Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 208

The Ultimate Threat | Angel of Shadow by D. H. Nevins #Giveaway

Angel of Shadow
D.H. Nevins
(Wormwood #2)
Publication date: January 13th 2018
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, New Adult

D.H. Nevins hurtles you into a world of half-angels, demons and tormented love in this driving, dystopian sequel to Wormwood.
Half-angels, known as Nephilim, have all but destroyed the surface of the Earth. Yet for Kali Michaels, her life is now much more complicated than simply surviving. Grappling with her own powerful identity, she worries her connection to the world of Shadows could destroy those around her.
And what if she hurts Tiamat Wormwood, the Nephilim outcast who has given everything to save her? Tiamat and Kali know they have no future—not when outside forces and Kali’s own power push both the humans and the Nephilim to the brink of extinction.
As she fights to stop the inevitable, she is led to question who her real enemies are, and whether the ultimate threat may actually be herself.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo—EXCERPT:“Do we have to go back?”
“No way. We’re not going to be stopped by a few branches,” I said. Keeping one hand on his back, I reached over him and broke off a few more of the limbs that were directly in our way. I grabbed a thicker branch for balance and stepped around Bram, positioning myself in front of him. “I’m going to sit down here. Just put your arms around my neck and your legs around my middle, okay?”
I lowered myself onto the log and he obeyed silently. I could feel his small frame quivering as he latched onto my back. “Stop looking down,” I told him. “It’ll be easier.”
“How’d you know?”
“That you were looking down?” I felt him nod his head against my back and I laughed quietly. “You know you’ve been staring down there almost constantly. It wasn’t hard to guess.”
“Well,” he said in a soft voice, “it’s scary down there.”
“I know, kiddo.”
“And,” he continued, his voice even quieter, as though he hoped it would fade into nothingness, “your Shadow is down there.”
I stilled. “You don’t ever have to worry about my Shadow. I control it … and I wouldn’t hurt you with it, Bram.”
“Yeah. Alright,” he said softly.
I couldn’t see the expression on his face, but he sounded like he believed me—a tentative belief, perhaps, but it would do.

Author Bio:
D.H. Nevins was born in Toronto and currently lives in a quiet area of Ontario, surrounded by forests and lakes. By day, she is a personable, friendly school teacher. By night, she silently chuckles as she writes about destroying the world. When she isn't writing, she enjoys world travel, hiking, camping, flying around on her motorcycle or dabbling in live theatre.
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In Her Hands | Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

Title: ShadowsongBy: S. Jae-JonesGenre: Historical FantasyPages: 384Release Date: February 6th, 2018Publisher: Wednesday Books
Summary from Goodreads: Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. 
When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world—or the ones Liesl loves—is in her hands?
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Review: If only books can talk, this one would tell you an amazing story. In S. Jae-Jones highly anticipated sequel to Wintersong, we learn of Liesl's fate and what terrible things she has brought upon the world and her beloved Goblin King. 
I have to confess though, I was hoping for more of the Goblin king and the tunnels that turned our world around in the last book, but sadly, we only learn of the king's fate toward the end. Most of the book is spent on the carriers of Liesl and her brother Joseph. At times it was hard to get through, but I'm glad I did, because the ending was to die for. Love, love, love.
Make sure you pick up your copy of Shadowsong on February 6th! I know I will. 

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Is that Pork on a Monday? | #WeeklyMenu Week #234

Happy Monday. I'm going to keep this short today since its been a long weekend and I have meetings at school this morning. Wah! Kids. Love those little monsters. They are doing so well.
I hope you enjoy this weeks menu!
Monday- Creamy Parmesan Pork Chops
Tuesday- Sheet Pan Fajitas
Wednesday- Greek Chicken Skillet
Thursday- Tuscan Tortellini 
Friday- Loaded Nachos
Saturday- Spaghetti 
Sunday
- Leftovers Night

Avatar, The Last Air Bender Book Tag

Avatar, The Last Air Bender Book Tag
This book tag is brought to you by The Book Nut Blog. A wonderful place to find everything bookish. Lets see what we can come up with today...
Water:Katara and Sokka- Best sibling relationship.I'm always a big fan of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Great sibling interaction, especially after Edmond gets bitch slapped, lol.Yue: Favorite Starcrossed LoversI'm going to say, Pride and Prejudice. After Elizabeth and Mr's Darcy get over their issues, they are the cutest star crossed lovers I've ever read.Blood bending: a book with a disturbing conceptA book that I've always found disturbing is The Hunger Games. When the book first came out, my initial thought was, disturbing. Although, its a unique concept and I do love reading the book and watching the movies, I just can't get past the fact that these people find entertainment in killing children. Its a hard one for me.  Earth:Toph – A character who’s strength surprised you/or surprised the other characters in the bookOne of my all time favorite books and one of the reasons I love reading is Sabriel. This girl is thrown into a strange world when her father goes missing. She has to take on the responsibility of the Ambrosen, a necromancer who keeps the dead from walking the world again. Sabriel has to find strength she never knew she had.  The Tales of Ba Sing Se – best short story/poetry collectionI just read The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin. Its not part of the Game of Thrones series, but its set in that kind of time. Its a story about a little girl and her relationship with the Ice Dragons. It was so good, my husband picked it up right after I was done and he loved it. It was also a prize for a giveaway I hosted on my Instagram page.Kioshi Warriors- Best warrior characterMy favorite warrior, and some of you might argue with me over this one, but Jamie from Outlander is amazing. He's a Highland Warrior from Scotland. I guess I'm obsessed with the whole book series and the show. I even named my new car (Which is an Outlander :) ) James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraiser Henderson. We had to add the Henderson to it.Fire:Zuko- Best redemption arc/a redemption arc that should have happenedBeautiful Disaster. Although I haven't read this book yet, it is on my list this week to consume. Its been rated as one of the top redemption books on Goodreads. Hopefully, its as good as everyone says it is.Iroh- Wisest characterDumbledoor has to be the wisest characters of all time, although a little strange. Read any of the Harry Potter books and you will get a full brain of Dumbledoor.Azula: Best downfallWorld War z. There is no better way to go out then by a frenzied zombie hoard. It's the worlds downfall. Love it!Air:Appa- Favorite fictional animalThe Disreputable Dog from Abhorsen by Garth Nix. Another one of my favorite books. This dogs is the coolest. He talks and has free magic and is just the best. A must read.Aang: Purest cinnamon rollI really have no idea what this tag means, but I do love a great cinnamon roll. If anyone can enlighten me on what this means, I would be greatly appreciated...Avatar state: A stubborn character/a character that struggles with letting goBella from Twilight. In New Moon, Bella has a brain fart and can't let go of Edward. It was like she went into a comatose state and stopped functioning. 

Baby Driver | Movie Review

Title: Baby DriverGenre: ActionRelease Date: June 28th, 2017Rating: 7.7/10Cast: Ansel Elgort, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm 
Summary from IMDB: After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
IMDB Trailer


Review: Car chases, showdowns, and bank robberies. This movie has all the action that you could ever want. There was so much awesome driving where this young driver is pulling the most extreme moves that I didn't even think was possible. Wow!
There was a cute little love story that didn't pull anything away from the action. It actually enhanced the story making it feel more real. Who doesn't want to run from killers for love?
At one point, the guy who was giving Baby a hard time the whole movie, he all of a sudden has a warm heart when he sees Baby in love. It was sudden and weird, but whatever. It worked. 
The one thing that I didn't like was the lack of back story on Baby. I mean, you know about what happened to his parents, but you don't know why he is working for this crime boss in the first place. I would have loved to know more about this. 
Great movie. Loved, loved, loved the action. Would recommend to anyone who loves this kind of movie.
  

Punish the Creatures Responsible | Fury Frayed by Melissa Haag #BlogTour

Fury Frayed
Melissa Haag
(Of Fates and Furies, #1)
Publication date: January 23rd 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Megan’s temper lands her in Girderon Academy, an exclusive school founded in a town of misfit supernatural creatures. It’s the one place she should be able to fit in, but she can’t. Instead, she itches to punch the smug sheriff in his face, pull the hair from a pack of territorial blondes, and kiss the smile off the shy boy’s face. Unfortunately, she can’t do any of that, either, because humans are dying and all clues point to her.
With Megan’s temper flaring, time to find the real killer and clear her name is running out. As much as she wants to return to her own life, she needs to embrace who and what she is. It’s the only way to find and punish the creature responsible.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo—EXCERPT:“WHAT WAS THAT FOR?” HE ASKED. ANGER HAD WIPED OUT ANY HINT OF MOCKING CURIOSITY FROM HIS TONE.
I COULD ALSO FEEL THE THROB IN MY FIST. HE HAD A HARD NOSE.
“TO SEE IF YOU WERE REAL.”
“MOST PEOPLE PINCH.” HE SOUNDED A BIT MORE NASALLY THAN HE HAD BEFORE.
MY IMAGINATION WAS SURE GOOD AT ADDING THE LITTLE DETAILS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS ALL FEEL REAL. I DIDN’T LET IT DISTRACT ME FROM THE MOMENT, THOUGH.
“MOST PEOPLE DON’T WALK AROUND IN SOMEONE ELSE’S BACKYARD WHILE BUTT NAKED.” NOT THAT I ACTUALLY MINDED THAT PART. HIS BICEPS WERE CLEARLY DEFINED, AND HIS THIGHS WERE THICKER THAN MY HEAD. REALIZING WHERE MY GAZE HAD WANDERED, I QUICKLY LOOKED UP AGAIN.
HE SHOOK HIS HEAD AND RELEASED MY WRIST.
“WHERE WERE YOU GOING?” HE ASKED.
“TO TOWN. DO YOU OWN PANTS?”
“IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU STAYED HERE.”
“FOR WHO?”
“YOU.”
“STAY IN A HOUSE WHERE A GUY SHOWS UP NAKED IN THE BACKYARD? YEAH, THAT’S NOT SOUNDING LIKE A GOOD OPTION.”
“IT’S THE SAFEST ONE.”
“OF COURSE, YOU WOULD THINK THAT. BUT SINCE THIS IS MY DREAM, I’M GOING TO SEE HOW MANY MORE NAKED MEN ARE FROLICKING AROUND THIS PLACE.”
HE STAYED QUIET FOR A MOMENT, STUDYING ME. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO TURN AND WALK TO THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE WHEN HE SPOKE AGAIN.
“THE PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN ARE GOING TO EAT YOU UP AND SPIT YOU OUT.”
WITHOUT WARNING, HE SCOOPED ME UP AND WALKED INTO THE HOUSE WITH ME. IN THE LIGHT OF THE KITCHEN, I STUDIED HIS FACE. HE LOOKED MAD, HIS JAW HARD AND A FROWN TUGGING HIS LIPS. VERY NICE LIPS. HIGH CHEEKBONES AND A STRONG NOSE. HIS GAZE FLICKED DOWN TO ME JUST BEFORE HE STARTED UP THE STAIRS. DEEP BLUE EYES. I HAD AMAZING TASTE IN DREAM MEN.
WHEN HE TURNED TO MY ROOM, MY HEART SKIPPED A BEAT. WAS I REALLY GOING TO DREAM THIS? A NAKED MAN CARRYING ME TO BED? I KNEW WHERE THIS WAS HEADED.

Author Bio:
I love writing paranormal and fantasy romance stories. After finishing up the Judgement of the Six series, I thought I was ready to trade in my broody shifter males for something bit more mythological. Wouldn’t you know it…a few shifters snuck in! But, I managed a healthy selection of other creatures that made this series truly unique for me.
Writing characters with realistic motivations in a fantasy world is always fun. Fury Frayed was no exception. I laughed so many times while writing the first draft and again during the editing process. I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Oh woe is me | Unbroken Faith By Diane Dokko Kim

Title: Unbroken FaithBy: Diane Dokko KimGenre: Non-fiction / SpiritualPages: 240Release Date: April 3rd, 2018Publisher: Worthy Publishing
Summary from Goodreads: When a parent hears that their child has a disability, hearts and hopes are often broken. But faith doesn’t have to be. 
In Unbroken Faith, Dianne Dokko Kim comes alongside you as a fellow special needs parent to help you reconcile the premise of a good God with the devastating realities of raising a disabled child. Kim courageously articulates deep-seated, unspoken doubts and fears you may have but are afraid to voice: Will my child still have a full life? Can I do this? Where is God in all this? As you are adjusting to your new normal, Kim’s biblical-based encouragement will help you understand that you are not alone, that God gets it, and that God’s Word is entirely relevant to the raw and messy yet hallowed spaces of special needs parenting. 
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Review: I am a mother of an Autistic son. I also have a son that has sever ADHD with a sensory disorder and a son who is partially deaf, so I know about the ups and downs of have a disabled child. There is nothing more important than hope. Hope that you can have the strength to get through the tough times. Hope that your child will be ok. Hope that God will take care of you. This book was so full of despair that it actually made me really sad for the author. 
I know that living with an autistic child is hard and the struggle is real, but reading about it without the hope of a tomorrow, just makes me want to give up.
Every chapter was full the "oh woe is me," that it was hard to find any hope in the Bible verse and quotes that filled most the book. Where is the hope? A strategically placed Bible verse does you know good if the author doesn't learn something from it, take strength from it.
The book read like a journal or daily devotional, which isn't a bad thing. Many mothers with special needs children would love an autism daily devotional with versus to strengthen them for the day and stories of how to overcome that pit of despair. With a little work, this book could become that.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

A shepherd with a pie... | #WeeklyMenu Week #233

Happy Monday... Again! I can't believe we are back to here. Another week down, another week in front of us. The boys are staying healthy, for the most part. Little coughs and runny noses hear and there, but so far, no bed ridden sicknesses. Knock on wood. 
I got around to writing again. 1000 words on Thursday. I really need to buckle down and get that book finished, but life happens and my lunch breaks are used for other things lately. 
The cutthroat book club is insane. I'm up to 35 books this month alone. That's over an 8th of the way to my reading goal this year already. If I can hit 50 book this month, I'll be way ahead of the reading curve... I don't know why I'm doing this... but it's fun...
Here is your menu for the week. Lots of good stuff to eat. Enjoy!
Monday- Meat Ball Sandwiches
Tuesday- Chicken Ranch Tacos
Wednesday- Pesto Alfredo Tortellini 
Thursday- Pizza
Friday- Shepherd's Pie
Saturday- Creamy Parmesan Pork Chops
Sunday- Tuna Sandwiches

Zombies and a Dinner Party | Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Title: Zombie AbbyBy: Lauren Baratz-LogstedGenre: Historical ParanomralPages: 300Release Date: April 3rd, 2018Publisher:  Entangled: Teen
Summary from Goodreads: 1920, England
And the three teenage Clarke sisters thought what they’d wear to dinner was their biggest problem…

Lady Kate, the entitled eldest.
Lady Grace, lost in the middle and wishing she were braver.
Lady Lizzy, so endlessly sunny, it’s easy to underestimate her.

Then there’s Will Harvey, the proud, to-die-for—and possibly die with!—stable boy; Daniel Murray, the resourceful second footman with a secret; Raymond Allen, the unfortunate-looking young duke; and Fanny Rogers, the unsinkable kitchen maid.

Upstairs! Downstairs! Toss in some farmers and villagers!

None of them ever expected to work together for any reason.

But none of them had ever seen anything like this.
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Review: Downton Abbey meets Walking Dead. In this creative drama by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, we learn what it might have been like if there was a zombie outbreak in 1920. This thought in itself, is positively terrifying. 
The book starts out with the usual dinner parties and the hustle and bustle of the English countryside. There are all the characters you will need for a crazy zombie filled night. I found myself waiting for the excitement to happen. Waiting in anticipation, but I'm afraid it was a false hope. There really wasn't enough zombie interaction, and too much of the normal dinner party chit chat. If I'm going to read a paranormal, I want there to be out of the ordinary kind of things happening. 
The story was a little lackluster for me. Definitely a fun concept that could have been elaborated on more. If you enjoy a good historical fiction with a small amount of zombies, then you will absolutely love Zombie Abbey.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Fate of Their World | Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Title: FurybornBy: Claire LegrandGenre: FantasyPages: 512Release Date: May 22nd, 2018Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Summary from Goodreads: The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.
When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.
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Review: I kind of got a Scorpio Races kind of vibe at the beginning with a horse race and all the excitement. There was a lot going on in this book with the two different timelines. One chapter you are following Eliana as she tries to save her mother, the next chapter you are in the world of Queen Rielle who is battling to save her people. Sometimes this kind of switching point of views can get really confusing and bog the story down for me.
This was a long read, that had many twist and turns in the story. I wish it was two different books told about the same story, but other than that (Which is personal preference) It was a good read.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.