Sage Nestler's Blog, page 61
August 6, 2016
The Raven Trilogy: The First Journey by Melka Stansah
Title: The Raven Trilogy: The First Journey
Author: Melka Stansah
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
Raven is an outcast in an dystopian medieval world at war. He embarks on a journey to avenge his father’s death then he meets someone that turn his life upside down and discover the truth of his origins. Will Raven find the answers he is looking for?
Review:
The Raven Trilogy: The First Journey has an interesting basis. I enjoyed Raven and his lone wolf attitude; however, I was confused by the mix of present and past tense that Melka Stansah switched between. In the beginning of the book the writing was written in standard past tense style, but later on it switched to present tense which made the writing read a bit awkward. For example:
“Chavet looks at his troops in dismay, whatever happened is beyond his comprehension.”
By writing the story in this manner, Stansah seemed to keep the reader outside of her story instead of letting them completely in. But that being said, if the tone of the story were fixed, this story would be highly enjoyable.
Stansah molds together a word of mythology and dystopia all in one. She brings to surface elements of the old world, while making it clear that her story and setting are thrust into the future. Watching the characters in this novel unfold was enjoyable, and I found myself growing attached to Raven by the end. He was a true warrior, and seeing his strength grow despite the setbacks of his past made me feel hope for the future of us all. Raven is a true role model for readers of all ages, and I think that young adults would benefit the most from this novel. It is a great mix of fantasy and real life lessons within an original storyline.
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August 5, 2016
The Surrendered by Case Maynard
Title: The Surrendered
Author: Case Maynard
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
After a financial collapse devastates the United States, the new government imposes a tax on the nation’s most valuable resource―the children.
Surrendered at age ten―after her parents could no longer afford her exorbitant fees―Vee Delancourt has spent six hard years at the Mills, alongside her twin, Oliver. With just a year to freedom, they do what they can to stay off the Master’s radar. But when Vee discovers unspeakable things happening to the younger girls in service, she has no choice but to take a stand―a decision that lands her on the run and outside the fence for the first time since the System robbed her of her liberty.
Vee knows the Master will stop at nothing to prove he holds ultimate authority over the Surrendered. But when he makes a threat that goes beyond what even she considers possible, she accepts the aid of an unlikely group of allies. Problem is, with opposing factions gunning for the one thing that might save them all, Vee must find a way to turn oppression and desperation into hope and determination―or risk failing all the children and the brother she left behind.
Review:
The Surrendered is an interesting take on the United States and the troubles we are currently in. With election season right around the corner – and quite possibly the most controversial election – Case Maynard presents us with her perspective of what could happen to our country if control is lost. And while I could connect some of the elements of her work with Unwind by Neal Shusterman, her ideas and voice are clearly her own. I found this particularly refreshing in today’s cluttered literary world of similar sounding Dystopian novels.
Vee is a strong female character, and stands apart from those in her genre in the way that she is easier to relate to, and seemingly on her own in terms of family. Since her parents surrendered her because they couldn’t afford the fees anymore, she went to work at a mill with her brother. However, it was then that she became the property of the government, and is forced to try and fight back for her freedom, and the freedom of those around her. I enjoyed Maynard’s take on the element that we all associate with America – freedom – and what terrible things could happen if that freedom were taken away from the majority of the population. I enjoyed watching Vee, and the country, develop as I read along, and I felt quite refreshed once I finished the book. Maynard clearly understood her vision and the logistics necessary when writing such an interesting take on our government and society. Not once in the novel did I feel that it wasn’t realistic, and that is what made it so frightening.
Overall, I feel that this novel is essential for children – and adults – of today to read in terms of understanding what could happen if our country were to break down its morals. Without being too politically stirring, The Surrendered presents us with a nightmarish alternative reality that haunts the reader to the bone – and could be just around from corner from coming true.
*The Surrendered was sent to me by Blaze Publishing to consider for the Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box.
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August 4, 2016
A Fine Imitation by Amber Brock
Title: A Fine Imitation
Author: Amber Brock
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Vera Bellington has beauty, pedigree, and a penthouse at The Angelus–the most coveted address on Park Avenue. But behind the sparkling social whirl, Vera is living a life of quiet desperation. Her days are an unbroken loop of empty, champagne-soaked socializing, while her nights are silent and cold, spent waiting alone in her cavernous apartment for a husband who seldom comes home.
Then Emil Hallan arrives at The Angelus to paint a mural above its glittering subterranean pool. The handsome French artist moves into the building, shrouds his work in secrecy, and piques Vera’s curiosity, especially when the painter keeps dodging questions about his past. Is he the man he claims to be? Even as she finds herself increasingly drawn to Hallan’s warmth and passion, Vera can’t suppress her suspicions. After all, she has plenty of secrets, too–and some of them involve art forgers like her bold, artistically talented former friend, Bea, who years ago, at Vassar, brought Vera to the brink of catastrophe and social exile.
When the dangerous mysteries of Emil’s past are revealed, Vera faces an impossible choice–whether to cling to her familiar world of privilege and propriety or to risk her future with the enigmatic man who has taken her heart. A Fine Imitation explores what happens when we realize that the life we’ve always led is not the life we want to have.
Review:
A Fine Imitation is an intriguing look at women during the turn of the century, and one woman’s life as she begins to find herself rebelling against who society – and her family – wants her to be. The only problem with this novel was that I wasn’t convinced that the story was truly set in the 1920’s due to a lack of description concerning elements associated with the turn of the century.
Amber Brock, however, is clearly a fine storyteller. Some of the minor elements that she inserted into the novel did well to show us hidden aspects of the main character, Vera. By the following example alone, Brock showed us how Vera sees the world as always judging her and willing her to be how they expect her to be:
“Four golden angel statues topped the roof, their wings tucked, and they glared down at Vera as she left her car and went into the lobby.”
These small examples show Brock’s artistry beautifully, and prove that she knows how to develop her characters well. She also has a great sense of art itself due to some of the scattered comments that she wrote through different characters throughout the book:
“With their eyes all rolled to the gods like that, it looks like they are having fits. The worst thing is how lazy it is on the artist’s part. Making a person look real is far more of a challenge.”
Art was something that Vera found to be a comfort, and it was clear that this is what caused her to have an affair with an artist. She never felt connected to her husband, and the artist connected to her soul based solely on his work. Brock’s novel is so much more than a novel about women in the 1920’s, but about art and emotion and how it can save a person who feels lonely and lost in life. Vera found herself and who she was meant to be, despite what society told her. This book is a lesson for all women and anyone who needs the courage to be who they are – no matter the consequence.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
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Literary Bones by Holly Ducarte
Title: Literary Bones
Author: Holly Ducarte
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Holly Ducarte’s second poetry chapbook is an eclectic blend of classic and contemporary poems meant to dig deep, right down to our bones. Meant to plunge us into life’s dark mysteries, nature, romance, woes, and triumphs.
Review:
Literary Bones is an eclectic mix of different poetry genres, but they all come together with the dark and mysterious way that Holly Ducarte writes. Her poems in this collection are on the creepier side, and a couple of them knocked the breath out of me by the time that I finished them. Poetry is an excellent way to touch the reader in a small amount of time, and Ducarte has the art down. Even though this collection is fairly small, the poems packed inside of it are powerful enough to make the collection more valuable to the reader.
However, one critique I have is that Ducarte seemed to be too focused on the rhyming of her poems. Some of the rhymes read as though they were forced, and unfortunately ended up coming off as a bit amateurish. If she had focused more on portraying her unique view on life and ideas, rather than rhyming, I think that this collection would have the chance to soar more than it already does. But I enjoyed her contemporary voice, and how it stood out from the classic poets.
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August 3, 2016
Ruby Ink by L.J. Wilson
Title: Ruby Ink
Author: L.J. Wilson
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
Ruby Ink is the first book in this sensual romance series — journeys of intrigue, seduction, and satisfying storytelling. The Clairmont siblings, known as the “Tribe of Five” — Alec, Aaron, Honor, Jake and Troy — are complex characters whose individual stories and intricate love lives drive these dynamic new novels.
In Ruby Ink, Aaron Clairmont has been granted an early parole. He returns home to Nickel Springs and finds employment at Abstract Enchantment, a trendy new inn. But Aaron’s mind can’t let go of its predecessor, the vintage Rose Arch Inn, the setting for his passionate love affair with Ruby Vasquez. Ruby — the girl Aaron lost after his secret underworld life unraveled, shocking everyone who thought they knew him.
Freedom comes fast at Aaron — a family desperate to reconnect, an employer cast as his savior, and the steamy memories he can’t escape. Just as Aaron surrenders to starting anew, he realizes the diabolical trap he’s been lured into — a fresh hell that makes prison look like a country club. Lives are at stake, his family and Ruby’s. Ruby Vasquez — the woman Aaron never thought he’d see again. The one destined to collide with his future.
Review:
Ruby Ink is a classic love story between a bad boy and the girl who he is destined to be with. Even though this type of story line has been told many times over, L.J. Wilson wove it in with her own vision and characters so that the story seemed brand new. I found myself falling in love with Aaron with each page, and I adored being able to see snippets from his past, as well as his present. Wilson built his character perfectly by not glamorizing that he was a felon and had spent time in jail, but instead chose to represent how the experience had changed his entire life. As someone who has worked with inmates as part of my social working career, I found his experience to be very practical and realistic. What I look for in good Erotica novels is a substantial story that is about more than just sex, and Wilson more than delivered.
In terms of the sensual scenes in Ruby Ink, they weren’t too overdone or drawn out in a way that is almost too much; instead, they were poetic and represented sex as more than just an animalistic act. Too many times Erotica novels portray sex in this way, but Wilson incorporated love with sex and wound the two together in such a way that was drool worthy. She really amplified the connection that sex comes with, and used it to intensify her characters and their relationships. Nothing in her novel was unrealistic, and that is why it deserves a well earned 5/5 start rating. Her characters were unbelievably complex, and I missed them when I wasn’t reading the book. They popped right off of the page, and made me forget that I wasn’t remembering a movie I had seen, but a book instead. Her imagery and plot was perfect, and I can’t talk up this book enough.
If you are looking for an Erotica novel that has substance, complex characters, and a page turning plot, then look no further than Ruby Ink. It meets all of my expectations for a quality Erotica novel.
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August 2, 2016
Nerve by Jeanne Ryan
Title: Nerve
Author: Jeanne Ryan
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it’s exhilarating–Vee and Ian’s fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they’re directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they’re playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE
Review:
Nerve has just been turned into a movie, and I have to admit that that is why I chose to pick up this book. The synopsis intrigued me, and I liked how it seemed to be a modern Hunger Games. However, I was finding it hard to find the original novel that wasn’t a movie tie-in, and I found that that was because, apparently, it wasn’t up to par. That being said, I found the movie tie-in version to be quite good, and even though I haven’t seen the movie yet and can’t compare it to the book, Nerve made for an interesting read.
One of the best things about this novel was that the main character, Vee, was essentially a person who was always in the background and wanted a chance to be noticed. I liked how Jeanne Ryan didn’t make Vee sound as though she was a gorgeous, unapproachable character, but instead made her awkward and someone who didn’t just survive off of her looks and pass them off as a personality.
The premise of this novel is that the online game, NERVE, is a big hit, and if you do a dare successfully you are able to win prizes. However, once you begin the game NERVE takes over your phone, and won’t let any calls or messages come through. They then have access to your personal life and your online profiles, and base your dares off of your fears and your own experiences, while also bribing those who know you with prizes so that they can give NERVE more information on you.
I loved the premise of this book, and how it represented how the internet and our technology is taking over our lives, but I didn’t give this book a full rating because I was not happy with the ending. While the rest of the novel was brilliant and an insane page turner, the ending came off as a bit cheesy and rushed, as though the author was tired of writing it and wanted it to end. The last few chapters of the book also went pretty slow, and I felt that the ending was drug out, and then clipped. Ryan planned the rest of this novel out well, but I don’t think that she thought through to the ending.
However, Nerve was an ice read, and I think that young adults will love it. It connects to today’s teens, and society in general, and made me rethink how attached we all are to technology. Even though it doesn’t run our lives quite like those who created NERVE, we are giving it the choice to take over.
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August 1, 2016
Summer Author Tour: D.R. Perry
Today’s featured author is D.R. Perry! Her books are focused more on the paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy side, and she already have quite a few out. Below I have provided for you exclusive content from one of her novels, “Bearly Awake”, her bio, and my personal interview with her! Please check out her fabulous work, and enjoy!
BIO
D.R. Perry lives in Rhode Island, where all her books are set. Although she’s not a native New Englander, once up north she got so inspired she couldn’t leave. A wild Northern Muse attacked. D.R. used Typing; it was Super Effective.
D.R. writes all kinds of things. Mostly, they have strange and unusual elements. Not strange isotopes or Strontium or anything like that, but creatures who are people or people who are creatures. Beware of the Attack Poetry and rampant puns. Keep off the grass, or the song parodies may bite.
She lives with her husband, daughter, and dog in the Ocean State, which she loves to remind people is not an island and not Long Island. D.R. is well aware that her home state has both of those things, but isn’t defined by them. Maybe she likes it here so much because it reminds her that she’s also more than the sum of her parts.
D.R. hopes you have as much fun reading her books as she did writing them.
INTERVIEW
1) What is your favorite genre to write, and do you write across different genres?
Like any “favorite” thing of mine, it’s subject to change. Sometimes it’s Paranormal, sometimes Fantasy, sometimes Sci-Fi. I’ve even written Historical stuff. It’s my favorite when I’m writing it.
2) What has your publishing experience been like?
I’ve done some freelance projects and published four of my own books. Right now, I’m publishing one book a month to get the Providence Paranormal College series done. The complete series should be out by December.
3) What is your advice to aspiring authors?
Keep on writing. It’s a practice skill. The more you do, the more you learn. Also, you get faster and better with each story.
4) What do you hope readers will take away from your writing?
Fun! Since PPC is a Paranormal Comedy series (with a touch of serious business thrown in), I hope everyone reading gets some laughs and entertainment.
5) What are you currently working on?
Providence Paranormal College is an institution of higher education for supernatural people. It all started with Bearly Awake, which is about a werebear who never saw snow and wants to hibernate, but can’t if he wants to pass his exams. I’ve gone on to write more books about other characters, including a vampire, a werewolf, and a dragon.
BONUS CONTENT
Book title: Bearly Awake
Blurb: Bobby Tremain’s life used to seem charmed, but since his dad’s crippling accident, he has an avalanche of problems. He’s the first in his family to have a shot at college, also the first to head north of Louisiana. An early snow calls his Bear to hibernate a week before finals, but he needs to pass or he flunks out of Providence Paranormal College.Lynn Frampton’s loneliness is almost more than she can take. She went to college on the other side of the country to get away from the persistent curse of unpopularity in a small town. Once at college, Lynn’s prickly personality has pushed everyone away yet again. At least she’s at the top of her class.Bobby needs Lynn’s help to stay awake and pass his exam, and she discovers she needs companionship more than she’d ever imagined. Lynn’s all set to transfer to a school back home, but Bobby thinks she’s his mate. Can he keep awake long enough to pass, and more importantly, convince his love to stay?
Excerpt: “Think fast!” At the sound of Lynn’s voice, I reached out, plucking a thick stack of rubber-banded index cards from the air. A stinging in my pinkie made me wince. The hibernation urge had me off my game. Usually, I could catch just about anything in human form, and most things in bear. That’s another thing I wouldn’t be able to do this weekend. Let my bear out.
“What are these?” I blinked bleary eyes. The top card had one word on it, but the wide band across the middle blocked too much of it to read.
“My Ecology flash cards.” She switched on and moved a wireless mouse, waking her laptop up. Then, she pulled open a drawer to reveal a USB keyboard. She plugged it into a port, then pulled up an audio app. “Shuffle them.”
“Why do we need cards if you’re setting up your computer?” I sat on the bed to use the nightstand as a card shuffling surface.
“Study aids.” Lynn looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I’ve got all kinds. Trust me, I’m a Valedictorian.” She dropped a wink and I laughed.
“Can you get more specific for the sleep-deprived among us?” I pulled the band off the cards carefully so they wouldn’t go flying.
“This music ought to help keep us awake.” I couldn’t help but sigh with relief. Study tunes were like a last-minute pardon from listening to recordings of Watkins’ lectures. With a few sweeps and clicks, a wailing voice backed by heavy metal thunder poured out of her speakers. I recognized it.
“Iron Maiden?” I had to think for a moment before trying to shuffle them. There were so many, I had to split the deck a few times and shuffle the sections. These cards were serious business. Once they’d been thoroughly mixed, I gathered them together and held them out to Lynn.
“When you want to stay awake, there’s nothing quite like music that chases down your eardrums like a hell-hound.” She took the flash cards back from me and smiled. “Let’s do this!”
Weekly Update – 08/01/2016 – 08/07/2016
Happy August, Everyone!
Wow, I can’t believe that it is August already! So much has changed over this summer, and I am very excited about where my blogging, writing, and business careers are going. Not only have I added two more options to our monthly book box, Go Indie Now!, but those two new options are premiering this month! Our erotica/romance boxes will be going out this week, and our fiction and poetry boxes aren’t far behind. That being said, it is going to be quite a crazy month, but below are the books that I will be reviewing this week:
The Raven Trilogy: The First Journey by Melka Stansah
Ruby Ink by L.J. Wilson
I am excited for what is to come, and I hope that you are too! I will also be writing a post featuring our July Go Indie Now! Fiction Box that was quite a success. I hope you all have a wonderful week, and happy reading!
Much love,
Ashley
July 31, 2016
Coral & Bone by Tiffany Daune
Title: Coral & Bone
Author: Tiffany Daune
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame. Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can’t help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.
Review:
Let me start of this review by saying that this novel is absolutely golden. The originality of the concepts and characters blew my mind, and I was captivated once I got past the first few chapters. Tiffany Daune is an artistic author, and she shows you what she sees, instead of tells you, and that makes her a professional in my book. All of her characters were clearly likable, and the magick she gave them added an admirable intensity to the plot line. Usually when I read a novel I am able to compare it to another that has been published and is similar, but this novel does not compare to any books that are already published. Daune clearly thought out her story perfectly, and I was intrigued until the end.
Even though Daune’s story is full of intricate concepts, there was no place in the novel where I felt that she was keeping something away from the reader. Many times complex stories such as this one can leave the reader confused and frustrated, but Daune’s words clearly welcomed me into her world, and I didn’t want to leave. Her words painted pictures as beautiful as the cover of this book, and the quotes below are some of the best pieces of writing I have read in quite some time:
“She couldn’t quite remember. Memories of him came and went like the tide, leaving fragments for her to pick up, each moment like a treasured piece of sea glass.”
“Her eyeliner dripped like black tears down her cheeks as she scanned the waves.”
As an author myself, I am partial to the use of descriptions such as these, as I think it is important to paint a picture for the reader, and to make sure that your story does not come off as flat. Daune’s world glimmered and shined in this novel, and I am eager to start the sequel immediately. Halen, the main character, is now one of my favorite characters due to her complexity, and I am more than astounded by Daune’s talent. Her books deserve widespread attention, and I highly suggest you go and pick up her work if you love great magical tales.
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July 30, 2016
Review: The Best Damn Book Box – June Box
Hello Everyone,
Today I will be reviewing the June The Best Damn Book Box, which I received in the mail today on July 30, 2016. I have reviewed this box before, and I did give it a 5/5, but due to changes in the box and the company, I am compelled to write a new review based on the status of the box as it is now.
In the past couple of months this box has grown tremendously, and due to that growth, the box has changed. I have been with The best Damn Book Box since day one, so I have noticed these changes more then some others have, so my opinions are solely my own. I know that this box has received a lot of drama from people lately which is uncalled for, so I wanted to review it based on what I feel the quality of the items and the box as a whole to be. So here goes.
June Game of Thrones Box
June’s theme was Game of Thrones, and while I have not seen the series I have read the books, and I am in love with them. I was quite excited for this box, but my excitement fizzled out in late June when I realized I would not be receiving my box for some time. The company had a few hiccups that caused the delay, but when the box already had a history of being delayed, I was not hopeful. I do think that subscription boxes should arrive within the month that they are said to represent, and that in itself knocked off a point for me. Two months is too long to receive a box, especially one in which I prepaid for six months ago.
Moving On – Appearance:
In past boxes, every item had been meticulously wrapped as though they were presents. Opening the box used to be like opening a cozy gift from someone who loves you, but that has since changed. Instead, all items were wrapped in black and red tissue paper for more of a minimalist experience. While this was still cute, it didn’t have that coziness that I had become accustomed to.
The Items:
The book included in this month’s box was “The Crown’s Game” by Evelyn Skye. I hadn’t heard of this book before receiving this box, so I was quite intrigued. It is a great pick, and I am excited to dig into it. I think that, based on its back cover blurb, it is a great fit to be paired with the Game of Thrones theme, and luckily I haven’t seen any other book boxes who included this book as well.
*Amazon retail value is $10.58.
Included were also a couple of advertisements for other authors and their work. Both of the authors presented are indie authors of whom I have worked with before, so seeing their items in the box was a pleasant surprise. While these items don’t have monetary value, their presence shows that the owner has great care for little known authors, and I appreciated that.
*No retail value.
In the past few months, The Best Damn Book Box has used the same artist to create pieces of artwork that go along with the theme. Last month’s Beauty and the Beast print was nice, but this piece of art is much better. I judge on quality more than retail value in boxes, and that means that this piece of art was priceless because it can’t be bought anywhere else.
*Possible retail value of $1, if that.
The next item was a watercolor bookmark, artist unknown. A list of all items and shops included in the box was not present this month, so I am unsure as to who designed this. While it is a pretty picture, this is the fourth paper item in the box. That being said, it didn’t strike me as a piece of value. If the art was created specifically for this box, then I think that it qualifies in the category of uniqueness. However, with not artist name, I can’t be sure of its origin.
*Possible retail value of $1, if that.
This dragon necklace was also included. It is an okay piece, but seems cheap. I have seen this on ebay for 99 cents, and it being included seemed a bit like filler.
*Retail value of 99 cents.
This “Mother of Dragons” coast by Pigsey Art was actually quite nice. It is well done, and usable. One of my favorite items from the box. The shop that created this is a small business, and I love the inclusion of little known shops into boxes.
*Retail value of $6.
These bookmarks are from Nerdy Grl Designs, and are adorable. They are magnetic, and I assume they are original art. I have received some bookmarks from this shop in other boxes, and love how unique they are.
*Retail value unknown.
A “Mother of Dragons” pin. This piece is cute, but probably something that I don’t have a use for. I am not sure who the artist is, or who created this, but it is another filler piece.
*Retail price unknown.
This last item is a pack of wax melts that smell AMAZING. I have already begun to melt them, and the color they turn into when melted does resemble blood. They weren’t in everyone’s box, only those who got their boxes last, and they did compliment the box well.
*Retail price unknown.
Overall, I give this box a 3/5. It lost a point for the insane wait time, and another for the majority of the items in the box being filler. This box would have scored better if it had been a $25 – $30 box, but $40 is too much for what you get. The only items I would keep from this box would be the book, wax melts, magnetic bookmarks, and the coaster, and I would have paid $25 at most for all of them.
However, this is just my opinion and I paid for the box myself. It was not given to me for a review, so my thoughts are solely as a consumer. If you are looking for more of a fandom box, The Best Damn Book Box is for you since the focus seems to be more on the theme then the books provided. The owner does not read the books they include beforehand, so the book choices are always a gamble. However, if this box were reduced down to $25, I would re-subscribe. I just can’t convince myself now that the money spent on this box is justified.
