Review: Redemption (The Captive, #5) by Erica Stevens @EricaStevensCGP

Tags

Erica Stevens, indie author, indie book review, indies, paranormal romance, redemption, review, romance, self-published, series, the captive, vampires, ya, young adult

This is the fifth book in The Captive Series. It is a stand alone novel however it is recommended that the other books in the series be read. Available now!

A year has passed since the war against Jack’s father that freed the humans from their roles as blood slaves and servants to the vampire race. Having left the palace behind in order to ensure that the outer towns are obeying the new laws, Jack struggles to come to terms with the grief and haunting memories that drove him from the palace in the first place. He’s content to lose himself in the outer lands and the obscurity that they offer him. That is, until he encounters Hannah.

Growing up in the small town of Chippman, Hannah had long ago accepted the fact that she would never leave it. When Jack walks into her life, and turns it upside down, she quickly realizes that not everything is what she’d believed it to be. Knowing that Jack will reject her if he learns the truth about her, Hannah struggles to fight her growing attraction to him. For though the town of Chippman seems normal on the outside, its residents harbor secrets that they’ve taken great pains to keep hidden. Secrets that have forced the town to live under the rule of the one man that could tear Jack and Hannah apart forever.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars
By far the best book yet! Don’t get me wrong, I adored Braith and Aria (still do), but the plot, development, dialogue—the everything—the writing style has gone through such an evolution that it’s mind blowing.

The plot:
I had to force myself to put down my Kindle at 1:00 a.m. I nearly murdered my family because they wouldn’t let me read. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book no matter what I was doing. The plot grabbed me by the throat and dragged me through without a second’s rest. The “squee” moments and the “hell no” moments were mixed together with perfect balance to keep my eyeballs affixed to my screen. Highest marks here.

The characters:
In books 3-4, we get brief glimpses into Jack’s psyche, usually when he’s thinking about the war or trying to navigate Braith’s volcanic temper regarding Aria. In this book, we delve much, much deeper, exploring how Jack ended up with the rebels to begin with, and what goes on in that head of his. A lot of it I would never have guessed and it was all the more fun for it.

I adored Hannah! She’s tough, determined, but also has a plethora of insecurities due to her “defect” and the lifestyle she was raised into. She and Jack are beautiful together and they’re one of those couples to make the fangirls squee and scream with delight.

Some of the characters from the earlier books also make an appearance and I was a little surprised to see them again. There was one point where I was thinking “Braith and Aria—leave! This is Hannah and Jack’s story now!” But they fit in nicely and it was kind of funny to see Jack come to understand just what it is Braith went through when he lost Aria. (The “how did you not kill me” conversation was so funny!)

I have received word that there will be a sixth book—one dedicated to Aria’s brother, William. I’m a little hesitant, but then I was hesitant with this one. I have high hopes and it looks like I will be a fan of this series for some time yet!

Find Redemption on Goodreads

Find Redemption on Amazon

Find Redemption on BN.com

Writing Update: January 2014

Tags

argetallam, argetallam saga, daindreth's assassin, epic fantasy, Fanged outcast, fanged princess, fantasy, indie author, indies, novella, paranormal romance, series, summer 2015, Vampire, writing, writing plans, ya, young adult

The other day, I was getting mad because a few authors whose work I’ve enjoyed have failed to offer updates on sequels. Then I realized—I haven’t given updates in awhile and it was time to fix that!

 

2013 was a big year that began with Fanged Princess’ release, followed by The Chalice of Malvron, and ended with Fanged Outcast, the sequel to FP. I completed the first drafts of books 4 and 5 in the Argetallam Saga as well as the premier novel in a new Epic Fantasy Romance series that has been garnering some attention, but more on that later.

My goal for this year is to finish drafting the last two books in the Argetallam Saga and publish the fourth novel in the series before Christmas. Right now, I would say we are looking at a July/August release for The Temple of Tarkoth with Fanged Princess 3 to follow a month or two later. (But it might be sooner, we shall have to see.)

 

The first draft of the third novella in the Fanged Princess series is set to be done by this weekend and sometime after that it’s off to writing the sixth Argetallam book and editing my newest word baby, Daindreth’s Assassin. If you follow me on Pinterest, you have probably seen my board for this series and know that I am very, very much in love with it. It’s a true epic fantasy about an assassin who falls for the prince she was hired to kill and my goal is to get it beta-ready by July-ish and publish it sometime in 2015 around late spring/summer, but ONLY after I finish writing the Argetallam Saga. Janir’s story is one I want to tell right and I think she and her friends (and enemies) deserve to be taken care of first.

 

The prospect of coming to the end of Janir’s tale is more than a little daunting, as Janir has been with me for close to a decade now, but at the same time I can’t wait to see if everything unfolds as I envisioned years ago. However, there is a certain Argetallam mortahn and a pair of young lovers who just might get their own books. We shall have to see.

I am very excited to share with you all Haddie and Janir’s upcoming adventures and I am just giddy for you to meet Amira. But in the meantime, I have some wordsmithing to do. Catch you later!

Review: The Light Keepers (ShadowLight Saga, Prequel) by Mande Matthews @MandeMatthews

Tags

epic fantasy, indie author, indie book review, mande matthews, mytholgoy, nordic, norse, novella, prequel, self-published, series, the light keepers, the shadowlight saga, viking, ya, young adult

Isolated because of what she is—because of the power she holds inside—Astrid longs for contact with another human being. Her well-intentioned mother locks her away from society in order to protect her from an evil that seeks to use Astrid’s abilities for his own means. But the resulting loneliness drives Astrid deeper into the shadowwalk—a power she is forbidden to use, a magic that lands her directly into the arms of the Shadow.

This short prequel to the ShadowLight Saga offers a revealing glimpse into the history of the beautiful and mysterious warrior maiden known as Swan, called Astrid in this prequel. It takes place a few moons before Bonded begins and is a self-contained novelette of approximately 10,000 words.

Includes bonus chapter preview of Bonded, Book One of the ShadowLight Saga.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

4 out of 5 stars

This is one of my Kindle freebie grabs that I half-heartedly opened out of desperation thinking I had nothing but time to lose. The result was me gripping my Kindle, debating how soon I could get the rest of the story.

The plot:

This is a brief book that still boasts sword fights, magical intrigue, and deeply rooted mysteries. I found myself enjoying it far more than I expected to and whizzed through the brisk plot in no time at all.

The characters:

We do see some of Astrid’s mother and her mother’s protector, who is also Astrid’s teacher. However, the main focus is undoubtedly on Astrid. Astrid has many frustrations, mostly about her inability to speak and her lack of understanding just what it is her mother and mother’s protector are preparing her for. It was easy to understand why she got so angry, even if it was also easy to see why they pushed her mentally and physically. I don’t usually find rebellious characters sympathetic, but I adored Astrid and I was very eager to read Bonded.

A plunge into a fantastical world based on Norse mythology complete with dark lords, mystery, and lots and lots of sword fights. I highly recommend this series and am eagerly awaiting the third installment.

Find The Light Keepers on Goodreads

Find The Light Keepers on Amazon

Find The Light Keepers on BN.com

Teaser #2: Fanged Outcast

Tags

Fanged outcast, fantasy, indie author, novella, paranormal romance, series, teaser, Vampire, vampires, ya, young adult

Teaser #1: Fanged Outcast

Tags

Fanged outcast, fanged princess, humor, novella, series, teaser, Vampire, vampires, ya, young adult

Review: Volcrian’s Hunt (The Cat’s Eye Chronicles, #3) by T.L. Shreffler @poetsforpeanuts

Tags

awesome, book review, fantasy, indie author, indie book review, indies, magic, self-published, series, the cats eye chronicles, tl shreffler, volcrian's hunt, ya, young adult

A plague is spreading across the land. Crops are rotting. People are dying in the streets. Sora, with the help of her magical Cat’s Eye necklace, is the only one who can stop it.

She must travel overseas to the Lost Isles, a place of legend and mystery. Only there can she destroy the bloodmage, Volcrian, putting an end to the curse. She is accompanied by Crash, a lethal assassin who once threatened—and saved—her life. But Sora is beginning to question her dark companion. He seems to be carrying a secret; a hidden past that could endanger them all.

Meanwhile, they are hunted by an underground society known as the Shade. For centuries, the Shade has waited for the perfect opportunity to step into the light. Now they are perilously close to resurrecting a Dark God and unleashing a wave of unimaginable destruction. They only need to collect the three sacred weapons, and Sora has already found two….

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars

Note: This review may be less professional and longer than most because fangirling is likely to occur. You were warned.

This is by far one of my All Time Favorite series. Volcrian’s Hunt picks up a few days after Viper’s Creed left off, with Sora and Co. on board a ship destined for the Harpy islands. It doesn’t take long for the adventure/trouble to start and once it does, there’s never a dull moment! I find myself becoming more and more engrossed in this series, this world, and these characters with each new installment. This is by far one of the better books I have read and Ferran’s Map cannot arrive soon enough for me!

The plot:

This book caps off the word count at over 100k, but it felt much, much shorter. I became so caught up in the story that before I knew it I had reached the end and was yearning for more. The plot is well structured with no loopholes and a cocktail of suspense, action, and magic with a shot of romance. We learn more about the Harpies as well as their archenemies, the Unnamed or the Sixth Race, Crash’s race.

The characters:

I understand that the bad@$$ heroine has come into vogue and while I can be fond of the Xenas and Celaenas, I find a character like Sora, with a certain vulnerability and innocence, to be refreshing. Sora isn’t a fool or completely helpless, but she’s not a smoldering virago either. She does what she does for the sake of doing the right thing and while she has her fears and doubts, it’s her courage that pulls through in the end.

Crash has grown a lot since the first book, but the author still does a good job of reminding us who he is and where he comes from. That doesn’t change the fact that he is my favorite character and I have shipped him with Sora since the scene they met. He’s become very protective of her, but not in a possessive way (possessiveness is overrated in my opinion). I thought I couldn’t adore him any more, then came this one part where :SPOILER: he could have seduced Sora :END SPOILER: and you could tell he wanted to, but didn’t because he respected her and wanted what was best for her. My thoughts at that point were simple—AWESOME!!! If I didn’t already love him to bits, I certainly would now.

On a side note, Crash’s shirts seem have a rather short life expectancy in this book. I didn’t think the poor articles of benign clothing deserved their untimely demises, but if dear T.L. Shreffler disagrees…oh, well.

There was a female character called Krait introduced toward the end of Viper’s Creed of the same race as Crash. I’m not sure why, but I think I like her. She has that certain creepy zealot appeal and I’m looking forward to reading more about her. We also meet Caprion, a Harpy general who becomes fast adversaries with Crash. Caprion came across as a bit lofty and self righteous to me, but I’m kind of wondering if my opinion will change when I read Caprion’s Wings, the prequel novella set to come out in January. Apparently, Caprion and Krait have something in common according to the author’s website and I’m twisting my mind into knots trying to figure it out. I have my suspicions, but…

I thought Volcrian had lost it in the second book, but it was nothing compared to this one. He’s become a psychotic sociopath, hardly able to tell his own thoughts and desires from those of the Dark God who, unbeknownst to him, is using the mage to gain a foothold in the world of the living.

Though the bloodmage is a more than adequate villain, we also see a brief glimpse of Cerastes, Crash’s former mentor, who is bent on reviving the Dark God and ending all life. Though we meet him in only two scenes through the eyes of Krait, it is more than enough to tell he is going to be an unprecedented antihero for Ferran’s Map.

I think I’ve rambled on long enough, so I will sum up by saying this is a YA Epic Fantasy series worthy of obsession and definitely one to watch.

Find Volcrian’s Hunt on Goodreads

Find Volcrian’s Hunt on Amazon

Find Volcrian’s Hunt on BN.com

ARC Review: Mine to Tarnish (Mine, #0.5) by Janeal Falor

Tags

arranged marriage, fantasy, indie author, indie book review, indies, janeal falor, mine series, mine to tarnish, novella, paranormal romance, self-published, series, ya, you are mine, young adult

Katherine’s place is the same as any woman’s—on the shelf next to the dresses and bolts of cloth. When she’s sold to a warlock, life grows even bleaker. Her new owner is as old and rancid as he is cruel, driving her to do the unthinkable: run.

Nothing prepared her for being on her own. And she’s definitely unprepared for the warlocks hunting her down. But she must stay one step ahead because if caught, the best she can hope for is death.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars

I don’t know why this novella has been incurring 2 and 2.5 star reviews. I enjoyed it very much and am not sure why the things that bothered the other reviewers did.

The Mine series takes place in the fantasy land of Chardonia where both men and women are born with magic in their blood, but only men can use it. Women are valued based on the amount of magic they will gain their husbands and their potential to bear powerful sons. This makes for an interesting twist on the traditional arranged marriage stories and Falor’s imagination builds a fascinating and original world of power hungry warlocks and daring rebels seeking change.

The plot:

I read You Are Mine, the proceeding novel to this story, first and was pleased to find the same tasteful balance of suspense and danger here. There were a few twists, a few turns, and more than enough action to keep me breezing through until I reached the end.

The characters:

Katherine is a supporting character in You Are Mine, so I was already a little acquainted with her, but it was nice to have a deeper look into her backstory and how she came to be who she is. From the very beginning, we see she has a rebellious, indomitable streak, but it takes awhile for that part of her to come out enough for her to take full control of her own life. She was a very brave character who I thoroughly enjoyed reading and didn’t give in when most other people would have.

I might be mistaken, but I think Charles and Mavis, two principle characters here, were both mentioned in You Are Mine. I very much appreciated how forgiving Katherine was toward Mavis and the budding romance between Katherine and Charles was incredibly sweet.

The main villain, Nigel, Katherine’s new owner and would-be husband, was disgustingly nasty and incredibly easy to loathe. He represented all that was wrong with Chardonian society—a warlock drunk on power with no respect for women, servants, or anyone he considers beneath him. (Though I could have cared less about him being old. I thought it more mattered that he was vindictive, cruel, and perverted.) I liked what happened to him at the end a bit too much and when he got his comeuppance, all that came to mind was, “Good for you, Katherine!”

I found this to be an exceptional piece of literature and I recommend it to people looking for a different kind of fantasy novel—one where the focus is less on swords and sorcery and more on courage and morality.

Find Mine to Tarnish on Goodreads

Find Mine to Tarnish on Amazon

Fanged Outcast: The very first proof!

Tags

Fanged outcast, fanged princess, indie author, novella, proofreading, series, Vampire

Since the cover reveal was on Friday, I can finally show you the very first proof for Fanged Outcast! (It’s much less blurry in real life. I promise.)

{Title/Blurb/Cover Reveal + Giveway} Fanged Outcast (Fanged Princess, #2) by Elisabeth Wheatley

Tags

Cover reveal, elisabeth wheatley, fanged princess, indie author, paranormal, paranormal romance, series, teen author, Vampire, vampires, ya, young adult

Today is the day. The big reveal for the second installment in my Fanged Princess series. Check out the blurb below and don’t forget to enter the awesome giveaway. And a big thank you to all the awesome bloggers helping with the reveal!

How much would you sacrifice for a love that wasn’t yours?

Hadassah managed to befriend her kind’s worst enemies and save her brother and the human girl he loves from the Vampiric King—once. After a month spent in quiet hiding under the protection of the Huntsmen, a surprise attack from a band of Kaiju shatters their brief reprieve. Faced with new challenges and new threats, Hadassah and the others must once more fight for her brother and the girl who stole his heart. And this time, the Vampiric King isn’t the only one they need fear…

Action, suspense, humor, and romance collide in this anticipated sequel from teen author, Elisabeth Wheatley.

Add Fanged Outcast (Fanged Princess, #2) on Goodreads

Add Fanged Princess (Fanged Princess, #1) on Goodreads

Awesome Rafflecopter Giveaway

{Author Interview + Giveaway} Janeal Falor

Tags

eBook, fantasy, Giveaway, indie author, indies, janeal falor, just for fun, magic, mine series, paranormal, self-published, series, ya, you are mine, young adult

Today the very awesome Janeal Falor has taken the time to drop by and talk a little about her YA fantasy series and herself! Take a peek at her answers to my wildly creative (okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating) questions and don’t forget to check out her links and the giveaway below!

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

What was the first book that made you want to write one?

Ooohhh. Good question! It’s been so long it’s hard to remember for certain, but it was probably A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. It transported me to another world in a way I could relate to and then made me want to figure out how to make that type of magic happen.

Where did you get the idea to write You Are Mine?
I had been reading a lot of marriage of convenience/arranged marriage-type books. Then I thought: What if these girls weren’t being sold off for money? What if they were being sold for something they had of great value, but something they couldn’t control. Something like–Magic! And You Are Mine took over my life.

Is there a particular character in the Mine series you consider to be the head villain? Who is it and why?

For the series it would be a toss up between the Grand Chancellor and the Chardonian society as a whole. Society’s ideals and expectations are what the heroines have to face and over come, but those ideals and expectations have been set, in large part, by the Grand Chancellor.

Do you have any writing rituals? What are they?

Being a homeschooling mother of three kids it’s hard just to find time to write. Because of that, I really don’t have any rituals. I have to write whenever, wherever, however I can. One thing I do have to have, though, is quiet. Noise distracts me to no end. Thank the stars children sleep and that libraries exist!

What do you think is the key ingredient to a good heroine?

Being relatable. If I can connect with a heroine, whether or not their circumstances are something I’ve been through, I can feel what they are feeling and cheer them on through whatever task they must overcome.

If you could have afternoon tea with any author, living or dead, who would it be?

Eep! So hard to choose just one. I don’t drink tea, but I’d love to have a cup of hot chocolate with Gail Carson Levine. Her stories are magic.

Thor or Ironman?

That’s like asking chocolate or caramel. Why both of course! Put them in the same movie, even better. Better yet, they can both come to my house. Wait, on second thought, I’d rather my house stay in one piece…

What’s a question you’ve wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

I’ve wanted to be asked: Do you believe in happily ever after endings?

Why this is what I’ve wanted to be asked, no idea, but: Yes! Most definitely. Except… I believe very strongly in realistic happily ever afters. If there’s not a dose of realism, it’s hard not to roll my eyes and then not want to think about the story again. A touch of reality to endings makes the happiness more believable and usually gives me more to think about.

Find Janeal on her website

Find Janeal on Facebook

Find Janeal on Twitter

Find Janeal on Amazon

Find Janeal on Goodreads

My Review of You Are Mine

Giveaway

For an eBook copy of You Are Mine, leave a comment answering this question: Is fighting for your freedom worth it, even if someone you care about might get hurt?