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Tag Archive: fantasy
The Colors of Malent: Book One (The Colors of Malent #1)
by Tim Adams and Sam Inzerillo
Alara is a 14 year old girl, almost 15, who has the normal trials and tribulations of teens everywhere. Alara’s best friend Madison or Mads as Alara calls her, is already a pro shopper with tons of attitude. Alara’s new boyfriend Alex is a good looking jock who really seems to like her but doesn’t always understand her. Her freaky teenaged next door neighbor Freddy, incredibly smart but socially awkward, suddenly starts talking to her.
Alara’s busy and tension filled life is further complicated by the strange dreams that have haunted her since she can remember. Dreams that are getting weirder and weirder. They take her to another time and place where she enters the minds and bodies of the people she comes across.
Slowly she realizes that she can control the thoughts and actions of these people and she believes these people and places are real and are from a place called Malent. The bigger problem though is that these dreams are starting to come when she is awake too. And if all this isn’t enough to deal with, she has just found out something about herself that shocks her to the core!
As Alara tries to discover who the strange people in her dreams are and where Malent is, she is also trying to discover something about herself. Her questions bring her into contact with new people who could be friends or enemies. Things seem to be constantly changing and it leaves Alara wondering who she exactly she can trust.
The ending will leave you holding your breath, impatient for the next book to continue with this very intriguing story!
I really enjoyed this novel. The twists and turns keep you flipping the pages, faster and faster, as you try to see what will happen next.
The characters in Alara’s life are very believable. Her parents are typical parents, with her dad being the loud disciplinarian and her mom understanding the problems of being a teenaged girl. Her friends are very real. The situations are what many teens go through.
The people from Malent, the alternate world of Alara’s, are reminiscent of the our world but from many centuries ago. The strange, scary animals that inhabit the lands are definitely not of our world and are incredibly imaginative.
The way the story switches between our world and Malent is extremely well done. I really look forward to the next book in this YA fantasy series.
Crimson Midnight by Amos Cassidy
Six years ago, 15 year old Rose was mugged. The kids were never caught. Since then the petite blonde had learned all about self defense and was sure she could take care of herself. Leaving home for the first time, Rose and her friend Faye, are moving to London. Rose is going to live with her godmother while Faye is renting rooms with several kids from university.
Rose meets and becomes friendly with several people including the brooding Harold, Kris the peace maker, Raven, Roman and his very strange girl friend, Thistle.
Not all of Rose’s friends are what they appear to be and to trust the wrong person can cost you your life. People are going missing and Rose knows that somehow she is involved and must stop whatever demons are haunting London.
A fine urban fantasy novel filled with the supernatural, werewolves, demons, vampires and other paranormal things that go bump in the night.
Great character descriptions and good mood setting are a few of the highlights of this book. I really enjoyed some of the twists the story took and look forward to the next book.
I didn’t like that some of the storylines appear and then just disappear making you wonder if they were just a product of your imagination. I also think it should have had a few less main characters, at times I found it hard to remember who was who.
Overall, a great read for magical, werewolf, vampire, supernatural loving, urban fantasy readers.
Elemental Magic by Angela Wallace
Aileen Donovan isn’t just a research scientist at the Undina Research Center in Westport Washington who happens to be attractive and available. Nor is she just Seamus’ daughter nor just Keenan’s sister. She is an elemental, a supernatural being tasked with caring for the earth and its animals. Very few know of her secret life as an elemental, and its a secret that must be kept safe!
Aileen is a water elemental and as such she has learned how to harness her powers to use the water but she is young, still an apprentice and it certainly doesn’t help that the very animals she is tasked to protect make her the butt of their jokes.
When her Coast Guard friend Colin, whom knows nothing of elementals, asks for her help as a researcher to locate a ship that has been declared lost Aileen agrees to help.
With the power of a whirlpool, Aileen’s life has suddenly spun out of control…and not just in the elemental world!
This was a very engaging read. Quick paced story, with a few twists and turns, throw in some romance as well as great characters and that makes for a book that is hard to put down. I will definitely be reading the next in the series.
Dry Spell (Elemental Magic #2) by Angela Wallace
Strike: The Hero From The Sky by Charlie Wood
Tobin Lloyd is a 17 year old practical joker, who thinks not of how to save our country, but how to keep out of trouble for his latest practical joke. His buddies, Jennifer Robins and Chad Fernandes, have had his back for years but its senior year, time to look to the future, think about being an adult. But Tobin’s still far too busy having fun to worry about what lies ahead, except for maybe being a game show host, that’d be cool.
Imagine then waking up in an alien land, on an alien planet, with alien buddies AND if that’s not enough for you, being told of alien super heroes and alien super villains.
How can Tobin and his friends, both old and new, cope with all the changes. And just what is so important about Tobin that makes everyone want him on their side?
A great action, fantasy, YA romp with overtures of super heroes and super villains. I would love to see this as a graphic novel!
This to me is more of an older child or teen book, however as I am not sure what level of violence you deem acceptable for your children, I would consider looking the book over first. I believe there is worse on regular television, but as I said, there is violence. Good moral story, good teen roll models.
I received this through a LibraryThing Giveaway
Water Harvest by Eric Diehl
“The sad truth of it is this: the colonies’ need for water is as desperate as our need to deny them. One faction must fall. I would sacrifice the lunar territories to spare the home world”
For 3000 years the water harvest has occurred. Supply is limited now and in order to survive, other colonies steal more than their allotted share.While out on a routine watch in the upper atmosphere, Cairn, of the House of Alar, and Dirc, his crewman,come across a shrouded ship. They engage in a battle with the other ship which is destroyed, however, their vessel is also damaged. It is the escalation of the war for water, one that promises to be a bloody, deadly fight.
The colonies need more water than what is allotted them. They employ wizards, who with the use of the hallucinogens Greensbane, Blacksbane and D’arkbane to bring on evocations of killing, battle for supremacy over the water harvest. With a mixture of swords, sorcery and futuristic technology, who will emerge the victor? Can Cairn and his people stop the colonies from stealing their harvest?
This futuristic fantasy tale, with elements of olden day sword fighting is a great read in the science fiction genre. The story brings to mind our own planetary struggle to provide clean, untainted water to everyone and the battles over territory that are ongoing.
I was provided with a copy of this book by the author and asked for my honest review.
The Colors of Malent
Debut authors Tim Adams and Sam Inzerillo, have finished book 1 in their new Young Adult fantasy novel The Color of Malent series. They are working now on books 2 and 3.
I met Tim Adams at an online site. I offered to review his upcoming novel, The Color of Malent, and asked if I could also do an interview with both he and Sam Inzerillo. I was thrilled when they agreed and also offered a copy of their YA fantasy novel for a giveaway. I will have the pleasure of interviewing both men later this month or early next month as a blog interview and will be offering a giveaway of their YA fantasy novel The Color of Malent as well.
BOOK SYNOPSIS THE COLOR OF MALENT
For as long as she can remember, Alara Martin has had strange dreams about a beautiful, faraway world. They increase with intensity as she approaches her fifteenth birthday, and Alara has a hard time distinguishing them from reality. She thinks about them constantly—and wonders why no one else in her family experiences them.
After suffering from a particularly traumatic and vivid nightmare, Alara learns an astonishing truth from her parents: she is not their real daughter! Alara is devastated by the news and riddled with more questions than answers. Who are her real parents? Where does she belong? And why do these strange dreams plague her every night?
Alara’s daily routine is interrupted by extraordinary landscapes, unbelievable creatures, and strange waking visions. Her search for answers will thrust her into the middle of a conflict for which she is completely unprepared. Can Alara’s destiny really lie in the world of Malent? And how can Alara leave all that she loves in her current world for her true heritage? Desperate for help from anyone who will listen, Alara fights to uncover her real identity—before it’s too late.
This will be my first interview and giveaway on my blog! I am super excited but of course a little nervous as well. I am really looking forward to learning about Tim Adams and Sam Inzerillo and finding out more about how they got together to write, why they decided on Young Adult fantasy to write, and more about their new book, and the series. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know.
Dark Genesis (The Darkling Trilogy, Book 1). by A.D. Koboah
Now I must admit, I requested a review copy simply because this was a debut novel for the author A.D. Koboah and not because I’m a particular fan of paranormal fantasy fiction. But this is not just a paranormal fantasy fiction, it’s a beautiful love story, a touching look at mother-daughter relationships and a haunting look at the lives, loves and feelings of slaves in early America.
Atlanta, 2011 – Dallas Marshall is a family rebel, in no small part because she receives psychic impressions or vibes. She disliked most of her family, finding them to be driven only to increase their already substantial fortunes. When her grandma had passed away, the only one left in the family who was like her was her artist aunt, Rose. There was a joke in the family about a guardian angel. Needing a refuge from her other family, Dallas is staying with her aunt. Wanting to be close again to her grandma, Dallas goes to the basement where her grandma’s things are stored. Inside an old chest, Dallas finds what appears to be a journal. Receiving an impression when she touches the book, she knows it is written by an unknown woman, but a woman she has some kind of connection with. She opens the book and enters a different world, one that will change her life.
In 1807, Luna is a beautiful slave woman, owned and abused by Master Henry, and then by his son Master John. The only control Luna has in her life is to get rid of the pregnancies resulting by this abuse. Getting caught would be deadly, but she will not allow a child of hers to be owned by the Master. Her mother, Mama Akosua, had been sold away when Luna was 3. But she had found a way to remain close to her daughter, living a 2 hour walk away. Mama Akosua is an herbalist and some say, a witch. She helps her daughter to abort the children, except the first one, a daughter, that she had spirited away.
Luna has turned to God and has trouble believing in her mother’s powers, even though there are times she feels them within herself. At a fire ravaged chapel on master’s property, Luna has hidden a bible she had stolen from master’s wife. She loves that book, and wishes so much that she could read the words herself. She feels something evil at the chapel, but cannot stay away.
After leaving the chapel, she meets the creature. Luna stares in awe at him. He is beautiful in his guise as a human man, but it is just a guise. But there is another entity in the clearing by the chapel, and it is pure evil. Luna needs to get away, run fast and get away from them both.
After the creature in human guise stops Master John from having his carnal way with Luna, it is revealed the creature is a vampire. He spirits Luna away, to keep her safe. As times pass, she falls in love with Avery, the name of the man he was before being turned into a vampire.
I can’t say more as I don’t want to spoil the surprises in this wonderful paranormal, vampire fantasy romance novel.
The only thing I would change about this novel is to make the story of Luna read like actual journal entries. I believe that would have made a more powerful statement.
I received my copy through LibraryThing and was asked for my honest opinion.
The Pallor of Death and Other Stories by Amanda Lawrence Auverigne
An enthralling collection of 10 short stories featuring zombies, ghosts, werewolves, gore, blood and more!
FACT FINDING MISSION:
Jill and Ben’s walk into the dark forest in search of a glowing ghost ends up being more than they expected.
THE PALLOR OF DEATH
Laura, Charlie and Melanie have a supernatural experience in the old mansion that Melanie just bought.
LAND LINE
A 911 call has Officers Simmons and Tyler heading to 799 Norfolk Lane. Will they find Betty and her brother or is someone or something else using the telephone?
AT THE LAST MINUTE
Holly’s friend Dina has Halloween costume issues but luckily gets help from a crazy source.
RAID
The new designer drug Dead Ice has everyone acting buggy.
PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE
We all know how waiting in a line up at a department store gives you that dead zombie feeling but Merton Mart guarantees their customers’ satisfaction with a killer product.
LIGHTHEADED
When the stomach rumbles from hunger, its in everyone’s best interest to feed it.
A SMALL MATTER OF FANTASTIC
In order to win the campus costume contest at Halloween, Haley and Angela are dressed as a zombie gangster and his zombie moll, but with Chad and Devon dressed to impress as werewolves, you have to ask yourself where exactly did the guys get their fur?
THEY ALL COME OUT AT DUSK
Evangeline is tired but decides a little seduction is in order before the game with Percy is over.
DRAMA
Kevin and Jon have grown tired of Lois‘ games and insist that she finally chose which of them she will marry. But who is really the winner?
Well written short stories with great characters. My favorite of these 10 short stories would be Drama.
visit Amanda Lawrence Auverigne website http://auverigne.com/
The Chrysalis Chronicles – The Eyes of the Desert Sand Book 1 by Edwin Wolfe (YA)
From the opening pages where we are first introduced to 13 year old Ethan Fox and his beloved parents, George and Betsy, through the winding pathways that guide us through the start of Ethan’s story, to the closing lines where we must say a fond farewell to all the characters we’ve met thus far, I have had a wonderful time!
This is the start of Ethan’s strange but exciting story. The only child of George and Betsy Fox, he has a very close relationship with them. His only problem, and it’s something he seldom thinks about, is that he has no memory of anything before his 8th birthday. His parents have told him an accident caused his memory loss. With no reason to think anything is not as it should be, Ethan doesn’t let his lack of memory interfere with anything. He and his parents are very close, spend a lot of time together and really enjoy being together. Ethan has a great life and great parents and no worries about the future, or his missing past.
Ethan’s problems begin when he suddenly starts having difficulty sleeping. For several days, this persists. One morning, after finally falling asleep, Ethan awakens to discover a poem that he has written. He knows he has written it as it has his secret mark, but he has no memory of writing it. When he shows his father, George is dismissive of it. Ethan accepts what his father says, but later Ethan hears his parents argue about it, which worries him as his parents NEVER argue. He then sees his father with a very old book, which he is putting away in a secret spot that Ethan knows nothing of. At a family event Ethan has a very strange run-in with 3 men, he actually thinks they’re vampires and that they were trying to kidnap him. While his parents dismiss his story, he thinks that they actually believe him.
A week later, on a family day at the beach, Ethan meets Haley, a young girl who also has no memories, and while his parents are busy, Ethan and Haley wander off down the beach. Ethan spots a 3 foot tall blue rabbit that Haley can’t see, and they follow it. The bunny disappears and Ethan and Haley discover sand stairs that disappear down into the ground. Ethan starts down, and that’s when the fun really begins!
EXCERPT chapter 2 – The hooded stranger looked towards the floor as he made his way across the room. Raising his head as he neared, the stranger slowly lowered his hood revealing his face. And it nearly sent Ethan into shock! He knew this face!It was that face! It was him, the man who had tried to kidnap him that night – nearly a week ago!
Throughout this extremely entertaining story, Ethan meets some remarkably diverse characters. From the blue taletaddler who says xo-xo, to the shape shifting sea hydromorphs, from the Grumplings to the grim-tailed dread, the characters are different, interesting and colorful.
This was such an interesting read, I had difficulty putting it down, even for just a short time. It had a great storyline, the story flowed very smoothly and I loved the characters. I look forward eagerly for the next book in the series.
For more information and preview chapters of the Chrysalis Chronicles visit the website at http://chrysalischronicles.com/
Susan
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