn't have ended properly in any other way.

I may speak on the subject of Sam more later, but for now I can't handle thinking about this book in that depth anymore. It was sad enough in the first place.

Review - The Child of Two Worlds

The Child of Two Worlds by M.E. Megahee 

Read: April 15, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 4/5 stars

Schuyler Chase appears to be a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl in suburban Atlanta. In reality, she is an immortal being caught in an epic war between vampires and werewolves. As a half-vampire, half-werewolf hybrid, Skye is an abomination to both--hated, feared and hunted because of her superior supernatural powers. Skye hides from her relentless enemies by pretending to be a high school senior, each year switching schools to keep up the ruse. In her newest school she quickly makes friends, only to discover that they too are immortals--werewolves from the same pack that had killed her parents sixty years earlier. One of them is the devilishly handsome Zac, whose blood calls to her like a siren's song. Skye fears that her new friends will kill her the moment they discover what she is, despite their opinions about the pointless blood feud. Time and again they stand by her and protect her. But will they be able to stop themselves when their free will is taken from them? Will Skye be forced to kill them to survive?

My Review

*I received a copy of The Child of Two Worlds on Goodreads Firstreads in exchange for a review. In no way has this effected my rating/review of the book.*

Schuyler Chase is the kind of protagonist I love. She thinks through her actions and is intelligent at a reasonable level, she's not smart enough to seem like a know at all and makes good decisions most of the time. Another thing I loved about her was her way of handling her loneliness. She didn't think of herself as better or worse than everyone else, her lack of attachment to others was just a part of her life. This made her sudden friendship with Sarah and the others much more believable. She unconsciously craved companionship but didn't know how to form relationships outside of the one with her aunt without ending up hurt when she had to leave or betrayed by the person she desired to be friends with. She was scared. So very scared, here's a girl whose spent her entire life running and doesn't know what 'normal' really means. It was real bravery on her part to open up to Zac, Caleb, and Sarah but she did it anyway and I think that's one of the bravest things you can do when your afraid. 

I see great potential in M.E Megahee as a writer and I hope that she continues to write this series. I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future

Review - Seraphina

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Read: July 15, 2013

Find it on Goodreads 

Rating: 5/5 stars

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.
In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.


My Review:

Possible Spoilers

Seraphina is the unique story of a girl cursed, or is it blessed, with the blood and scales of her mother's dragon form. It is a curse because of the uneasy alliance between the dragons and the humans and a blessing because her unique talents could help her to save the two races from going to war.I really liked this book as it is different from every dragon story I have read to date. Although I have read books with dragons with the ability to take on the shape of a human before the stories were nowhere near as compelling.compelling. Seraphina was one of my favorite aspects of the story. She felt more real than most female YA protagonists tend to today. She was not overly brave, had flaws that made sense, and her sob story was sob worthy. I appreciated how she didn't complain about nonexistent flaws throughout the entire book, her scales were the only things she didn't like about herself and that seems to only be because they could easily reveal the secret of her heritage. She was a very likable and I felt connected with her character.

Now stop reading this review and go read it.

It's awesome...