Cover Re-Reveal: Judgement of the Six by Melissa Haag

09 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in Cover Reveal Tags: ,

Reveal
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Judgement of the Six Series by Melissa Haag

Hope[Less] 

[Mis]Fortune 

[Un]Wise 

[Un]Bidden  

 

 

Hope[Less] Synopsis

Our world is being judged, and we remain unaware.

In a world filled with people, Gabby is uniquely alone. The tiny glowing sparks that fill her mind and represent the people around her, confirm it.

Clueless regarding the reason behind her sight, Gabby struggles to find an explanation. A chance encounter leads her closer to the answers she has struggled to find and into a hidden society where fur is optional. There she meets Clay, the intense werewolf delusional enough to think he has a chance with her.

Gabby escapes back into her old life, but not quite alone. Clay follows her and silently makes a place for himself in her world. As if that isn’t enough to deal with, problems compound when other werewolves, ones with abnormally colored sparks, begin to stalk her.

Instead of gaining answers, her list of questions is growing. What do the other uniquely colored sparks mean? Is she not as alone as she thought?

Judgement has begun…

[Mis]Fortune Synopsis

Our world is being judged and even they remain unaware.

Michelle, another young woman with an unexplainable gift, finds herself surrounded by the previously undiscovered werewolf society. Kept prisoner for the predictions that torment her, she meekly follows orders waiting for her opportunity to run. When her stepfather dies, she takes a chance and escapes.

After witnessing Blake, her captor, grow canines, she knows he will do anything to find her. She needs a place to hide and someone to listen to her predictions so her head doesn’t explode, but knows there’s nowhere she can hide forever, and no one who can protect her… unless she can find someone just like him.

Part of the fur wearing faction wants to use her, another part strives to keep her safe. The second book of the Judgement of the Six series will raise more questions about the purpose of these gifted few and Michelle will need to fight for answers. Will what she discovers be enough to help her keep those she loves safe from an emerging evil?

[Un]Wise Synopsis

The dreams start and Bethi’s very normal life goes down the toilet. Reliving past lives, where Dog-men chase her and she sees her eventual tormented death, Bethi sets out to find a way to live this time around. The dreams hint at an answer. She needs to be strong enough to find it, or die…

The third installment of the Judgement of the Six answers questions, questions answers, and risks the fate of the world.

[Un]Bidden Synopsis

I left home because I didn’t want to end up in a cage like a lab rat. Hitching rides, begging for cash, and sleeping on the ground got old fast. That was the only reason I braved an overgrown path to a group of buildings. I’d hoped to find a bed and a decent night’s sleep. However, what I found was a place overrun by werewolves.

While on the run, Charlene finds herself surrounded by werewolves, creatures she can’t control with her mind like she can humans. Their existence has her believing she’s found a safe place to stay, a place where secrets are okay. However, she soon discovers she’s anything but safe. Charlene must learn how to use her abilities to influence the strange new species because if she can’t, the next bite she suffers might just kill her.

Read how the cycle begins, and have no doubt. Charlene’s past will shape the future of the Judgments.

 

Maggie’s Five (#1) by Sandra Fitzgerald

08 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, General, Romance Tags: , , , ,

Published: 5th July 2014
Goodreads badgePublisher: Self Published
Pages: 266
Format: ebook
Genre: Romance
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

I had a great life. Not perfect, but really good. I was happy. 
I had a husband and two children. But now I’ve got Red. 
He’s using me but, that’s okay, because I’m using him too, only for a different reason. 
He wants sex and leverage. I want numb. 
But then Luke came back. 
Don’t be stupid. Luke’s not my husband. My husband is dead, like my children. 
Luke came back and things have started changing. And I think, maybe, that I’m okay with change, but I’m worried it’s too late, that I might be too far down the Rabbit Hole. 
I’m Maggie Cartwright, and this is my story. But be warned, it may not be the happy ever after you dream of.

Note: I was provided a copy of this book for review

It took me a couple of days to read this book and each time I had to stop or was interrupted I found myself continually thinking about it. The first book in the Five series, the story is about Maggie, a woman who tragically loses her family in a freak accident and tries her best at dealing with the aftermath The story drags you in to Maggie’s world almost right away, a world that starts off as being about family, love, and great memories and is replaced by one that is filled with pain and loss.

The way Fitzgerald has constructed Maggie is wonderful. She isn’t anything too special, she is a mum and a wife, and she is a regular person who has a tragedy in her life and must find a way of dealing with it. This makes her real and someone who was never expecting to have to deal with something like this.

I really liked how Fitzgerald depicted Maggie’s grief and how she was coping. She makes it clear that there is no overnight downfall, nor is there an overnight recovery. People do not succumb to temptations and bad situations in one week and we see this slow decline in Maggie and in how she acts and how she feels as the days pass on.

By telling the story through Maggie it allows you to see the reasons and justifications for her actions and really get a deep sense of the emotions and the hollowness she is feeling. I loved that Fitzgerald doesn’t even make it terribly complex, but the emptiness is evident and it is clearly portrayed that Maggie is at a loss of what to do and shuts herself down and becomes a shell of herself.

Fitzgerald demonstrates her grief and her decent gradually; from the initial shock and pain you can see where things start to slip away from her and it takes over her life. One of the heartbreaking things to read is when you see how each knock adds another blow to her torment and watch as she tries to convince the world she is fine, covering her pain with a smile and a laugh before retreating to the safety of solitude once more.

There is a wonderful use of subtle references to show how Maggie is not coping with her loss, how she is eating less and wasting her days doing nothing. With Maggie’s perspective we see how these things sneak up on her, she doesn’t realise she is losing weight, and doesn’t realise that she is being consumed by grief. Fitzgerald never takes the reader’s sympathy away from Maggie, even when she gets worse, because we understand it so well from her point of view and we know what she is feeling and why she does what she does. There is no third party judgement, and even other characters like Luke do not judge, he lets her go through what she needs to go through without making her recover too quickly.

As Maggie begins to lose control of her pain she turns to drinking and bad company to numb it but it still isn’t something that you judge. You pity her and hope she won’t go too far but it isn’t stereotypical behaviour either. While it may seem that way, the way Fitzgerald has written it doesn’t come across as a cliché reaction. Instead, we see the pain and torment Maggie goes through and the reasons why she goes down this path and it is entirely justified, and as it continues it’s clear how it gets out of control which, in a way, is through no fault of her own. Influenced and controlled by the company she has sought comfort in rather than her own destructive forces.

Maggie pushes away her family and convinces them she is fine, but she is also in part, abandoned by her friends as well because they believe her when she says she is fine, and Luke is the only person who really cements himself in her life to make sure she is as fine as she says she is. Luke is an interesting character, he seems like he is imposing and it seems odd he is staying with Maggie but his reasons are soon made clear and he is someone that is there for Maggie even when she believes she doesn’t need him.

What Maggie does and feels remains real in my opinion, is never becomes too extreme or unbelievable. It is clear she doesn’t know how to handle what has happened and her toxic relationship with Red is more about his actions than hers which highlights her emotional state and vulnerability, not to mention her intense need to escape from everything.

By the end of the book it feels like you have been through as much of a journey as Maggie, one that is never certain there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Fitzgerald offers a chance of hope and redemption but she makes sure that it is worked for and not freely given which is something that makes this book that much better and unforgettable.

Purchase Maggie’s Five via the following

Amazon

Weekly Wrap Up

05 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in Weekly Wrap Up Tags:

This week on the blog

The Donor (Part Three) by Nikki Rae

 ★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

 

Cover Reveal: Cross Me off Your List by Nikki Godwin

 

Release Day Blitz: The Donor (Part Three) by Nikki Rae

 

Algorithm by Arthur M. Doweyko

 ★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

 

Revenge and Retribution by Anna Belfrage

 ★   ★   ★   ★   ★  – 5 Stars

Revenge and Retribution (#6) by Anna Belfrage

02 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, General Tags: , , , ,

Published: 29th June 2014
Goodreads badgePublisher: Silverwood Books
Pages: 371
Format: ebook
Genre: Historical Fiction
★   ★   ★   ★  ★  – 5 Stars

 Life in the Colony of Maryland is no sinecure – as Alex and Matthew Graham well know. But nothing in their previous life has prepared them for the mayhem that is about to be unleashed upon them. Being labelled a witch is not a good thing in 1684, so it is no wonder Alex Graham is aghast at having such insinuations thrown at her. Even worse, it’s Matthew’s brother-in-law, Simon Melville, who points finger at her. Not that the ensuing hearing is her main concern, because nowadays Alex’s entire life is tainted by the fear of what Philip Burley will do to them once he gets hold of them.

As if all this wasn’t enough, Alex also has to cope with the loss of one of her sons. Forcibly adopted by the former Susquehannock, Samuel is dragged from Alex’s arms to begin a new life in the wilderness. How is Alex to survive all this? And will she be able to put her damaged family back together?

Note: I was provided a copy of this book for review

I definitely thought I was at a disadvantage when reading this book by not realising it was the sixth in the series, but Belfrage writes in such a way that if you pay close attention you do get told the key moments in their story and past that you have missed. By piecing together references and casual remarks the story and events of the previous books are made clear. Granted this isn’t in any detailed or complicated way, but it is enough, enabling you to enjoy and understand the current one.

Belfrage works it into the story seamlessly as well and while the references are often small and fleeting, they are enough to help you work out what has happened in the past, enabling you to understand how the events and situations in the current book came to be. As a result, even if you haven’t read the others, you still get intensely involved in the story and being so far into the series it could almost be a novel on its own, with only a more detailed back story required. As a continuation on the other hand, I can see it as a great addition to the saga, continuing the story of Alex and her family with real situations, events, continuity, and consequences.

Being the sixth book, there is a sense of it being another chapter in the Graham family saga rather than one that introduces anything new. A lot assumedly has been established in the earlier books and there is an investment in the family already. However even though it was my first introduction, by the end of the book I too was invested in the family, with the brief catch up to their past and the nature and honest reality of their lives, it is hard not to get involved.

There are great, complicated, and detailed characters that bring this story to life. Each character has their own story to tell and their own life to lead but they are all connected together so well. Belfrage manages to be detailed but not overbearing with information and despite the numerous characters, there is no confusion and it is fairly easy to keep track of who everyone is and what their role is.

Despite being from the future, by the time the sixth book occurs, Alex has spent many decades in the past and has established a life there. This means that there is a lot of focus on the current life, rather than her former, though there are occasional references and mentions about her life from the 21st century. Few people are privy to her secret, and it is great to see how those in the know cover when an issue arises and learn how she has hidden it so well. There is a fascination about each of these characters, not just Alex and her secret, and I got immense pleasure from reading about them and seeing their struggles and joyous moments.

The conflicts and dramas reflect the era but there are many similarities to the present day as well, reflecting what has changed and what has stayed the same. Seeing the Graham family live and survive without any of the modern comforts was part of the enjoyment and you realise just how clever and innovative the early settlers were. It also gives credit to Alex who is able to use her modern knowledge and adapt it to the different era successfully.

From the beginning of the book there is a feeling of something big developing and it grows steadily, snowballing to a gripping end through a narrative that is engaging, fast-paced, and at times emotional for numerous reasons. There are shocks and harsh realities, and some things that are very adult, brutal, and violent, something that may not appeal to everyone, but it is not without purpose and all of varying degrees. The characters are tough though and you see their strength and determination shine through with every obstacle that is thrown at them, no matter the size or severity. I don’t think you need to have been invested in these characters for five books beforehand to understand who they are, Belfrage demonstrates their strength and vulnerability so well, whether it is for simple things, the brutal, or the heartbreaking.

There is also a beautiful mixture of the present and the past, and even though Alex has become accustomed to her new life, there is still evidence of the old life shining through, making her stand out amongst the other characters. This is another reason to return to the beginning of the series, to see the gradual adjustment to this different life.

The historical aspects are well researched, and while I know little of American history, especially colonial times, there are minute details that bring this story together and add realism to the time travelling aspect. With so much happening there is never any real certainty of what will happen next, and with so many characters, each with their own troubles it means that surprises are always in store.

Belfrage has created a fascinating and captivating story filled with characters that you come to know, admire, and love. It is definitely a story that makes me want to go back to the start of the series and be introduced to Alex from the very beginning. From what is hinted at and mentioned in this book it is certainly a unique and mysterious journey but with an added danger as well, and one that is never truly forgotten.

 

Algorithm by Arthur M. Doweyko

01 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, General, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller Tags: , , , , ,

Goodreads badgePublished: 1st October 2014
Publisher: E-Lit Books
Pages: 448
Format: ebook
Genre: Science Fiction/Mystery/Thriller
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

A story that spans decades, ALGORITHM first takes readers back to the summer of 1979 as we meet Adam, a 13-year-old boy fascinated by a mysterious lump of coal with a gold medallion at its core. Despite his best efforts to understand its origins on his own, he ends up with few answers. His curiosity does, however, compel him to learn more about archaeology and living organisms, and eventually to become a bio-organic chemistry professor.

As the narrative leaps forward to Adam as an adult, the protagonist, now armed with years of scientific knowledge, revisits the marvelous artifact and learns that it may date back more than a hundred million years. When a random explosion at the lab threatens to destroy it, Adam becomes more determined than ever to understand its significance. 

With Linda, head of the Human Genome Project at their college, by his side Adam embarks on an action-packed adventure that takes the two from their lab to an abandoned coal mine. Meticulously following each lead, the pair encounters all kinds of trouble: the authorities, enigmatic beings and, finally an unplanned trip into space. Face to face with their darkest fears, and narrowly escaping death, the two begin to question everything they once held dear — science, humanity, faith and even DNA.

Note: I was provided a copy of this book for review

The story Doweyko’s created is one that is filled with questions that humanity has been wondering about since they first looked at the stars: where did we come from and why are we here? With a combination of reality, fact, and the creativity of science fiction, Doweyko offers up a creative and intriguing answer to these questions.

Told in two parts, Algorithm follows Adam, a boy who discovers a medallion in a piece of coal, who uses his curiosity about the piece and grows up to be a scientist interested in archaeology and living organisms. When mysterious things begin to happen that seem to be connected to the medallion, Adam and colleague Linda are thrown into a world of secrets, wonder, and dangers they are not prepared for. With their scientific curiosity guiding them they embark on a journey for answers, and to escape those who are after the mysterious medallion, and will stop at nothing to achieve it.

While the story is told in two parts, and despite being very different from one another, they are also connected. They are their own stories in a way, but the second part still refer back to the previous events. I liked the way Doweyko concluded the first part, it was suitable and rounded off the story so far very well. With the narrative clearly moving in a different direction for the second part there was a need to conclude what had gone before, something Doweyko has achieved as there is a clear sense of one stage finishing, while another one is just beginning.

The second part is slower in terms of narrative and pace than the first, but it still keeps its mysterious elements, albeit on a different level. It keeps you wondering and guessing as many things are possible and there is always a chance of the unexpected. The main theme of part two is mystery and uncertainty, away from the ongoing action, but not without its own drama. Trying to anticipate what will happen does not always work as just when you think you have worked out where the story is going it changes course. Instead you go along with an uncertainty but slightly intrigued to know where the story will go next.

There is an element of truth that Doweyko uses such as real disasters and a base in real scientific fact which makes certain aspects of this story really interesting as you learn about DNA and the sequence that makes up human kind. This, coupled with the science fiction element, works well as each aspect supports the other and enhances the nature of the story.

The characters are likeable, and most are given a small history into who they are and what their past is. This is kept to a minimum though with Adam being the most detailed, but you also get a sense of who the other characters are as well and Doweyko incorporates this information into the narrative well.

I want to say I enjoyed the first part over the second, but I think being so different it is hard to compare. As a whole I liked the story, and I think the involvement and interest in the first half is different than the curiosity and the intrigue in the second. While the first part offered a bit faster paced and almost nonstop action, the second focused on solving the mystery that was underlying the first part so you cannot really compare them adequately.

Overall the story is interesting and well written and the concept is detailed, with the right balance between reality and science fiction to make it believable as an idea. There is a risk of becoming a bit confused towards the end of the book as it all comes together, but the information and explanations are there to help make sense of what is happening if you pay attention. Algorithm is a story that demonstrates that seemingly innocent and exciting adventures may be anything but, and can also be so much more than you have ever imagined.

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