At A Glance Like effing poetry! I held my breath, I cried, I almost threw up. That's the best way I can describe Shadow of Wrath.
The Good I was blown away by Shadow of Wrath. I was really iffy when signing up for this blog tour. But I am more of a fighter than a lover (in books that is) so I knew I had to read this book. This book reminded me of raw, gruesome poetry. The concept was just horrific but Patricks did a great job of turning a frightening idea into a compelling story.
Dog has been on the streets since he can remember. That is until a man with a scary smile snatched him up and put him into an arena to fight for his life. The dregs of society and sociopathic rich people come to watch kids fight each other to the death for pleasure and money. Dog has been forced into this nightmare but he actually takes it better than I expected. He's lived on the streets, he knows about survival and violence. But he still has anger and resentment towards his capture. When him and Allegra get close, Dog's view on survival changes. Because now he must find a way to get them both out of this world of slavery and degradation, not just himself. Dog was so brave and confident it made me believe he could really save them both. And that hope kept me reading.
Allegra has spent most of her life as a slave in this underground fighting ring. She is Ryker's, the man behind this monstrous Arena, personal slave. Her virginity is being saved for when she reaches puberty so Ryker can sell her as a sex slave. But she is still abused every day by Ryker. Unlike Dog, she remembers her life from before. Her family, her friends, the joy of being free and young. Now she is the Arena's unofficial doctor. Every night she tries to keep the slave boys alive to fight another day, even if it makes her ill to give them false hope. But she keeps her emotions hidden to deter Ryker from using them against her. When Dog comes to the Arena, Allegra sees hope. Maybe together they can be free.
Both Allegra (14) and Dog (around the same age) are very young, but they act very mature. I think anyone would learn to grow up quickly if put in the same situation. Shadow of Wrath is the kind of book that gets better and better with each page. You hope and pray that these kids will get free and the monsters will get what they deserve. Some hopes are answered, as others are horribly crushed.
I have to warn you, this book has a sad ending. Luckily I knew that before going in, so it wasn't as hard to take. Even with the sad ending, it was also beautiful. If I am going to read a book that ends like that, then I want it to end the way Patricks did it. This book was amazingly written. It was edgy, gritty, and lyrical. The concept of humanity, survival, and pure evil all played a huge part of Shadow of Wrath. What would you do if you were put in an Arena and given the choice of fighting for your life or dying on the spot?
The Bad I wish we got a chance to actually see Dog and Allegra build a relationship. The book skipped years ahead so we never really got to see them fall for each other, we saw more of a friendship.
I would have liked to see the fighting described more. It may be horrifying to read about, but it would have made a bigger impact. Instead the fighting was often skimmed over.
The Snuggly This is not a great love story. This is about two people who build a friendship over their shared misery and confinement. But near the end, we do start to see a little love peeking through. By the end, I was crying over what this couple had went through together. Sex wise, there is none, but we get a little sexual assault.
Final Thoughts Though this book wont be for everyone, it for sure will hit some people in the best way possible. Shadow of Wrath was a thrilling ride filled with blood and desperation as well as hope and friendship. This book WILL make you cry. Highly recommended.
Quotes The crowd roared above them, screaming obscenities and cheering for the fight to begin. Dog realized that they were a part of some sadistic game. When he was younger, he heard stories about ancient fighting arenas and warriors that were forced to fight to the death in front of live audiences. Gladiators they were called. It looked like he had just become one.
Sunny began to cry.
"Don't do this," he pleaded. Dog ignored him. He had already accepted the harsh reality of this twisted event -- another thing gone wrong in his life. It was nothing new. Perhaps it was all those years of living in a harsh environment that made him callous to the situation, but it all boiled down to one single thing for Dog.
Survival. It was his natural instinct, despite death staring him in the eye constantly.(less)
At a Glance I loved the humor in Aladdin's Samovar. I was on the edge of my seat laughing and biting my nails the whole time. Sweet has a way with words that I haven't seen before.
The Good Here's the Story... Amber just knew it. When she saw that damn genie smoke his way out of her samovar, she knew that accepting the offer for one wish would be a bad idea. But did she listen to her instincts? Noooo. One simple wish, to have a relationship with her father, blew up in her face...in a big way. Dear, old dad is on the run from the mob. And he just so happens to have a computer drive the mob is willing to do anything to get back. Now Amber has to deal with a thieving father who was never there for her, a sexy genie who is always causing trouble, and a hippie mom who is pretty much naked half the time, all while trying to keep everyone out of the clutches of the bad guys.
Looking for a Laugh? I had so much fun reading Aladdin's Samovar. It wasn't what I was expecting. So few writers have a sense of humor that really catches my attention. This book is pure entertainment. If you are looking for a laugh and a suspenseful story, this is the book for you.
Amber the Determined... I felt so bad for Amber. She really gets the short end of the stick almost every time. All around her people keep spewing lies, and she is finding it hard to discern truth from fiction. She tries to live a normal life, but the people around her are driving her crazy. She's already had to deal with a mom who rather be naked, chanting to mother earth while smoking a little somethin' somethin' than getting a job and respecting authority. Then that tricky genie, with his ever-shrinking clothes has to make things even worse. With his sexy smirk, irresistible eyes, and muscle, oh god, the muscles. Woah, okay, getting off topic. Sorry, I got distracted by the yummy pictures in my head. Anyways, Amber can only be described as strong, determined, and caring. Even as the world crumbles around her, she supports her family as best she can, even when she wants to hate them. I have to admit, I don't know if I could have kept my cool in the situations she was put in.
The Parental Units... My favorite character was the mother, Indigo. She was so free-spirited, flighty, and hilarious. She had me cracking up every time she came on scene. She was also mysterious. There is more than meets the eye when it comes to Indigo. Amber's dad, on the other hand, was not my cup of tea. He was a manipulator and a liar. Even when Sweet tried to shine a good light on him, I couldn't find myself liking him. I think Amber would be better off without him.
Just Jasper... Then we have Jasper. Oh, Jasper. So pretty, so mischievous. You can't trust a genie. But who can say no to a sexy man in very little clothing? All I knew by the end of this book was that I wanted a genie of my very own. No, I wanted Jasper for my very own. Sure, he's not trustworthy at all, but he is so nice to look at and he did help out occasionally. Jasper even broke a few rules to help Amber with the naughty mob people, even if he did it in unconventional ways. I liked watching Jasper gain a little humanity bit by bit. Especially because he did it for Amber.
Iggy Not So Biggy... I don't want to get too much into Iggy the dwarf because I want that to be a surprise. for when you read this book. But let me just say, even though he was only in the book for short spouts of time, he left an impression on me that I will never forget. Ha ha, how's that for mysterious?
All-Nighter Type of Book... Sweet has a fine hold on her story telling abilities. She knows how to mix equal parts of humor and suspense, which is what makes Aladdin's Samovar a all-nighter type of book. The plot was well thought out and the pacing was pretty good. But it's the characters that made me like this book so much. I was often surprised by the twists and turns and the truth behind all the lies Amber kept getting fed. This book has a refreshing concept for the paranormal fiction world, which made it that much more fun to read.
The Bad Many of the descriptions in the book were a little too much for me. Sweet describes some mundane things that could have been taken out to help the pacing.
Though I love humor, especially during frightening parts, it got kind of annoying. The serious moments got underplayed because of the humor. I wanted to be scared but never really got there.
The Snuggly There is a lot of sexual tension in this book that I just loved. A lot of flirting, some touching and kissing. But no actual sex...yet. Jasper is just fascinating to watch. He's so smooth and loves keeping Amber on her toes. I can't wait for whatever it is between them to evolve.
Overall I am very happy that Sweet contacted me to review her book. It's nice to step away from the vampires and werewolves and step into a world of genies. This book captured my attention right away. Sweet had me laughing out loud for half the book and left me satisfied by the last page. Now I must wait impatiently for the next installment of the series (I hope there is a book 2, Sweet, because there are a lot of potential story lines left untapped in the world you have created). Highly recommended.
Excerpt He stepped forward. Amber, never taking her eyes off him, grabbed for one of the steak knives still lying on the table. Her fingers closed around the handle, and she waved it threateningly. “All right, that’s far enough. Put your hands in the air and back slowly towards the door.”
The eyebrows went up again. He put both hands in the air, and Amber could have sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch. “Please, o homicidal one, not the pickle fork. Anything but the pickle fork.”
Amber looked down at her hand. Not a steak knife. Crap. “I’ll have you know there are fifty-seven documented ways to maim a person with a pickle fork.” (less)
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