K.J. Simmill's Blog, page 17

Book review: C.S. Kendall – Jessie’s Awakening

In C.S. Kendall’s Descendants of the curse: Jessie’s awakening, as far as Jessie was [image error]concerned the sins of the parent should remain with them,  it shouldn’t be passed to the child. But that wasn’t how things worked with the water. Turning seventeen had enough pressure, maintaining her straight As, a lead part in the musical, not to mention her relationship with Jake, and her best friend Addy. Jessie had plans, she had her life set out before her, until her parents dropped the bombshell on her. Not only has she been betrothed to someone, but her family harboured a secret, and now she was of age it would come calling to her. Life as she knew it was over, and the thought of what she must do, who she must become, haunts her every waking second.

C.S. Kendall’s Descendents of the Curse: Jessie’s awakening is a riveting young adult, a paranormal tale with a heap of trouble and a sprinkle of romance. The first-person narrative from both Jessie and Tyler’s perspective allows you to get into the minds of the characters, Jessie, as she suffers and struggles to accept everything she has learned, and Tyler, as he becomes part of her life, healing his own wounds while supporting her through a painfully familiar transition. I enjoyed the originality in regards to this particular supernatural style origin story, and how it touches on aspects of training body and mind and working with what you have rather than against it. Drama, threat, a loss of self, and a hope to hold on to the past drives this story of new awakenings and discovery.



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Book review: L.B. Gilbert – Earth (@elementalauthor)

In L.B. Gilbert’s Earth, Gia, the Earth Elemental, has been poisoned but after being [image error]infiltrated by the alchemist, John, and betrayed, the Elementals found it very hard to trust anyone, but they needed help. The only person who can possibly be of aid is Salvador, a witch with a family history of darkness and evil. Sure he broke away, healed instead of harmed, but John had seemed to be trustworthy too and he betrayed them. But this poison is not the only thing to fear. John is intent of wiping supernaturals from the world and leaving its care to humanity, and now he has just the weapon to do it, something that not only poisons the body but works on a deeper level, and supes arent his only target, he intends to take down the Mother, liberating the land of all her children. Can the Elementals do what must be done to stop him, or will they fall to his plan?

 

Earth is the fourth book in L.B. Gilbert’s, The Elementals Series. Strong world and character building are key to this journey as the reader is whisked away on a race-against-time adventure where the path of the future is uncertain. While it is the final Book in the series, the manner in which it has been penned means it is its own self-contained plot. There are parts that no doubt reward someone who has read the other books, but there is no necessity to have this knowledge to enjoy the tale. Danger, disaster, plans, wars, and betrayal propel the reader through a plot filled with magical creatures from dragons to witches. I enjoyed watching the reluctant comradery and contradictory feelings that stat the foundation of a relationship between characters. The smooth flowing style of L.B Gilbert is sure to hook a reader and take them along on an epic journey to save the world where there is more than one surprise in store. Engaging, riveting, and compelling. The rules are changing, the stakes are unprecedented, and you’ll just have to know how it all ends.

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Book review: Lara Ann Dominick – Oil and Water (@LaraAnnDominick)

In Lara Ann Dominick’s Oil and Water, Elsie wanted everything to be a little more. More [image error]exciting, more dangerous, more passionate. She wanted a life straight out of those paranormal romance novels she loved to read. But Sam, her on-again-off-again boyfriend was a long shot from the excitement she craved. When her path crossed with Cy’s she found herself captivated, wrapped up in a romance she could never have imagined. It was everything her books had promised and so much more. The problem was she soon discovered that the fiction was a little too close to reality and the danger far more than she had expected. Cy’s ex-girlfriend, Amber, is intent on destroying him, and anyone who gets in the path of her revenge, and her scheme is deeper, more twisted than anyone could imagine.

Lara Ann Dominick’s Oil and Water is a great addition to the paranormal romance genre. Danger, betrayal, and excitement are a constant companion in a world where the supernatural live within the shadows under the rule of their council, answering to them for any missteps that could threaten their existence. I enjoyed getting to know the Elsie and her friends and understanding their group dynamic. The interactions are smooth, real, and everything you would expect. Humour, tension, heartbreak, and secrets weave their way through the group, threatening to destroy them in the wake of Elsie’s new relationship and her past mistakes. The growth of her character as she emerged from a relationship where they had both settled, to one which took her breath away was great to watch. But this tale is not all romance. There is a dark side to the vampire world which Cy is part of, and his ex-girlfriend Amber has her own schemes. Alongside Opal, the cruel, heartless killer out for power and herself, she is everything Elsie is not, and wants to see claim unfathomable power. Written in a shifting first-person perspective from Elsie to Opal, you are given unique insights into the character’s mindsets and able to see their complete contrast, the two are like oil and water, and yet in order to save themselves, they must come together and find a balance, or risk being destroyed. Gripping, entertaining, and moving this paranormal romance has more than one surprise in store.

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Book review: C.J. Pyrah – Legacy (@cjpyrah )

Torben had worked on the farm for almost his entire life. Amos had taken him in, and as [image error]much as he kept promising he would leave and pursue his own life he couldn’t stand the thought of the man who raised him losing everything. Winters had been hard,  harvests bad, if he left he knew they could afford no help and were too old to work the land alone. So he stayed. But when a dwarf with a pouch of gold tempts him on a day’s jaunt, it seems too good to pass up. Little did he know when he sets foot on the journey his life will be forever changed, and when you can’t go back, the only thing to do is move on, and with the promise of riches beyond his wildest dreams, what’s left to consider?

C.J. Pyrah’s Legacy is book one in The Dead God series. In a journey of discovery into the self and the world beyond Bywater, you are introduced to Torben, a man whose minor experiences have in no way marred him to the world. An innocent heart unwilling to judge at first glance or rumour as he comes to learn there is more variety in the world than he had ever imagined, from dwarves to lupines, guilds and epic adventures. You will find a read filled with adventure, action, and discovery written in a flowing third-person narrative with great world-building and likeable characters who, due to their flaws and distinct personalities have a very believable feel to them.

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Book review: D.M. Cain – A Chronicle of Chaos (@DMCain84)

When it comes to battle Chaos is amazing. He had defeated more enemies than his peers [image error]is highly skilled, well practised, and thought to be one of the best in the land. The problem was he knew it.  Having grown up believing himself to be the child of prophecy fated to bring the downfall of the Brotherhood of Shadows his ego couldn’t be much bigger. He thought he was special, exempt from the rules, that he deserved special consideration. He was arrogant and assumed he was better than everyone else. He was wrong. When the Brotherhood of Shadows sets their sights on him he realises just how much his confidence and arrogance costs.

A Chronicle of Chaos is one of the tales found within D.M. Cain’s The Light and Shadow Chronicles. This war-ravaged country is filled with battles. For 130 years the Brotherhood of Shadows has fought the Children on Light in a neverending battle of even odds and stalemate, until Vincent turns to Demonic aid to press an advantage, turning a war between humans into a battle between angels, demons, and those who would stand by either side. Woven in this action-paced tale is romance, danger, betrayal, bravery and a strong cast of characters who grow and develop and the plot advances. I enjoyed how Chaos’ actions cause tension, resentment and adversity to rise between allies as his arrogance and belief of superiority allow him to use his tongue to attack with as much devastation as his blade, cutting to a person’s insecurities, ensuring no matter their power they know he is better than them. I enjoyed the building respect between Chaos and Anathema, the only ones who both believe they recognise each other for what they could be, even if they don’t know each other’s true identities at the time, they made each other better. If you like character-driven fantasy filled with high stake actions, real and raw emotions, where characters are pitted against each other in a light vs darkness tale, give A Chronicle of Chaos a go.

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Book review: Andrew Smith – Jon Ridley The Beginning

In Andrew Smith’s Jon Ridley The Beginning, seventeen years old, Jon Ridley, was always [image error]amazed when it seemed people knew his name. He wanted nothing more than to get home, but the longer he travelled the hazier his memories became. He had hoped to vanquish the great demon Gargoran but had barely escaped with his life, and his weapon had been destroyed, broken into forty-two fragments and sent across the stars. If he had any hope of keeping his world safe he must vanquish this demon, but only his scythe can do so, and so it begins, his journey across the cosmos to face friend and foe alike and gather the shards towards a future where he will hopefully save his world and himself.

Jon Ridley The Beginning is a combination of science-fiction, adventure, and time-travel with a slight hat tip to the LITRPG genre. In this seek and retrieve style quest Jon is forced to make difficult choices, and those decisions have some serious ramifications. He is known as a demon hunter, but his quest forces him to face more than just demons, and unlock secrets covered for Millenium. New friends and new enemies are pivotal to his journey as he seeks to learn who can be trusted and is sent to places of imaginative and untold dangers, from blood-seeking horrors to dragons. Andrew Smith’s concise and simplistic style of writing will offer to appear to a young audience as the easy third-person perspective draws you along for the ride, and while wrought with fantasy violence, difficult decisions, and combat, there is nothing too gratuitous. I enjoyed the twists that were woven within, and how everything is not as it seems. Anger, fear, and hatred drive a plot filled with hardships, difficulties, obstacles, challenges and monsters.

Separate note: the author is donating some of the royalties from this book to cancer research

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Book review: Kathrine Leannan – Redemption (@KathrineLeannan)

In Kathrine Leannan’s Redemption, after losing her husband and unborn child Conner [image error]needed time away. Away from home, away from destiny, prophesies, and gods. Luckily she had a contract for a dressage school. Little does she know she is once again about to be centre in a struggle for power. Her swords scream warnings of danger and the ghost of her husband haunts her from beyond as she finds herself involved with the life of a family who, like her, are burdened with the loss and have their own destiny to contend with. Someone wants to ensure the future awaiting this family never comes to pass, darkness haunts them, biding its time, and Conner once again finds herself in the middle of the problems of another realm.

Redemption is book two in Kathrine Leannan’s, Katana series, although having not read the first book I can confidently state it works as a stand-alone read, with any important details being seamlessly provided as part of this well-paced story. I thought Conner’s character was beautifully portrayed, and the different expressions of grief both through herself and those whose lives she becomes involved with are expertly penned in a way that ensures the reader can’t help but become involved in the struggles. Grief is not pretty, and its essence and many facets are captured with ease. I enjoyed watching the growth of the characters, both in positive ways and negative, making them real, human, and of course, flawed. Dark schemes, meddling gods, and a love that transcends even death combine with strong characters, a gripping plot, and ancient grudges to present an unputdownable read that will tug at the heart, while sending it racing.

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Book review: Mary Deal – Sea Cliff (@Mary_Deal)

Racheal was fine by herself, working, renovating, and writing. Last year, when a [image error]particularly scrumptious man caught her eye she even began to weave him into the book she was writing. Never did she imagine they would talk, that he would see something in her even she herself could not. Years of abuse from her father had taken their toll, leaving her unable to trust, unwilling to risk herself on a relationship. But Matthew wanted to change that, to open himself up to her, be vulnerable in the hope that she would take a chance in him. But trust is never easy, nor is breaking down years of conditioning, but he can see the person she is and seeks to free her from the prison forged by her past.

 

Mary Deal’s Sea Cliff is an insightful addition to the romance genre which deals with not only loving another but loving oneself as well. I enjoyed how part of this journey was into the characters knowing and loving themselves before being ready to fully embrace a relationship. Having been abused by her father the reader witnesses the ramifications on Racheal, not only to herself and her trust issues but also the strain it put on the relationship between herself and her brother, who had also suffered the effects of their father’s temper. I enjoyed watching the relationship unfold between Racheal and Matthew and how each step she took closer also brought with it baggage from her past, and each advance made was reflected not only in that relationship but in her life and other interactions as well.

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Book review: Pete Adams – Cause And Effect (@Peteadams8)

Detective Jack Austin, aka Jane, had not been the same since his wife had died, but that [image error]wasn’t going to stop him. With a great team and close friends he finds himself at the brunt of light-hearted jokes, and amidst an extensive support network. But when a fellow officer is murdered he is set on a path of investigation that will shake him to his core and beyond as he uncovers a scheme of the likes he had never imagined.

 

Pete Adams’ Cause and Effect: Vice Plagues The City is a crime drama with a healthy dose of British humour, violence, and threat. Romance, explosions, twists, turns, and humour combined with a strong cast of characters make this an engrossing read with a very real feel to the emotions and coping mechanisms in place. I found the humour a great release to the tense and sometimes dark plot and I loved watching how seemingly unconnected separate events came together in an interesting way. Clear attention has been paid to the complex plot to ensure it works. The characters are well developed and possess a very real to life feel, just like the atmosphere created in the book. This is a must for people who enjoy a combination of British humour and drama in a police setting.

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Book review: Kenna McKinnon – Ascending (@KennaMcKinnon)

After suffering his abuse for years, never knowing which side of him she would face, [image error]Scarlett Kane receives the news that her husband, father of her child, was killed in a biking accident. After almost losing herself to the bottle she finds a way through, a reason to keep going and gets herself and her young son away. She hoped the phone calls would stop, and her son would stop seeing a light shining in his room at night, but even a new house didn’t stop those strange happenings, and each night she breaks a little more. Something has to give,but what?

 

Kenna McKinnon’s Ascending is a supernatural tale dealing with dark issues, written in a clear and concise manner. I enjoyed the incorporation of the viewpoints of a different time, from a psychiatrist informing her the abuse was her fault, to the thoughts on religion, single-parent families, and the viewpoints of her community. Friendship, hauntings, and an unexpected twist along the way make for good reading, and the psychological aspects bleeding from past and current events make a gripping combination.

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