School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino

This review is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christopher Mannino will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other reviews.

Thrust into a world of men, can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?

Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail.

Scythes hungry for souls, Deaths who enslave a race of mysterious magicians, and echoes of an ancient war with Dragons.

As her year progresses, Suzie suspects her presence isn't an accident. She uncovers a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths. Now she must also discover the reason she's been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.

My Thoughts:

When Suzie finds herself suddenly snatched from her life to enroll in a School of Deaths, she's a bit out of her league. But the bullying and schooling she encounters forces her to draw deep within herself and find a strength she didn't know she possesses.

This is a good book for the middle age crowd. I think the girls can identify with Suzie and will be able to really empathize with some of the experiences she has.

My only complaint is that the book had more of a telling feel to it--it was like watching a TV show. I would have liked to have been drawn in a bit more into the characters. But, the book is well written and the story line itself is very interesting.

There are a few similarities with another popular kids book that shall not be named, but the plot itself is different enough that the book does not feel derivative. I am glad there's going to be a sequel--I look forward to seeing what new adventures are in store for Suzie and her friends.

3.5 stars.

Read an excerpt:

You ready?” asked Billy. He wore a mask over his face, showing only his eyes. He had insisted on covering his face to help the soul feel at ease. If they were transporters, they didn’t want to frighten their passenger.

“You can do this,” said Frank. His calm manner reassured her. He looked at her with his deep brown eyes and freckled face. She nodded and straightened the sleeves of her black robe.

She walked to Hann who stood in the center of the class. He handed her a long scythe, even taller than she was. It was light in her hand; the handle danced with energy. The blade slid through the air like sunlight through water. Life flowed down from the blade, coursing through the handle, sending tingles into her arm. Sweat beaded in her palms and trickled from her forehead.

“Let the scythe do the work,” reminded Hann, “and you’ll be fine.”

She nodded and walked back to her group. She tied herself to Frank and Billy using a tether. Then she held the scythe in her hands and paused.

This was ridiculous. She was a thirteen-year-old girl, a kid from Maryland, holding a scythe. Not some costume piece, but an actual, working scythe. Now she, Suzie, was supposed to Reap a soul. Even her mysteries with Sindril and the Dragon Key suddenly seemed trivial.

“Good luck,” said Frank.

She adjusted her grip and adjusted again. The tingles in the scythe grew stronger, itching her hands and arms. It’s ready. It wants to swing; to do its job. She moved her hands a third time and Frank glanced at Billy. Billy adjusted his mask.

“What’s the matter,” taunted Luc behind her. “Is the little girl scared?”

She clutched the handle and let the blade fall. She hardly moved, but the blade shot downward, slicing air, light, heat, even thought. For an instant, her arm was on fire and the world vanished into darkness.

The smell of strawberries exploded around her as color, form, and details blurred into a single, unending stream of confusion. She heard the sound of screams in the distance, and tears. The scythe pulled her down, down, down between the worlds. She slipped past the twin suns of the In-Between and watched the Mortal World approaching. On the edge of her vision, she glimpsed two bright pools of green fire.

“You grow stronger every day,” said the eyes. “But the greatest challenge is yet to come.”

She tried to turn, but the scythe pulled her onward. She coursed through stars and space, beyond time and emotion. Lighter than a daydream, she slipped through a crevice: the gap between light and shadow. The blade twisted, finding its way.

A face appeared before her: an elderly man she didn’t recognize. Somehow, she sensed a name: Elias Stoneridge.

She landed hard, stumbling as her feet hit a tiled floor. Beads of white light trickled off the blade.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell where she was. She heard beeps and the slow intake of air.

Frank patted her on the shoulder. “You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Remember, don’t let anyone else see us,” said Frank, looking around the hospital room. Certified Deaths received special robes to help avoid mortal eyes. Ironically, the Deaths who’d inspired tales of the Grim Reaper throughout the ages had been students like her. Students and ones who didn’t make it back. She shuddered, remembering her skeletal appearance. It seemed long ago.

A man lay in a bed, connected to an array of tubes and machines. Suzie walked to the foot of his bed and read the name on his chart. “Elias Stoneridge.” The scythe quivered in her hand. The handle pulsed like a beating heart, or was that only her own heartbeat? No, the blade felt the soul, it was hungry.

“It’s his time,” said Frank, patting her on the shoulder. “Quickly, before someone comes.”

Elias’s eyes stared at her, but he seemed to look through her. He gasped for air and the machines behind the bed beeped.

“A nurse is coming,” said Billy, glancing into the hallway. “She’s only a few doors down.”

Suzie didn’t have time to think, but in a way, she didn’t have to. She didn’t even swing; she relaxed her muscles and stopped fighting the scythe. The blade leapt downward, straight through Elias Stoneridge. As it struck the weak stranger, she felt a strange sensation as the blade swam through the soul. For an instant, she swore she heard chewing, not from Elias, but from the blade itself. The scythe continued down through the floor, before swinging around. It pulled on her, jerking her into a stumble.

Elias sat up, his eyes wide with fear. His body lay on the bed and the machine let out a long, droll beep.

The scythe tingled again.

About the Author:

Christopher Mannino’s life is best described as an unending creative outlet. He teaches high school theatre in Greenbelt, Maryland. In addition to his daily drama classes, he runs several after-school performance and production drama groups. He spends his summers writing and singing. Mannino holds a Master of Arts in Theatre Education from Catholic University, and has studied mythology and literature both in America and at Oxford University. His work with young people helped inspire him to write young adult fantasy, although it was his love of reading that truly brought his writing to life. His wife, Rachel Mannino, is a romance author at www.RachelMannino.com

Mannino is currently completing The Scythe Wielder's Secret series and is working on several adult novels.

website: http://www.christophermannino.com/
blog: http://poetsfire.blogspot.com/
goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8108129.Christopher_Mannino
twitter: https://twitter.com/Ctmannino
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CTMannino
amazon author pg: http://www.amazon.com/ChristopherMannino/e/B00K2XOP88/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

PURCHASE LINKS:

main: http://www.christophermannino.com/school-of-deaths.html#.ViqjMPmrTIU
publisher: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/print-books/school-of-deaths-834-detail
amazon: http://getbook.at/SchoolofDeaths
barnes and noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/school-of-deaths-christopher-mannino/1119059176?ean=2940045799010
books a million: http://www.booksamillion.com/search?type=author&query=Christopher%20Mannino&id=6317074296178

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REVIEW: What's It To You by Judy Irwin

This review is posted as part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Judy will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

NOTE: As part of the launch of this book, the first two books in this loosely-linked series by Judy Irwin are available for free on Smashwords, in all e-book formats, until March 14/14. Use these codes for your free download:

We’re Done – VX82T

What Did You Say? – TX69B

Visit www.smashwords.com, search ‘Judy Irwin’ or by book title.

What's It To You by Judy Irwin
Contemporary, Middle Grade
106 pages
3.5 stars

What if nothing was the worst thing you could do? For 13-year old Tim Stockdale, it's all about keeping his head down and fitting in with the friends he's managed to make at his new school. His older brother, Eli, is the opposite. He's trying to set up a Gay-Straight Alliance at his high school, where he's a junior. Even though the school board is against it, Eli’s not afraid of what the fallout might be.

So when Tim's new friends start to bully a kid they think is gay, Tim's torn - he doesn't want to do anything to risk being cast out of the crew. But when Eli is hurt in a protest, Tim's own failure to do anything starts to get under his skin. Will he find his way at his new middle school, and figure out what's really worth standing up for?

MY REVIEW: This book is a look at how easy it is for a good kid to be led astray and also shows how other kids can be strong and stand up for what's right.

Tim's a good kid, he really is, but when he starts a new school, he falls in with the wrong crowd -- the bullies, one of whom has a self-described anger problem.  They pick on everyone, but especially the kid they think is gay.  And then they ask Tim if his brother, Eli, is gay, too ... something that never really occurred to Tim. Eli is just Eli and that's all that mattered, up until Eli tries to start a Gay-Straight Alliance.

This book reads a little like "a moment in time". Yes there's a start and a finish of sorts, but it almost seemed like it should be part of a larger work.  It moved quickly, and was at times just a little too brief as time sped by.  I would have liked to get to know the secondary characters better, especially the ones who made a real impact on Tim as he slowly realized that HE was one of the bullies and tried to make things right.

Still, this book has plenty of merit.  It teaches strength and shows how it's good and right to stand up when you see something wrong.  It (hopefully) will help kids see how choices they make, especially those involving the people you let into your life, matter a lot.  They help form the person you will become and you have to decide, as Tim did, what kind of person you want to be.

All-in-all a worthwhile read, and certainly appropriate for the time.  Due to the discussion of homosexuality, though, I would recommend it for slightly older kids in the middle grade reading group, perhaps 10+.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

"New guy!"

Tim turns toward the voice. All the other kids turn too. Em stands at the edge of one of the bigger groups. "Hey, new guy. You have to join a group."

"Uh - OK. But - which one?" Tim looks around the gym. "Does it matter?"

"Look around. Don't you get it? We're all arranged by size. Pick the group that's your size," says Em. "In your case, look for the short people."

Tim looks around. "Really?" The groups don't seem to be organized by size, he thinks. There are kids of all sizes in each of them.

The girls standing near Em start to giggle.

"Em, you're such a troublemaker," says the tall girl, with frizzy hair and glasses. She's standing in a different group.

"What do you mean? You're in the tall group, just like I said. But wait - aren't you really supposed to be in the frizzy-haired group?" The group of girls around Em laughs.

"Really? Then shouldn't you be in the think-you're-funny-but-you're not group? Or how about the dumb- "

"Good afternoon, children," calls a deep voice, and a man comes through the doors into the gym. "Enough with the repartee. I see you're already organized by home rooms, fantastic." The teacher has curly brown hair, and glasses. He walks toward Tim. "Except for this young man here. Sir, what is your name, and why are you not in the proper group?"

"Well - I didn't - "

Author Judy Irwin's books are about kids dealing with everyday stuff, like parents and divorce, friendships and bullies, and figuring out how to handle different situations and circumstances. She lives in Toronto with a dog, a cat, and a hamster, plus her husband and two children, ages 11 and 14. Judy always wanted to be a writer, and wrote her first book in fourth grade. It was about a boy named Japan, who lived in Japan. She studied English Literature at the University of Toronto, and some of her favorite authors are Judy Blume, Laurie Halse Anderson, Beverly Cleary, Edward Eager and Andrew Clements, and especially F. Scott Fitzgerald.

'What Did You Say?', Judy's first book, is about 12-year-old Tash. The book takes place at a trailer park up north. 'We're Done', Judy's second book, takes place in a middle school. It's about Luke, who first appears in 'What Did You Say?' Tash and Jon, from the first book, are also characters in this one. In 'What's It To You?', Judy's third book, 13-year-old Tim Stockdale (who first appeared as Luke's classmate in 'We're Done'), is figuring out where he fits in at Carlyle.

For Judy, the middle school years are especially interesting since they can be some of the most challenging for kids. It's a time when kids are faced with new issues, and bigger problems, than many have experienced before. As they figure out how they feel, and decide how to respond, they're also figuring out who they are, and shaping the nature of the person they will grow into.

Links: www.judyirwin.com

www.amazon.com/author/judyirwin

King of Bad by Kai Strand - Review and Giveaway

This review is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.  Kai will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC plus a signed book mark to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour (International) via the Rafflecopter at the end of this post. You can see the rest of the stops by clicking the tour banner.

King of Bad by Kai Strand
Contemporary Fantasy Young Adult
174 pages
3.5 stars

Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.

He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?

My Review:  King of Bad starts strong.  The writer has a strong sense of characterization and did a fantastic job populating her story with distinct, unique people who were interesting and real (or as real as a school full of kids with super powers can be).

 

At first I struggled to like Jeff ... I'm just not an anti-hero fan.  But once he gets to the SVA, it's clear he's not a bad kid and he started to grow on me (especially when we see how much he loves his fish, Pucker).

 

I enjoyed watching him struggle through his learning curve, make friends (and enemies) and basically find his way in this new life that seems to have chosen him.  I admit to being a bit surprised at the sheer number of kids in these various schools, and had to really suspend my need for realism then, and I wasn't sure how I felt about his mom and dad once their secrets were shared.  I had some trouble believing how neatly they were able to get along in life.

 

Still, I was a huge fan of this book right to the end, which mostly confused me.  I read it three times, and I'm still not entirely certain what happened.  However, it the fault might just lie with me and I will rave again at the overall plot and, most importantly, the author's skill with wordsmithing. That alone would be enough for me to seek out her next release and give it a try.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

“Source, who is she?”

Source followed Jeff’s line of vision. “Oh, that’s Oceanus. Don’t even think it, kid. She’s already found a match.”

“What do you mean?”

“See the guy next to her?”

“The skinny red head?” Jeff hoped.

“No, the other one.”

“Oh, the Adonis?” Jeff’s heart fell. He’d no hope to thwart the god-like S.V. seated next to Oceanus.

“Not far off. People call him Set. The God of chaos, storm, wind. He’s a great guy.” Sarcasm wrapped around Source’s words. “Descended from a long line of super villains Known he’s an S.V. his whole life so came to the school ready to rule from what I hear. Real nasty character, even for an S.V. You don’t want to piss him off.”

“Oh, I won’t piss him off. I don’t go looking for trouble.” Jeff considered his life before the academy and real-ized that looking for trouble was the only thing he used to do. He amended his statement, saying, “Much.”

His stomach knotted. Had the academy turned him into a coward?

Source chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll get a name and things will settle into some sort of normal. Once we figure out what your root ability is, I’ll help you develop it. Though, after your hulk impersonation, I doubt anyone will dare taunt you.”

Jeff felt the anxiety lift. Source was okay for a bad guy.

About the Author:

When the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died, the end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for younger children Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Visit Kai’s website, www.kaistrand.com, to browse her books, download companion materials or to find all her online haunts.

You can usually find Kai online at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaiStrandAuthor or Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaiStrand

Buy it:

Publisher:
,bR>http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1125

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQGA6MW/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1N5D669JWJ92YG79QJ78&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king-of-bad-super-villian-academy-book-1-kai-strand/1115915105?ean=2940016426198

Add it to Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18080275-king-of-bad

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Hidden by M. Lathan

Hidden by M. Lathan
Young Adult Fantasy
352 pages
3.5 stars

Sixteen-year-old Leah Grant has given up on being normal. She’d settle for stopping the voices in her head, intrusive visions of the future, and better odds of making it to her seventeenth birthday.

That’s the thing about pretending to be human in a world where magic used to exist – at any moment, her cover could be blown and she’ll be burned to death like the rest of the witches.

Everything changes when she loses control of her powers and flees the orphanage she grew up in. She desperately wants to be invisible but finds her face plastered on every news channel as humans panic over the possible resurgence of her kind. And now the hunters won’t give up until they find her.

Making friends for the first time in her life and falling in love with one of them drives her to discover why she is unlike any being she’s ever met – human or otherwise. The dangerous powers inside of her that would repel Nathan, her new, handsome reason for living, are priceless to some. The locked up forever kind of priceless. And to others, they are too dangerous to allow her to live.

Let’s hope she can stay hidden.

My Review:

I  liked the book. It had an amazing plotline and the content was wonderful. I really liked Christine's change of heart, from being a lowly, bullied "witch" to standing up straight to be all that she could be.

However, I discovered a significant number of grammatical problems in the text, mostly wrong words, such as personal pronouns being switched and typos that should have been caught. If the author put this through another round of professional edits, it would be a wonderful novel.

The plot itself was quite enjoyable, though I wish it had been less focused on the romance and more on the action and mysteries in the plot. I cannot wait to read the next in the series.

I would recommend it to lovers of fantasy, romance, and witchcraft.

EMILY'S TRIAL by Natalie Wright - Book Review and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Leave a comment and fill out the Rafflecopter at the end of this post for a chance to win one digital copy of "Emily's House" to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop, plus a Grand Prize of a $15 Amazon gift card + a digital copy of Emily's House--the other stops on the tour can be seen by clicking the tour banner. Remember, the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

EMILY'S TRIAL by Natalie Wright
Paranormal Dystopian Fantasy YA
3.5 Stars

Two years ago, Emily Adams took a perilous journey, answered the hero’s call and became a modern Celtic Priestess. Armed with a magic dagger and powerful golden torc, she was entrusted with sacred magic and ancient wisdom.

But even a Priestess can know desire, feel temptation, and yearn for love. Will passion entice Emily to use the sacred magic entrusted to her in a forbidden way? Can new love take root in a world of nightmares? And will her friendships survive Emily’s Trial?



The Journey Continues . . .

My Review:

This is the second book of the series and, while I enjoyed the book, I highly recommend reading the first one. I would loved to have seen the background of Emily and her friends. In this book, you are thrust immediately into a situation where Emily and her friends are in school, people are aware of her abilities, and she's apparently been using her powers to entertain people. Not an auspicious start to getting to know Emily.

However, as the story went on--I grew to like her more and more. Yes, she's impulsive...yes, she's tempted by the fact the hottest guy in school is coming on to her...yes, she puts more effort into this relationship than into her friendships...but that just made her more real. I can see that happening...being a teenager is hard. And it sucks sometimes.

The action is non-stop...and I could really see this as a movie... very very visual. Good job on that, Ms. Wright. And, she leaves us with a humdinger of a cliff-hanger! I really want to read the next book in the series to see what's going to happen and how the story is going to be resolved. First, though, I want to read the first book. :-)

Now, enjoy an excerpt:

The Apocalypse didn't start with four horsemen, harbingers of the horror to come. It didn't start with a plague, or pestilence, or even zombies rising from the dead.

It came slowly, and without warning. It crept up on people in the shadows, no more than a vague darkness that spread like an unseen cancer.

And it wasn't set into action by a divine hand. A teenage girl was the catalyst for the End Times. I should know. I'm the one that started it.

I didn't plan to. I didn't want to start the End Times, and I'm not evil.

Madame Wong taught me to tell the truth, and so here it is. I'm the one responsible for the Apocalypse. And this is the story of how I unwittingly unlocked the door to the darkness; of how a Priestess of the Order of Brighid, entrusted with powerful magic that was supposed to be used for the benefit of all humankind, unleashed a force that would destroy it instead.

And it all began with desire.

About the Author:

Natalie is the author of The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult paranormal fantasy trilogy. When not writing, blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, Wattpadding or eating chocolate, Natalie nurtures her young daughter, feeds her dog too many treats, and can’t resist watching Ancient Aliens, no matter how absurd the show becomes.

Natalie enjoys travel, good wine, and excellent food shared with family and friends. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, now lives in the desert Southwest, and dreams of living in a high rise in a big city.

Natalie enjoys chatting with readers, so stop by and say hi:

Blog: http://www.NatalieWrightsYA.blogspot.com

Twitter: @NatalieWright_

Facebook: NatalieWright.Author

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468945.Natalie_Wright

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/WritesKidsBooks

Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/NatalieWright_

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/natwrites/

Emily's Trial Video: http://youtu.be/qMw7boPnIIE



Buy Links:

Barnes & Noble Ebook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/emilys-trial-natalie-wright/ 1112990363?ean=2940044978607

Barnes & Noble Print: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/emilys-trial-natalie-wright/ 1115658839?ean=9780615702766

Amazon Print: http://www.amazon.com/Emilys-Trial-Akasha-Chronicles-Volume/dp/ 0615702767/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379030587&sr=8-1&keywords=emily%27s+trial

Amazon Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Emilys-Trial-Akasha-Chronicles-ebook/dp/ B009LMAIGE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1379030587

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/242466



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Wolf Sirens: Forbidden by Tina Smith - Book tour and Giveaway

This review is done in conjunction with the author's tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding jewelry in theme of her book (wolf charms, charm bracelets etc), 3D book marks in shifter themes (Wolves, tigers, panthers etc) and Sun catchers (beaded glass and crystal) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so leave your thoughts here and you're entered! If you want more chances to win, visit the rest of her tour stops here.

Wolf Sirens: Forbidden by Tina Smith
Paranormal YA
382 pgs
Rated:  3.5 Stars

When Lila unwillingly moves to the country town of Shade, she can’t imagine the life-altering events that lie in wait for her. Shade has a curfew and has always been surrounded by myths. A central feature of the town is its famous statue of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, whose spirit is said to protect the innocent.

Lila falls in with a group of intriguing teenagers with luminescent eyes and soon she is drawn into the shadowlands of fantasy and reality, where destiny collides.

A mysterious local girl, Cresida, warns her to stay away, but Lila is drawn to them like a moth to a flame.

Cresida knows their fatal secret and she is honour-bound to protect those who are endangered. But she underestimates Lila’s passion for the mysterious and charismatic clan of youths. Lila begins to feel a call she cannot ignore. Yet her heart is filled with vulnerable desires that begin to turn the underworld upside down, for both hunter and hunted, as she learns they have been waiting for her…

Inspired by the legend of the mythical femme fatale, Wolf Sirens is an intimate tale of unrequited and forbidden love in the underworld, a masterpiece of romance fantasy.

My Review:  This story was nothing like I'd expected.  It starts out like a typical YA:  disgruntled teen forced to move to a new town because her folks are divorcing.  Mom is disconnected, and Lila is friendless and alone.  But that's where the typical ends.

There are hints from the start that things are not as they appear.  Whisperings of wolves, gunshots, strange neighbors ... and then she's befriended by the cool kids and she doesn't know why (because Lila is far from cool).

While I was intrigued by the plot, and wanted to know the answer to the mysteries behind the odd behavior, I admit to wishing there had been a little less build up to what we knew would happen.  I skimmed past pages of Lila at school in the beginning because it was rather "day-to-day".  The author has a great skill with her words and descriptions and the characters are all very much individuals.  Some I liked, some I didn't (some I disliked and loved at the same time!) and I was quite emotionally invested in them all.

 Once the book got going about a third of the way in, there was no going back.  It's a great book for teens of all ages who are looking for more great shifter stories.  It's got some violence in it, of course, but nothing gratuitous and the romance is sweet and touching.

Better, this has a surprise ending that both breaks your heart and has you reaching to read the next book in the series.  Good job, and recommended.

Now read and excerpt:


Sam flitted about as usual making sure all was well. She made sure her best friend’s funeral ran smoothly and I thought it was a pleasant touch that she insisted Lily’s favourite music was played, though I’m sure the gathering thought it was odd that a teenager would love Elvis and the Supremes.

I hoped, though I couldn’t be sure, that the rest of the pack, her real family, had a private funeral. One without the orchestration, one where their feelings were real. I didn’t cry at the funeral. Maybe I tried but my eyes were dry. In the night as I lay my head on the pillow I remembered sections of the funeral and as I thought of Sam laying the flowers on her coffin my eyes swelled and all the pain that was absent or numb was real again. I had no one to hold me, but neither did Lily. I wanted the world to swallow me up whole. After missing two weeks of school in the morning we hit practice - now for Lily’s memory or at least that’s what Sam told the concerned faculty. But really it was for herself, to save her own skin; did she feel guilty like me? We all had to attend group counseling in which we all agreed to continue to practice for calisthenics dance finals, in Lily’s memory. And for a time she indeed did haunt the school hall in which we practiced. As a temporary memorial an enormous portrait photograph marooned in flowers leant crookedly against the stage. And she smiled at us with a blank look in her eyes while we danced without her, over the spot where she had died.

Tina Smith is an herbalist, dog lover, Piscean and mother with a fondness for strong female protagonists. A love of the fantasy genre and the deep exploration of dark and evocative subjects inspired Wolf Sirens Forbidden. The sequel Fever further unfolds the tale of the heroine femme fatal, on her journey in the underworld between the lands of myth and reality.

“Rich, complex, and deeply fascinating. Smith’s creation stands apart from other books in the genre. Wolf Sirens has raised the bar for paranormal romance.”- Kevis Hendrickson, author of Rogue Hunter

"Smith weaves a thrilling and beautifully crafted tale that sinks its fangs in and refuses to let go."- Michael Alexander, author of The Vessel

“Fever does not disappoint! Tina Smith captures her readers on the first page and leads them on a fast-paced journey full of suspense and adventure as heroine, Lila, struggles towards the truth.” - Beverley Eikli, author of A Little Deception

Ebook Wolf Sirens Forbidden. Discover the Legend.By Tina Smith.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GG06AS

http://www.amazon.com/Sirens-Forbidden-Discover-Legend-ebook/dp/B009GG06AS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354969345&sr=8-2&keywords=wolf+sirens%3Aforbidden

http://www.goodreads.com/TinaSmith

Like me on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wolfsirens.

The sequel Wolf Sirens Fever. Many are Born, Few are Reborn By Tina Smith.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16120233-wolf-sirens-fever-many-are-born-few-are-reborn

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/248222

http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Sirens-Fever-Reborn-ebook/dp/B009Z9EDQ4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352189289&sr=1-1&keywords=wolf+sirens+fever

Youtube Videos

http://youtu.be/lxH8XWa5_RM

http://youtu.be/J5dkXaXXKCc

http://youtu.be/5HE-6oALPng

The Hands of Tarot by SM Blooding - Virtual Tour and Giveaway

This review is done in conjunction with the author's tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a Tarot Doll of their choice to a randomly drawn commenter (US/Canada Only) during the tour More information: http://www.smblooding.com/ht1-order-tarot-doll-autographed-book, so leave your thoughts here and you're entered! If you want more chances to win, visit the rest of her tour stops here.

The Hands of Tarot by SM Blooding
Steampunk YA
318 pages
Rated: 3.5 Stars

She killed his father.

She imprisoned and beat him.

And now she thinks he’s her trophy.

Synn El’Asim will do almost anything to prove her wrong. But he’s only proving her right.

Queen Nix awakened his Mark of power and inducted him into the House of Wands. She knew what she was doing. The son of the two most powerful Families standing against her is the ultimate prize.

What she didn’t take into consideration was that maybe he was too strong for her. Maybe.

The Families aren’t. They’ve been weakened, and it’ll take a lot more than one young man with a powerful Mark to take on the Hands of Tarot.

My review:  With a new take on steampunk and amazingly proficient writing skills, SM Blooding has created a book that both intrigued me and puzzled me.  She's got a clever new plot here with sympathetic characters (well, except for Nix, who is truly evil personified) and a fascinating world populated with different peoples, animals and creatures. That's where both the intrigue and the puzzlement came in.

I'm a pretty savvy reader, and can pick up things quickly. Usually.  This book I struggled with a bit as I was plunged into a remarkably complex world that wasn't well described (perhaps its complexity made that difficult without creating what sounds like a textbook).  The characters were well described, thankfully. The author painstakingly helps us meet each person one at a time as Synn returns to his mother's from a journey.  For this I was truly grateful, as I'll read anything if I'm  invested in the the people and I was right from the start.  And, truthfully, effective world-building can be difficult.  You don't want to bore the reader with tons of details or backstory, but you want them to understand what's going on.  Maybe it's just because I've not read a lot in this genre, but it took a bit for me to catch on.  Regardless, I enjoyed the concepts behind this book enough to plug on through my  problem because I wanted to know what happened to Synn.

Synn is a young man who's disappointed his mother (because he has no mark).  When his best friend arrives and says his family has been attacked, Synn and his father go to rescue the survivors.  Only, the attackers, the Hands, aren't merciful.  Synn's father is killed horribly (as are the survivors of the attack) and Synn himself is captured and tortured because his mark -- an amazingly powerful mark -- manifests during this conflict.

His torture is violent, sexual (what amounts to rape of his mind and his body) and sometimes gruesome (Nix likes to burn people alive).  This makes it a book I can't recommend to younger teens.  Aside from this, though, there's little graphic violence or sex.

I loved the second half of this book.  Loved the people Synn and his friends meet, the places they go and I especially enjoyed watching Synn come into his own as he matures.  He truly becomes a person to admire, though it takes time and plenty of work.  The way this book ends shows how much he's changed and absolutely made me ready to read the next in the series to find out what happens next. Now that I have a firmer grip on the world, I'm positive I'll enjoy the sequel even more than the first.

If you're a fan of unusual steampunk novels, I'd recommend you pick this one up. Just give yourself some time to get into the story. You won't regret it.  I didn't.

Now, read an excerpt:

I woke freezing, my teeth chattering.

I tried to sit up, but my head was pounding so hard, it made me nauseous.

“Lay back,” a soft voice murmured, gentle hands pressing down on my bare shoulders. “Be at ease. You are safe now, Synn Primus.”

I shook my head, falling back onto the soft pillows. My back was on fire where the pillows touched it. “Not—” It was so hard to speak. My tongue felt thick. “Not my name.”

“Yes it is, you goose.” Something was draped over me.

I let out a startled yell and threw it off. Everywhere it touched burned.

It was draped over me again. This time the hands pressed it down on my shoulders, keeping it in place. “You have been Marked by the House of Wands, so you now bear our name. You are a Primus, Synn. Welcome.”

My whole world stopped.

I’d lost my father. He was—

I closed my eyes and fell back.

Dead.

I’d watched so many others die, their children made to watch as those they loved were lost.

And now? I’d lost my life to the Hands?

No. I shook my head and rose. No. “No. This can’t be.”

She pushed me back. “How else do you explain it?” A warm thumb ran over my brow. “You survived the fire, Synn.” She pulled the blanket away, a cool finger running over where I burned. “And how do you explain this? This is your Mark, Synn, the thing you have been waiting for your entire life.”

My father’s strong, rigid face swam before my eyes, so fierce and strong as the fire rose to claim him, writhing with the pain of it. A sob seeped from my chest. “Not like this.”

I was gathered in her arms. She held me close, cupping my head to her chest as she rocked me. She crooned a song I’d never heard. I wasn’t paying attention. I was overwhelmed with what I had lost; my Family, my home, my self.

About the author:

SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, their new addition, Mr. Bird, who’s a real bird. She likes to hike the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and is learning to play the piano and guitar. Currently, she’s trying to MURDER them both. Friends call her Frankie.

She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories.

She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue!

Twitter

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Website/blog

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B&N – Paperback   

Autographed copy  

Additional information

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http://www.smblooding.com/

http://www.smblooding.com/the-hands-of-tarot/

Wisteria by Bisi Leyton - review and giveaway!

This review is done in conjunction with the author's tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $15 Amazon GC to one lucky commenter on her tour, so leave your thoughts here and you're entered!

Wisteria by Bisi Leyton
Paranormal, Dystopian YA
278 pages
Rated: 3.5 Stars

Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.


Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.

Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.

My review:  Wisteria has a neat twist on zombies and their creation in this novel of a futuristic earth.  But it's more than a zombie book and has plenty of other twists involved.

Wisteria is pretty much a typical teen:  impulsive, crushing on the cute guy, and frequently overly-dramatic.  But she's got a good heart, and a good mind and uses both (occasionally to her detriment ... like when she tried to save her "friend" from biters).

I liked Wisteria.  Bach?  Not so much, at least not through the first half or so of the book--which was intentional on the author's part I think.  Bach was arrogant, prideful, and sometimes just downright nasty.  Don't worry, he grows up and learns how to be a better man eventually.  But, there were sure times I wanted to smack him upside the head!

The book isn't just about the action, though there is plenty of that, but about the mystery behind the biters and even the Isle of Smythe.  The author has certainly thought through things and created a very complex world.

Still, I think the book dragged occasionally.  I admit I skipped ahead a few times to get back to the action and that's the only thing that brought the rating down on this book.  Many things were wrapped up at the end, but it's clear there will be a sequel, and I'm looking forward to it.

Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.

https://www.facebook.com/Wisteriabooks
http://bisileyton.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @bisileyton
http://www.goodreads.com/Bisileyton
BookTrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_TWuWK_bbY&feature=context-cha and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvC9iJckrs4&feature=context-cha

Bisi running a giveaway until 30 November for a Kindle Fire. When people sign up for her New Release Mailing list they get a change to win. The list is not for a newsletter, but to going a mailing list where they'll be notified once a new book is released and that is it. The conditions are at www.bisileyton.blogspot.com and the link to sign up is http://eepurl.com/o8zv1. a Rafflecopter giveaway