Apocalypto: Omnibus by L.K. Rigel
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I am not finished reading this omnibus. But, you know? I still can’t get into it and I have reached 66%. There are many good ideas brought up but I never could relate with the main characters or the story thread. It may just be me. Maybe you will like it.
Space Junque by L.K. Rigel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Strong fem lead. Check. Space ships and shuttles. Check. Dystopian post apocalyptic world. Check. Adventure. Check. BUT… The story had holes and often lost me. Dare I even say, it bored me? Yet, I couldn’t resist looking to see if I have book two. Big mistake. I’ve started reading it. Actually, not only do I have the next book, I have the omnibus edition with all three books. So that is what I will be reading from next.
Space Junque has been on my to read shelf for so long I had forgotten it. I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. It is unique in the genre. I’m hoping the next parts of the story are better.
Sunspots by Karen S. Bell
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I’m sorry. I just couldn’t get into this book. The first chapter was okay. I felt sorry for the main character as she lived through her losses. But mostly the rest was memories of her falling in love with the cowboy-lawyer or whatever he was. I just didn’t like the characters and the writing was so boring that I was looking for other things to read. So thanks. But no thanks. Not for me. I see that others loved it so it must be the kind you love or hate. There are books for everyone and all moods.
By the way, I picked this up for free from BookRooster for honest review.
Winter’s Awakening: The Metahumans Emerge by Karen Luellen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Have you read the Maximum Ride books? Did you like them? I did. This book was surprisingly like those books. The main characters are kids who have been experimented on. The oldest of the kids is a girl who is feisty and has talents. No, the kids can’t fly. Yes, they were raised out on a ranch away from the populace. There are inconsistencies and minor mistakes, but they don’t detract from the story that much.
I feel badly giving this book three stars. If I had read this first I might not have felt the similarities so much. I might have given it four stars. I do appreciate the writing style that keeps one engaged with the characters and on the edge of their seats with worry, but James Patterson and the Max books have been done quite well. Give me the flying kids any day!
The Selkie Spell by Sophie Moss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a gripping story. It started out with the fable about the selkie who lost her skin. We’ve all heard the tales. The author tells it well and blends in her story seamlessly. I enjoyed traveling to this island and feeling, in some way, like I was there, enjoying the sea breeze, smelling the salt, and roses. Sure, I had to suspend disbelief at times, but when reality was introduced, I found myself drowning in the starkness of it all.
There may be triggers for those that have been abused in their lifetimes, just a warning. But I think this was a good way to help with awareness of spousal abuse. It breaks the fallacy that it only happens in lower-class families. The book addresses the deterioration of self-esteem and building of self-doubt. But it doesn’t leave you feeling helpless. The story builds empowerment as the main character learns to trust again, in herself and others. And all this takes place with the beauty of Ireland all around.
I would suggest that this be for mature audiences as there is the above subject matter and a very hot sex scene or two. It is part of the story. If you feel that is something you don’t like to read, skip it and enjoy the story otherwise. It does leave you feeling good with all the threads tied up at the end. I want to read the next book. Luckily I already had it, but I didn’t feel I was left on a cliffhanger. I just want to know what happens next.
Released by Megan Duncan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Enough with the demons! That I feel this way is not the fault of the author, Megan Duncan. In fact, had I read this way back in April 2011, I might not have had demon overdose. But way back then, I don’t think I could have handled the blood and guts and smells this book evoked.
The overdose that I’ve acquired isn’t just in ugly demons. I am done with Young Adult books with girls that start strong but then fall in love and start getting hurt or fainting or crying. Oh, and the moody-angst! Had it up to here! Again, not the author’s fault. Her’s was probably one of the first of these genres.
When the teens leave their home at the beginning, I wondered why. Sure there were ugly demons that had killed everyone they knew, but if they are tough enough to move on, aren’t they tough enough, smart enough to kill the demons where they were?
Then, when the kids visit this elderly man, I wondered how he was doing so well and why not stay and pick his brain about how he was doing this alone. But they choose to leave. Well, that is typical teen behavior, it’s all about the indestructible teen on an adventure.
Okay, what did I like? I obviously cared or I wouldn’t have given the book three stars. In spite of myself, I loved the characters, especially the siblings, Abby and Carter. They made a good team and had a lot of smarts on their own. I loved the immediacy of the author’s writing. She kept me engaged in the story even when I wanted to stop due to the gruesomeness of the demon hounds. Oh, and I love the cover! That’s the Abby I want to know and love!
Ethereal Fury by Jessica O’Gorek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Disclaimer: I was given this Kindle ebook by the author for an honest review.
This book took me longer than it should have to read. It started out with strong pro-Earth promise. I was willing to see what was going to happen to this soul that hurt the planet so deeply. I love the fact that Earth spoke and had her own entity.
Ms. O’Gorek’s writing and characters were awesome! Even the demons seem to have depth. That would have rated five stars. BUT I am not Catholic, nor do I hold to their priests being holy. I think that on a whole religion and particularly the Catholic church has caused more damage than a million demons could. And to watch these main characters put up with the restraint imposed upon them by the church was more than painful. And what does all this have to to with the oil in the other side of the planet? The book never addressed that again. In my mind that lowered the rating to three stars. So I averaged it out in my system to a 3.5 and rounded up.
Oh, and my worst possible complaint: cliffhanger! If it left me with more of a feeling about where the series is going. If it left me with a few tied up loose ends. Either of those would have helped me want to read the next book. A suggestion that might help is the first chapter of the next book or s blurb that entices the reader to look further into this story.
A note: Since I read using my tablet or fire on occasion, I found the font brightness changing from dim to bright and back again. It wasn’t my settings. I was forced to use my 2nd generation Kindle and used text-to-speech to get through. I don’t know if this font this is an issue that can be addressed easily, but for some of us with weaker eyes, that is nearly a deal breaker. Luckily I do use tts a lot so I could still flow with the story.
Vitality by M.A. George
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Want a light read that is fun and full of adventures? This series offers all that. As I said in my review of the previous book, this is a combination of sci-fi/fantasy/YA/Romance.
I love the characters and their talents. What I still have a problem with is that the main character only uses hers to get herself in trouble. She is immature for 118, she’s immature for 18. And the constant fainting is just annoying. At least the author has the character and her friends acknowledge this trait. What is even more annoying is that this is supposed to be a person that is a doctor and scientist. She has gone through all that schooling and has dealt with people going back to Churchill. She is long past teen tantrums. As for her taking chances, that might be less too with maturity. Not that she has any of the horrid aches and pains or fragileness of old age, but just an ability to foresee who she is putting at risk by her actions should be called to mind.
Even so, when you let all that go, this is a fun read. I loved all three books in the series, Proximity, Relativity and this one Vitality. I think even late grade school students would enjoy this. I would have read and enjoyed it had it been around for me in fifth or sixth grades. There is very little science, it is merely alluded to with space travel and other innovations. The talents these aliens possess are more what feels fantasy. Oh, and there is one human from Earth. How I wish he would have been more involved.
Oh, the romance! Not my thing. Have at it girls! In fact, that is why I don’t think guys will like this so much. Still, it was a nice book to escape into.
Relativity by M.A. George
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What if there was a marriage of fantasy/sci-fi/romance/YA? What would it look like? Look no more. It’s here. Written from the aliens’ point of view, the ones in love, future King and Queen of a planet, not Earth. Earth is where the main characters lived in secret hiding from the bad guys from their own planet. But that was the last book, book 1. In this one, we get the space travel and battles. And love…
For me that was the part I didn’t like. The gooey-eyed lovy-doviness of it all. Though the main character is 118 years old she acts as a pouty, immature 16 year old. Luckily the man (alien) of her dreams is more mature. I’m so glad there is a lot more story around this young adult(?) fiction. Oh, and I hate when the main character is knocked unconscious and is weak and puny. Ugh! When I was a teen I would have read this and passed it to my romance-crazy friend. Heinlein this wasn’t. Still I assume that young girls who have stars in their eyes would like it.
Space travel and the fantasy parts of finding talents the characters didn’t know they had, that’s what I love!. In spite of what I didn’t like, I found that Ms. George writes a well and tells a unique tale. And I almost forgot to write this as I had already started reading book 3. It has hooked me in spite of myself!
Lost in Prophecy by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well, at least I didn’t finish this after midnight! This is non-stop action from beginning to end. I find myself panting a little from all the running, and fighting.
In fact, it is all that fighting that I found overwhelming. Though I love Elise Cavanaugh, I agree more with the pacifist, Rylie. Surely our kind of book would be boring with everyone just getting along. And, no doubt, this is the story the characters fed to the inkster, S.M. Reine. But, oh, my gosh! Can’t I breathe a moment?
Once again, I longed for a character list as some folks are brought back that I couldn’t place until they are explained in answer to others’ questions. Still once I knew who they were I could understand why they were there.
This book left me feeling the cliffhanger. Maybe with all the books that came before, I could have handled it with some grace, but I have to wait until summer to find out what happens.
I have the first book of the next series lined up, but I am a little concerned that I need to finish the Ascension series before jumping into Preternatural Affairs. This has been a fun bunch of books to read. I love Sara’s writing, very strong and in the moment.
Though this ARC was given to me for an honest review, I found very few problems. In fact, if there were errors I didn’t notice as the story kept me going. Can’t wait for summer!
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 100 books for the 2013 Reading Challenge! 115 of 100 (115%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 225 books for the 2012 Reading Challenge! 225 of 225 (100%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 200 books for the 2011 Reading Challenge! 204 of 200 (102%)
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