Sage Nestler's Blog, page 58
September 11, 2016
Slave to a Vampire Trilogy by Katrina Kahler
Title: Slave to a Vampire Trilogy
Author: Katrina Kahler
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
A thrilling vampire romance set in the mid-1600’s in the Caribbean. Follow Catherine’s journey across the seas to the hands of a vampire…where all is not what it seems. Bastian the vampire master falls in love with Catherine and she with him. Their love is real and strong, surely nothing can rip them apart. And that is when Victoria returns with an evil mission.
Review:
Most vampire-themed novels these days tend to be cheesy and too light for the mythology involved, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Slave to a Vampire was brutal and dark. That is exactly how I like my vampire novels to be.
Katrina Kahler did an excellent job of researching the 1600s Caribbean culture that she chose as a setting for her trilogy, and I adored the historical fiction aspect of it all. Her writing was vivid and detailed, but not overdone, and I found myself entangled within the theme early on in the novel. I wanted to be a part of the action, and I felt as though I had travelled back in time. Kahler knows how to mix history, romance, and suspense into one great collection, and I was pleasantly surprised to finally find a vampire collection that did the mythology justice.
Kahler is a brilliant author in the way that she knows how to create worlds that are entirely her own, but are grown from reality and our past. She is able to warp history in a way that is believable, and that is a sign of a true author. I highly recommend this collection to anyone looking for a gritty vampire story that doesn’t shy away from dark circumstances but involves some romance elements as well. This collection is equal parts horror and romance, and it is all I could have ever asked for in a vampire-themed collection.
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September 10, 2016
Shadow Fall by Audrey Grey
Title: Shadow Fall
Author: Audrey Grey
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
The asteroid hurtling toward the earth will kill billions.
The Emperor and his Gold Court will be safe in their space station, watching from the stars. The Silvers will be protected underground. But the Bronzes must fight it out at the Shadow Trials for the few remaining spots left on the space station.
When an enigmatic benefactor hands Maia Graystone a spot in the Trials, she won’t just get a chance at salvation for her and her baby brother, Max: She gets to confront the mother who abandoned her in prison, the mad Emperor who murdered her father, and the Gold prince who once loved her. But it’s the dark bastard prince she’s partnered with that will make her question everything, including her own heart. With the asteroid racing closer every day, Maia must trust someone to survive.
The question is who?
Review:
Shadow Fall by Audrey Grey is by far one of the best books that I have read this year. It has everything that I look for in a Science Fiction/Fantasy novel, and the most of its power lies within its groundbreaking heroine, Maia.
Audrey Grey knows how to make vibrant characters that know how to hold their own, while also throwing at them obstacles that they can’t help but tackle. From the first page, I was able to become fully consumed in Grey’s writing, and that is not something that I see very often in today’s literature. Grey knows how to paint pictures instead of telling the reader what is going on, and her genius is unsurpassed. She has made science fiction beautiful, instead of hard and untouchable, and that is a gift that I have not found in any other science fiction novel.
But one of the best aspects of this novel was that it heavily surrounded the family structure and the bonds that connect us at birth. So many novels today focus only on the romantic connection that humans have with one another, but Grey proved that familial bonds are just as strong, if not stronger, than romantic ones. Maia reminded me of Katniss from the Hunger Games with how passionate she was about her family and caring for others, and her survival skills were just as intense. When this book ended I did not want the story to end, and I have started to read it for the second time which is not something that I do very frequently.
Shadow Fall will be released November 22, and if you haven’t already pre-ordered your copy, then I highly suggest that you do. This book, while featuring elements that connect it to others in its genre, is a one of a kind gift to today’s literature.
*ARC provided by Blaze Publishing in return for an honest review
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September 8, 2016
The Perfect Tear by Connie Lansberg
Title: The Perfect Tear
Author: Connie Lansberg
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
Eleanor is a singer. Her songs keep nature in balance, but when they are stolen from her, a grey mist descends and her world fails to thrive. This timid orphan is thrust into a course of action she never asked for, nor envisioned. Set against a backdrop of abandonment, loss and betrayal, she must find her way through strange and dangerous landscapes in her desperate search for the Perfect Tear, a dark crystal which holds the future of her world. But, Eleanor is no savior. She is a simple girl with strong instincts and she must learn to trust them. Just like the notes of song must connect to create a melody, Eleanor must discover the connections needed to create the harmony required to truly save her world.
Review:
The Perfect Tear is a perfect fantasy novel. Not only was the writing edited perfectly, but the story itself was phenomenal. The Perfect Tear is a novel about loss and survival, and those are aspects of life that we all have to master at some point.
Connie Lansberg’s writing reads like watercolor art. The words flow together seamlessly, and her story reads like a dream. I felt connected to each character, and I found myself lost in the book as soon as I read the first few pages. Lansberg’s fantasy novel is clean and crisp, the best refreshing elements to a fantasy novel, and she knew how to keep the reader grounded but lost in her story all the same.
The Perfect Tear is a great starter novel for those interested in getting into the fantasy genre since it isn’t hard to understand, and how Lansberg has mastered the world that she created. I highly suggest this novel for those wanting to get lost in a novel. You will not be let down.
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September 7, 2016
Trusting the Currents by Lynnda Pollio
Title: Trusting the Currents
Author: Lynnda Pollio
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
Some moments change everything you become.
Author Lynnda Pollio’s life as a busy New Yorker abruptly changes when she unexpectedly heard the mystical, elderly voice of Addie Mae Aubrey, a Southern, African American woman. Her first words, “It’s not what happened to me that matters,” begin a spirited remembering of her teenage years in the late 1930s rural South and the learned wisdom she asks Lynnda to share. As women from different times and different places, they embark on an uncommon journey together.
Narrated by Addie Mae Aubrey, Trusting the Currents is a spiritual story of self-discovery–of faith, courage, forgiveness, and the uneasy search for one’s place in life. Beginning at age eleven with the unexpected arrival of beautiful, mysterious cousin Jenny and her shadowy stepfather, Uncle Joe,Trusting the Currents explores Addie Mae’s reluctant awakening. As Jenny, the story’s mystical center, introduces Addie Mae to the spiritual world, a caring teacher, Miss Blanchard,guides with the power of reading. Romantic love enters her life for the first time with Rawley, and we experience how Addie Mae’s emerging sense of self compels her to a life-altering decision.
Throughout the story, her mother remains an unwavering source of love, even when fear and evil shake their lives. Unfathomable loss and rising trust in the “Invisibles” not only transform Addie Mae’s budding life, but leads to the author’s own spiritual awakening.
There are three levels to the book: Addie Mae’s powerful story,universal life messages woven throughout the book, and high energeticfrequencies embedded in the writing that expand the reader’sconsciousness.
Addie Mae reveals how life blossoms when we have the courage to not only accept but also learn from mistakes and sorrow. Her story may belong to one woman, but the lessons it teaches belong to everyone willing to open their hearts and listen to the truth within their souls.
Trusting the Currents represents a new literary genre of Visionary Fiction, engaging high spiritual frequencies that resonate with the reader’s heart, guiding them deep into their own truth and transformation.
Review:
Trusting the Currents is a remarkable novel. It was originally sent to me by Lynnda Pollio for consideration in my Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box, and I immediately knew that the book would change my life. Through this book Pollio has created a new genre of Visionary Fiction, and embedded in the writing are energetic frequencies that help to expand the reader’s consciousness. Reading a novel should always be an experience, and Pollio’s writing has taken it to the next level.
I connected with Addice throughout the novel due to all of the life changes that she was experiencing and how small events in her life changed who she was. Reading is truly a form of healing, and by transporting the reader into the novel Pollio was able to heal them simply by having them read her words. Spirituality is all around us just waiting to be grasped, and Trusting the C urrents is a great door opener to those who are interested in learning about spiritual awakening and the power that is in all of us.
Winner: 2014 Nautilus Book Awards Gold Medal in Fiction
Winner: 2015 IPPY Gold Medal in Visionary Fiction
Winner: 2015 National Indie Excellence Awards Gold Medal in Visionary Fiction
Winner: 2015 International Book Awards Gold Medal in Visionary Fiction
Winner: 2015 Readers Favorite Gold Medal in Inspirational Fiction
Winner: 2015 USA Book News Best Book Awards top Winner in Visionary Fiction
Winner: 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Inspirational Fiction
Winner: 2015 Los Angeles Book Festival, Honorable Mention in Spirituality
Winner: 2015 Writer’s Digest Book Awards, Honorable Mention in Inspiration
Winner: 2015 B.R.A.G Medallion
Winner: 2016 Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards, Red Ribbon Winner in Fiction (England)
Winner: 2016 Selected as a 5-Star Awesome Indie, a list of quality independent fiction curated by publishing professionals
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September 6, 2016
Weekly Update – 09/05/16 – 09/11/16
Happy Tuesday, Lovelies!
This week I will be reviewing:
Shadow Fall by Audrey Grey
Slave to a Vampire by Katrina Kahler
Saturday is also the last day to order any of our Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box September boxes!
Our Romance/Erotica Box theme is:
Longing for the Ocean
Our Poetry Box theme is:
Space and the Galaxy
Our General Fiction Box theme is:
Alternate Realities: Steampunk & Dystopian
Have a beautiful week, everyone!
Much love,
Ashley
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September 5, 2016
Author Interview: Kristan L. Cannon
As the Summer Splash Blog Tour comes to a close, I am happy to present to you my last author: Kristan L. Cannon!
Bio
Kristan was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario and educated in North Bay and Toronto. She is a staunch supporter of literacy, reading, and young writer’s programs. She also holds a current membership with The Indie Writer’s Network and is a member of the NaNoWriMo Ambassador’s program.
When not researching or writing, Kristan exists for sailing her classic wooden sailboat with her…cat, friends, and family… or for video games and books when snow and ice have the boat locked in its slip and she can’t get away.
Interview
How long have you been writing?
A really long time. Sometimes dabbling in fan fiction, sometimes being paid for original short fiction. Sometimes just writing and not letting what I’ve written be seen in the light of day. There is quite a bit of the latter.
What genre do you write in?
Speculative fiction, mostly. But I do love edgy urban fantasy and hard science fiction.
Can you tell us about your series?
The Kingdom of Walden is about a post-apocalyptic Sudbury (Ontario, Canada) and how a few enclaves of survivors are fighting for their survival in a new and hostile world. Civilization has fallen, and while some still cling to the rule of law—and fight to protect it—there are others who want to take over and stamp out not only all trace of the old world but to take it for themselves and to hell with anyone who would stop them. But, the series focuses on only a few of the people who fight to protect the last bastion of civilization—one that created itself anew out of the ashes of the old while still guarding what the better part of the old held sacred. Freedom of choice, speech, and general control over their own future. A safe haven built from people who came together with whatever they could find to recreate what made their society before good. Each book starts and builds on this overall arc. They’re fighting to be free from slavery (which has reared its ugly head again) on one side and a tyrannical dictator who rewards disobedience, even just disagreement in his rule, with death.
In the first book, After Oil, the straw that has broken the camel’s back (civilization as we know it) is a hard and brutal winter as the last reserves of fossil fuel run out and the economy grinds to a halt in a Second Great Depression. Unlike the first one, once there’s no money to be had anywhere, civilization devolves into utter chaos and people die from the violence, or the Siberian-like Canadian winter itself finishes the job. Only one spark remains, and that’s in the hands of Dr. Sheridan Wither, who lives in the middle of nowhere and is heavily into historical re-enactment. This massive advantage, and strength, attracts others to use her home and her Manor as a base of operations… and a new nation is soon born with that as the seat of power.
They just have to hold onto it (the big arc through the series is the constant back and forth between the three major factions).
In The Last Iron Horse, Derek, who is Sheridan’s “Ranger”, runs into the second major faction, which is the slavers to their west. The reality of what being Ranger means hits him fully, both literally and figuratively. Sheridan also realizes that her life has changed forever as she deals with the weight of a Kingdom on her shoulders… and the political intrigue that attracts.
The third book, which is due out this fall, is Between Silence and Fire. Colonel Harnet to Sheridan’s east pushes to take over allies of the Kingdom of Walden, and even has the gall to send his people to rile up the Rangers of Walden. Add to it the looming threat of forest fire threatening the entire area and the rising tensions break into full on warfare.
Ghostwalker will finish the arc regarding Colonel Harnet, and end the war.
Contact Kristan
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/KristanCannon
Twitter handle @KristanCannon
Website: www.kristancannon.com
September 4, 2016
Anchor of Hope by Kiah Stevens
Title: Anchor of Hope
Author: Kiah Stevens
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
27-year-old Ashley Harper has it all – a secure job in the city, a cozy apartment in a great neighborhood, and a high-profile boyfriend who is on his way to becoming one of New York’s top business attorneys. She is successful and has it all . . .or so she thought. After fleeing from Sweet Home eight-years ago following the devastating death of her father, Ashley vowed she would never return. But when her mother decides to get married there, Ashley is forced to return to the sleepy, little town she once called home in Oregon. Having to spend an entire week in the very place she fought so hard to escape she expects to find nothing but anger, resentment, and hostility but instead finds forgiveness, love – and her ex-boyfriend, Jay. Things are not what she expected in Sweet Home. Once again, Ashley finds herself at a crossroads. Faced with an impossible decision—will she trust her head and return to her life in the city and live the life of luxury she has worked so hard to achieve, or will she trust Gods’ gentle guiding and follow her heart back home.
Review:
Anchor of Hope is a sweet, inspirational romance novel that is perfect for those looking for a romance novel that isn’t too erotic. The story focuses more on drama and tragedy than sexual matters, and that is always something that I enjoy in a good romance novel. Ashley Harper, the main character in Anchor of Hope is highly relatable and Kiah Stephens’ novel is a perfect novel for women who are at a crossroads in their life. It is those crossroads that define who we are, and this novel reads like a good Nicholas Sparks novel – moving and heartwarming all at once.
Stephens is an author who understands human emotions and relationships, and she reflected this understanding through every single one of her characters. I felt myself falling in love with all of them, and I enjoyed Stephens’ perception of “home” and how “home” changes over time for each one of us. Anchor of Hope is so much more than a romance novel. It is a realistic look at the human experience, and how even the smallest of events can change who we are. If you are looking for a new author that will present you with relatable characters and an addictive romantic story, then please look no further than Kiah Stephens.
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September 3, 2016
The Northern Queen by Kelly Evans
Title: The Northern Queen
Author: Kelly Evans
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
St. Brice’s Day, England, Anno 1002. At the order of King Aethelred, thousands of Danes are murdered in a frenzy of ethnic cleansing. Outraged, the Danish king, Sweyn Forkbeard, swears he will take Aethelred’s head, and his crown.
But Sweyn needs allies. Chief amongst his supporters is Aelfgifu, an English noblewoman and head of a once great family. She has her own reasons to hate Aethelred and as a pagan, she is sympathetic to the Danish cause. When Aelfgifu marries Sweyn’s son, Canute, war is inevitable.
But if Aethelred is weak, Emma, his Norman queen, is not. And she will stop at nothing to destroy the woman at the heart of the Viking army.
Love, ambition and revenge combine in an epic struggle for justice during the most turbulent period in England’s history.
Review:
There is nothing I love better than a well-researched historical fiction, and Kelly Evans’ novel is just that. Her writing was flawless, and she managed to make even the most gruesome events come off as artistic. She also did a fantastic job at explaining events to the reader that the reader might not otherwise have understood, and she did so without sounding like a textbook. Her novel sprung to life within the first few pages, and those pages are the ones that I use first and foremost to judge the rest of the novel.
The Northern Queen is a rich tapestry of historical events that involve the Vikings and the conflict that came between Paganism and Christianity. This religious feud led to a lot of bloodshed and fear, and Evans did a magnificent job of portraying both of those conflicts. Her novel surrounded family and war, and she intertwined both beautifully. The Vikings were a fascinating people, and Evans did them more than justice. I have not found a fiction that portrays them as accurately as Evans did, and I cannot praise her work enough. The editing was flawless, and her voice was effortless. She is clearly a literary prodigy, and her novel deserves so much more recognition than it has received.
If you are interested in learning more about the Vikings in a completely factual, but fictional way, then The Northern Queen is the perfect book to pick up.
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September 2, 2016
August 2016 Go Indie Now! Excellence in Literature Award
I am happy to announce that we chose Holly Ducarte as the winner of the August 2016 Go Indie Now! Excellence in Literature Award! We judged her off of her poetry work in her collection Literary Bones, and she is the first poet to win the award.
Please check out her award page here.
Remember to favorite the post of the author who you would like to win the yearly award. Each year, readers are able to vote for their favorite of the twelve authors who received the award, and the author with the most likes on their award page will receive the yearly honor in May.
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August 31, 2016
Pretty Girl – 13 by Liz Coley
Title: Pretty Girl – 13
Author: Liz Coley
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological thriller about a girl who must piece together the mystery of her kidnapping and abuse. Perfect for fans of books like Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why, Elizabeth Scott’s Living Dead Girl, and Caroline B. Cooney’s The Face on the Milk Carton series, Pretty Girl-13 is a haunting yet ultimately uplifting story about the healing power of courage, hope, and love.
Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods on a Girl Scout camping trip. Now she’s returned home . . . only to find that it’s three years later and she’s sixteen—or at least that’s what everyone tells her. What happened to the last three years of her life? With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her lost time. She eventually discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: what do you do when you remember things you wish you could forget?
Review:
It has been an extremely long time since I have given a book a 5-star review, and Pretty Girl – 13 more than deserved that rating. Liz Coley is an author like myself – we don’t shy away from serious subjects, and we both like to force the reader to confront things that they otherwise wouldn’t have. Pretty Girl – 13 is not a pleasant novel, and that is why it excelled. Coley clearly did her research on mental illness in terms of dissociative identity disorder, and the book kept unfolding like an onion. As soon as I thought I had everything figured out, Coley would pop out another surprise, and none of them were tacky or ill-conceived. Each event that was placed in this novel was meaningful and important to the story.
Now, with stories that involve mental illness and abuse, the book is bound to have a mixed audience. There are those who say that this book isn’t realistic, and others who think that it is perfect for defining the events that occur in the book. However, think of it this way. Do you think that every YA novel about a kid in high school defines every possible high school experience?
Of course not.
Each book is a different take on specific situations, and this book is a well-researched take on dissociative identity disorder. Coley even states in the back of the book that the situation presented in her writing is extreme, but it does reflect the struggles that sufferers of this disorder go through. Many of the events that happen to Angie are also consistent with certain kidnapping cases and those who have suffered from incestuous abuse. It is not impossible that those in those positions could develop this form of disorder, and Coley did a brilliant job at putting the reader in Angie’s shoes. This book is perfect to allow readers to understand a different perspective and extend their empathy to those who may be suffering from mental disorders.
I would not recommend this book to children under sixteen years old due to the intense scenes and triggering events, but it is perfect for older young adults – through adults looking for a realistic, psychological thriller.
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