From Goodreads: The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust…and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

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HarperCollins has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on October 4, but I have to say that I was really upset by this book.  I mean, I was, and still am, livid.  This book starts out great.  The premise is wonderful, and Eve, a relatively book smart girl, soon finds herself running for her freedom.  She must make it to the safe-haven before she is caught by the King’s army in the desolate wilderness, and the story is a great rollercoaster ride.  I really enjoyed it—up to a point.

I realize that Eve, having spent her entire life at an all-girls school, secluded and lied to time and time again, isn’t going to be the most “street savvy” person in the world, but when she begins to make the most asinine mistakes, over and over again, I had it.  The book was so good, and then, all of a sudden, Eve’s character took a turn for the worse, and I ended up hating her.  I’m not sure if this was the intention of Carey when the story began, but this is definitely how I felt at the end.  Eve made so many stupid mistakes, jeopardizing her safety and that of those around her, that all my sympathy for her plight disappeared.  And, the end… well… I really disliked that as well.  I know that books in a series tend to always end on cliffhangers nowadays, but this ending left me angry, hating Eve all the more, and in complete disgust with her character.  Do I want to know what happens next?  Yes!  Do I want to read more about Eve?  Nope.  So, I’m finding myself at a standstill here.  I mean, in all honesty, only a great writer can evoke such strong emotions from a reader, and I do believe that Carey is a great writer, but I am in such disgust with Eve that I don’t even know if I can finish the series.  Harsh, I know, but Eve really rubbed me the wrong way.  One and a half stars—not based on the writing, but on the character of Eve alone.

From Goodreads:  When Selena is first given the Angel Handbook, she has every intention of sticking to the rules. Then the Council of Archangels sends her on a special assignment to help a high school cheerleader, and she realizes that the rules are actually getting in the way. Especially since Ashley’s snobby group of friends, tyrannical math teacher and crazy stepmother seem to be working against her.

Thankfully Selena has a notorious rule-breaker for a best friend, and with Hermes’ advice, she comes up with a sure-fire way to help Ashley change her life. She is going to get her to fall in love. But Selena playing Cupid has an unexpected consequence. She ends up falling in love herself.

Having a boyfriend is definitely going against the rules, and so Selena must decide…

Does she follow the Angel Handbook or does she follow her heart?

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I am absolutely, 100 percent, head over heels, in love with this book!  Jespers has created a true gem, a novel so interesting and captivating that I stayed up all night reading it, foregoing sleep in order to complete this beautiful novel.  I was able to get 86 percent of the way through before my Kindle decided to run out of batteries, but thank God for my Droid and the Kindle App!  I finished the book in one sitting and really want to go back and read it all over again; it’s that good!

Have you ever read a novel in which you can’t help but talk aloud to the characters?  To yell at them, to offer advice, to laugh with, or cry… that’s what happened to me as I read.  Selena is an amazing character and Jespers has written her, and all the character for that matter, in such a way that the reader can actually feel their emotions.  The tension is so palpable, the characters so defined, that I literally talked to them the entire novel.  I love that Jespers has created such venomous characters, such as Fran, and I became tense and loathsome of them to the point that I had some disturbing thoughts about them, such as Fran being hit by a bus… or something…  It’s very rare for me to connect with a story on such a deep level that I actually hate, or love, a character to a point that I feel so strongly for, or against, them, and I believe this is a testament to Jesper’s sheer writing abilities!  She is magnificent, and a writer to watch.  I will definitely be reading more of her work, especially as Angel Handbook is only the first installment in the series, and it left me hanging in the worst way.  And Hermes?  *Swoon*

This is a wonderful novel for all ages and I highly recommend it to all.  Five stars. 

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads:  The universe of Orberana is a place of great wonder and peril, a dizzying landscape filled with clouds that can talk, clockwork beings that mark their own time, and painted animals that awake in the night.

Shiewo Morose is the captain of a flying ship powered by music. She is also a determined young woman on a mission: a quest to find the Wishing Fish that created Orberana.

Sailing above the clouds, Shiewo and her crew (Erduu the bamboo, Theo the cloud, Livingston the goldfish, and Felix the painter) are headed for worlds of crazed clockwork bureaucrats, tyrannic kings, and tornado children–worlds that will test not only the crew’s bravery… but their very understanding of adventure.

Theirs is the odyssey of a lifetime…

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This is a very well written, action packed novel for MG and YA readers.  The plot line and characters are extremely original and interesting, spurring the reader on as the many different events unfold.  Cho is a great writer and I think his novel will appeal to younger audiences, though it may not appeal as much to adult readers.  I do think this would be a great novel for parents to read to children, or even for struggling readers to read on their own as the language is very simplistic and easy to understand (not to mention a plot that will captivate the young mind).  I enjoyed the many different imaginative scenes throughout the novel and think Cho is definitely a writer to watch.  Three stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

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HarperCollins has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release today, and it pains me to say that I wasn’t enamored while reading this story.  The premise sounded promising, but I found that I, personally, never connected with the storyline. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate the book; it was very well written, but I didn’t love it like I thought I would, based on the many reviews I read prior to reading the novel.  My lack of connection to any of the characters is the main reason why I didn’t fall in love. 

I’m not sure what it was about these characters, but I never found a connection point between us.  I was hoping that I would feel some kindred with one of Skye’s suitors, either Asher and Devin, but I found that neither of them struck my fancy, which made me somewhat sad.  I love novels about angels, especially fallen angels, and so I thought this novel would be right up my alley.  Now, like I said before, I’ve read a lot of great reviews about his novel, and there are tons of them!!!  That being said, I do recommend others read this book, because my personal reaction seems to be in the lower spectrum of the rating scale for this book.  I, personally, thought it was okay, but many readers did fall in love with this story and the characters, so be sure to check this one out.  Also, don’t be surprised, there is a huge cliffhanger at the end, which I thought was actually kind of cool… I just don’t know if I’ll be reading the rest of this series to find out what happens… we’ll see.  Two stars. 

From Goodreads: The Pirates of Aden is the debut novel by Canadian author Daniel Rasic. Released in 2011, it follows Paul Alban, a physician and CIA covert operative working in Somalia. Following the hijacking of a cargo ship, an injured Somali pirate is brought to his clinic for treatment. However, when the hijacking is connected to Paul, his true identity is revealed and he becomes implicated in a dangerous web of terrorism.

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I was pleasantly surprised by how gripping this novel ended up being!  Initially, I was afraid I might not be captivated, but that fear was overridden fairly quickly as I began reading Rasic’s riveting novel.  The storyline itself pulled me in, jumping from character to character and explaining the many different events, leading up to the ultimate finale and connection between them all.  I found it fascinating and, quite honestly, a little scary.  Rasic presents his fictional novel in such a way that the reader can’t help but wonder if any aspects of it might be real.  Yet, the fact that events in this novel could happen made it all the more enthralling.

I loved the characters, even the evil ones, and Rasic has done a superb job making them realistic.  The fact that I was kept guessing the entire novel just adds to my love for it, as it’s not only a mystery, who done it type novel, but also an action adventure novel as well.  Overall, this is an amazing novel.  And I do mean amazing.  Five stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Thirteen-year-old Parker Chance has suffered from hallucinations for most of his life. He has been ridiculed and expelled from public school on account of these hallucinations. When his adoptive father destroys a picture of his birth mother, Parker decides to run away from home. He soon finds himself whisked away to a village of superhumans where he discovers he is one of them. Parker’s new power puts him at the center of a deadly mystery and he soon proves he is much too curious for his own good. The Fifth Specter is a funny and enchanting fantasy that will stay with the reader long after the final page is turned.

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Welti has created a great action packed novel for kids, and adults, of all ages.  It’s a very well written story that captivated me through the interesting events and real life dialogue, gluing me to the pages as events unfolded.  I especially enjoyed the characters of Parker, Lucas, and Nora as they embark on a perilous journey to find the truth behind the disappearance of their parents so many years ago.  Parker, of course, is my favorite.  He is a great main character in that he is kind, caring, and interesting, yet he struggles throughout the novel to come into himself.  At times his actions can be quite pigheaded, yet this only adds to his validity as a character, rounding him out and, ultimately, endearing him to the reader’s heart as he comes to terms with mistakes and learns to control his powers.

While it’s true that there are many similarities to the Harry Potter series in The Fifth Specter, as Harry Potter is a great representation of the archetype, similarities here and there are to be expected in other novels.  If readers were to do an in-depth analysis of all the books they read, they would find that, in actuality, many novels follow the same exact archetype, Harry Potter and The Fifth Specter fitting this mold.  Yet, even so, Welti has created her own unique take in this archetypal novel following Parker Chance as he begins to find out the truth about his superhuman heritage and a world in which he, and others around him, develop different powers as they come-of-age.  This is a great novel for the whole family, and lovers of Harry Potter will highly enjoy this new series and the heroic superhuman Parker Chance.  Three stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Could you believe the impossible? What if time travel is actually possible? Alex Charles is an intelligent, level-headed, high school graduate. Her parents died in an unexpected horrific accident, when she was just 16. Friends, parties, and an unknown destiny are part of normal everyday life; but then again, she isn’t any average girl. Enter the proverbial long-lost-uncle, Joseph Graham. Warm hearted, smart, handsome, but very mysterious due to one reoccurring issue… he is running out of time. What exactly is the “family business” that her mother kept secret all these years?

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I have been really interested in time-travel novels for a while now.  I think my love for them materialized when I read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, and it’s continued to be well fed through other great novels such as The Time Traveler’s Wife (Niffenegger) and Always a Witch (MacCullough).  There is just something about time travel that fascinates me, and I must say that Alex Charles: The Evening Oak didn’t disappoint.  It is obvious that Reynolds poured a lot of love and care into both her research for, and writing of, this novel, and her descriptions of life and times during the civil war is phenomenal. 

Reynolds creates two very interesting characters: Alex, kind, loving, and mature beyond her years, and her uncle Joe, a mysterious, yet kind man, who materializes as if from thin air.  Together they embark on a journey of learning about the family business, Joe the teacher, Alex the ever yearning student.  Their stories, told in both the past and present are very fascinating, and though the novel will leave the reader with many questions in regards to certain events, rest assured that it’s just the beginning of the series and more is to come. 

I enjoyed this novel a lot, though at times I did find the dialogue a little contrived in the edition I read.  Most teenagers today speak using contractions, as do most adults, and the lack of contractions in Alex’s present day life brought me up short a few times as I read, though it fits perfectly when the novel shifts into the past.  In the newest edition being released, these contraction have been added to make a more realistic dialogue, so readers, rest assured, you’re in for a great read. Three and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

So, you haven’t yet read Meant to Be by Tiffany King.  What?  You haven’t read Meant to Be by Tiffany King????!!!  

So, take advantage! If you don’t have a Kindle, but you have a phone… download the free Kindle app and GET THIS BOOK!!! Seriously, it is that good!!! 

I’m so excited–go get your copy now, and THEN, pick up the second book in the sequel, Forgotten Souls, which is just as good!  Seriously, your brain will thank you later.  DO IT!

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Synopsis: Krista Miller feels like she has lived her entire life in a glass box with her every emotion on display. She can’t help feeling like a defect as her sensitivities have made her socially inept and without any real friends; the one exception being the boy that visits her each night in her dreams.

Krista’s emotions are put to the test when a move to California triggers a devastating change to her fantasy world. The nightly comfort that the boy provides has now become a recurring nightmare as he is taken from her by an unseen force.

Struggling to appear normal, Krista enrolls in a new school and finds it to be nothing like she thought. Her new life is sent spiraling out of control from a strange connection with a boy, Mark, who claims to know all her secrets.

As Krista begins to explore the emotions that Mark evokes in her, secrets about their mysterious past and their predestined purpose threatens to separate them just when they have found each other.

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Still skeptical?  You can read my 5 STAR REVIEW  of this AMAZING book HERE!

Title: The Worshipful Society of Type Founders and Alchemists

That’s a mouthful, but I had limited choices. I’d been doing research for several days on the naming of secret societies—a critical element in the novel I was working on. They all started out Worshipful, Sacred, Noble, Royal, Honorable. Then there was a type of organization: Society, Order, Guild, Association, Brotherhood. And then the subject. In my instance would it be Printers, Typesetters, Copyists, Typecasters… or Type Founders. I settled on the last because the one thing that made this ancient guild described in The Gutenberg Rubric unique was the fact that it was not centered on typesetting or printing, but on the casting of metal into type. I had it: The Worshipful Society of Type Founders… and Alchemists.

Where did that last term come in?

There is a good reason for including alchemy in the arts practiced by Gutenberg’s secret society in my new thriller. Alchemy was a proto-science (precursor to chemistry) focused on the transmutation of base substances into noble. We commonly think of it in terms of turning lead into gold, but the alchemist also strove to turn the corrupt body into an everlasting body. (See Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.)

We do know that Gutenberg was, by trade, a goldsmith. Yet, for some reason, he was running experiments with lead, tin, antimony, nickel, and copper. That was my first clue that Gutenberg may have been dabbling in alchemy—trying to come up with that perfect combination of elements that would, under the right conditions, turn into gold.

Beyond what is obvious in our 20^th century enlightened minds, there was a problem with the process. Equal volumes of gold and lead do not weigh the same.

Back in the third century BC, the brilliant mathematician Archimedes was called upon by King Hiero II to determine whether all the gold that the king had given an artist had been used to make the crown he had commissioned. The crown weighed the right amount, but the king wanted to be sure that it was solid gold. Archimedes puzzled over the problem, but one day as he settled into the bath he observed how the water was displaced by his body. He realized that the same principle could be applied to his problem. The amount of water that was displaced when the crown was submerged should be the exact same as the amount displaced by pure gold of equal measure. Archimedes was so taken by this that he jumped out of the bath and ran down the street naked yelling “Eureka” or “I’ve found it!”

At the time of Gutenberg there were only 18 elements in the periodic table and the heaviest of them all was gold. Lead in an equal volume would weigh less. And that was the problem of the alchemists. They could combine metals to get something near the right hardness, but it was not as dense. The answer, of course, is to put the metal under pressure so that it will be compacted into a smaller volume. That theory seems valid, but it just doesn’t quite work. So, now we have the alchemist’s favorite elements and the need for a press that can exert many pounds of pressure. What failed to turn into gold, Gutenberg ultimately turned into lead type and a printing press.

Prior to Gutenberg, there had been many experiments in making movable type. In Europe, the most common was wood type. In Korea, clay type was in use, and in China, it was made of porcelain. Not strong enough, not even enough, too brittle. Early experiments with metal type failed because as the metal cooled from liquid to solid, it shrank. Larger letters shrank more than smaller ones, so an uneven print would be made with some characters hardly touching the paper at all.

But antimony is one of those rare (and toxic) elements that has the property of expanding when it cools, not unlike water turning to ice. The genius of Gutenberg’s invention was to make a metal alloy that was perfectly dimensionally stable, the expansion of the antimony exactly counteracting the contraction of the lead and tin.

Just months before the Gutenberg Bible was finished in 1455, Gutenberg was sued by his financial partner Johan Fust. It seems that Gutenberg was siphoning off funds that Fust invested in order to pay for a secret project that he was working on outside the Bible-printing workshop. Gutenberg was ordered by the court to share the secret project with his financial partner. When Gutenberg refused, the court awarded the entire Bible-printing venture to Fust and Gutenberg was left with no profit from his invention but the secret project—a secret that was remains hidden to this day.

Was Gutenberg still working on an alchemical formula to turn lead into gold? We may never know, but I’ve taken that little mystery and woven an entire novel around it as two contemporary librarians attempt to discover the secret of The Gutenberg Rubric.

Links:

The Gutenberg Rubric:  http://www.gutenbergrubric.com

The Rubricant Blog: http://www.gutenbergrubric.com/blog

Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004QVVE1S

Author Info:

Nathan Everett
nathan@nwesignatures.com

From Goodreads:  Just months before the famous Bible that bears his name was finished, Johannes Gutenberg was sued by his business partner for misappropriating funds for a private enterprise. When Gutenberg refused to share the secret project, the court awarded the entire Bible-printing operation to Johan Fust, leaving Gutenberg with nothing but his secret. Was it an alchemical formula? A heretical treatise? A new technology? Or something far more dangerous? Why would Gutenberg risk everything? Brilliant, eccentric professor Keith Drucker and rare books librarian Madeline Zayne are reluctant heroes in a centuries-old search for Gutenberg’s secret. Crossing continents to follow clues from an encoded rubric and stolen manuscript, the couple face injury and encounter arcane rituals and biblio-terrorism as they race to find the fabled treasure. But once they find it, will they survive to tell the world?

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This is a great read!  I really enjoyed it, and I would love to see this novel made into a movie. It is very well written, intertwining history, alchemy, and fiction in order to make a beautiful novel of mystery and intrigue.  I was glued to the pages from the very beginning, and it is quite obvious that Everett has poured much love and care into this novel, diligently researching the history of ink, the printing press, and Gutenberg in order to create a roller coaster ride of a novel for his readers. 

I was very impressed with the natural flow of the novel and Everett’s ability to captivate the reader through his interesting characters and enticing plotline.  Both Keith and Madeline are very memorable characters, stealing the reader’s heart before the novel really begins.  Lovers, they set the stage for romance in this psychological thriller as they battle against an unknown foe, set on destroying the libraries Keith and Madeline frequent, as they attempt to uncover the Gutenberg secret.  Fans of Dan Brown (author of The Da Vinci Code, et.al) should definitely pick up this novel!  Four stars! 

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads:  Friends or family?
Desire or responsibility?
She thought she’d made her choice.

Now, finding herself trapped in a world splintered from her own, Narissa is determined to return home. Learning that the means of crossing between realities has been lost, she vows to find the elusive gateway.

Narissa doesn’t plan to make friends. She certainly doesn’t intend to fall in love.

Faced with the decision, will she choose the life she wants, or return to the world where she belongs?

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I thought this was a very interesting read.  McKinnon has created an alternate world of sorts in which a group of people physically removed themselves from the world in order to start over.  It’s a really cool concept, and the explanations McKinnon gives are imaginative and very well thought out.  The Refuge, as it is called, resides way out in the mountains and is protected by a dense wall of fog, keeping unwanted visitors out, that is, except Narissa, who somehow ends up inside the Refuge, discombobulated and hurt.  The explanations continue, and it’s a really cool idea/concept, somewhat reminding me of the movie The Village in which everyone resides inside a barrier in a park, unknowingly hiding from the real world.  I loved The Village, and I really enjoyed this novel as well. 

McKinnon has created some great characters and Narissa’s determination to fit in and take charge of her life really endeared her to my heart.  I highly enjoyed the ending of the novel as it intensifies and made my heart beat faster in anticipation.  I am eagerly awaiting the sequel as McKinnon does leave the reader hanging at the very end.  Four stars.

I recieved a cpy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: “I do not remember being bitten. I wish I did, for then I would know the creature who did this to me and I would have a purpose, to track him down and repay him for the poisoned gift he gave me.” Back in the 13th Century, Will was destined to be Earl of Mercia. He never lived to inherit his title, struck down by a strange illness and buried beneath the city walls. But Will was not dead, and only now, seven lonely centuries later, does he begin to understand that there was a reason for all of this, that he has a destiny. To find it though, he will need help, and as ever, he will need blood.

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I’m sorry to say that I really didn’t care for this novel.  The cover is pretty cool, but the storyline didn’t interest me as I had hoped.  I was unable to connect with the characters, and though Will is actually trapped in a 16-year-old body, I kept imagining him as a 40-year-old man.  It was always a little jarring for me when one of the characters remarked on Will’s looks and I’d remember that he’s supposed to look like a 16-year-old.  Of course, I understand that his mannerism are going to be different, and that he’s a very mature “16 year old,” but I really struggled visualizing him as anything younger than 40.  In fact, I had this issue with all the characters, and I can’t put my finger on the reason why.  Perhaps they all were too mature for their “age,” or perhaps I lack imagination (quite possibly), but I found this to be a bit of a struggle for me as I read.

The novel itself wasn’t bad, but it didn’t hold my interest.  I feel like it jumped around a bit too much for me, which is an aspect that some readers really love, but I kept finding myself distracted by it.  All in all, this book just isn’t my forte.  Two stars.

Egmont USA has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on September 27, 2011

From Goodreads: Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—Sasha is Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx looming, Jax has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

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Egmont USA has been extremely gracious to allow me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on September 27^th, and I must say this is an amazing book.  I am thankful that I was able to read it early, and now I’m dying for the sequel, and the first book hasn’t even technically released yet!  Faegen is a very talented writer that pulled me into her novel through her superb prose and wonderful storyline.

To be honest, I was originally interested in this book because of the beautiful cover.  The synopsis sounded okay, but it didn’t really pull me in and I was a little afraid I wouldn’t care for the book.  In my personal opinion, the synopsis doesn’t do this novel justice, by any means, and I was extremely pleased to find out that my original skepticism was unfounded.  This is a beautiful novel.  Faegen has created a truly riveting story that I personally found to be unique and refreshing, and I am absolutely, one hundred percent, in love with Jax.  He is HOT!  The characterization is amazing throughout the entire novel and I feel like I personally know Jax and Sasha.  The suspense and anxiety within the novel was palpable, and I could literally feel my heart beating faster as the book unfolded, diving deeper into the scary realms of cultish activity.  This is a great novel, all around, however, reader beware:  there is an intense sex scene within the novel that I personally didn’t think belonged.  An allusion to it would have been fine, but this is quite graphic and I was disheartened that Faegen decided she needed to go there in her writing.  I thought the book was perfect without it.  Call me old school, but I can’t knowingly give this to a young adult because this type of graphic sensuality isn’t something I think they need to read about—they get enough of that on TV and in music as it is.  That aside, though, this is a great novel!  Four and a half stars.    

The Mephisto Mark (#1)

The Mephisto Kiss (#2)

The Mephisto Mark (#3)

From Goodreads: “I didn’t see Rebecca die the second time.”

The United States military hides a secret: the completely real existence of eat-your-brains, one-bite-and-you’re-dead zombies. The Army has known they exist for over a hundred years, and has been quietly and expertly keeping the secret.

Until now.

His hometown destroyed, with everyone he has ever known dead and gone, the sole survivor of the massacre at Fall Creek joins a secret military group to combat the single greatest threat our world has ever faced. Unfortunately, his help may come too late. Even as victories over the walkers mount, the seeds of our ultimate doom are sown from within, and at the last, only a brave few may survive to carry on.

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This is a wonderful zombie/military novel!  Kristopher’s invigorating prose and storytelling abilities blew me away as I read.  He’s taken a mythical concept and created an extremely scary novel intertwining real world current events with the zombie apocalypse.  As scary as it might be, his explanations actually make a lot of sense, especially in light of the many political cover-ups and the like that take place all over the world.  I was fascinated as I read, the wheels of my mind and imagination working constantly to process the wonderful images, explanations, and concepts presented throughout this fictional piece.

Although there are many characters introduced throughout the novel, I found that I was able to connect with all of them on some level.  Truth be told, I struggled to keep some of them straight in the beginning as they are introduced rapidly at one point, but Kristopher does a phenomenal job making them well rounded characters and delving into their private lives, even though the story is told through the eyes of the main character. 

I also really enjoyed the tone of the novel.  It is realistic and poignant with an ending that I found fit the novel perfectly as it stays true to the tone and mood Kristopher sets to keep it all believable. Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

From Amazon:  Since escaping from the Ragged Cove and finding herself suspended from the Force, Kiera Hudson is hired by the mysterious Lady Hunt to protect her sixteen-year-old daughter Kayla, from the stranger who lurks on the moors. But little does Kiera know that it is she who is really in need of protection.

Arriving at Hallowed Manor on the desolate Welsh moors, Kiera soon realises that the vampires that she has been ‘seeing’ are not the stuff of her nightmares, but are very real and closing in.

If Kiera is to escape the vampires that hunt her, she will have to discover the true identity of the bandaged man, the secret of the children’s graveyard hidden beneath the weeping willows and who or what is hiding in the ‘forbidden’ wing at Hallowed Manor…
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Tim O’Rourke is an amazing author!  I’ve read all five of his novels and, like a fine wine, his novels just keep getting better with time.  Every single one of his novels have grabbed my attention and glued me to the pages, and Vampire Wake is no different.  The second book in the Kiera Hudson trilogy, O’Rourke creates a deliciously creepy tale continuing the story of Kiera, Paul, Potter, and Murphy, while adding new characters along the way.

I really loved this novel.  I love vampires in general, but O’Rourke has taken an age-old tale and made a completely unique, exciting story out of it.  This novel is full of suspense, creating an enticing read, especially as some parts of it are a tad bit creepy, which makes it all the more fun, in my opinion.

Kiera, the strong female lead, is an amazing character.  Her personality and sentimentality make her an extremely real persona and I feel like I actually know her.  She has a very kind and caring disposition, but at the same time, she doesn’t let people walk all over her.  Kiera is a very strong character and she has endeared herself to my heart.  Luke is another character that I absolutely love, and sparks fly when Kiera and Luke are together, adding to my love for this series.  It takes a special kind of writer to create such phenomenal characters, and O’Rourke has proved, time and time again, that he is an exceptional writer.  I cannot wait to read the next book in the series–I’ve now read this novel twice and I’m still in love with it!  Five stars.

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Vampire Shift, book one in the series, is FREE on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo at the time of this post, so do make sure you scoop it up and join the world of Kiera Hudson.

Check out O’Rourke’s other novels (they are indeed all amazing):

Kiera Hudson Series 1

Vampire Shift (#1)

Vampire Wake (#2)

Vampire Hunt (#3)

Vampire Breed (#4)

Wolf House (#4.5)

Vampire Hollows (#5)

Kiera Hudson Series 2

Dead Flesh (#1)

Dead Night: Potter’s Secrets (#1.5)

Dead Angels (#2)

Dead Statues (#3)

Dead Seth (#4)

Dead Wolf (#5)

Dead Water (#6)

Dead Push  (#7)

Dead Lost (#8)

Dead End (#9)–Coming Soon

Kiera Hudson Series 3

Lethal Infected (1)–Coming Soon

Jack Seth Novellas

Hollow Pit (#1)

Vampire Shift Graphic Novels

Vampire Shift Volume 1

Black Hill Farm Series

Black Hill Farm (#1)

Black Hill Farm Andy’s Diary (#2)

Return to Black Hill Farm (#3)–Coming Soon

Doorways Series

Doorways (#1)

The League of Doorways (#2)

The Queen of the Doorways (#3)–Coming Soon

Samantha Carter Series

Vampire Seeker (#1)

(Formerly known as Cowgirls and Vampires)

The Moon Trilogy

Moonlight (#1)

Moonbeam (#2)

Moonshine (3)–Coming Soon

Sidney Hart Series

Witch (#1)

Yellow (#2)

Raven (#3)–Coming Soon

Unscathed Series(?)

Unscathed

Stilts Series

Stilts (#1)

Eat Me Series

Eat Me (#1)–Coming Soon

Pick Series

Pick (#1)–Coming Soon

Flashes Series

Flashes (#1)–Coming 2013

From Goodreads: Any chance Krista Miller had at a normal teenage life is now gone. Less than a year ago she lived under the radar, avoiding any relationships that would send her emotional sensitivities out of control. Little did she know that her life was destined for something more. Something that will test her very soul.

After facing certain death at the hands of the man responsible for their mysterious past, Krista and her friends learn the truth behind their origins and the purpose for their newly discovered abilities. Now, they must band together to fulfill their inherited, sacred duty. As Guides and Protectors, they must save Mankind’s Forgotten Souls before they are lost forever.
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King has done it again in this riveting sequel to Meant to Be!  I was immediately drawn into the story as it picks up where Meant to Be left off, continuing the tale I fell in love with only a few short months ago.  King’s novels have very quickly become my top reads this year, and I am excited for, and anxiously awaiting, more work by this genius author. 

 All the wonderful characters are back in this sequel, giving the reader more of Krista and her beau Mark, along with an array of new characters as Krista and her friends delve deeper into their roles as protectors and guides.  This novel kept me on the edge of my seat as Krista, Mark, and the gang learn to harness their powers and protect each other in the face of evil, a very serious evil that is bent on demolishing the bonds between the guides and their protectors forever.  Much darker than Meant to Be, King has created a novel in which the reader isn’t sure whether good will triumph over evil, leaving the reader glued to the pages to find out what happens next. 

The. End. Killed. Me.  Seriously, although there was foreshadowing along the way, I didn’t really think it would happen, and of course, King floored me with an ending that left me reeling and dying to get my hands on the next book in the series, especially as Forgotten Souls leaves the reader hanging. 

I highly suggest picking up a copy of Meant to Be prior to reading Forgotten Souls as the stories build off one another, so jumping right in to Forgotten Souls without reading the prequel may be quite confusing.  Read them both.  Five stars. 

I also recommend reading King’s short story in The Glassheart Chronicles, as it is a prequel to Meant to Be, giving the reader some interesting background on some of the characters and how the protectors and guides came to be.

From Goodreads: Charlotte Silver has been through hell.

Her mom’s in a coma. She may have caused the death of a young man. And now her friend Avery wants her to tackle going to Prom? Not going to happen, even if she is dying to spend some alone time with her boyfriend, Noah. Instead, Charlotte needs to find some answers to a few nagging questions—why was her family attacked? Will her mother survive? And is there a creature from the Other Side coming for her? Soon enough, Charlotte’s search for the truth becomes a race against time. But she may just find the sign she’s been looking for all along…

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I love the Past Midnight series!  Of course, I went about it all wrong and read the second novel, One Hundred Candles, first.  Yet, I thought it was so good that I went back and read the first novel, Past Midnight (my favorite so far), and then the short novella, Raising the Dead.  I do love Purnhagen’s writing, but I am finding a trend with these novellas.  Although slightly removed from the main storyline and being too short for a complete novel, I’ve found that I don’t care for these novellas as much as I do the actual books in the series.  While these short novellas, especially Haunting the Night, give the reader more insider information pertaining to the characters, I feel like they are a little forced and not as well written as the actual novels. 

I would love to see Purnhagen flesh out these novellas into full novels, focusing on more details and adding more to the storyline, because there is so much she could do with it all.  However, I also like having these novellas because they give me something to sink my teeth into while I wait for the next novel in the series, so I guess I’m a little torn. 

Haunting the Night is a great story directly connected to events from One Hundred Candles.  I suggest everyone read it, and the other books in the series, but be forewarned, you do need to read the whole series in order to understand what is happening in Haunting the Night.  Three stars.

From Goodreads: Darci is a popular sixteen-year-old girl who plays basketball and lives in an ordinary country town. But her life is changed forever when she is accidentally transported to the land of Nahaba by a young apprentice wizard called Taslessian.

Within hours of her unexpected arrival, both teens are thrust into a dangerous journey to the cave of Grisham the Great in the hope that he would be able to send her home.

Upon reaching the cave, however, Darci quickly discovers that there is no such thing as accidents, and that their journey is only just beginning.

The Quest of the Demon has begun.

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Sawyer has created a non-stop action piece in which Darci, accidentally transported to Nahaba, must go on a quest in order to get back home.  What I really enjoyed about this novel was the immense characterization.  All the characters are extremely in-depth and well rounded, giving the reader the feeling of personally knowing them all.  I also enjoyed that this is not a traditional good versus evil story.  I’m not going to give away the ending, but I will say that I was surprised by what transpired.  This novel is refreshing and original, leaving the ending open for both interpretation and a sequel.  Although lengthy at times, overall, I enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it for MG and YA readers alike.  Three stars.

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Magic. Mystery. Mayhem. The MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS…

When the enigmatic Ringmaster asks 15-year-old Evanja (Evan) Leane to run away and join the circus, she says yes. Anywhere’s got to be better than foster home Number Eight. Evan learns that this ragtag circus, a haven for throwaway teens, relies on more than spectacle and illusion. This circus is built on magic. Each of the teens possesses a donvrai, a true gift, that manifests only in the presence of the Ringmaster’s mysterious Ju-Ju. Unlike many of the other teens who must wait for their donvrai to emerge, Evan’s gift surfaces on her first night: she can read horses’ minds. This would be totally awesome except she has been deathly afraid of horses since foster home Number Three. But circus is a dying art. If Evan wants to save her beloved new-found home, she must concoct a brilliant horse act that will bring in the crowds. And she’d better get over herself and get on with it fast; there’s a traitor close to the Ringmaster who will stop at nothing to make sure she doesn’t succeed.

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I was pleased to find that this is a really great debut novel by Jane George, complete with love, betrayal, action, and a very interesting, original storyline!  George has created a world in which the reader quickly becomes immersed, a world in which the tastes and smells of the circus become palpable as Evan is whisked away on an adventure after running away from foster home number eight.  I highly enjoyed this novel and found myself glued to the pages from the very beginning.  The magic and paranormal activity within the novel was extremely fascinating, and George’s characterization left me feeling as if I truly knew the characters, having experienced their troubles and triumphs alongside of them.  While Evan does make mistakes that caused me to cringe in anger, her heart is always in the right place, and watching her come-of-age as the novel unfolded really made me love her as a character, connecting with her on a deeper level, which isn’t always possible in books.  This is a wonderful novel that I recommend for YA and above—it’s truly amazing!  Four and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.