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Book Review: A FEAST FOR CROWS by George R R Martin
BLURB:
Crows will fight over a dead man’s flesh, and kill each other for his eyes.
Bloodthirsty, treacherous and cunning, the Lannisters are in power on the Iron Throne in the name of the boy-king Tommen. The war in the Seven Kingdoms has burned itself out, but in its bitter aftermath new conflicts spark to life.
The Martells of Dorne and the Starks of Winterfell seek vengeance for their dead. Euron Crow’s Eye, as black a pirate as ever raised a sail, returns from the smoking ruins of Valyria to claim the Iron Isles. From the icy north, where Others threaten the Wall, apprentice Maester Samwell Tarly brings a mysterious babe in arms to the Citadel.
Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory will go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel and the coldest hearts.
REVIEW:
IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS, PLEASE DO READ… JUST TO BE SAFE FROM ANY POTENTIAL SPOILERS…
So, after the explosive events of A Storm of Swords (Book 3) we arrive at A Feast for Crows, the 4th installment, and a very dark chapter in the series.
The War of the Five Kings is coming to an end and Westeros is now knee-deep in the aftermath, the nasty bleak open road that now lies ahead. Where do the characters go from here? The war was devastating; people slaughtered, farms and villages burned. Winter is coming and there are hardly any crops or bounty to be had from the Autumn harvest. Not a particularly nice position to be in, really!
I loved the inclusion of Cersei Lannister’s POV in this book. She really is a nasty piece of work, and a crazy, sinister queen who is completely corrupt by power. Despite her overpowering dark side, however, Cersei does have one redeeming feature: the love of her children. It is an aspect of her personality that has always fascinated me. It makes you wonder about the nature of evil and how it is not as absolute as it seems. Saying that, I do not think that it will ever redeem her for all that she has done. Can she be? Her brother has been. Look how hated he was initially… But then there is far much more blood on her hands. I’m looking forward to seeing how she ends up!
The chapters set in Dorne are fabulous, some of my favourite moments in the book. I just loved the landscape and the ways they worked, and the planning of the Queen of Westeros plot! Very interesting! Will more come of that? A rival for Daenerys?
The cliffhangers made me scream and got excited for more – particularly the Brienne part! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and the very end! CRUMBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m loving this series so much. Can’t wait to see how everything unfolds. On to A Dance with Dragons! Woo Hoo!
5 STARS!
Book Review – Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
BOOK REVIEW:
ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE
BY ROBIN HOBB
BLURB:
In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.
Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals – the old art known as the Wit – gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.
So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.
REVIEW:
This is the first book in the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb…
Right from the beginning, this story had an intense, emotional impact. Fitz’s life is laced with a painful sadness and my eyes did mist over on many occasion. Hobb’s incredible writing, her skill at weaving a beautiful, visceral sentence, pulled at the heartstrings. But there was not only sadness. There was mystery, action, political intrigue, wonderful characters, amazing word-building and delicious writing.
Fitz is a wonderful character and a great narrator, really pulling you into the world with his voice, sharing his experiences and pieces of history from The Six Duchies. Not only is this a fantasy story, but one about growing up, about finding yourself in a tough world, and even one about family. Fitz is our guide, taking us on a journey through his younger years to his teens, our eyes through which we see an amazing yet cruel world, a world adrift in strange times. His is a life of pain and discovery. I cannot wait to read the second volume of the trilogy (Royal Assassin) and see how it all pans out.
I have to say that The Fool is my favourite character! I won’t say anything further about him, just that I think he is awesome! 🙂
If you love fantasy, I highly recommended this feast of a novel! Happy Reading! 🙂
5 STARS! *****
BUY LINKS:
THE TESTING by JOELLE CHARBONNEAU
Blurb:
DO YOU POSSESS A WINNING COMBINATION OF THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICAL SKLLS AND RAW INTELLIGENCE? DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO LEAD OTHERS? ARE YOU WILLING TO CRUSH THOSE WHO STAND IN YOUR WAY? Every year, the United Commonwealth invites top graduates from each colony to participate in The Testing. Successful candidates will go on to the University and help the government work to rebuild our war-stricken world. This process is not optional. Disclaimer: The United Commonwealth is not responsible for candidates’ psychological or physical heath during The Testing.
My Review.
To be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I mean nearly every dystopian tale gets compared to the Hunger Games these days. Don’t get me wrong I loved the Hunger Games but I don’t want to read different versions of the same story and I was a little apprehensive at first with this one but decided, based on all the glowing reviews, that I’d give it a try. I loved the cover too-all shiny and silver. It caught my eye and looks great on my book shelf – Ahem yep I am a cover junkie. Anyway I was soon sucked into Cia’s world and Joelle Charbonneau does a fantastic job of creating that world. There were enough hooks and action to keep me flipping pages until the end. I loved Cia’s strength and her determination. I enjoyed her narrative and felt like I was totally in her head. The only thing that fell a little flat for me was the romance. I just didn’t really feel the connection but then I think it was probably because there was so much other stuff going on to keep me entertained. Despite the romance not giving me tingles I felt this book was a great start to a fab series and have already ordered book two – Independent Study. Can’t wait to get stuck in.
A wonderful * * * * from me!
Meet Author D.D.Chant
Today I am super excited to introduce you all to an awesome fellow UK author. I first met Dee Dee via a goodreads group and then fell in love with her action packed and emotional dystopian series.
First off let’s get to know Dee Dee a little better and then we can take a peek at those books and my review of Broken City the first in the series.
So Dee Dee, when did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Was there a single moment of clarity or did the knowledge just creep up on you?
I’ve always been a book worm and I loved writing short stories when I was little. It wasn’t until I was 14 that I tried a full length novel, but after that I was hooked! I still have trouble thinking of myself as a writer, it seems too presumptuous. I don’t think I’ve achieved enough to call myself a writer yet.
Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you write everyday? At the weekends? Or like me – whenever you get the chance?
I try to do a 1000 words a day, it’s a comfortable number for me. I don’t write one book and edit another at the same time though; I like to concentrate on one project at a time. I can’t get as immersed in the stories if I’m working on two at once.
What inspires you?
Ummm… this is a hard one.
With my first story in was my aunt, she said she thought that I could do it and until then I had never thought of writing anything full length. After that it was an addiction, I just had to see where these stories would take me. The fact that Broken City, The Vow and Fracture are all the start of three different series means that now I simply can’t stop!!! I have to know what happens to the characters next!!!
How did the Broken Truce storyline evolve– did you already have it planned when you wrote Broken City?
No, not at all. I wrote Broken City as a stand alone book, but the response from readers asking for another story was so incredible that I decided that I would look at turning it in to a series.
I had left Broken City very open ended on purpose and I didn’t want to write another book unless I could think of an interesting way to move the story forward. I waited for about 18 months and then the perfect plot line popped into my head!
I had a lot of worries when I started Broken Truce, I had written 2 books in between set in totally different worlds. I was nervous that Deeta wouldn’t ‘sound’ the same, that I wouldn’t be able to recreate the characters for a second book and a million and one other things. The second I started writing I could hear Deeta’s narration in my head and I knew that everything would be fine.
Broken Truce did take me by surprise in a lot of ways though. The story is spread much wider and so I made the decision to have the story follow Tom and some of the secondary characters as well as Deeta. It’s also a much darker tale; you see a much rougher side of the City and the line between good and bad is even more blurred than in the first book.
I also got to introduce a lot of new characters which was fun.
If you could choose any book in the world to have written which one would it be and why?
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer.
It is my favourite book of all time. I just love Freddy, he isn’t a typical hero and I adore that about him.
If you could be any character from a book who would it be and why?
Ooo!!! Hard!
I think Adele from The Promise; she’s clever but still manages to be sweet and she’s very understanding.
What advice would you give to other writers out there who are thinking of self publishing their work?
Don’t think that this is the ‘easy’ way, it isn’t. It’s going to be very, very hard and you’ll have to take some pretty tough criticism. The most important thing is that you remain professional at all times.
Someone didn’t like your book? That sucks but it’s their prerogative. Making sarcastic comments on their reviews (or getting your friends to) is going to do A LOT more harm than it does them. Plus it’s childish.
DO NOT SPAM!!! It’s very rude and most readers will black ball you for it.
Take the time to connect with readers about something OTHER than your book.
Be polite at all times.
Remember that just because this is the first time you have posted about your book, a million and one other people have made that same introductory post before you. So be tactful.
Make sure you READ the rules before posting on a book forum, then OBEY them!!!
Despite all the doom and gloom up above, it’s completely worth it! The first reader that tells you how much they love your story makes it all worth while!!!
Who is, or are, your favourite author(s)?
Georgette Heyer
Charles Dickens
Elizabeth Gaskel
Jane Austen
Lucy Walker…
The list is endless!!!
Do you write for a specific genre or do you like to dabble in several?
Oh no!!! You have discovered my deepest secret!!! ;-P
I like to dabble.
Broken City is post apocalyptic.
The Promise is Saxon romance.
Fracture is futuristic.
The Claire short stories are contemporary humor.
Okay some quick fire questions. Don’t think to hard just answer.
Super Villain or Super Hero?
Super Hero
Ice-cream or chocolate?
Chocolate
Beach or the Alps?
Beach
Keep the One Ring or throw it in Mount Doom?
Throw that sucker in to Mount Doom!!!
Audio or Paperback?
Kindle!!! ;-P
Horror or Romance?
Romance
Thanks so much for taking time to answer all our questions! Now lets delve a little deeper and let Dee Dee tell us a little more about herself freestyle…
Hi everyone! 
My name is Dee Dee, I’m twenty six and I live in a beautiful part of Devon, England with my family. I have a younger sister, Amy who is a brilliant guitar player, some chickens, duck, geese, pheasants, a cat (that adopted us when we moved in!!!) and some Koi.
Broken City is actually my second novel. My first, as my Aunt so delicately put it, was crazy but in my defence I was only sixteen at the time. On the plus side I learnt a lot (or so I hope) and two years later ‘Broken City’ was finished. Due to the support I have received from everyone I have just finished the next book in the Broken City series!
I have another book ‘The Promise’, which is set in Saxon England it’s the beginning of a series and I have just released my third book ‘Fracture’ which is set in the distant future and is also the start of a series.
I really hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.
I love reading and have a kindle: I read almost anything with adventure and romance in it! I also like to cook and wear impractical high heels!!! And as you might have noticed I have a horrible addiction to exclamation marks!!!
Well that’s Dee Dee, now on to her books…
A girl with no future
A man with no past
A little lost boy
And those who seek to find him….
….Welcome to Deeta’s world.
Deeta Richards has never seen the outside world. Before she was born a banking crisis brought civilization to an end and now no one leaves the safety of the compounds unless they need to, but Deeta still dreams of seeing more than the building she was born in.
Tom is in the guard, this group are the only people that the tribal elders allow to leave the compound and Tom knows only too well that Deeta could never survive the harshness that exists outside. Then tragedy strikes and Deeta and her Sister Jan find themselves captured by a hostile tribe. Why does Tom know so much about these people? And why do they know so much about him? As this mystery draws to a climax, they discover that their friend Tom is not quite what he seems…
Okay, so would you like to see my review of Broken City – the first book in Dee Dee’s dystopian world?
MY REVIEW!
Broken City is one of those novels that immediately engages the reader and doesn’t let go until the last page.
Often in dystopian novels you get pages of info dump as the author tries to fill you in on the way of the new world they have created. In those cases, I find myself struggling to assimilate all the information thrown at me and invariably switch off. Not in this case. D.D Chant bleeds colour into the world she has created so skilfully, that the reader doesn’t even realise what is happening until they find themselves standing within a masterpiece.
The character development is done in such a way that you feel as if you are slowly peeling away the layers to get to the person underneath. I found myself totally believing that a particular character would behave in a particular way, simply because their hopes, dreams, and motivations became real to me.
Broken City is a feast full of romance, action, high emotion and vivid characters. I would highly recommend this book.
FIVE BIG STARS
And here is an EXCERPT to whet your appetite…
I’m not sure how it happens, but the next thing I’m aware of is the faintly groggy feeling you get when you’ve been woken from sleep quickly. A glance at the clock tells me that forty minutes have gone by, yet the room is still silent, with no noise to rouse me from what had obviously been a deep sleep. I stand up and meet my own eyes in the mirror above the fire place. I’m staring at myself in a dazed kind of way, when I realise that mine is not the only figure reflected in its polished surface.
I suppose it must have been the second time he walked through this room and the first time he didn’t notice me curled up in the depths of the large arm chair. He seems quite as shocked as I am to find he’s not alone.
A full second elapses before I utter a strangled scream and leg it through the door and into the passage way. The first thing I come across is another camouflaged figure and my panic ratchets up a notch. I think of the children, who in about fifteen minutes time, will joyfully be free of the shackles of their lessons.
The two soldiers are behind me, so only way to go is up the stairs. The knowledge that I am leading the intruders towards the children, rings in my head. With the sound of pursuit hideously loud in the stairwell, coherent thought is proving difficult. I’m half way up the forth flight when I hear Dec’s jubilant voice proclaiming himself the winner of some unseen race.
“Dec, run!” My voice cracks and my throat, already sore, tightens.
Dec’s voice exclaiming above my head is cut short as he sees my pursuers. I hear the door onto the stairwell open and close above me and a moment later something hit the floor behind me with a dull thud. A cheer reverberates around the walls.
Dec, bless him, hadn’t run away when I told him to, instead he’d brought a large book from the school room above and hurled it at one of my attackers. As that soldier was at this very moment out cold on the steps, I guess his aim must have been pretty accurate.
The last of the men is felled by some sort of encyclopaedia, this time lobbed by Roydon. I reach the landing they are standing on, completely out of breath. Roydon and Dec seize a hand each and drag me after Ricky who is holding Tarri in his arms and has Carris’s hand tucked in his.
From the direction in which they are going, I think their destination is Ralph’s house. But we keep running into the strangers that have breached the building and our efforts bring us almost full circle. We come to a standstill in one of the rooms with a connecting door and pause breathlessly.
“Who are they?” whispers Roydon.
“I don’t know, but they have some pretty neat kit,” answers Ricky. He relinquishes Tarri into Carris’s arms and places an ear to the door. “Ssh — someone’s coming!”
Ricky steps back a little from the door and we all wait expectantly. Sure enough it begins to open, Ricky waits until it is almost half way before he kicks it shut with all his might. We turn and run though the connecting door in to the room on the other side and out on to the corridor beyond. We are tantalisingly close to Ralph’s house.
How it happens I hardly know, but as Dec passes the open door of the school room, he is dragged kicking and screaming through the door by unseen hands. I scream and pull as hard as I can on the handle, but it won’t move. I realise they must have locked it behind them. Ralph’s door is just a little further on and I grab Ricky’s arm.
“Ricky, take the children to Ralph and stay there.”
“But…”
I don’t know what he had been going to say, but he stops abruptly and nods.
As I turn and run down the hallway I hear them banging on the Clark’s door.
There is no sign of Dec when I enter the school room, but from the knocked over chairs it is obvious that there has been some struggling. I run through the next two rooms desperately and hear, in the distance, Dec’s voice raised in protest. I burst into the corridor to find him struggling madly with one of the camouflaged soldiers. Picking up a stool from the room I have just come through, I use it to hit the man around the head. He sinks to the floor moaning and I taking Dec’s hand. We run down the passage, around the corner and up the steps, slap bang into more of the soldiers.
Instinctively I push Dec behind me, below their visors I see derision in the soldiers faces and when they step forwards, they pull us apart easily. Trying to tear away from the vice like grip on my arm, I pull my knee up into the soldier’s stomach. His smirk changes quickly to a snarl of pain and my struggles become more desperate. I manage to free an arm long enough to punch him in the face. I must admit to a feeling of gratification as blood begins to trickle from his nose.
There is blinding pain as his fist connects with my face, slapping it sharply sideways and causing me to lurch backwards. I fall to the floor and it’s only Dec screaming my name that brings me groggily to my feet. I am rewarded by a merciless grip on my arm, forcing it behind me and well up my back as the soldier drives me heavily into the wall. I slip to the floor weakly, again hearing Dec’s voice calling to me. The sound grows gradually fainter, until my eyes close and I hear nothing.
But troubles between the tribes continue, and the Andak council have selected Tom as their ambassador and spokesman to the other tribes.
Deeta knows that there is still much resentment against the Andak, and that Tom is in danger every time he leaves the safety of Andak City.
Struggling with her own complicated feelings against the tribe that she is now a part of, Deeta tries to ignore the changing attitudes growing within her.
But when Tom is betrayed and they are thrown into great danger, Deeta finds that reality can’t be ignored forever…
The Free Nation
Senator Burton and his son Ben arrive in the Tula strongholds for peace talks, but find themselves mistrustful of the seeming perfection of the Tula world. The Tula
Astra is Councillor Ladron’s subsidiary, pressured into a false position to keep her loved ones safe. Her precariously balanced world begins to fracture when Ben starts to ask difficult questions about her past. The Una
Kai is Apprentice Headman to the Una people. Unaccountably called upon to sacrifice his honour in the name of peace, Kai’s hatred toward the injustice proves all consuming. If the time comes, will he be able to forgive?
I wish to tell you a tale that began with a promise destined to change the lives of many.
When only a child, Lady Adele of Berron lost her family during a dreadful battle and was betrothed to a stranger.
Lord Rafe of Valrek, only a boy himself when the battle of Calis raged, grew to be a feared warrior and trusted advisor to his King. But sadness filled his past and Adele served only to remind him of all he had lost.
However the promise that bound these two together caused great anger to some.
What, Dear Reader, happened in those days of treachery and darkness? Incline your ear that I may whisper the secrets that you so desire to hear……
If you haven’t already sampled Dee Dee worlds then what are you waiting for?
Review of Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
MAGIC BLEEDS (BOOK 4 IN THE KATE DANIELS SERIES)
by
Ilona Andrews
BLURB:
Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic. When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it rose.
Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle–especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.
When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years–and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.
This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family…
Review:
Hello. Amos here. Let me begin by saying that Cassidy and myself are both obsessed with this fabulous Urban Fantasy series. It all started from a second-hand book shop in Notting Hill, London. On one of my weekly visits to London, I paid a bargain book store a visit to see what treasures could be found in this wonderfully haphazard place – nothing is in any order, apart from genre (not the basement – that’s a different story). That is part of the fun of this shop – the hunt for jewels.
Anyway, one day I discovered Magic Bites. I thought it sounded cool so I made it mine. As I was reading something else at the time, and Cassidy had devoured all of her books, I let her borrow it and read it first – she is a reading machine! She leaves me well and truly in the dust! I’d defo send her off to Reading Olympics if there was such a thing. Cassidy would get gold no problem 🙂 From then on, after huge OMGs etc about how great the first book was, our love affair with the writing duo, Ilona Andrews, kicked off.
Now on to the book. Firstly, if you haven’t read any of the previous titles, don’t start here. Go back to the first one – Magic Bites.
Okay, this book was a game changer. A bloody HUGE game changer. Things heat up, things get darker. The villain is epic, a super nasty character who, while being unhinged and brutal, can be quite funny – there is a scene with the villain and Kate in Kate’s apartment which is deliciously wicked and written with razor-sharp wit.
Now to the love stuff. Won’t give too much away, but please avert your eyes if you want to know nothing – aka newbies to the whole series.
Magic Bleeds brings together Kate and Curran, finally. The build up has been excellent. The great thing about these books is that they took their time getting to the love stuff, slowly racking up the tension until the passion takes over and they hit the sheets. Man, it was so worth the wait. Kate and Curran are a great couple.
Going to stop now. But just before I go, just have to say that the use of mythology is fantastic in this book. The history of things and characters is rich and engrossing. It made for very satisfying reading.
Okay, signing off now 🙂
Rating: ***** 5 Stars!
Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4): Amazon.co.uk: Ilona Andrews: Books
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Well, slightly different this week for Book of the Week. More like, Trilogy of the Week 🙂
THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY
by
SUZANNE COLLINS
BOOK BLURB:
Set in a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her younger sister’s place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.
REVIEW:
There have been so many review of this series, so we’re probably not going to be saying anything that hasn’t already said. But lets start by saying we both adored this series and both wish we could forget everything that happened and start all over again. I guess a second read will happen again in a few years. We loved it that much.
Cassidy had discovered the books on one of her many travels through across the internet universe, hunting down new fiction feats to get her teeth into – and then pass the knowledge onto me, Amos. I have just finished the books so this is me writing this review, but the views are ones we share 🙂
From the very first page of book 1, you are drawn into the sinister world Katniss lives in – called Panem. I came to the conclusion that it was set in America in the very far future, an alternative Earth, a huge place to inhabit all the districts and the various arenas The Hunger Games took place in – all with different climates and features etc.
The first book roared along at a breathless pace, terrifying edge-of-your-seat stuff. And then the ending, the cruelty of the Capitol…Whoah! It blew me away!
The second book was equally terrifying, and a lot more sinister. The twists and turns came at a frantic level, making me never want to put the book down to eat, sleep or go to work. I couldn’t take it! I had to know what happened. Again, the cliff-hanger ending was a great big “HOLY S$$T!”
And so then came the final book. I was so thankful to have it there waiting for me to consume. I cried, I was shocked, I was stunned, I was breathless. If the last one upped the sinister levels, this one catapulted them into the stratosphere! No, beyond that! The darkness came on thick and fast, the twists and turns so devastating. And then the ending, the closing of the this thrilling trilogy…bittersweet is the only word I can use, but it was so much more intense than that. I cried, there was hope but so much sadness. It was a perfect ending, one that made sense and one that I was so happy with. We were both happy with it, despite the tears.
One thing we also liked was that Katniss had her priorities right. Yes, there was romance and a little bit of a triangle. But not really. So much was going on that she didn’t have time for it, she had work to do, lives to save.
So, in conclusion to this little voicing of our love for this series, we both just want to say that we highly recommend this series to anyone. Even if it not your usual thing. Just try this fine piece of Dystopian Fiction.
Thank you for listening 🙂 Follow the link below for the box set of the trilogy. Happy reading.
Peace and love,
Amos and Cassidy x x x x
Crimson Blog Tour
CRIMSON MINI BLOG TOUR
The Crimson Series is heading off on a little tour at the beginning of June. So if you liked Crimson Midnight and want to know more about the series or the authors, or you’ve been thinking of grabbing a copy and want to take your chances on a giveaway, then make sure you check it out.
Book 2 is out this Fall so this is your last chance to grab a free copy of book 1 and jump on the Crimson Series Rollercoaster!
BLOG TOUR STOPS:
5th June – Join Alana and check out our interview with her on her Dark Obsessions Chronicles blog;
http://darkobsessionchronicles.blogspot.co.uk/
6th June – Kerry Musings of a bookworm will be posting a review of Crimson Midnight and hosting an ebook Giveaway:
http://www.musings-of-a-bookworm.org/
7th June – Visit Laura aka Little Read Riding Hood on her blog for an exclusive interview with Thistle, one of the main characters from Crimson Midnight:
http://littlereadridinghood.com/2012/06/07/the-crimson-to%E2%80%A6w-and-giveaway/
8th June – Pop over and visit Sheri on the Shut up and Read blog for another Giveaway:
http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.co.uk/
11th June – You can settle down with Mel on her Journey With Words blog to find out a little more about the Amos Cassidy team:
12th June – Pop on over and chill out with Lissa while she puts us through our paces with a crazy interview:
http://booknutreviews.blogspot.com/
13th June – Finally you can drop by and relax with Maggie and check out our guest post:
http://crimsonseries.wordpress.com/
Book of the Week is:
EDEN
by
Louise Wise
Book Blurb:
JOURNEY TO THE PAST… A tale of romance and survival as three people travel from 2236 to the beginning of time. Jennifer Daykin joins the three-man crew to explore the newly discovered planet, Eden. All was going well until Jenny found herself deserted… She listened for an answering shout – there was nothing. In the distance, Jenny was transfixed with horror as the space shuttle rose into the blue sky of Eden. ‘No… Don’t leave me here ‘ Only the pounding of her heart answered her. …but not alone The instant she hit the floor she curled into the foetal position. Finally, the bare feet walked away. A Native American warrior, had been her first thought, but it was his eyes that had alerted her he wasn’t an Indian or even human. They were completely black; black, dry orbs in a battered face. Ordinary people with ordinary emotions, fears and insecurities. Only this isn’t Earth, and he isn’t human. A modern day Adam and Eve.
My Review:
I don’t usually read sci-fi and picked this book up on a whim and I am so glad that I did. I totally fell in to the world that Louise Wise created. From the first page I was hooked and didn’t stop reading until midnight, and then only because I had finished. The planet Eden was vividly and atmospherically described, the characters were well-developed and the plot, although simple, had me hooked. I loved Fly and enjoyed the fact that we were allowed glimpses into his head. Jenny was a strong female lead with an abundance of courage.
This book has gone on to my favourites list and I would highly recommend it!
My Rating: ***** 5 stars!
If you have a craving for some dystopian sci-fi, or you just feel like being transported to a different planet, then check out this book! Available on Amazon UK and US.
Links to Amazon:
UK:
US:
BOOK OF THE WEEK – BEG FOR MERCY by SHANNON DERMOTT
BEG FOR MERCY
by Shannon Dermott
Blurb:
Everyone dreams of that first kiss. Of that magic moment when your lips finally meet those of that special person you’ve waited your whole life for. A little awkward, a little scary, a little hot and every bit amazing. We speculate that the whole world will shake and time will just stop. No one, however, ever imagines that kiss to bring Death himself knocking.
Sixteen year old Mercy Moore’s life just got more complicated. The kiss that originally could have meant she would finally have a boyfriend now was the kiss that could have very nearly ended his life. A small detail her mother conveniently never told her will take her life for an abrupt u-turn. Dating, no love, was now completely and utterly impossible. And the boy well, that boy would never be the same.
But life, however cruel, goes on. Far too soon for her taste, Mercy finds herself at a senior party with the elite students of her school and her best friend. And of all things, playing a stupid game that could very well mean the death of someone in that small room. If it were not for her best friend, the hottest guys in school, and a small need to fit in, she may have been able to escape the disaster that was to come. Her worst nightmare, her personal curse, her very life, only gets dangerously worse.
This is a young adult paranormal romance novel.
Cassidy’s Review:
I really, really loved this book. When I read the blurb I was expecting a typical story about a girl trying to come to terms with her succubus nature, but this was so much more than that. There were twists and turns in this book that I honestly did not see coming. The character development was excellent, and I loved every character in this book. I thought Mercy was a realistic teenager and found her very likable. I was flipping pages till the wee hours, and once I read the last sentence I breathed a sigh of satisfaction as the ending did not disappoint. I am going to settle down to read the next book in the series now. I need to know what happens next!
Rating: *****
Check it out on Amazon UK and US:
Amazon UK link:
Amazon US link:
The Mummy or Ramses The Damned by Anne Rice
AMOS:
Book Title: The Mummy or Ramses The Damned.
Author: Anne Rice
This was my introduction to the work of Anne Rice. I have been wanting to read her stuff for some time. So I started here.
From the very first page I was captivated by this story. The writing was delicious, the descriptions beautiful, the attention to detail/historic detail amazing.
Ramses The Damned wakes up, being an immortal being, in the 20th Century to find a very different world around him from the one he left behind in the days of Ancient Egypt. I don’t really want to say anything as I don’t want to spoil any of the story. Just read it. Horror, murder, romance and a deep sadness cutting through it, this book is a wonderful journey through early 20th Century London and Egypt.
I loved every moment.
Highly recommended! *****
amoscassidy 