Book Review of Purple by Graham J. Sharpe

Synopsis:

After a purple storm sweeps around Planet Earth, stealing millions of people, four teenagers struggle to make it alone in London. Drawn together by a series of bizarre coincidences, Ellie, Midge, Scott and Marty soon find themselves entangled with a bunch of interfering pensioners. Among the cast of players are flamboyant hairdresser Mr Rupert, Pearl the loud-mouthed tea lady and June, a psychic, who travels the world on her motorbike. As the tranquilizing effects of the Purple diminish, greed and the lust for power take hold. Penny Treasure, leader of the Decision Makers Council, dreams up an idea that could destroy the world forever.

Review:


Purple by Graham J. Sharpe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This YA Fantasy book was an unexpected delight to read! I really enjoyed it.

There are four main characters, Ellie, Midge, Scott and Marty. I liked them all very much. Ellie is a very level headed young lady. Midge came across as a bit of a clumsy clots, but I found her bumbling quite endearing. Scott is an enterprising young man, with a good head for business. And Marty is a fine young man who has flashes of inspiration at odd moments.

Set in London, England, this tale was extremely eerie in places. I found that I couldn't put it down! Imagine waking up to find that all adults from the ages 18 to 65 have disappeared. This would be a teenager's dream, or so you would think! These four characters find themselves being drawn into a mystery that brings them together on adventure into the spiritual and metaphysical. There are some very unusual characters in this book that also play their part. Mr. Rupert, an 84 year old hairdresser; Pearl, an outspoken tea lady and June, a psychic. These characters all have their quirks, but I really liked Mr. Rupert. He made me laugh!
As this story is told from four points of view, the reader gets to see each of the main characters and how their lives are affected by the Purple fog. There are several twists and turns that surprised me, and kept me reading until the end.

Graham J. Sharpe has written an entertaining and thought provoking read. He has imbibed his story with charm and wit, but it also has an important message for the young readers.

I highly recommend this book to young readers between the ages of 11 and 16, but adults would enjoy this book too! - Lynn Worton

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D.T. Dyllin Birthday Blast!

  

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Book one of the P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy
New Adult Paranormal Romance  
299 pages  
by D.T. Dyllin

For P.J. Stone, being a “Seer” who has never seen anything is less than fun. And P.J. isn’t known for her patience. To make matters worse, she must choose a suitable mate to continue the Seer bloodline. Duty always comes before her heart…at least that’s what her parents taught her. When she finds herself wanting someone who is considered off-limits, P.J. is forced to question everything she believes. As if navigating her love life isn’t complicated enough, P.J. finally receives a vision—of a threat to her world that only she can perceive. But no one will believe a fledgling Seer’s warnings. With nowhere else to turn, she may decide to trust a stranger with her life, her world, and maybe even her heart.

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Book two of the P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy

New Adult Paranormal Romance

241 pages

by D.T. Dyllin

P.J. Stone is a Seer who saw too little, too late. In the past, her biggest worries were boys and school—but war has a way of changing things. Now, the alien Riders are trying to overrun the world. As the last of their kind, P.J. and her friends must find a way to save humanity before there’s nothing left to save. After choosing a mate, P.J. hoped she'd have time to enjoy her love life. But with everything changing so quickly and major secrets revealed, who knows what the future will bring?

 

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Book one of the Death Trilogy
Erotic Paranormal Romance  
307 pages
by D.T. Dyllin
Samantha Bevans is having the best sex of her life—but it's not with her husband. Fortunately for her marriage, the affair is all in her mind. Isn't it? As an empath, she senses other people's emotions. But her connection to the man with the the chiseled face and haunting eyes seems so real. There's no time for fantasies with a serial killer loose in Pittsburgh. The killer is targeting dancers at a strip club where Samantha used to bartend, back when drugs were the only cure for the torment of her abilities. As a member of a special task force, Samantha uses her talents to sense the victims’ final thoughts. Just when she thought the case was complex enough, she discovers one of the victims was thinking about her fantasy man when she died. Who can Samantha trust when she can’t trust her own mind? An empath feels the emotional environment around her…and Samantha is surrounded by death

About the Author
Cynical-Optimist. Chocolate-holic. Sarcasm Addict. Paranormal Believer. Self-Imposed Insomniac. Sci-Fi Geek. Animal Lover. Writer…are just a few words to describe D.T. Dyllin. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and two very spoiled GSDs.

 

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Book Review of Fire Country (the Country Saga #1) by David Estes

Synopsis:

In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely. 
Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.

Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with.

As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.

Review:


Fire Country by David Estes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review 6******

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

OMG! This is a fantastically brutal dystopian novel. I LOVED IT!

Siena is a fantastic character! She is a young lady that I greatly admire. Her determination, independence and grit astounded me. As her sixteenth birthday looms, she has to make a decision that will change her life.

As I started reading this book, I was completely pulled in to a world that has been devastated by a disaster of biblical proportions. The Heaters are a tribe living in the most unforgiving conditions I have ever encountered in the pages of a book, but somehow, they manage to survive. Raging sandstorms, fires and unrelenting heat would sap the energy out of anyone, but these people have gained my respect with their ingenuity and sheer determination. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat more than once, as the story unraveled. I also found myself on a rollercoaster of swinging emotions; from disbelief, anger, sadness, happiness, disgust, joy, a few other mixed ones and back again! However, it is their laws that I found myself railing against. The one where they have to force girls of sixteen to procreate for their survival. I can understand the need to survive as a tribe, but it's the way they go about it that made my stomach clench! I wanted to shout "perverts", but as they are fictional characters, they wouldn't hear me! However, there are some really likable characters that redeemed the tribe in my eyes. These are Siena's friends Circ and Veena. Circ is one of her closest friends and a wonderful character. He is a Hunter and the same age as Siena. Veena is a year older than Siena, and has already had a baby. Her attempts to get her no-good Call (mate) to take care of the baby made me giggle! This book is peppered with a whole slew of tribal slang, but it reminded me of some words I could picture the Australians saying (no offence to the Australians, I love their slang!). There are also a fair few twists and turns in this book that kept me hooked from the first page to the last! I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

David Estes has written a fantastic dystopian novel that has turned me into a huge fan! I love his writing style, which is fast paced and extremely fluid! His characters came alive, and the descriptions of the environs left me breathless! I am looking forward to reading his Moon Dwellers series in the foreseeable future.

I highly recommend this book if you love YA or Dystopian genres. - Lynn Worton

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Cover Reveal: Piercing The Fold: Book 1 by Venessa Kimball

Today, I have pleasure in bringing you the new cover of Piercing The Fold: Book 1 by Venessa Kimball.  I'm looking forward to reading this series! Without further ado, here it is!

BLURB:

For the average human being, seeing dark auras, hearing ghostly whispers, and witnessing a contortion in the face of a passerby could easily be chalked up to hallucinations, daydreams, nightmares; mere illusions in reality. If we look hard enough, we will find explanations for such paranormal events. However, in this world, there are humans that are not so average. These humans are part of a bigger plan. Jesca Gershon-Sera is entering her sophomore year of college in Marietta Georgia, her hometown. She holds down a part-time job with her best friend, her family is close by, and school is going well. Everything should be perfect. Except, recently Jesca has been experiencing strange things; hallucinations, nightmares, daydreams that she hasn’t experienced in years. Jesca attempts to brush them off as stress from her new semester at school, but the illusions plaguing her reality intensify. Jesca “illusions in reality” begin manifesting within her as supernatural strength and abilities. Could she be losing her mind? Ezra Kahn, a mysterious professor of Jesca’s, happens to be everywhere she is recently; since the illusions intensified. Along with the slight fear that Ezra is stalking her, Jesca fears that he may be the culprit of these illusions. One night, in the heat of one of Jesca’s grand illusions, Ezra approaches her with an unexpected revelation up his sleeve. He reveals that she is not losing her mind, but rather all of the “illusions” in her skewed reality are very real and cause for inconceivable, catastrophic events to come. Ezra explains to her that, by birth, she is part of a fellowship of guardians that have inherited the responsibility to protect our earth and the human race. In Piercing the Fold: Book 1, “illusions in reality” are as real as you and I through the eyes of college student, Jesca Gershon Sera, and a fellowship of guardians predestined to protect humanity. *The Piercing the Fold series is intended for Mature Young Adult and Adult readers due to the the paranormal and unorthodox scientific concepts addressed throughout. This series contains a rich mixture of the paranormal, science fiction, romance, adventure, and suspense.

Author Bio:

In 2010, Venessa Kimball was struck by an idea, a story, that needed telling. Having always been passionate about the written word, Venessa embarked on writing what would become her debut novel, Piercing the Fold: Book 1; a mature young adult/ adult crossover, paranormal, science fiction series. July 2, 2012, Venessa Kimball independently published the first book in the Piercing the Fold series. Book 2, Surfacing the Rim, released March 14, 2013.

In August of 2013, Venessa joined the publishing house, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly. The Piercing the Fold series will be re-published with them beginning with Piercing the Fold: Book 1 on September 3, 2013. Surfacing the Rim: Book 2 will be re-published on September 24. 2013 and Ascending the Veil: Book 3 will be released for the first time on October 18, 2013. The final book in the series, Book 4 (Title TBD) will release in 2014.

As for the future, Venessa is already filling her Work-In-Progress folder. Two of her future projects are contemporary fiction and will reflect her diversity as a writer in other genres. When Venessa is not writing, she is keeping active with her husband and three children, chauffeuring said children to extracurricular activities, participating in charitable 5k and 10k races (crazy...but she loves to run), catching a movie with her hubby, and staying up way too late reading.

www.VenessaKimball.net

http://www.facebook.com/venessakimballauthor

http://www.twitter.com/venessakimball7

Book Review of The Golden Sword by Rosie Morgan

Synopsis:

All Arthur Penhaligon wants is to have a normal life, doing normal things.
But before he was born - a VERY long time before - Arthur was Chosen.
His life is going to be anything but ordinary.

Skateboarding down his local street Arthur realises that everyone has disappeared, except for one man – and a crow. And the man is waiting for him.

Arthur and his friends, Nick and Tamar, quickly find themselves pulled into a strange and dark world of ancient magic, deep mystery and danger.
A world where people travel through time, animals take control and a mythical sword becomes real.
A world where the murderous Crow Man, and Matearnas, the self-crowned Queen of Cornwall, are determined to rob Arthur of his ancient birthright.
At any cost.

Normal is about to go out of the window.

And it all starts on page 1....

At the end of the street the mist swirled and shifted. A shape flew out of the enveloping cloud and circled before settling on a gate post.
Moments later a tall, dark shadow silently followed. His long coat flowed behind him, and he wore a broad-brimmed hat pulled down low over his face. He strode purposefully along the street before coming to a halt outside the house where the bird waited.
The stranger examined the house intently. Then he nodded towards the bird and taking something out of his pocket, tossed it to the ground. Satisfied, he spun around and retraced his steps to disappear once more, into the mist.
The bird cawed once, spread its wings and followed.

Review:


The Golden Sword by Rosie Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the first book in a series for middle grade children that takes the myths and legends of Arthur and gives it a modern twist. I loved it!

Arthur Penhaligon is a fabulous character. I liked him very much. He is an intelligent young man, with some wonderful friends. He's a normal teenager, who loves to use his skate board and hang with his friends. Little does he know what danger awaits.

This story intrigued me. I have read many stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, from history text books to fictional re-tellings. King Arthur's myth and legend has intrigued many people over the years. There have been several books, TV programmes and movies made over the years. However, this book is a completely unique and modern tale that captured me from the first page! Set in Cornwall, England, this book was eerily creepy and spooky in places, especially some of the scenes on Bodmin Moor - I had chills! There are some interesting characters in this book. Arthur's friends, Nick and Tamar, are complete opposites. Nick is fun loving, and has an easy going attitude. Tamar is a more serious and studious person; she is quite logical in her thinking.
This tale has magic and myth wrapped in an exciting adventure that will capture young readers' imaginations. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Rosie Morgan is a debut author who has written an extremely atmospheric tale that children will love. Her take on the Arthurian legend is most certainly unique! I will follow her career with interest.

I highly recommend this story to both boys and girls in the 7 to 14 age range. However, I also recommend this book to adults if you love YA or fantasy genres. - Lynn Worton

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Movie Review of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones based on the novel by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - based on the novel by Cassandra Clare

Director: Harald Zwart

Cast: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Kevin Zegers, Lena Headey, Kevin Durand, Aidan Turner, Jemima West, Godfrey Gao with CCH Pounder, with Jared Harris and Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Release Date: 21/08/2013 (UK)

Length: 130 Mins

Rating: 12A

Content Advice: Contains mild violence and threat

Synopsis:

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is a thrill-ride adventure from the bestselling cult novel that takes Twilight themes to a totally new level. Clary (Lily Collins) is a regular New York girl. When she starts seeing strange things, she starts to get the message that she may not be that regular, something one of the ‘invisible's’ she has been seeing confirms, explaining she has very special powers needed for the mammoth battle in a world of vampires, demons and werewolves in which she is destined to play a key part. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is eye-popping, terrifying and the start of something very big indeed.

Review:

I have been looking forward to watch this ever since I heard it was going to be made. I fell in love with the series, and am eagerly awaiting the sixth and final book, which is not being released until May 2014! I know that to get the book made into a movie, several scenes would have to be cut or new ones created. Luckily, the story closely followed the book, but there were some changes made that I found intriguing and others that I wasn't happy about. I don't like giving spoilers, because it would upset me if I read something about the movie myself, so I am going to try and not give anything away if I can help it! I will say that I did enjoy the story very much.

The choice of Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace has been highly debated ever since he was first cast. I was one of the doubters, but watching his performance, I have changed my mind. He has taken Jace's character and added a bit of his own, and created a very credible Shadowhunter. Lily Collins makes a very convincing Clary Fray, and the other characters played their parts very well too. The Silent Brothers were definitely scary to look at, and exactly as I imagined them! However, I think I may have to watch this movie again, as I was struggling to concentrate near the end! Note to self: Don't buy such a large drink in future! Luckily, I managed to hold on until the end!

I will definitely be adding the movie to my DVD collection when it becomes available! 

Verdict:

I give this movie 4.5 popcorn boxes, as the special effects did not have a wow factor and some of the demons reminded me slightly of the movie Alien. However, it is an adaption that has been highly entertaining to watch!

Recommendation:

I recommend this movie if you love The Mortal Instruments series. However, there will be some hard-core fans that will not like the compromises made. If you have not read the books, the movie could be a bit confusing at first, but just like Harry Potter, as the series goes on, it should become clearer.

- Lynn Worton

Book Review of Awakening: Book One of the High Queen Trilogy by Jamie Williams

Synopsis:

The rise of the High Queen was first prophesized by the Navean Paerex over four hundred years ago, causing him to be exiled to Tiluse. Now, those distantly foretold events are finally coming to pass.
In the tradition of all young Tilusians who are compatible with the Sol, Shayn Kayle has started his training at the Sol Academy in Vetran. While preparing for a competition, Shayn and a group of friends inadvertently discover an enhancing agent for the Sol, giving them an advantage. Their use of the agent is only the beginning, though; the results of the competition will change the lives of Shayn and his friends forever.

Layla Burn has been ill ever since she reached womanhood, and it seems that nothing can alleviate her symptoms. As a last resort, her father sends her to Agien to see her estranged uncle. During her stay in Agien, her illness is mysteriously cured, and powers she never knew she possessed are awakened.

Now Shayn and Layla's paths cross as they barely escape a plot of treachery by their own government. Unable to return to the capital city Vetran, Shayn and his friends escort Layla back to their hometown of Lexhir, where unexpected dangers await them!

Review:


Awakening: Book One of the High Queen Trilogy by Jamie Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the first book in a trilogy that is full of magic and sorcery.
I really enjoyed it!

Shayn Kayle is a young mage, sent to the Sol Academy to learn how to control Sol, a magical substance that allows the user to manipulate the elements - fire, wind, water, air and earth. I liked his character very much, and I enjoyed watching him grow into his abilities.

Layla Burn is a young woman who has been ill for a long time. However, no-one can find out what's wrong with her. Sent to visit her Uncle, she finds out about a secret about herself that has been hidden. I also liked Layla, as she finds within herself the strength to follow her destiny.

This is a story that captured my imagination. I love a good fantasy novel, and this story has all the elements - magic, sorcerers/mages, and a plot that twists and turns. However, I did find that some of the story was a bit long winded. There are several characters that have their say, which I enjoyed. But there are so many characters, that I had trouble keeping track of who was whom. I loved meeting all the other characters in the book, especially Marek, Markis and Novi, the other Sol mages. They are fantastic friends to Shayn. Their camaraderie reminded me of a close family. However, it is Layla's destiny to be the Navean High Queen, and I loved watching her become more self-assured and confident in her powers. There is an amazing battle scene that is described in such a way that I felt I was actually taking part in it! This is an intriguing fantasy, and I would love to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next!

Jamie Williams has written a page turning fantasy, but I do think that this book needs a bit of a polish by a professional editor to smooth over some of the rough edges. I think this author could go far if given a chance.

I highly recommend this book if you love fantasy novels. - Lynn Worton

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