Cynthia D. Brandel's Blog, page 29

Slumbering (The Starlight Chronicles Book 1) by C.S. Johnson

Hamilton Dinger, our protagonist, is a narcissistic teenager turned hero when evil crashes down in the middle of Apollo City.  Dinger saves Gwen, the girl he likes, but then finds himself having visions.  With the possibility of insanity, Dinger trudges on without letting anyone know what is happening to him

 
When the meteorite crashes, it destroys a rival high school just before the homecoming game. After the city settles, the game is on!  Dinger, a star athlete, and his friends go head to head against their rivals.  It comes down to the last few seconds when Dinger misses his opportunity to bring home the glory.  His teammates blame him for losing the game, but to his defense, he was worried about the thirty people in the crowd that were attacked by a sinister man cloaked in black. 

After the game, school life continues as normal as everyone gets ready for the big play, Romeo and Juliet.  Dinger, although reluctant, attends the play.  The skies roar and lightning crashes through the ceiling and hits the stage and Maia, one of the antagonists, appears.  Maia attacks the audience, sucking the souls from anyone she could get her hands on, including Gwen.  Here comes Dinger to the rescue!  He blocks Gwen from Maia only to be thrown to the side like a sack of potatoes.

In service to the Master of the Void, Orpheus and his gang of Sinisters try to carry out their mission-to turn earth into a world of complete emptiness.  Dinger and his new friends, Starry Knight and Elysian battle against Maia and unlock Dinger's dormant abilities.  Dinger discovers he is a Starlight Warrior that crashed to earth.  His mission, given to him by the Prince of Stars, is to capture the Seven Deadly Sinisters before they completely destroy the planet.

Guided by Elysian, a changeling dragon, Dinger accepts the truth of his existence and claims his mantle as the protector of earth.

At 330 pages, C.S. Johnson develops a world all her own.  Overall, I had a hard time getting into this novel.  I could not connect with the characters and the roles they play.  I found Dinger's inability to accept reality annoying.  His friends are judgmental and the the girl he cares about is clueless about the world outside of herself.  There were some scenarios that I found unlikely such as when Maia attacks the school and then the students attend class like normal the following Monday.

You can find out more about The Starlight Chronicles here.

Forsaken Book Two of the Sanctorian Series Is HERE!!!

Forsaken Book Two of the Sanctorian Series Coming Soon!

Book One: Forbidden (Warning:Spoiler Alert!!!)

In  Forbidden: Book One of the Sanctorian Series , we discovered a world that is constantly at war.  Sanctoria is home to three races of people each with their own unique abilities.

The Produrai possess the ability to manipulate fauna using the powers that lie dormant within them until they come of age.  Among them we have met Lyla, one of the heirs to the Produrai throne.  Her group of friends includes Angel, Joel, and Adam.  Angel’s brother, Thomas, Commands the Produrai legions in the war against their enemy, the Domura.  The Queen of the Produrai moved their people to Terra more than a decade ago to escape the never-ending war on Sanctoria.  The Produrai live in mainly in seclusion in a community on the outskirts of Vancouver.The Domura can read people’s thoughts and use compulsion making them a formidable foe.  Thanark, the outcast prince and heir to the Domuran throne, has taken possession of the Produrai palace on Sanctoria.  He and three of his most trusted patrols-Argo, Beckon and Nikko- have been searching for the location of the Produrai since their unexpected disappearance from Sanctoria.  Prince Thanark was outcast from his home after witnessing the murder of his mother, the Queen of the Domura.  For him to claim his mantle, he must avenge his mother and take the life of the Produrai that murdered her.  To speed up his search, Thanark made a pact with the Chiefs of Mantekai.The Mantekai can take the shape of any living creature.  They are a nomadic people with tight family bonds.  Among the clan of Mantekai are the Chief and his nine sons- Ronan, Cynder, Theron, Kalren and Hunter (the twins), Lucas, Porter, Tristan and Duncan.  The Chief moved his clan of Mantekai to Terra in hopes of a fresh start for his people.Our story began when Lyla met Cynder.  Cynder had searched for Lyla since the Produrai had left Sanctoria.  He would shift into his owl form and disappear from his clan for days at a time while he traveled all of Terra in search for his childhood friend.  Lyla and Cynder were bonded by blood and ancient magic under the twin moons of Sanctoria when they were children.Cynder planned on brining Lyla back with him to his clan but she was kidnapped by his brother, Ronan, before that could happen.  Ronan lied to Lyla and made her believe that Cynder wanted to take her life by surrendering her to the Prince of the Domura.  She and Ronan hid themselves in a youth hostel in Los Angeles, disappearing into the city’s large population.  It was not long before they were discovered.  Lyla, in an attempt to escape, fell into a portal that took both her and Cynder back to Sanctoria.After a time, Lyla realized that she still cared for Cynder.  She learned to trust him as they journeyed to the Produrai palace, unbeknownst to them that it was currently occupied by the Domura.  Lyla and Cynder met three Domuran patrols along their journey and were separated.  She was rescued from the chasing patrols by a tradesman named Thane (Prince Thanark).Thane helped her to rescue Cynder from the hands of the Domura.  Lyla and Cynder took Thane back to Terra with them to spare him from Domuran punishment.  Upon their arrival on Terra, they came across a large mass of Mantekai and Produrai dressed in battle garb.  Thomas, the Commander, ushered Lyla away from Cynder and took her back to see the Queen in the Produrai community.At the community, Lyla discovered that Ronan had been captured when she had escaped from Terra.  To spare Ronan’s life, Lyla was forced by the Queen into a marriage with Thomas.  Cynder and Thane found out about Lyla’s wedding and planned rescue both her and Ronan.  Before the wedding ceremony began, the Queen announced Lyla as the next Queen of their people.The Chief of the Mantekai interrupted the ceremony claiming that Lyla could not marry Thomas due to the bond she and Cynder had made as children.  Cynder, in owl form, flew to the center aisle and challenged the Commander for Lyla.  Lyla was forced to watch as Cynder and Thomas exchanged blows.During the ceremony, Ronan was dragged out of the community by two of the Produrai knights.  They were intercepted and quickly defeated by Thane.  Thane entrusted the safe return of Ronan to two of his younger Mantekai brothers.  He returned to the community to help Cynder.The wedding ceremony ended in blood as Thomas not only took Cynder’s life but also the life of his sister, Angel.  The Produrai disperse from the wedding leaving only the group of Mantekai and Cynder’s lifeless body behind.

Book One: Forbidden

In  Forbidden: Book One of the Sanctorian Series , we discovered a world that is constantly at war.  Sanctoria is home to three races of people each with their own unique abilities.

The Produrai possess the ability to manipulate fauna using the powers that lie dormant within them until they come of age.  Among them we have met Lyla, one of the heirs to the Produrai throne.  Her group of friends includes Angel, Joel, and Adam.  Angel’s brother, Thomas, Commands the Produrai legions in the war against their enemy, the Domura.  The Queen of the Produrai moved their people to Terra more than a decade ago to escape the never-ending war on Sanctoria.  The Produrai live in mainly in seclusion in a community on the outskirts of Vancouver.The Domura can read people’s thoughts and use compulsion making them a formidable foe.  Thanark, the outcast prince and heir to the Domuran throne, has taken possession of the Produrai palace on Sanctoria.  He and three of his most trusted patrols-Argo, Beckon and Nikko- have been searching for the location of the Produrai since their unexpected disappearance from Sanctoria.  Prince Thanark was outcast from his home after witnessing the murder of his mother, the Queen of the Domura.  For him to claim his mantle, he must avenge his mother and take the life of the Produrai that murdered her.  To speed up his search, Thanark made a pact with the Chiefs of Mantekai.The Mantekai can take the shape of any living creature.  They are a nomadic people with tight family bonds.  Among the clan of Mantekai are the Chief and his nine sons- Ronan, Cynder, Theron, Kalren and Hunter (the twins), Lucas, Porter, Tristan and Duncan.  The Chief moved his clan of Mantekai to Terra in hopes of a fresh start for his people.Our story began when Lyla met Cynder.  Cynder had searched for Lyla since the Produrai had left Sanctoria.  He would shift into his owl form and disappear from his clan for days at a time while he traveled all of Terra in search for his childhood friend.  Lyla and Cynder were bonded by blood and ancient magic under the twin moons of Sanctoria when they were children.Cynder planned on brining Lyla back with him to his clan but she was kidnapped by his brother, Ronan, before that could happen.  Ronan lied to Lyla and made her believe that Cynder wanted to take her life by surrendering her to the Prince of the Domura.  She and Ronan hid themselves in a youth hostel in Los Angeles, disappearing into the city’s large population.  It was not long before they were discovered.  Lyla, in an attempt to escape, fell into a portal that took both her and Cynder back to Sanctoria.After a time, Lyla realized that she still cared for Cynder.  She learned to trust him as they journeyed to the Produrai palace, unbeknownst to them that it was currently occupied by the Domura.  Lyla and Cynder met three Domuran patrols along their journey and were separated.  She was rescued from the chasing patrols by a tradesman named Thane (Prince Thanark).Thane helped her to rescue Cynder from the hands of the Domura.  Lyla and Cynder took Thane back to Terra with them to spare him from Domuran punishment.  Upon their arrival on Terra, they came across a large mass of Mantekai and Produrai dressed in battle garb.  Thomas, the Commander, ushered Lyla away from Cynder and took her back to see the Queen in the Produrai community.At the community, Lyla discovered that Ronan had been captured when she had escaped from Terra.  To spare Ronan’s life, Lyla was forced by the Queen into a marriage with Thomas.  Cynder and Thane found out about Lyla’s wedding and planned rescue both her and Ronan.  Before the wedding ceremony began, the Queen announced Lyla as the next Queen of their people.The Chief of the Mantekai interrupted the ceremony claiming that Lyla could not marry Thomas due to the bond she and Cynder had made as children.  Cynder, in owl form, flew to the center aisle and challenged the Commander for Lyla.  Lyla was forced to watch as Cynder and Thomas exchanged blows.During the ceremony, Ronan was dragged out of the community by two of the Produrai knights.  They were intercepted and quickly defeated by Thane.  Thane entrusted the safe return of Ronan to two of his younger Mantekai brothers.  He returned to the community to help Cynder.The wedding ceremony ended in blood as Thomas not only took Cynder’s life but also the life of his sister, Angel.  The Produrai disperse from the wedding leaving only the group of Mantekai and Cynder’s lifeless body behind.

Loved By A Killer: A Sexy Paranormal Thriller by C. F. Rabbiosi

This is a quick read at only 280 pages.  Set in London during the late 1800s, C. F. Rabbiosi creates a world of vampires, ghosts, and other creatures that go bump in the night.  Lord Marcus Loxley is the definition of a true Alpha male with all the rough edges intact. Raina Corliss is a brave dancer whom enters although unwillingly into a life as a creature of the night.  She fights between her instinct to give herself fully to Lord Marcus knowing that he is not the right man for her and her ability to keep from losing herself.

 *****Fare warning this novel contains rape, graphic violence, and explicit content. *****

Overall i loved how C.F. Rabbiosi draws you into the world she has created.  I was completely captivated by the first chapter falling for Marcus instantly.  Raina was also easy to like however i disliked her character because she kept putting herself into situations even though she knew it was going to be dangerous.  It seems like she couldn't say "No" to anyone except for Marcus (and she struggled with that).

The plot flowed well with added elements and twists along the way.  The beginning draws you in and the ending leaves you wondering what will happen to Raina.  Will she ever achieve the happiness she is searching for?

If you are interested in reading Loved by a Killer click here to download from Amazon.

The Helio Trilogy by Valerie Roeseler

The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3 by Valerie Roeseler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a good series but i found the depth of some of the characters lacking. Also i didn't like how book 1 ended. I felt it was like watching the final episode of Game of Thrones when the screen just turns black and you are like WTF!!!! The plot moved well and kept my attention. Also i liked how Valerie didn't write the female characters as weak. A lot of times females are considered weak when facing off against a male but Valerie didn't let this happen. I loved the strong female lead.

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Meet Lyla Starborn

Lyla Starborn, AKA Princess Lyla, is the fifth born and youngest heir in the Produrai hierarchy.  She was born on Sanctoria, a world with three races of people constantly at war with each other.

Lyla's two brothers died more than a decade before she was born.  She grows up as an outsider in the Produrai palace.  Her mother, the Queen, is icy towards her leaving Lyla to grow up lonely and without a parental figure.

Being born a Princess, Lyla will have certain obligations when she comes of age.  She is expected to fulfill her role as one of the royal bloodline and take her place within the community.  Although this may sound enticing to some, to Lyla this seems more like slavery.

Lyla goes through many obstacles when she leaves the community.  With the help of an unexpected enemy turned alley, Lyla hides among the Terrans avoiding capture.  She finds happiness on Terra only to lose it once again.

Lyla's story, beginning in Forbidden: Book One of the Sanctorian Series, starts off  sad and lonely.  She shuns the customs of her own people to live in a world of beauty and wonder.  Lyla will face not only the ill fated love for her enemy but also the revenge of a prince whose main objective in life the genocide of the Produrai people. 

Read about Lyla's story at Forbidden: Book One of the Sanctorian Series