Review: Red Rising

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi Epic
Reading Level: Young Adult
Recommended for: Fans of YA fiction that is violent and hard
Book Available: January 28, 2014 in Hardcover and Kindle format
Trigger Warnings: arbitrary caste systems, slavery, eugenics, killing, executions, rape, mutilation, murder, extreme bullying, sexual assault
Animal Injuries: horses are killed or injured, wolves are killed, dogs are injured and possibly killed, goats and sheep are killed for other than food purposes

My Thoughts: I will note that this book is written in present tense. I know some people for whom this is a deal breaker. Also it is very violent and has lots of triggers to watch for. I say this so sensitive readers can be aware, not to stop anyone from reading the book. The story is really a good one, and the ideas presented are worthwhile, I think.

Pax au Telemanus amused me to no end. His battlecry is to scream his own name. How funny is that? Plus he had a great sense of humor. He was a really wonderful character and I would have loved to have seen more of him, alas.

The story does a great job of showing how power can corrupt, as well as showing that generalizations are never accurate, and that there is good and bad in most people. The Institute training is brutal and a lot of it was quite difficult to read due to the violence and horrible things that the students do, but it was very well-written and highly engaging; I did not want to stop reading, despite everything I had to do taking me away from the book. I think fans of YA science fiction, especially those who are not troubled by the violence in this story, will really enjoy this first book of a trilogy. I know I'll be watching for the next books, as I want to know what happens next.

Series Information: Red Rising Trilogy
Book 1: Red Rising, available January 28, 2014
Book 2: TBA
Book 3: TBA

Disclosure: I received an ARC from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Darrow is a miner and a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he digs all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of the planet livable for future generations. Darrow has never seen the sky.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better future for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow and Reds like him are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow joins a resistance group in order to infiltrate the ruling class and destroy society from within. He will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.



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@RichardLongNYC @TheFinishingFae #Trailer #Giveaway THE BOOK OF PAUL Video trailer blast!

Welcome to The Book of Paul Amazing, Astounding Video Blast.

With production values matching that of a movie, the Book of Paul trailer is as epic as the book!

"Everything you've ever believed about yourself...about the description of reality you've clung to so stubbornly all your life...all of it...every bit of it...is an illusion."

Available on Amazon in print and Kindle format!
| The Book of Paul for your Nook or you bookshelf!
| The Book of Paul on iTunes!

In the rubble-strewn wasteland of Alphabet City, a squalid tenement conceals a treasure "beyond all imagining"-- an immaculately preserved, fifth century codex. The sole repository of ancient Hermetic lore, it contains the alchemical rituals for transforming thought into substance, transmuting matter at will...and attaining eternal life.

When Rose, a sex and pain addicted East Village tattoo artist has a torrid encounter with Martin, a battle-hardened loner, they discover they are unwitting pawns on opposing sides of a battle that has shaped the course of human history. At the center of the conflict is Paul, the villainous overlord of an underground feudal society, who guards the book's occult secrets in preparation for the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy.

The action is relentless as Rose and Martin fight to escape Paul's clutches and Martin's destiny as the chosen recipient of Paul's sinister legacy. Science and magic, mythology and technology converge in a monumental battle where the stakes couldn't be higher: control of the ultimate power in the universe--the Maelstrom.

The Book of Paul is the first of seven volumes in a sweeping mythological narrative tracing the mystical connections between Hermes Trismegistus in ancient Egypt, Sophia, the female counterpart of Christ, and the Celtic druids of Clan Kelly.

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Check out the Movie Trailer for #TheBookofPaul.. My heart & soul went into it & I want them back http://t.co/oPOjcxVn6q

— Richard Long (@RichardLongNYC) December 9, 2013

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Richard LongRichard Long writes to exorcise the demons of his past and manifest the dreams of his future.

His debut novel, The Book of Paul, is a dark, thrilling, and psychologically rich supernatural horror/thriller that blends mythology, science and mystery into a page-turning addiction.

Richard is also writing a YA novel, The Dream Palace, primarily so that his children can read his books.

He lives in Manhattan with his wife, two amazing children and their wicked black cat, Merlin.

Find and Follow Richard:

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Pinterest | Tumblr

Join the Street Team

Also make sure to check out the other projects Richard Long is taking part in this week!

• 24 Days of Christmas Virtual Book Store
• Friday the 13th! What would Friday the 13th be without The Book of Paul. Watch @RichardLongNYC & his Facebook feed Look for the giveaways & special offers. Richard Long will be having having a sale for the during these events!

Promotion of The Book of Paul Trailer Blast brought to you by:

@JTaylorPub @EmiJGayle #Giveaway #ARC DARKEST DAY by Emi Gayle, win one of five ARCs! (book)

J. Taylor Publishing are giving away FIVE ARCs of Darkest Day by Emi Gayle!

Check it out!

Mac Thorne’s time as a Changeling is coming to an end.

It may have taken eighteen years, but Mac did finally manage to do what the Council wanted: she chose a teacher and renounced the in-between.

There’s just one last step. She must say goodbye to her human. Forever.

After being challenged in every way possible, Mac leaves what she thought would be the easiest task for the last possible moment. As midnight on July fourth draws near, though, she hasn’t found a way to give up Winn Thomas.

Nor does she want to.

With time running out, Mac stands at a literal crossroads. Choose Winn, and she’ll be stripped of the only family she’s ever known — vampires, dragons, and her favorite demon. Even her own mother. Accept her position on the Council and rule as an equal to her twelve peers, and she’ll forget Winn ever existed.

Independence and freedom have never before been so limiting.

In this final chapter of the 19th Year Trilogy, it’s time for Mac to decide.

Responsibility? Or Love?

DARKEST DAY is the third installment in the 19^th Year Trilogy, featuring Changeling Mac Thorne and her hot-geeky boyfriend Winn Thomas. And J. Taylor Publishing is giving away FIVE ARC copies.

To YOU!

You don’t even have to be a book blogger!

Nope, so long as you are willing to leave an honest review between the dates December 23^rd 2013 – January 6^th 2014, you are eligible to enter.

Interested?

Then just fill out the form and keep your fingers crossed.

Enter Here!

~~~~~

Other books in the series:



About Emi Gayle:

Emi Gayle just wants to be young again. She lives vicariously through her youthful characters, while simultaneously acting as chief-Mom to her teenaged son and searching for a way to keep her two daughters from ever reaching the dreaded teen years.

Ironically, those years were some of Emi's favorite times. She met the man of her dreams at 14, was engaged to him at 19, married him at 20 and she's still in love with him to this day. She'll never forget what it was like to fall in love at such a young age — emotions she wants everyone to feel.

Review: Where Monsters Dwell

Where Monsters Dwell by Jørgen Brekke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of mysteries that are not easily solved, thriller/suspense novels, Scandinavian fiction
Book Available: February 11, 2014 in hardcover and Kindle format
Trigger Warnings: murder, torture, sexual assault, drug abuse, overdose, attempted suicide
Animal Abuse: little boy throws cat into river to test the “cats always land feet down” hypothesis; he did not mean to harm the cat, but the cat was swept away in the current and out to sea, where it presumably drowned; the kid also held the cat by the tail

My Thoughts: This is the first book in the Odd Singsaker series, which is very popular in Norway. Odd is an interesting character. We meet him as he returns to work for the first time since having a tumor removed from his brain. He has lost a lot of his memories as a result. In fact, all the characters are excellent, full of quirks and qualities that make them human and relateable.

This is done so well that it was impossible for me to figure out who the killer was prior to it being revealed. There are just so many twists and turns, red herrings sprinkled in with the clues, that the mystery was kept mysterious right up to the ending.

Many of the characters were quite tragic. Felicia and her sexual assault in high school, Odd and his broken family, Vatten and the loss of his wife and child... This gives additional depth and interest to each character that really helps to fill them out.

This isn't as dark as some Scandinavian fiction I've read, but it is certainly as good quality as any of them. If you enjoy mysteries that are difficult to crack, suspense/thrillers, and Scandinavian fiction, then definitely watch for this one.

Disclosure: I received an ARC from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: A murder at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, bears a close resemblance to one in Trondheim, Norway. The corpse of the museum curator in Virginia is found flayed in his office by the cleaning staff; the corpse of an archivist at the library in Norway, is found inside a locked vault used to store delicate and rare books. Richmond homicide detective Felicia Stone and Trondheim police inspector Odd Singsaker find themselves working on similar murder cases, committed the same way, but half a world away. And both murders are somehow connected to a sixteenth century palimpsest book—The Book of John—which appears to be a journal of a serial murderer back in 1529 Norway, a book bound in human skin. 



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Review: Monarch

Monarch by Michelle D. Argyle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Please note: Read in July, 2011 from a copy provided by Rhemalda in exchange for an honest review. Updating my formatting and adding this disclosure.

My Synopsis: Nick doesn’t live a typical life, and this is driven home immediately at the beginning of the book, which opens with him watching the blood of an assassin, whom he has just killed, stain the floor of his kitchen. Nick works for the CIA in the DEA division; he has been in Brazil for two years now trying to take down a major drug cartel; but things become nasty when the drug lord, Ferreria, learns about Nick. How will Nick escape his fate? He is a widower – his wife died of a drug overdose 10 years ago – and his two daughters are grown. He doesn’t want to put them in danger, and he needs somewhere to hide where neither Ferreria’s men nor the CIA can find him. Then he remembers Lilian.

My Thoughts: This is a fast-moving thriller, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the page. The characters are all well-developed and multi-faceted, with complex interactions; how the author kept all the strings from tangling together I don’t know, but she succeeds beautifully in maintaining all the separate aspects of the story; thrills, chills, betrayal, romance – it’s all there and all wonderfully done. In addition, there are many passages that talk about monarch butterflies, the danger they are in due to loss of habitat, and giving the reader more information in general about this fascinating creatures. Sometimes when book has a “message” like this, it seems forced or over-bearing, but the author in this case fit it into the context of the story and made it smooth and interesting.

My Recommendations: I highly recommend this book for fans of thrillers, suspense and spy novels, and romantic suspense. Don’t miss out on a chance to buy and read it! My thanks to Rhemalda Publishing for providing a copy for me to read and review.




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@NickWastnage Cover Reveal: Harry's last "Zero One" by Nick Wastnage

Those who have been following along with my projects from Nick Wastnage will know about Playing Harry and Assassination Continuum, the first two books in the Harry Fingle collection (a trilogy). Well, I just did the initial edits on Zero One, the final Harry Fingle, and it was awesome. Nick Wastnage has just revealed the cover image, so follow the link below to see the awesome cover!

Nick Wastnage: Harry's last: Zero One , the final book in the trilogy, The Harry Fingle Collection will be published early next year. Murderers walk free from cou...

Review: Approaching Oblivion

Approaching Oblivion by Scott Rhine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of Sci-fi, esp. tech-based
Trigger Warnings: sexual assault (reported), murder, violence, fighting

My Thoughts: This is a fairly long entry in the Jezebel's Ladder series, but there is so much going on that it doesn't feel long. There is a lot of character development during the time spend reaching, and then on, Oblivion, especially with Yuki.

I don't want to put in too many spoilers, but I do want to point out that the abuse inflicted on Yvette by Toby in the previous book is discussed and consequences given. Yvette still loves Toby, though, as she always has and the subsequent changes in Toby's behavior starts to bring her around. Some of the people who worked on this book had a real problem with this, but I felt it was done fairly well.

The inhabitants of Oblivion are interesting, and the work put into creating their civilization is obvious in the book. I worked on a fairly early version of this book and there were some info-dumps, but those have been reduced in the final version. When I have time to re-read this, I might add to the review.

For now, if you like techno-based science fiction, if you have been following this series, then definitely check out this book. While it can be read as a standalone, I think for best enjoyment it should be read in its appropriate place in the series.

Series Information: Jezebel's Ladder
Book 1: Jezebel's Ladder, review linked here
Book 2: Sirius Academy, review linked here
Book 3: Sanctuary, review linked here
Book 4: Approaching Oblivion

Disclosure: I edited this book. I receive no remuneration based on sales. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: To earn a place in galactic society, the astronauts of Sanctuary must give an unknown civilization twenty-seven ideas, a ladder to lift it to the next level… if sabotage or space travel doesn’t kill them first. Yuki needs to replace an arm while covering up previous misdeeds. Mercy navigates a high-risk pregnancy with a sociopathic doctor. Yvette struggles to convince the others that the aliens who provided the ship are not as benevolent as they seem.

Their target is Oblivion B4, the fourth moon of a gas giant similar to Jupiter. The moon has a maze of cracks on the surface where life flourishes, earning it the name Labyrinth. More than one maze needs to be threaded if they're going to return to Earth.



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@EJStevensAuthor #Giveaway Release Day Giveaway for CLUB NEXUS (Int'l/gc/ebook)

Today is the official release day of Club Nexus, the latest in E.J. Stevens' Ivy Granger series. You can check out my review here; it includes links to all prior reviews in this series. To celebrate, the author is giving away some goodies! You could win a $15 Amazon gift card (or $15 Book Depository gift card) or an e-book copy of Club Nexus. Giveaway is below the synopsis, good luck!

A demon, an Unseelie faerie, and a vampire walk into a bar...

This Ivy Granger ebook special contains short stories set in Club Nexus, the hidden haunt of Harborsmouth's paranormal underworld.

ICED

A bargain gone wrong leads a highborn Unseelie faerie to life as an enslaved bartender with a taste for revenge.

DUSTED

Being a highly skilled predator doesn't necessarily put you at the top of the food chain at Club Nexus. A southern vampire with a hankering for blood and wanton violence may have bit off more than he can chew.

DEMONIZED

The demon attorney we love to hate has his eye on a certain rockabilly human. Too bad she's brought a crossbow loaded with holy water dipped bolts for this night on the town.

JINXED

Just when Jinx needs a carefree girl's night out with Ivy, a smoking hot demon tries to buy her a drink. She really is the unluckiest human on the planet.

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Review: Mind of Winter

Mind of Winter by Laura Kasischke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Suspense
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: fans of heavily character-driven stories and unreliable narrators
Book Available: March 25, 2014 in Hardcover and Kindle formats
Trigger Warnings: child abuse and neglect
Animals: mention is made (although it is not described) that a cat is run over; four hens peck another one to death

My Thoughts: I am not sure what to make of this book. Is it a slow descent into madness? Is it a ghost story? Is it allegorical or literal? The descriptions of the Siberian orphanage were enough to tear the reader's heart out, but by the end of the book, that will be the least of the traumas to which the reader has been subjected. So much of this speaks to the sorts of nightmares that adoptive parents have, and to their fears and insecurities.

I imagine a lot of readers will be put off by the disjointed and repetitive nature of the narrative, but for me it works to show just how frazzled and stretched Holly is. Holly is also a master of ignoring uncomfortable truths, pretending that everything is okay when really it is not.

Tatiana's definition of a soul was interesting to me. “The soul was the thing hidden inside the thing, and it made it what it was. You could not be, say, an actual parrot without a parrot soul.” It isn't the most profound, as Tatiana came up with it when she was nine, but it was interesting, and a good example of the sorts of things that she tended to think about. Make no mistake, this entire book is Holly's paean to Tatiana, to the idea of her, to the reality of her. Holly's obsession with her daughter, and her fears for her, are plain to see for all readers.

This one hit me right in the feels. As an adopted child myself, I am familiar with the sorts of things that adoptive parents have to deal with. I am familiar with the things that adoptees have to deal with. The synopsis will lead you to believe that this story is about something supernatural, but to me the story was about Holly and her feelings for, about, and surroundings Tatiana. Who—or what—Tatiana is in this book, that is the question you will have to decide for yourself. This is a very haunting book and I think people who enjoy heavily character-driven stories with unreliable narrators will enjoy this book.

Disclosure: I received an ARC through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: On a snowy Christmas morning, Holly Judge awakens, the fragments of a nightmare—something she must write down—floating on the edge of her consciousness.

Something followed them from Russia.

On another Christmas morning thirteen years ago, she and her husband Eric were in Siberia to meet the sweet, dark-haired Rapunzel they desperately wanted. How they laughed at the nurses of Pokrovka Orphanage #2 with their garlic and their superstitions, and ignored their gentle warnings. After all, their fairy princess Tatiana—baby Tatty—was perfect.

As the snow falls, enveloping the world in its white silence, Holly senses that something is not right, has not been right in the years since they brought their daughter—now a dangerously beautiful, petulant, sometimes erratic teenager—home. There is something evil inside this house. Inside themselves. How else to explain the accidents, the seemingly random and banal misfortunes. Trixie, the cat. The growth on Eric's hand. Sally the hen, their favorite, how the other chickens turned on her. The housekeeper, that ice, a bad fall. The CDs scratched, every one.

But Holly must not think of these things. She and Tatiana are all alone. Eric is stuck on the roads and none of their guests will be able to make it through the snow. With each passing hour, the blizzard rages and Tatiana's mood darkens, her behavior becoming increasingly disturbing and frightening. Until, in every mother's worst nightmare, Holly finds she no longer recognizes her daughter.



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Review: Club Nexus

Club Nexus by E.J. Stevens

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of Urban Fantasy, the Ivy Granger series
Book Available: December 3, 2013
Trigger Warnings: torture, murder, magical roofies, violence

Please Note: There will be a release-day giveaway on December 3 to celebrate the release of this book, which will go live at 12 a.m. Eastern standard time on December 3. You can enter to win at my blog.

My Thoughts: This novella comprises four short stories that interweave to provide various points of view. The one person we do not hear from is Ivy, but there is a short story featuring Jinx and another featuring Forneus, as well as a couple other people involved in Club Nexus. Since they are shorts, and they all address the same general period of time, I can't provide much information without spoiling things, but I really enjoyed this story, especially Forneus' section. Although that was bittersweet, but... well, I can't say more than that. I just felt bad for him.

Fans of the series, you won't want to miss this. Urban Fantasy fans, you need to check out Ivy Granger and this series.

Series Information: Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective series
Book 1: Shadow Sight, read and reviewed July 2012, review linked here where formatting allowed.
Book 1.5: Blood and Mistletoe, read and reviewed October 2012, review linked here where formatting allowed.
Book 2: Ghost Light, read and reviewed July 2013, review linked here where formatting allowed.
Book 2.5: Club Nexus, TBR 12/3/14
Book 3: Burning Bright, TBR June 17, 2014

Disclosure: I received an e-ARC from the author. No review was requested, but I am happy to provide my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: A demon, an Unseelie faerie, and a vampire walk into a bar...

This Ivy Granger ebook special contains short stories set in Club Nexus, the hidden haunt of Harborsmouth's paranormal underworld.

ICED

A bargain gone wrong leads a highborn Unseelie faerie to life as an enslaved bartender with a taste for revenge.

DUSTED

Being a highly skilled predator doesn't necessarily put you at the top of the food chain at Club Nexus. A southern vampire with a hankering for blood and wanton violence may have bit off more than he can chew.

DEMONIZED

The demon attorney we love to hate has his eye on a certain rockabilly human. Too bad she's brought a crossbow loaded with holy water dipped bolts for this night on the town.

JINXED

Just when Jinx needs a carefree girl's night out with Ivy, a smoking hot demon tries to buy her a drink. She really is the unluckiest human on the planet.



View all my reviews