30 September 2017

The Hawkweed Prophecy - Review

The Hawkweed Prophecy
by Irena Brignull





What they say: The babies were born as the clock struck twelve. A bat fell from the air mid-flight. A silver salmon floated dead to the surface of the river. Snails withered in their shells, moths turned to dust on the night breeze and an owl ate its young. The spell had been cast.


Poppy Hooper has managed to deceive her father into believing that there is nothing mysterious or unnatural about her. He ignores the cats that find her wherever she goes, the spiders that weave beautiful lacy patterns for her, even her eyes - one blue, one green with an extra black dot orbiting the pupil.

Ember Hawkweed is a pitiful excuse for a witch. When the other girls in her coven brew vile potions, Ember makes soap and perfume. Fair and pretty, Ember is more like a chaff than a witch. One of the Hawkweeds will be queen of the witches - but everyone knows it won't be Ember.

When the two girls meet, Poppy discovers her powers, and finds out the truth. Bound by their unlikely friendship and the boy they both love, the girls try and find their place in the world. But the time of the prophecy draws nearer - and the witches won't give up the throne without a fight. 



Buy:
UK * US




I received a copy from the UK publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: Witches, a prophecy and a whole lot of drama is exactly what we get in The Hawkweed ProphecyThe narrative has a sweet tone which is reminiscent of an old fairy tale. 

The story focuses on two girl Ember and Poppy. Ember is born into a coven of witches with seemingly little power or interest in the usual witchy things, whilst Poppy is a human who doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. A twist of fate pushes them together and they discover that everything they believed in is wrong.

I loved their friendship. Poppy shows Ember about being a normal human teenager whilst being educated in the magical traditions Ember's family live by. Each is particularly intrigued by the others world.


A potential romance threatens to dismantle their beautiful friendship but far more is at stake than kissing and first flirtations. 

The world building is fun and I kinda wanted to go join the witches. I was a little unsure about the targeted age range for this one but I'd probably class it as more middle grade than YA.


3.5 Stars in my Sky!


SHARE:

29 September 2017

The Divine Heart - Tour & Review


The Divine Heart






Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: September 27th 2017


Seventeen-year-old Elle Collins spent most her life waiting for someone else to die…

When a heart donor is found, Elle awakes from surgery gifted with more than just a new heart—clairaudient messages and spiritual apparitions haunt her until she is convinced that she must be insane. Either that, or her donor is sending a message.

Desperate for answers the medical community can’t provide, Elle’s divination leads her to the family of her donor—a young girl named, Cas. With the help of her best friend, Rob—the guy who’s a testament that her new heart is capable of love, Elle must make sense of the clues Cas is sending. As pieces of Cas’s life and death emerge, Elle will discover that she and Cas share more than just a heart. 


Buy on Amazon!



I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I enjoyed this cute paranormal teen drama - It's got romance, intrigue and a bucket load of YA drama.

I have to admit I wasn't initially sure about the concept because it's a very sensitive subject for me. I lost a close friend a while ago only a few years after she received a heart transplant. I wasn't sure how I'd feel reading about a young girl with similar problems. The paranormal and mystery elements helped balance out the emotional drama and I'm pretty sure my friend would have enjoyed reading it herself if she could.

Elle lives a very strained and unusual existence. Pre-transplant everything is about surviving until a donor heart can be found, then after the surgery her entire life changes again. Elle's new heart comes with a whole load of drama and mysterious new abilities.

For the most part I liked Elle and empathised with her struggle. I did find her indecisiveness with potential romances a little irritating at times but I suppose given her circumstances its not something she has any experience with. I appreciated her determined search for the truth and the stellar way she adapts to her new abilities, the only slight negative is that she is a little immature at times.

Rob made me smile and I liked their friendship. I'm still not sure what to think about her doctor or a certain yoga teacher, but their behaviour made a weird sort of sense considering what happens.

The combination of paranormal and mystery works and although the subject is pretty heavy it never felt too draining or OTT.

3.5 Stars in my Sky!


Book Trailer




Excerpt:

She lets out a long sigh. “I heard that you received the heart of a girl about the same age as you.” She looks at me intently. I can tell she’s trying to read my expression, but I play it cool and keep a straight face. “She had an accident, honey.” After a long pause and a moment of uncomfortable silence, she continues. “There was nothing anyone could do,” She takes a deep breath and pushes the strands of hair away from my face. “Are you okay?”
“I am,” I say, surprised by my composure. A sense of calm washes over me and I use my pain as a guide to trace my fingers over my chest. I feel the bulkiness of the bandages under the linen hospital gown and rest my hand over my chest. It takes a moment before I feel the beating of my new heart. It’s different—steadier. I slide my tongue over my lips and taste the salt of my tears. Thank you. Thank you. I’m not exactly sure whom I’m thanking—God or my donor. It doesn’t feel right to thank God for what’s happened. He couldn’t have taken this girl’s life just to save mine. Closing my eyes tightly, I say a quiet prayer. I wish I knew your name. Then I could know whose soul I am praying for.
“Cas!” The voice is a soft, willowy whisper. I open one eye and gaze around the room. My mother is seated in the chair next to me, a closed People Magazine on her lap. She’s staring at a blank TV screen, lost in thought. The nurse is standing in the doorway, speaking with a doctor. From where I lie, I can’t see anyone else around.
“Cas!”
“Cas?” I repeat again, only louder.
My mother sits erect in the chair and the color drains from her face.
“What did you say?” she whispers.



Author Spotlight:

Danielle R. Mani is a fan of the paranormal in both print and film. In her first book, The Divine One, Ms. Mani combines supernatural fiction with the everyday dramas of young adulthood. Her newest YA paranormal novel, The Divine Heart, is scheduled to be released later this year. Ms. Mani holds a Bachelor of Arts in education and a Master of Science in communications. She is currently a doctoral student studying parapsychology. She resides in Westchester, New York, with her husband, four children, two dogs, and two rescue cats.




 Giveaway:


Blog Tour Organized by:





SHARE:

28 September 2017

THE NEXT GENERATION - Is LIVE!


S.C. Stephens's THE NEXT GENERATION is available TODAY and paranormal lovers won't want to miss this one! 

Read an excerpt below and pick up your copy today!

 


Fitting in can be hard for anyone. But for Julian and Nika Adams, it’s especially challenging. Born as partial vampires, a rare offshoot of pureblood vampires, the twins have had to deceive people their entire lives—distancing themselves from their peers.
Nika desperately wants a hero, a soulmate, someone she can trust with every fibre of her soul—someone as amazing as her father. The boys at her high school aren’t impressing, but luckily for Nika, Hunter Evans has moved into the neighborhood.
Julian desperately wishes he could sever the empathic bond he has with his sister. While it was fun to experience each other’s emotions when they were kids, now that Julian finds himself pining for a girl he can’t have, sharing his feelings is the last thing he wants to do.

Add THE NEXT GENERATION to your Goodreads shelf here!

Get your copy of THE NEXT GENERATION now!

Amazon * iBooks * Kobo






Read an excerpt of THE NEXT GENERATION now:

My brother was normally a calm person, not easily ruffled or riled, but Russell was his exception. Consequences aside, Julian would fight him to the death in a bathroom, and drain him dry in an alley; he hated him to the core. And all because Russell was dating the woman Julian was infatuated with: Raquel Johnson.

Raquel was the girl Julian wouldn’t shut up about. They were lab partners for a semester last year, and had developed some sort of friendship during class. But while they talked on occasion, and Raquel seemed to like Julian well enough, Russell was the moon and stars in her eyes. And he treated her like dirt. It was all very tragic, and sometimes I wondered if Julian was only attracted to Raquel because he wanted to save her. He wanted to be her knight in shining armor, wanted to be a hero, like our father. Only problem in this situation was that Raquel didn’t seem to want a knight. Some damsels preferred being in distress.

Just when I was about to yell at Russell to leave already, he and his entourage finally backed away from the shower area. Julian’s body was still tight with anger as the sounds of Russell and his gang started to dissipate. When the heavy door to the locker room banged shut, Julian opened his mouth, exposing his fangs to the boys who were no longer there.

Annoyed, I put my hands on my hips and faced him. “What the hell were you thinking, Julie?”

Julian stepped away from the shower wall; his eyes were still firmly locked on the locker room exit. “You didn’t need to rush in here, Nick. I had everything under control.”

I wiped a smear of blood from his cheek. Holding my red finger in front of his gaze, so he’d concentrate on me and stop staring at the door, I murmured, “Yeah, I see that.”

He glanced at the blood and sighed. “Damn it.” Tenderly, he touched his fingers to his face; when he pulled them away, they were red.

I momentarily considered sucking the swath of his blood from my finger—the vampire in me growled in delight at the idea—but I easily ignored the desire. Grabbing Julian’s elbow, I pulled him to the sink.

Looking at the cut near his eye in the mirror, Julian grimaced. “Great.” His face contorting around his fangs, he asked, “How am I gonna explain this to Mom and Dad?”

Turning on the water, I let the cool stream wash away the yummy goodness that a part of me yearned for. “Well, since I’m still waiting for an explanation, why don’t you try out your excuse on me?”

Sliding his fangs back in, Julian shook his head; his pitch-black hair instantly reminded me of our father. Julian was right, Dad wasn’t going to like hearing about him fighting. “It was nothing,” he murmured, his expression sheepish. “Just Russell being a dick because I was talking to Raquel.”

Sighing, I moistened a paper towel so Julian could clean himself up. “Didn’t feel like nothing, Julie. It felt like…” Remembering his fear and panic, I bit my lip and handed him the towel. That had been a lot more than Julian just reacting to Russell being a jerk. That had been…primal.

As Julian took the towel, his light eyes silently begged me to not finish my statement. Knowing his feelings when he didn’t want me to know them felt intrusive, so I decided to respect his reluctance as much as I could. “It just…felt like something,” I told him.

Julian hissed in a breath as he dabbed the towel against his cut. Unfortunately, since we were living vampires, Julian and I didn’t have the fast-healing ability that our undead family members had. Julian’s wounds would have to close the old-fashioned way. “I was just having a…moment,” he whispered, glancing at me in the mirror.

With sympathy in my heart, I nodded at his reflection. Julian’s panic attacks had subsided over the years, but they crept up now and again if he was put in the right circumstances. Dealing with Russell must have put him over the edge.

I said nothing more about it as Julian wiped away the bloody evidence from his face. I could feel the lingering bumps and bruises Julian felt, shared the ache stinging his cheek. Pain wasn’t necessarily an emotion, but our bodies processed it as such. Ever since birth, I had known when Julian was hurting, physically and emotionally. My long, lean limbs felt fine, but I was aware of his injuries, and was going to be aware of them for the next several days while he healed. Yeah, double-edged sword.






 Author Spotlight:


S.C. Stephens is a bestselling author who enjoys spending every free moment she has creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance.
Her debut novel, Thoughtless, an angst-filled love triangle charged with insurmountable passion and the unforgettable Kellan Kyle, took the literary world by storm. Amazed and surprised by the response to the release of Thoughtless in 2009, more stories were quick to follow. Stephens has been writing nonstop ever since.
In addition to writing, Stephens enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading fabulous novels, loading up her iPod with writer’s block reducing music, heading out the movies and spending quality time with her friends and family. She currently resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her two equally beautiful children.

 


SHARE:

27 September 2017

INVICTUS - Review

INVICTUS
by Ryan Graudin





Buy here:



Time flies when you're plundering history.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past. 

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.
Add to Goodreads

I received a copy from Hatchette Children's Group/BKMRK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!


What I say: So much love for this one! I do enjoy me some sci-fi but throw in some fab YA action and you're onto a winner!

Ryan Graudin has created a wonderfully clever story in Invictus. I loved all the jumps back into the past and wished I could join the team. The Latin student in me absolutely flipping loved the Roman and Latin references.

The book is full of action, drama and romance. Tonally it reminded me of an 80s or 90s adventure movie. Invictus has the solidarity of The Goonies, the action of Star Wars, a dash of the TARDIS action with the time travel and I throwback to Firefly, all written in a very Stranger Things meets Percy Jackson kinda way - I really enjoyed it!

The world building is pretty epic because it's not really just a world. We get multiverses people! I'd love to be able to hop on board the Invictus and journey back in history. The book is basically historical fiction mixed with sci-fi.

Farway Gaius McCarthy aka Far really won me over. I loved him. He's a cute and oh-so-brave action hero. I liked him a Priya together and would have enjoyed seeing more of them. Elliott was unexpected but I appreciated the direction Graudin takes the story. I loved Imogen and Gram - so cute!

A wonderful story I'm very glad to have read.

4.5 Stars in my Sky!



SHARE:

26 September 2017

Charm - Is Live!


Ooh hello! 

CHARM by J.A. Armitage is available now.


Not only do you get to join in the release day fun there's also a special Cinderella Prize Pack giveaway...





Title: CHARM
Author: J.A. Armitage
Pub. Date: September 26th 2017
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Pages: 291 Formats: eBook


Buy it here:

Amazon * Goodreads



You all know the story of Cinderella... 

The kingdom needs an heir and Princess Charmaine is quite aware that the job rests solely upon her shoulders. The problem is, she has no intention of ever getting married, let alone pushing a child out of her ladyparts. When her elder sister dies, Charmaine has to take her place at the ball designed to find her a husband. The problem is, she doesn't want to choose between a hundred eligible bachelors. She just wants to live her life in peace and find love in her own time. 

Cynder knows about the impending war between his people and those of his masters, but working as an underpaid servant in the palace kitchens leaves him with little power to do anything about it. On one hand, he's a staunch supporter of his own royal family, but he can't deny the attraction he feels for the daughter of the king and queen he works for. 

Charm is the first in the Reverse Fairytale series by USA Today bestselling author 

J.A. Armitage. Take everything you think you know about fairytales and turn it on its head.


Excerpt:

My mother smiled. Her smile had a way of putting people at ease. I’d seen
her use it countless times on nervous subjects. That’s what made her a good
queen. She flicked her eyes towards my father who just nodded and then she
turned back to me. Reaching forward and taking my hand in hers she spoke softly
to me. Another trick of hers to keep me calm. I wondered briefly what exactly
she would need to keep me calm for.

You already know

The little voice was persistent.

“We cannot cancel the ball. Too much is at stake and, while it is
unfortunate timing, it would be madness to stop it at this late stage. Your
father and I have talked extensively about this and we have decided that you
are to take Grace’s place.”

I opened my mouth in shock. We had only just begun the official mourning
for Grace and here they both were, asking me to take her place at some stupid
party.

“You mean dance with the men?”

“Not just dance with them. We need concrete ties. The country is in a period
of great instability and we need a leader to take our place when we are gone.
We need you to choose a husband.”


Author Spotlight:



Born in Leeds, I lived a very normal life until I got bored one day and decided to travel the world. Since then I've worked on a Banana Plantation, cleaned ACDC's dressing room and been a professional clown.
I climbed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the top of Kilimanjaro. Nowadays you'll find me being a climbing frame for my two young children, working in a school, and renovating my home. Did I also mention I wrote some books? I hope you enjoy them!

For my free books, just sign up to my newsletter here!




Giveaway:





J.A. is giving away a Cinderella swag pack, print copies of Charm and a $20 Amazon voucher.

1st prize: Cinderella Swag Pack with NYT bestselling book, DVD and print copy of Charm.


2nd Prize: $20 Amazon Gift card and Ecopy of Charm


3rd Prize: Print copy of Charm

Just click the link below to take you to the entry form


GOOD LUCK





SHARE:
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Blogger Template Created by pipdig