A. Renee Hunt's Blog, page 92

Opalescent by Sarah Elle Emm (Book Tour)

      Opalescent by Sarah Elle Emm is the second book of the Harmony Run Series.  Once again, in the land of interracials,   we find Rain ready to take down President Nicks with her band of merry teens- but now the rules have changed.  Now they're discovering they have "powers" to fight with.  


     There's also relational conflict between Jabari and Rain.  In the form of a female spy, the lovestruck couple finds trouble.  Can Rain let go of the young man she loves if he's fallen for a traitor and can they put all of that aside to stop the president from gassing everyone on Mother's Day?

     Book 2 was much better than one, but again, I wasn't sold enough to immerse myself into the story.  As with book one, if I can't get in, I want out.  I saw this book transform from the 80's version of Red Dawn into the X-men.  There were other areas where these books borrowed from other stories of similar fashion; to me, vaporizes all originality points.  I just could not enjoy the story.

     From what I understand, there are more books to the Harmony series.  I may not read them, but I have to say, Sarah Elle Emm tells stories, just not really good ones.
Have a nice day and find a new book!  

Prismatic of the Harmony Runs Series by Sarah Elle Emm

     As part of an awesome book tour, I jumped at the chance to review Prismatic.  Sarah Elle Emm is the author of the Harmony Run Series, tales of futuristic tyranny and racial segregation.  The group, UZTA (United Zones of the Authority) run by President Nicks, has diminished the United States and separated the country into zones, leaving residents in particular areas according to their nationality, and anyone Mixed was removed.  Bi-racial's are considered the lowest of the low and treated as slaves, going without an education, marriage, and permission to have children.  They're literally left to work and die away- a mild form of genocide.

     As I read this book, I begged for the story to go deeper than children could take it.  Sadly, that didn't happen.  As with the majority of dystopian tales, the world has pressed our young ones to take risks, educate themselves, then rise up, as though adults have been completely removed.  In this case, the parents are there but are so mentally weak, no one else will fight back.  

     The story was strong and the characters slightly realistic, but I could not bring myself to really care for Rain and Jabari as much as I know I should have.  I think the idea of hormonally challenged, erratic behaving teens leading the old and young is just too much for me.  The story was very slow and the necessary conflict that should have bloomed for the second book just was not there.  I found myself thumbing through the last hundred pages or so.  Then to be brought to such an odd cliffhanger, ending the story without much reason- threw me off.  Who knows, there may be light at the beginning of the next book!  We shall see...

Edward Carey's Foulsham, book 2 of the Iremonger Trilogy

     Here's the second installment of the Iremonger Trilogy.  I should be receiving the third book any day now.  

     Now this one was more fun to read.  Foulsham was much better a read than Heap House but it still could have been written much better.  As I read, I kept hearing the raspy voice of a scullery maid.  There was repetition and backwards talk that was annoying from time to time, but I pushed through it and liked it much better.

     In book two, everything takes place in Foulsham which is a totally different place from Heap House where it's run by an Uncle Umbitt.  The man's the reason for all the inanimate objects going rogue as people and people turning into inanimate objects.  I can' tell too much of the story without telling the story of Heap House- and you know how I feel about spoilers!  Just know this, Clod is a gold coin, being spent all over town and poor Lucy (lost amongst the heaps) is a clay button!  

     Check out Foulsham.  If you read independent of Heap House (which I rated last week), you may find yourself lost but it still reads best!  Have an amazing day.  Go out and find an amazing book!  

Plague Risers by Anthony Ergo

     First off, the cover of this book is EPIC!  I happened across an Instagram page and found one of my buddies had received a physical, ARC copy of this book, Plague Risers by Anthony Ergo.  I salivated!  I had to have a copy of the book!  Sadly, copies were available (only across the pond

Wants Of An Incubus by Ashley Hill

     If you know what an incubus or a sucubus is, then you can guess what this tale is about.  Well, not all of it, but... yeah...

     Wants Of An Incubus by Ashley Hill is about Annabelle and her vivid, lucid dreams of her boyfriend Henry.  Or who she thought was Henry.  

     Annabelle has dreams, how many I'm unsure, of her boyfriend who's stationed in North Carolina with the Marines. She's missing him desperately.  So desperately, in fact, she experiences a lucid, erotic dream.  Since she's a young adult, she thinks nothing of the feverish dream until she walks in on her mother's book club.  

     Because this is a short story, I didn't rate the same way I would a novel.  This book was very interesting, even without carnal knowledge.  It told of a girl that was lonely and missed her man- normal.  What wasn't normal is everything that happened afterwards.      FIRST, I love the book cover.     As you all know, I am a fanatic for the eye candy and this cover is interesting, fleshy, sexy and stirs the imagination.  You wonder what's going on with that shadowy stuff at the bottom and if the girl is the main character of the story.  I like that.  A cover that makes you ask questions offers the hope of discovery, mystery and adventure.  A+ if you ask me.  

     Now, Annabelle comes across some strange situations, but for the life of me, I really understand the why of them.  Her mother gives a brief explanation and it's just like, "Okay".  No anger, no fuss, no denial.  I know I'd have been in shock!  Then things that shouldn't speak begin to speak and she sees things she was never meant to see, and it's just sorta accepted.  Then the worst: her mother betrays her in the most impossible way... and she never truly finds out why.  It's not like this book carries one of those Japanese themed tales and things happen without rhyme or reason.  You sorta expect that from some of the more gothic tales, but this isn't one of them.  I can't explain it; you'll have to read it.

     I enjoyed it, more than likely because it was a short, as I stated earlier.  She's got more books so I think I'm going to read another.  It may be her style, and if so- that's awesome and it'll explain a lot.  It's $.99 right now- grab Wants Of An Incubus and check it out for yourself.  On to the next book! 

Harmony Run's Giveaway! (Book Tour Promo)

The book tour has begun!  Enter for a chance to win an Amazon Gift Card!
Giveaway sponsored by book r3vi3w Toursa Rafflecopter giveaway Books of the Harmony Run Series

Edward Carey's Heap House (The Iremonger Trilogy)

     Heap House is part of a three-book series.  The titles are Heap House, Foulsham and Langdon, making the Iremonger Trilogy.  I was thrilled when I saw them on Amazon.com- so I purchased two and placed a pre-order on the third.

     Now I'm sorry I did.  Heap House was about many things, but the way the book was written, I didn't find myself caring about a single one.  First off, it would seem every one is related to the Iremongers, which is  supposed to be a family name.  The problem is that the family marries within itself.  The more Iremonger's, the more family but third, fourth and fifth cousins don't matter.  They're called Iremonger's- because they're distant family.  Only the full blooded Iremonger's are called by actual names.  Also each member, once born, is given an item.  They have to carry this item everywhere they go.  All the time.  Some even form their personalities from these items.  Sadly, most of these items were once people!  That's the other piece to the story that was interesting, yet crazy!

     Clod, who is a second cousin can hear the items that were once people, but they only say one thing: their names.  First and last, that's all they say.  If a birth item is lost, everyone calls on Clod to help them find it- he's the only one who can hear them.  Anyway, things aren't normal in Heap House anymore and before Clod is to marry another Iremonger named Pinalippy, he and a distant Iremonger must solve the mystery of why things are turning into people and people into things...

     It was boring, I'm sorry.  It was almost written in rhyme at times, with repetition and sentences almost put together backwards.  I grew tired of it early on.  There was a time when I'd been thrilled to get this book.  Now I wish I'd purchased something else.  Sorry.  Time find another book; a good book.  Have a great one! 

Seeking Havok by Lila Feliz

     I received this book with a flash of excitement.  I'd met the author on Instagram- actually we were following each other when she made the announcement of her book.  I jumped at the opportunity to read it.  Today's book is titled: Seeking Havok

     Havok is an 18 year old, honor roll, high school student who has the misfortune of being the daughter of a stripper, prostitute and drug addict.  Never having known a father or anything other than a life of poverty, Havok feels her mother needs her loyalty and support.   Because of her mother's seedy lifestyle, Havok has a one true friend to lean on.  Her only means of escape are dreams of attending college and listening to a radio DJ named Fade.

     I love a good coming of age novel and Lila Felix is moving up there with the very best.  The book was riveting and the characters were well developed. They could easily have been the next door neighbor or people around the corner.  Her name also exemplifies the dark, unkempt life in which she has had the misfortune to be born into.  The story is her struggle to provide support for a neglectful, unfeeling mother, while preventing herself from getting caught up the the same lifestyle.  

     Seeking Havoc was a great and fast read for me.   It was visual, emotional and encouraging and a book I'd recommend to anyone. 

Zombies v. Ninjas 2: Domination by R. A. Barnes

     Zombies have been introduced onto a small, secluded island through tainted animal feed and the meat from this livestock being consumed by humans.  Bodies are rising after two or three days.  Even more horrifying, dead virgin females of child-bearing age are reproducing after a 3 week gestation period.  These infants are born with teeth and a poisonous bite.  They develop into adult status after 2 years.

     John Baptist (a religious, crazed serial killer) has created a spawning commune for these offsprings.  They worship the Mother (Maria de Nazarene) of the first clone, known as the Son and Father, are working towards a new society where clones are superior and humans have been relegated to zombie slave status.  The only thing standing in Baptist’s way is Dr. Ruby Barnes, a senior psychiatrist, and his colleague of karate warriors.
     This was one of the weirdest books I've ever read!  You're immediately informed of what has obviously occurred in a previous book before the continuation in Domination.  Had I known this book wasn't a stand alone, I'd have hunted down the first one to familiarize myself with the story.  Sadly, I have a #TBR list to follow, so...

     Zombie verses Ninjas 2: Domination has an odd but exciting beginning, however the thought of a few karate warriors facing a thousand zombies is a ridiculous scenario- even with military reinforcements.  Since the world of the undead is totally up to the author, I didn't cringe or throw out a n image of Jean Luc Picard (as in the memes all over the internet) asking, "What the 'bleep' is this?"  There are zombies, okay.  Then there are pregnant zombies, thanks to the awesome chemical creation Parthenogenesis, the infants are born with razor sharp teeth and venom!  There's more insanity but  No Spoilers!  

     I liked the story in general, but there was not enough information about the bad guy.  I never found out why he wanted to enslave mankind (I guess it was in the previous book)  Also, if you know me, you know I have a problem with weak, male protagonists.  He couldn't even defend himself from his wife's jealousy!  One of the main character's colleague (Maggie) was probably the most interesting because she had more of a "take charge" attitude, which is more like me.  Once I know what I'm up against, it's on and she was that sorta gal.  Then thee was the continuous working to produce an antidote formula, the whole book, and it was never finished! 

     The thing is, zombie stories are not set in stone. An apocalyptic world can go in any direction the author chooses, and that's cool, but this was too much for me.  I just couldn't grasp exactly why it all happened this way and when confused, you don't leave the reader on the sort of cliffhanger that stops dead in its tracks.   Ha!  Pun intended!  I guess you can say I liked the concept but not the way the author delivered it. Rating: 

I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

     This book is a riot!  I found myself laughing, frowning, and wincing throughout the entire book.  Eliza Kennedy, the author of I Take You has to be a fun person to be around.  

     The personalities are unbelievably real in an unreal sort of way!  The story is about Lily Wilder, a  party girl with an awful history of men, alcohol, drugs, and promiscuity.  She's an amazing junior lawyer, a job she loves, but when a deposition that pretty much derails her wedding plans rises, things change for her.  Her career is threatened, a dark secret presses with her future mother-in-law is out for blood!  

     If my brief summary doesn't strike your interest, I don't know what will!  Seriously.  I loved and hated this book.  I was conflicted!  The book was hilarious with its Star Wars references and snarky jokes, but I don't like the extreme drinking, the cocaine and molly- then pile on attempting to sleep with her fiancé's best friend (and best man) and walking in on her parents making out, totally in the nude... AND she watched them with a monologue that was completely hilarious, I'm ashamed to admit.  This book made me laugh, gasp, choke, and wince in shame.
     The thing is, it's written in a voice that's relatable and filled with thoughts that you know run through your own mind too!  I know I did.  The thing is, she's impetuous and promiscuous and self-destructive... She's like a train wreck that you can't help but watch, while munching on popcorn and a glass of tea!  You'll have to read it yourself to find out if she still marries the adorable archeologist or not but know, this novel is a force that, though ridiculous, tickles you to the core!

     I enjoyed reading I Take You.  Eliza Kennedy is a cool author, but I sure hope all of her books aren't filled with so much chaotic activity.  I know a book needs conflict, but I don't know if I can handle another Lily.
On to the next book!!