Read the review for C.L. Schneider's book here:
Purchase here at Amazon
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A Great, Fast-Paced and Gripping
Coming-of-age Tale ★★★★★
Hooking you from the opening pages
with its vivid characters and pacey narrative, this is a gripping
tale of coming of age in early 90's West London.
The story centres on fifteen year
old orphan Ryan, an average kid trying to keep his head down until
exams, while at the same time keeping his girlfriend and the
conservative-minded aunt he lives with happy. His life is thrown off
kilter, however, when he is hesitantly drawn into a friendship with
Nathan Dawes, a fellow pupil whose oddball mentality, criminal
connections and philosophical obsessions have made him a social
pariah to anyone but the gang of petty crooks he consorts with.
Narrated by Ryan, with the wisdom
of hindsight as he looks back on events spiralling beyond his
control, it is easy to see how he becomes so easily pulled into
Nathan's circle; he's a vibrant character with a hapless, lost charm
that is as compelling to the reader as it is to Ryan. Nathan is in
love with Stephanie, a girl far outside of his league, and he
believes Ryan's help is the only thing that can help him win her over
and attain him the life he dreams of. Nathan's longing is poignantly
described and his earnestness and helplessness in this area resolves
Ryan to his cause and us along with him.
The spectre of determinism looms
over events as the characters navigate the trials of adolescence and
Ryan and Nathan find themselves dealing with a heart-wrenching
mystery that will haunt them into a no less turbulent adulthood.
A powerful sense of place and a
sharp, nostalgic feel for time pervade the novel, and the supporting
cast of characters are richly drawn – Stephanie in particular, who
might have been a canvas upon which to project Nathan's desires, is
depicted with a depth and feeling that makes her at times the most
relatable character. Her growth and the development of her
relationship with Nathan provides another, moving aspect to an
engaging, exciting and thought provoking read that I'd strongly
recommend.
"I thoroughly
enjoyed this book. The prologue was thrilling. I absolutely loved the
brilliant balance between the 'sex in the city' lifestyle of the
successful career women, their friendships and their love lives and the
normality of magic, powers and the use of the elements in normal day to
day conversation and life. Lisa has interwoven reality and the
paranormal in such a convincing, detailed way that you can actually
start to believe this is real. Just as Harry Potter seamlessly blends
the muggle world and the magical world to such a convincing extent, The
Elemental does this too. Lisa's descriptions of Shoreditch were
beautiful and her characters were very real, tangible people and I loved
the dramatic, catastrophic finale. I can't wait for book 2"
Holly Martin is the best-selling author of The Sentinel Series, One Hundred Proposals and The Guestbook.
Purchase Lisa's book here at Amazon
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By
Ailyn Koay
on March 9, 2015Format: Kindle Edition
I was approached by author to review this book, I was given 2 versions
of the book, with different illustrations by Ashleigh Longman.
Personally I preferred the one with more landscape/ still life rather
than character portraits, but they are both good and do not impact the
story in any way.
Zach was a baby when he washed up to the shore of the Isle of Iris, and was trained by the Guardian of Iris, Mako to be the next Watcher. Zach's destiny was tied to the world the moment he landed on the island in a wicker basket. Being a part of an ancient prophecy, Zach was taught many things by Mako and his crow Izal.
Is Zach well equipped to fulfill the prophecy and defeat the darkness called Shanzi?
I liked the book for a few reasons, mainly because of Rocky's uncomplicated approach to telling a compelling story. The risk was spelled out clearly, and there were no illusions of what was needed to be done.
As for the characters, it was not just Zach that you had to watch out for, there are a few characters that made the book what it is, and how they made an impact to saving the world from darkness in different stages.
A great book for read for fantasy/ adventure fans who are young adults. Or those who are looking for a different perspective in terms of fighting evil
Zach was a baby when he washed up to the shore of the Isle of Iris, and was trained by the Guardian of Iris, Mako to be the next Watcher. Zach's destiny was tied to the world the moment he landed on the island in a wicker basket. Being a part of an ancient prophecy, Zach was taught many things by Mako and his crow Izal.
Is Zach well equipped to fulfill the prophecy and defeat the darkness called Shanzi?
I liked the book for a few reasons, mainly because of Rocky's uncomplicated approach to telling a compelling story. The risk was spelled out clearly, and there were no illusions of what was needed to be done.
As for the characters, it was not just Zach that you had to watch out for, there are a few characters that made the book what it is, and how they made an impact to saving the world from darkness in different stages.
A great book for read for fantasy/ adventure fans who are young adults. Or those who are looking for a different perspective in terms of fighting evil
You can purchase Rocky's book (as well as his other titles.) here. Amazon
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By
This review is from: Ribbons of Death (Kindle Edition)
Ribbons
of Death was a thrilling adventure that kept me engaged throughout.
Edita A.Petrick and her writing left me enchanted during this compelling
mystery story. The plot and its characters were also very believable.
It was a Great Read
You can check out all the other reviews for Edita's book at Amazon
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visit Cortina at her Author Site
Five Stars for Mortal Ice!
This was an absolutely fantastic paranormal read. It had me captivated from the first page, it was an intense read that held my attention, it was action packed with just the perfect amount of sex and action with lots of exciting tension. There was a very dominating alpha hero and a quick witted, passionate heroine. With interesting characters and a complicated yet very sexy romance, it was easy to get lost in this book and I read it straight through. It was a fantastic read with a number of different paranormal beings and it delivered a great plot that was fast paced and extremely entertaining.
Vamps and Champions… protectors and villains, this book had it all. I loved the main characters, the author brought them to life in a very real way, they were believable and each had flaws which made them more easy to relate to. Eric Black, well he is one sexy and extremely hot alpha Vamp, the kind I would love to have for my very own! He is an enforcer of his kind and he fits that mold perfectly. Then there is the extremely smart and very independent Detective Shawna Davies, she is hard when she needs to be but has a soft side that I really enjoyed getting to know. I love a strong leading lady and this book did not disappoint. Together the two are an almost unstoppable force. The sexual tension and chemistry between the two are combustible and when they meet head on in passion the pages ignite!
I could not put this book down, I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great Vamp/paranormal romance with lots of suspense and some very hot sex. Exciting and action packed, this book kept me on the edge and wanting more with every page I read. I can’t wait for the next book to come out, I am truly looking forward to it!
Reviewed by Kim for Cocktails and Books
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See the five star review for In Shadows, waiting at Amazon
Reincarnation, gypsies, a love affair that dates back over 400 years and a twisted obsessed husband a midst it all, hunting his object of prey without her knowledge--this brilliant novel has it all. Not to mention, it offers up a whole new twist on reincarnation--cursing one love to eternal life while the other reincarnates endlessly. The characters, the magic, the past life back-story, everything clicked perfectly. The pages flew by as I read, utterly entranced by the easy tone of the novel.
Katarina and Gio as the main characters were wonderful, although I found myself mostly drawn to Gio's chapters, an oddity because I normally dislike being in a man's POV. And then there is Willem, one of the Strega Onesto, charged with assisting Gio on his mission to reunite with his lost love--he had a fun little side story happening with Claire and I really grew to care about the subplot as well as the plot--a rare occurrence indeed.
The only thing that hurt was the ending but thankfully there is a second book in the series. Aside from that, S.C Alban has done a beautiful job here and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what's happens to this twisted trio.
Rachael Stapleton
Author of The Temple of Indra's Jewel & Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire
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5 stars- Might As Well Face It, I'm Addicted to this Gypsy Love Affair, February 13, 2015
This review is from: A Life Without Living (Kindle Edition)
I
must admit based on the cover and description, I thought this book was
going to be chick lit, even after reading the first chapter--but
everything is not as it seems in A LIFE WITHOUT LIVING. Readers with a
love for the fantastical much like my own books will be pleasantly
surprised. This paranormal mystery includes just the right amount of
romance--perfect for Valentine's Day--enough to make the reader root for
the cursed lovers, but not too much as to distract from the overall
plot.Reincarnation, gypsies, a love affair that dates back over 400 years and a twisted obsessed husband a midst it all, hunting his object of prey without her knowledge--this brilliant novel has it all. Not to mention, it offers up a whole new twist on reincarnation--cursing one love to eternal life while the other reincarnates endlessly. The characters, the magic, the past life back-story, everything clicked perfectly. The pages flew by as I read, utterly entranced by the easy tone of the novel.
Katarina and Gio as the main characters were wonderful, although I found myself mostly drawn to Gio's chapters, an oddity because I normally dislike being in a man's POV. And then there is Willem, one of the Strega Onesto, charged with assisting Gio on his mission to reunite with his lost love--he had a fun little side story happening with Claire and I really grew to care about the subplot as well as the plot--a rare occurrence indeed.
The only thing that hurt was the ending but thankfully there is a second book in the series. Aside from that, S.C Alban has done a beautiful job here and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what's happens to this twisted trio.
Rachael Stapleton
Author of The Temple of Indra's Jewel & Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire
You can purchase Life Without Living at Amazon
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Five Stars for Mortal Ice!
This was an absolutely fantastic paranormal read. It had me captivated from the first page, it was an intense read that held my attention, it was action packed with just the perfect amount of sex and action with lots of exciting tension. There was a very dominating alpha hero and a quick witted, passionate heroine. With interesting characters and a complicated yet very sexy romance, it was easy to get lost in this book and I read it straight through. It was a fantastic read with a number of different paranormal beings and it delivered a great plot that was fast paced and extremely entertaining.
Vamps and Champions… protectors and villains, this book had it all. I loved the main characters, the author brought them to life in a very real way, they were believable and each had flaws which made them more easy to relate to. Eric Black, well he is one sexy and extremely hot alpha Vamp, the kind I would love to have for my very own! He is an enforcer of his kind and he fits that mold perfectly. Then there is the extremely smart and very independent Detective Shawna Davies, she is hard when she needs to be but has a soft side that I really enjoyed getting to know. I love a strong leading lady and this book did not disappoint. Together the two are an almost unstoppable force. The sexual tension and chemistry between the two are combustible and when they meet head on in passion the pages ignite!
I could not put this book down, I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great Vamp/paranormal romance with lots of suspense and some very hot sex. Exciting and action packed, this book kept me on the edge and wanting more with every page I read. I can’t wait for the next book to come out, I am truly looking forward to it!
Reviewed by Kim for Cocktails and Books
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As the secrets unfold my world has become more complicated. How many secrets can one family keep before they come crumbling down on a person?
My name is Marina Addisyn Stone but Mara is what my friends and family call me. I had always felt that there was something missing and that nothing was permanent. Why would I feel that way? I was being raised with my little sister by my grandmother that loved and doted on me. Then, there was Cole Sands. Who could forget the blue-eyed boy that had stolen my heart. What more could a girl need? I always thought I was just being dramatic and that bad things do happen to people but that is part of life. People die. People go away. Little did I know that with one secret, my life would change forever and my new world would be surrounded by the world of elemental magic.
Updated Teaser:
Remember: Protectors of the Elemental Magic by Marnie Cate
"I
never asked for this gift. Nothing good has come from it ... Families
are hiding their gift and running away to keep themselves safe. What
good has this so called gift been to my family?" As the secrets unfold my world has become more complicated. How many secrets can one family keep before they come crumbling down on a person?
My name is Marina Addisyn Stone but Mara is what my friends and family call me. I had always felt that there was something missing and that nothing was permanent. Why would I feel that way? I was being raised with my little sister by my grandmother that loved and doted on me. Then, there was Cole Sands. Who could forget the blue-eyed boy that had stolen my heart. What more could a girl need? I always thought I was just being dramatic and that bad things do happen to people but that is part of life. People die. People go away. Little did I know that with one secret, my life would change forever and my new world would be surrounded by the world of elemental magic.
Marnie's book is available at the following retailers:
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The
Tethering is the first effort from author Megan O'Russell and what an
effort it was! The plot of the book revolves around a sixteen-year-old
boy named Jacob Evans who unexpectedly finds himself thrust into a
hidden world of magic that is on the brink of collapsing into disorder.
To make matters worse for Jacob, his best friend, Emilia Grey, whom
Jacob has a not-so-secret love for, is part of the magical world and
becomes involved in the conflict in an unexpected way.
Speaking of unexpected, while I’m a fan of Young Adult fantasy novels (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, etc), part of me, before I began reading the book, wondered if The Tethering would really bring something new to the table or if it would just be a rehashing of previous magic/fantasy concepts. While there are some similar themes to the Harry Potter series (a magical world hidden within the “normal” world of humans, a boy thrust into a world of magic that he didn’t know existed) The Tethering didn’t fail to add fresh and exciting twists to the genre. It was an exciting, interesting and completely engrossing read and, in the end, left me extremely angry that I don’t have the second one to read yet.
Okay maybe I wasn’t angry, but I am eagerly anticipating the next volume in The Tethering series which, to me, is a great indication of what Megan O’Russell was able to accomplish with this, her first, novel.
You can purchase Megan's book at Amazon and at Barnes & Noble
And her sequel, The Siren's Realm, is available for pre-order at Amazon
Speaking of unexpected, while I’m a fan of Young Adult fantasy novels (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, etc), part of me, before I began reading the book, wondered if The Tethering would really bring something new to the table or if it would just be a rehashing of previous magic/fantasy concepts. While there are some similar themes to the Harry Potter series (a magical world hidden within the “normal” world of humans, a boy thrust into a world of magic that he didn’t know existed) The Tethering didn’t fail to add fresh and exciting twists to the genre. It was an exciting, interesting and completely engrossing read and, in the end, left me extremely angry that I don’t have the second one to read yet.
Okay maybe I wasn’t angry, but I am eagerly anticipating the next volume in The Tethering series which, to me, is a great indication of what Megan O’Russell was able to accomplish with this, her first, novel.
You can purchase Megan's book at Amazon and at Barnes & Noble
And her sequel, The Siren's Realm, is available for pre-order at Amazon
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Thom Stark
Khalid Muhammad's Agency
Rules - Never and Easy Day at the Office is a grim and complex, yet taut
and engrossing spy thriller. Most American readers will be unfamiliar
with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), which is
something like a Pakistani version of the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and a
pan-military intelligence service all rolled into one.
Kamal
Khan, the protagonist of Muhammad's book, is a child of privilege who
rises through the ranks of the ISI to become one of its top operatives.
In order to pursue his personal vendetta against the Pakistani Taliban
that is tearing apart his Swat Valley homeland, he must continually
battle corruption and incompetence within his own agency and the highest
echelons of Pakistan's government, as well. Agency Rules is a triumph
of the storyteller's art, effortlessly leading the reader through the
labyrinthine Pakistani intelligence bureaucracy and political structure,
laying out the lines of internal and external conflict, and sweeping
across a large, complex nation, from its ultramodern capitol Islamabad
to its tribal hinterlands in Khyber Paktunkwha province, without losing
its way, despite the torrent of information it provides. All this, while
weaving a white-knuckle plot, delineating a dark and driven
protagonist, and etching lines of conflict and moral ambiguity in high
relief.
Highly recommended.
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