Tanya Contois's Blog, page 12

My review of Beautiful Breakdown Hunters Blood 5 by Rue Volley from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Darkness to Light Hunter’s Blood 5

Author:Rue Volley

Fiction, Paranormal,

This review may contain spoilers

I was given this E-ARC by the author for an honest review

Summary: In this 5th and final instalment in the Hunter's Blood series, Vanessa has finally reached her breaking point as she awakes in a place she never expected to be. Vanessa has come to realize that she must take a path, one that will finally answer questions to her past and allow her to become what she was meant to be. Haunted by fragments of memory and that of Hunter himself, Vanessa finally allows her mind to accept the truth of her beginning, middle and perhaps end. This ends the Hunter's Blood series in short segments but due to it's popularity the series will now be taken to novel form and book one will release at the beginning of 2013. This series is extremely graphic in nature and meant for an audience of 18+.

The Review
OMG, I love Hunter’s Blood it is one of the best series out there, there are vamps, there is Sex, boy is there a lot of sex, What more could you ask for? This one is brilliant, it follows our lovely Vanessa, through waking up in an asylum and the trauma of her memory losses and what happens to her, I love how Hunter is always there for Vanessa, I can’t wait for the full length novel to come out, to be able to spend a lot longer with Hunter  and Vanessa will be totally Awesome,  I love how Rue writes, you will be totally engrossed in the world of vampirism to the extreme, loved it, 6/5

My review of Hunt by Claire Crow from Julie Newberry

Ebook: HuntAuthor: Claire CrowPublished: Oct 2011Publisher: Secret Fire Press Fiction, Fantasy,This review may contain spoilersThis was given to me in ebook form from Confessions of a Bookaholic for reviewSummary: Blowing off steam at a Saturday night party with the girl you really want to date can lead to hearing your friend’s thoughts, pissing off the Faery King , and imminent mortal danger – If your sixteen year old Kevin Landon, instant freak, his new normal, a best friend with a secret, A doomed Rock ‘n’ Roll singer, A kidnapped father, Only Kevin can save them.But first he must survive the Hunt….
What can I say, this book was action packed, I loved it, I would give this book 4.5/5, not sure if this is aimed at YA, as there were a couple of words that would worry me if my 12 year old daughter read it, but then it would be ideal for a 16/17 year old boy to read, Well lets start on the characters, First you have Kevin our hero, who it turns out is a freak, he can hear people’s thoughts when he is in mortal danger, but that’s not as freaky as some of the characters, his new best friend, Rude, real name Rudolph, not the reindeer, who it turns out has a massive secret that would freak out most people, then there is Amy, the girl Kevin has a major crush on and which seems completely mutual between them, There is Oscar the seer, who is Rude’s mentor, can’t say much more without giving it all away, there is the school councillor Mr Nance, who until later in the book you don’t know if he is good or evil, we have Stacy. Short for Anastasia. After the Russian princess, who always seems to be about, Then there is Simone, the half faery, half human being, who seems to have a crush on Kevin and will help him whenever she can, she can also sing you into a stupor, she can make you think about whatever she wants you to when she sings, That’s magic!! we have Kevin’s dad who has completely lost the plot, which is understandable as he lost his wife (Kevin’s mother) then there is the evil Faery King and the wild hunt who is after Kevin and all the minions who the king has chasing Kevin too, this is definitely a book that will keep you engrossed page after page after page.The story line in this book was great, it was not hard to follow at all, I would easily recommend this as a great read, if you love the Fae, but not the nice down the bottom of the garden variety, these fae are quite nasty, although towards the end, I was growing to like the Faery king, not sure if that was the authors plan, but then that could just be me, ;) I hope there is a book 2 as I would love to know what happens next for all the gang, especially Kevin, I don’t want to give too much away, but his life will be forever changed at the end of the book and I want to know how he carried on with life after.

My review of Shadows & Voices by Jason Ellis from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Shadows & voices; a Holly Silverstone adventure (Holly Silverstone books)Author : Jason EllisFiction, Paranormal, YAThis review may contain spoilersSummary: Meet young Holly Silverstone, the girl who sees daisies turn to butterflies ... who dreams of places that she has never been to ... who is invited to study at the elusive and enchanting Highlands Academy of truth and excellence.The voices will come, one-thousand and one, the voices will come. Fear is the key, fear to see. The voices will come, one-thousand and one, the voices will come.As Holly took a sip of her tea and held the piece of paper between her fingers, veins of ink slowly crept across the paper. She wanted to drop it and scream … yet a more powerful part of her made the fingers on her hands grasp the letter even tighter and her eyes open wider.The ink seeped and whirled around, forming words;We have a question for you, Holly.Do you want to know how the daisies turned to butterflies?
The ReviewWOW, Can I please live in Holly’s new world, I would love to have a door like hers in my bedroom   anyway enough of that, don’t want any spoilers do we? I just love how the author has written this book it did jump a little bit in the beginning but then you get to know the characters quicker which was great, I really loved it, it helped the story to flow just like water down a stream, , I loved all the intricate details in each of the characters, the places they visited, the magic that was created, The author really did an excellent job, it was very well written, Holly the main character was your typical girl until she receives an invite to a very prestigious school, this would change her life forever. She takes it in her stride though, she didn’t squeal and throw a fit like some girls, she just got on with it, a great novel and I can hardly wait for book 2, I would highly recommend this infact it’s now on my daughters list to read, she is going to love it,  4.5/5


Here are some more of Jason Ellis's work,Amelia Maylock, book one; the 12th year awakening;http://www.amazon.com/Amelia-Maylock-book-12th-awakening/dp/1906529000/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1348049497&sr=1-1-catcorr 
Amelia Maylock, book two; Hidden in the amethyst;http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Amethyst-Amelia-Maylock-ebook/dp/B007Q7F9H4/ref=la_B0034PLAIY_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1348049587&sr=1-12

Amelia Maylock, book three; Ysmirao and the pearl of time;http://www.amazon.com/Ysmirao-pearl-Amelia-Maylock-ebook/dp/B007Q7FAIW/ref=la_B0034PLAIY_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1348049718&sr=1-15

Amelia Maylock, book four; The Jade treasure of Shadows;http://www.amazon.com/treasure-shadows-Amelia-Maylock-ebook/dp/B007Q7FBJU/ref=la_B0034PLAIY_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1348049766&sr=1-14

Shadows & Voices; Holly Silverstone, book one;http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-voices-Silverstone-adventure-ebook/dp/B007INO0VC/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2

And modern fiction for the 'grown-up' reader - Banana skins on the table;http://www.amazon.com/Banana-skins-table-ebook/dp/B007Q7FCWG/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1348049875&sr=1-6 

My review of Hippocampus by Tom Tancin from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Hippocampus, Book of the Atlantis Revoution
Author:  Tom Tancin
Due out: June 2012
Fiction, YA, Fantasy,
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: The Knights of the Abyss wage war on Atlantis. Sixteen year old Trey Atlas is the only one that can stop them from destroying all that Atlantis stands for and, as a result, erasing his own mysterious past.Atlantis exists. Of course, you don’t know this because it’s hidden from our world.  Eleven thousand years ago, the Greeks and Egyptians attacked Atlantis.  In order to protect the island, Aruc, a sorcerer, created an illusion of the island sinking and then put a barrier in place to prevent outsiders from seeing or gaining access to Atlantis.  But Aruc knew that the isolated island was not safe forever.  In fact, he cast the very prophecy that predicted the bleak future of the island.  His prophecy became known as Profiteia ek Espanastasi.
From Blood of Evil and Blood of TrueA Boy is Born and this Prophecy DueFor When the Abyss Rises to Make It’s MarkThe Saviour is the Boy with Royal Blood Half Dark  The sorcerer then designed a plan that would ensure the survival of the island he loved.  For thousands of years, Atlantis continued in Peace and prosperity with no need for the plan.Sixteen years ago, the Prince foreseen in Aruc’s prophecy was born.  Familiar with the prophecy, and knowing that one day the boy would be needed to save Atlantis, the royal family sent the baby off to ensure his safety in the world outside Atlantis.  Eleven thousand years after it was created, Aruc’s plan was finally put in motion.The Atlantis Revolution begins….
The ReviewI was worried that I wouldn’t like this book, I didn’t like it, I REALLY LOVED IT, I would give this book 4.5/5, I am not a big lover of mythological books but this went beyond basic mythology, The story starts in Atlantis, with Aerian who is a sorceress, she helps guide you to Trey our hero in the story, which brings you to the present day, The detail in the descriptions of the characters were fab, as I said Trey is our hero, he didn’t really have a love interest in this one, but as this is aimed at the YA, that is not a bad thing, Aerian(the sorceress) calls to Trey to get him to help her and then explains to him how and why he is now in Atlantis and then she helps Trey to overtake the rebellion, Ries is the soldier who stands by Trey in his hour of need and helps him in his quest, he is almost like a father figure to Trey, I know Trey is the hero but I seriously do believe that Ries has his own story to tell, maybe a lost love? Trey finds a new friend in Oaren, a boy just a little younger than himself but wise in the world of Atlantis, he helps him to become what he should be.The language what can I say about that WOW, just wow, love that it was based on the Greek language especially when you read why Atlantis disappeared. This book is a full on adventure, I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, I could not put it down, I am a woman at the age of mmmm 40 and I enjoyed it, I love a good romance and this was a break from the norm for me but I would gladly take another break.  I felt like I had been transported to Atlantis, I was there in the story, fighting for the people’s rights, right along side Trey and his team, I love when a book can do that, I am really looking forward to part two.

My review of Haunted Moon by K.B. Miller from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Haunted MoonAuthor: Kymberlee Burks-MillerFiction, This review may contain spoilersI bought this on Amazon for review for Confessions of a bookaholicSummary: Before Lilyann stepped into her destiny to lead the coven, there was another powerful Moon witch...her grandmother. A teenage witch in Galway, Ireland, Leeny Moon was prepared to take her rightful place in the circle along side of her kin. Until, she witnessed firsthand the forthcoming nightmares she would be expected to face.
The fight between good versus evil begins here...
Blessed Be~ReviewI love having a short story which leads to the main book, the back story always helps when you start reading the main book, in this case Compulsion, I will be reading that one next, I loved this novella, I love the title by the way, just had to say.
We meet Aileen or Leeny as everyone calls her, a teenager on the precipice of joining the local coven where her mother is the head witch, Haunted Moon gave me a great insight into the mind of a witch to be, although this was set in 1947 in Galway Bay, it could easily have been set in our generation of teens.
Leeny has been given her first Grimoire by her mother, This is where we first meet her as she starts writing in it, she is being taught by her mother, Rose, on how a witch uses her powers and abilities to eradicate the bane of the human world, The Vampires, which were accidently brought into this world by an ancestor of Leeny's called Ana, who went a bit mad after her fiance was killed, she conjured him back to life as a vampire, so because of this, the witches use their powers to destroy them, Leeny has to learn how to protect the people in her village and of course her family, which is alot for a young lady to take on, but on top of that, she also has to be initiated into the Moon Coven, the trials and tribulations of training was very insightful, I would love to be able to control Fire, like Leeny and her mum, she is also having to keep on top of her studies at school, during training one night her mother fights with a vampire, Nicholas, which leads Leeny to believe that her mother enjoyed it a little too much, which makes her think maybe being a witch may not be a good thing, Poor Leeny has so much to deal with, she has a sister called Colleen or Colly, who desperately wants to be in the coven, but she is not old enough and so feels that Leeny has been given a gift that she is not using correctly, so starts being mean to Leeny, I felt so Sorry for her, she was so alone for a while, Leeny goes through a patch of not wanting to commit murder or kill vampires, until she comes up against one, I would recommend reading this one, I loved this book and cannot wait to read Compulsion.

Review of The Modified by C.A. Kunz and a giveaway

REVIEW

The Modified by C.A. Kunz was a very enjoyable read from start to finish. Each of the characters were likable. My favorite character was definitely Sam because I loved how sarcastic she was. The storyline was extremely well written and I was a little surprised to find that I enjoyed reading The Modified as much as I did being that I usually don't read books with science fiction elements. I thought it was a great book and I am most definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this exciting new series by C.A. Kunz.



What would you sacrifice to save the one’s you love? To save the one who holds your heart? To save the world?


Kenley Grayson is all too familiar with these questions.


After Earth is thrust into its first intergalactic war with an unknown race called the Bringers, our military forces begin to suffer heavy losses. Desperate for a solution, the Allied Federation issues a worldwide draft for every able seventeen year old to enlist. As Kenley turns seventeen, she finds herself thrown into the very war that took her older brother’s life.


This year’s draft is a little different than in the past though. A new program, known as the Magnus Project, has been introduced, and only the best and brightest qualify. Kenley is amongst a select few whom are chosen to join this elite group of soldiers, and as a part of this project, undergoes a modification procedure that leaves her and her peers endowed with powers beyond their wildest dreams.


As Earth continues in its struggle against the Bringers, Kenley is transported to a high-tech training facility, the Magnus Academy, to prepare for the major battle that lies ahead. It’s here that she meets the California heartthrob, and son of a legendary war hero, Landon Shaw. As unexpected feelings toward Landon begin to develop, Kenley wonders if this is the right time or place for romance to bloom, especially when those feelings start to interfere with her training.


With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Kenley is constantly reminded of how important she and the rest of the Magnus cadets are to the fate of humanity. She is one of the Modified, Earth’s last line of defense against utter destruction.
EXCERPT

I feel a sudden surge of power in my hand that runs all the way up to my brain. I see flashes of words, and those words begin to form sentences, and those sentences form paragraphs. I begin to see full pages of writing in my head. The rush is intense. When it's all finished, the book in my head closes and I can read the title, The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

Carol and Adam Kunz make up the mom and son author duo, C.A. Kunz. They thoroughly enjoy writing about things that go bump in the night and action-packed dystopian romances while drinking massive amounts of English breakfast tea and Starbucks coffee. The author pair currently reside forty-five minutes away from each other in the sunny state of Florida. If you would like to find out more about this duo, The Modified, or THE CHILDE series, please visit the links below:
Our Links:
C.A. Kunz’s Blog C.A. Kunz’s Facebook Page
Links where to buy the book

Amazon
Barnes and Noble Smashwords
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

My review of Forbidden by Megan Curd from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Forbidden (The Guardian Chronicles)
Author: Megan Curd
Fiction, paranormal, YA
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: Levi's job is to protect his human until it's their time to go. That's what a Guard does. He's done it for years on end, and he'll spend his eternity doing the same, mundane thing, following the same, mundane rules....Watch from afar....Never share your name....And above all, never touch a human.What Levi doesn't know is that his newest human to protect, Hannah, just might be the catalyst to tipping the scales between good and evil, and he will be forced to decide which side he belongs to. Which friends will he side with, and who will he ultimately protect: his human, or the delicate balance that hangs on stopping the heartbeat of the person he has sworn to protect?And, when you're already condemned, what's there to lose by breaking the rules?
ReviewWOW, Loved it, this book had me gripped from start to finish, Where do we start, well OK we will start with characters, We should start with Levi, our hero (wish someone was watching over me like him, yum yum) the story is told from his point of view, which I think is fantastic, too many books are written from the girls point of view, to have a guys perspective makes a great change, he is 101 year old guard, someone with black wings sent to look after certain souls in their human bodies until it is time for them to leave this Earth, this is where Hannah Gordon (your average high school student) comes in, she was his call, the one he has been sent to look after, unfortunately he seemed to break all the rules where she was involved, then we have Levi’s best friend another guard called Ethan, who seemed to be a bit of a playboy, but that added to his charm, I loved Ethan, he had most of the classic one-liners, he also had an answer for everything, would love to read his story especially what happens from about half way through this book, as he seemed to get more interesting, can’t say too much or I will end up spoiling it for everyone who wants to read it, but believe me he will definitely be worth reading about,  then we have Angie, She is Hannah’s best friend and she was Ethan’s call, she was in it as a best friend in the beginning, just a mention here and there, but as the story progressed she had a more important part to play, there were other characters too but  these are the main ones, I loved them all, The storyline was loosely based on Angels, I like that, it made a change, If you like winged things or rather people in your stories this is the book for you, The twists and turns that Levi had to go through for Hannah was astounding, could not put it down, just glad it was a sunny day, so the kids could go outside and play, The love that Levi had for Hannah was all consuming and occasionally I felt it made him a-bit wimpyish, but that only happened a couple of times, so it did not alter  the story, He told his side, so I would like to believe all boys go through this stage at some point in their lives, We can only wish right girls? I can’t wait for book 2 I hope there will be a book 2 as its Guardian Chronicles, So I really hope there will be more, I am really looking forward to it.  I would give this book a 4/5, you will be hooked from the start, Enjoy. 

My review of First Visions by Heather Topham Wood

Ebook: First Visions: Second Sight Book One
Author :Heather Topham
Fiction, Paranormal, Thriller
This review may contain spoilers
I was given this by the author for an honest review
Summary: Two years ago, 21-year-old Kate Edwards became deathly ill and slipped into a coma. While unconscious, she crept into the mind of a missing boy and awoke with the knowledge of his location. Friends and family were sceptical and wary of her new ability to see into the minds of others. Their fears prompted Kate to keep her psychic powers a secret. Feeling alienated, she dropped out of college and spent most of her days holed up at her mother's home.Now another child has been abducted. Police detective Jared Corbett seeks out Kate for her help in solving the case. Reluctantly, Kate agrees and they must work together to bring 8-year-old Cori Preston home to her family. Although attracted to one another, Jared has a girlfriend with ties to the abduction case and Kate is sarcastic and guarded since her coma. With visions she can't control and an uncontrollable attraction to the detective, she wonders if she can leave the past behind and finally stop hiding from the world. Otherwise, Cori may be lost forever.
The ReviewI loved this book, it was extremely well written, I was totally enthralled by Katie and the problems she had after her coma, I loved the dynamic she had with Jared the detective, I really loved the ending by the way, I just had to put that in there, This had so much going on in it, I just could not put it down, The only thing wrong with this book was the fact that it ended, I would love to have known how they get on, although hopefully we will find out in Book 2, whenever that comes out, I would highly recommend this to all my friends, I know a few who would get a kick out of it, it caters to many genres, there are those who love detectives, those that love Psychic powers, those that love romance, 5/5 

My review of Embrace (The Gryphon Series) by Stacey Rourke from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Embrace The Gryphon Series, Book 2
Author : Stacey Rourke
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
I was given this by the author for review
Summary: Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her. Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.
The ReviewI loved the family dynamic in the first book of the series, The Conduit, in this book we meet them again Celeste, Gabe and Keni, and it’s no surprise but  well I have to say it again, I loved it in this one too, The siblings got on so much better in this book, which goes to show, they matured abit with all the responsibility they have taken under their wings, We had all the same characters in Embrace as the first one, as well as some new ones, talking of which I loved “The Glee club” right up until near the end, The way they would pop up now and again, kept you on yours toes, I want Caleb, I want to take him home with me, Rowan Mmmm another I could take home with me, Gabe and Keni managed to have ordinary lives with boy friends/girlfriends but poor Celeste, just could not have a normal life, at least for a while, she feels separated from everyone around her, they get on with their lives, but for Celeste, things will never be the same again,  This book was intricately weaved, so you never knew who was good and who was bad, with twists and turns in the plot that had me on the edge of my seat, It was so hard to work out until near the end, I Love a good plot line and this definitely had one, infact it had a few, The baddy in this was wicked crazy, definitely a worthwhile villain, I would love to see a little novella with keni’s life with Henry and Gabe’s life with ?  I can’t say too much, spoilers and all that. I can’t wait for book 3, dying to know what or who, made Celeste scream, I hate cliffhangers, they really make me wanna go and find the author and stand over them until the book is finished, Please hurry up Stacey, I need my fix, I would highly recommend this book to anyone after a great story, 5.5/5 I know it only goes up to 5 but this deserves way more, We want book 3, We want book 3. 

My review of Darkness to Light by Rue Volley from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Darkness to Light Hunter’s Blood 5
Author:Rue Volley
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
I was given this E-ARC by the author for an honest review
Summary: In this 5th and final instalment in the Hunter's Blood series, Vanessa has finally reached her breaking point as she awakes in a place she never expected to be. Vanessa has come to realize that she must take a path, one that will finally answer questions to her past and allow her to become what she was meant to be. Haunted by fragments of memory and that of Hunter himself, Vanessa finally allows her mind to accept the truth of her beginning, middle and perhaps end. This ends the Hunter's Blood series in short segments but due to it's popularity the series will now be taken to novel form and book one will release at the beginning of 2013. This series is extremely graphic in nature and meant for an audience of 18+.
The ReviewOMFG, I love Hunter’s Blood it is one of the best series out there, there are vamps, there is Sex, boy is there a lot of sex, What more could you ask for? This one is brilliant, it follows our lovely Vanessa, through waking up in an asylum and the trauma of her memory losses and what happens to her, I love how Hunter is always there for Vanessa, I can’t wait for the full length novel to come out, to be able to spend a lot longer with Hunter  and Vanessa will be totally Awesome,  I love how Rue writes, you will be totally engrossed in the world of vampirism to the extreme, loved it, 6/5