Hidden Worlds Books: bookreview

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Monday, 16 May 2016

Book Review: RISE by Jennifer Anne Davis PLUS #Giveaway

Rise by Jennifer Anne Davis

Release Date: May 17, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books

The people of Nelebek live in fear of persecution from the evil Morlet, who reigns with a dark and destructive magic. The kingdom’s only hope lies with the Order of the Krigers—twelve warriors with mysterious powers linked to magical weapons.

For over a century, Morlet has been annihilating the Order, picking them off one by one. Eleven Krigers have been hunted down, tortured, and imprisoned in his dungeon. Now, only one remains.

Sixteen-year-old Kaia survives by keeping her head down and minding her own business. But when she finds herself in the middle of a public execution where the mysterious Morlet is in attendance, an odd compulsion she can’t resist comes over her.

Kaia looks into Morlet’s eyes.

Soon, an ancient power awakens and Kaia can no more blend into the scenery. Will she heed the call of the Krigers or will Morlet’s dark magic destroy the last of the Order?

Oh how I loved this YA fantasy novel! RISE pulled me into Kaia's world, a kingdom ran by an evil ruler, where only 12 special warriors can stop him. There's adventure, romance potential, and lots of action!!

Thankfully Kaia has been trained to defend herself. I found her compassionate yet strong, like Tris in Divergent.

Then there's Anders. Ah! My favourites are the bad guys you can't help but love. An assassin by trade he ends up helping Kaia on her quest; however, he proves to drive her crazy more than butterflies for the most part.

Fans of Throne of Glass will enjoy this new fantasy world. Davis writes with a magical passion that makes the world of the Krigers come to life.

Jennifer Anne Davis is the award-winning author of the bestselling TRUE REIGN series. After graduating from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential, she married her high school sweetheart. Jennifer is currently a full-time writer and mother of three highly energetic children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids’ creativity.

· Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Rise by Jennifer Anne Davis (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the rest of the tour here!

Thursday, 21 April 2016

Book Review: NOBODY'S LADY by Amy McNulty & #GIVEAWAY #Month9Squad

Nobody’s Lady (Never Veil #2) by Amy McNulty

Publication Date: April 12, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

For the first time in a thousand years, the men in Noll’s village possess the freedom to love whom they will. In order to give each man the chance to fully explore his feelings, the lord of the village decrees all marriages null and void until both spouses declare their love for one another and their desire to wed again. What many women think will be a simple matter becomes a source of village-wide tension as most men decide to leave their families and responsibilities behind.

Rejected by the lord and ashamed of her part in the village’s history, Noll withdraws from her family and lives life as an independent woodcarver. This changes when her sister accuses her of hiding her former husband Jurij from her—and when Jurij eventually does ask to move in. Determined not to make the same mistakes, Noll decides to support her male friends through their new emotional experiences, but she’s soon caught up in a darker plot than she ever dared imagine possible from the men she thought she knew so well. And the lord for whom she still has feelings may be hiding the most frightening truth of them all.

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | TBD | iBooks

Finally, I got a chance to read NOBODY'S LADY, the sequel to Amy McNulty's NOBODY'S GODDESS. It was amazing, as I expected it would be. I can say I loved it even more than book one!!

In NOBODY'S LADY, Noll has to deal with a town of free men. To make matters worse, Aillil has decreed all marriages void, unless both parties ask to be married again. This allows a number of men to walk away from their marriage duties, which of course, leads them to spend more time at the local pub gallivanting.

But what I loved was the realization that these men, who had never been able to think for themselves once they found their goddesses, now struggled to think for themselves in freedom. At first I thought, what a bunch of lazy bums, when really they were struggling to find purpose.

But when they decide to go after Aillil and find out how he knows the villagers comings and goings, it results in more questions, and reignites the spark of romance between Noll and Aillil, as she realizes she truly does love him...but is it too late?

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

In a village of masked men, magic compels each man to love only one woman and to follow the commands of his “goddess” without question. A woman may reject the only man who will love her if she pleases, but she will be alone forever. And a man must stay masked until his goddess returns his love—and if she can’t or won’t, he remains masked forever.

Seventeen-year-old Noll isn't in the mood to celebrate. Her childhood friends have paired off and her closest companion, Jurij, found his goddess in Noll’s own sister. Desperate to find a way to break this ancient spell, Noll instead discovers why no man has ever chosen her.

Thus begins a dangerous game between the choice of woman versus the magic of man. And the stakes are no less than freedom and happiness, life and death—and neither is willing to lose.

Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently writes professionally about everything from business marketing to anime. In her down time, you can find her crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Information: Contest ends April 15, 2016

· Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Nobody’s Lady by Amy McNulty (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, 6 April 2016

Book Review: FEAR MY MORTALITY by Everly Frost #month9squad

Fear My Mortality by Everly Frost

Publication Date: April 5, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

In a world where people are invulnerable to illness and death, with lives spanning hundreds of years, a sixteen-year-old becomes witness to the impossible – her brother’s failure to regenerate after death after which she suspects that she too may be mortal.

Oh, where do I start. I was instantly sucked in from the first paragraph (you can read it on Amazon = no spoilers here). I mean, seriously, a kid gets hit by a car an no one really cares. In fact, even his own mother treats it like an inconvenience -- Uh, hello, son I'm gonna be late for work!

In the land of immortality first death is just a pain in the butt.

From there I was taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions. As Ava preps for her Implosion (a coming of age tradition where your parents *ahem* help you achieve first death) no one empathizes with her discomfort. I seriously felt for her, feeling antsier the closer the event came. And then just when I think things can't get more interesting...wham...what happens at Implosion? Well, I can't tell you, but I will say you'll never see it coming...

Fear My Mortality will keep you at the edge of your seat, with page turning excitement, and twists and turns you never saw coming. Ava is the perfect heroine, both vulnerable and caring, which makes her that much more important. Michael is the golden boy from school, driven by purpose and duty.

A 5 star fantastic YA read, I can't wait to read the sequel!

And don't worry, there's a little bit of romance for those of you interested...

Everly Frost wrote her first story when she was nine. She grew up in a country town, lived for a little while in Japan, and worked for several years in Canberra, Australia's capital city. Now, Everly lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband and two children. She doesn't speak Japanese so often anymore, has left the cold Canberra winters behind, but has never stopped writing.

Website |Twitter | Facebook| Goodreads

· Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Fear My Mortality by Everly Frost (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, 2 March 2016

#BookReview: Ashes in the Sky by Jennifer Eaton @Month9Books

Ashes in the Sky (Fire in the Woods #2) by Jennifer M. Eaton

Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

After inadvertently saving the world, eighteen-year-old Jessica Martinez is ready to put adventure behind her and settle back into the familiar routine of high school.

Though when she’s offered an opportunity to photograph the inside of an alien space ship, Jess jumps at the chance. After all, she’d be crazy to turn something like that down, right?

Spending time with David on the ship has definite advantages and the two seem to pick up right where they left off. But when Jess discovers a plot to sabotage David’s efforts to establish a new home for his people on another planet, neither David’s advanced tech nor Jess’s smarts will be able to save them.

ASHES IN THE SKY is an action-packed, romantic Sci Fi adventure that will leave readers screaming for more.

BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD

Lately I've been impressed by sequels. Like, enjoying them more than their predecessor, which is a hard thing to do, when the first book in a series is the one that grabs your attention, makes you fall in love with the characters, and is that all consuming first impression you can never forget. But I have to say, I love ASHES IN THE SKY, even more than Book 1.

It could be the amazing world building that Eaton accomplishes, creating an alien ship made of non-earth elements, which is no simple feat. Though at times I found myself reading passed the scientific explanations, I still appreciated that they were implemented appropriately in the novel.

Oh and the romance builds, which I can't complain about. Seeing the passion between Jess and David continue is an added bonus. Especially when the twist comes early in the novel, adding to the life or death action and adventure.

Enjoy this series, it goes from great to amazing. But one warning I have to give is watch for the grassen.

Jennifer M. Eaton hails from the eastern shore of the North American Continent on planet Earth. Yes, regrettably, she is human, but please don’t hold that against her. While not traipsing through the galaxy looking for specimens for her space moth collection, she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband and three energetic offspring. (And a poodle who runs the spaceport when she’s not around.)

During infrequent excursions to her home planet of Earth, Jennifer enjoys long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but great adventures are always a short shuttle ride away.

Who knows where we’ll end up next?

Giveaway Information: Contest ends March 18, 2016

· Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Ashes in the Sky by Jennifer M. Eaton (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, 27 February 2016

#BookReview: DARKNESS BRUTAL & DARKNESS FAIR by Rachel A Marks

(Review Copies completed for this tour Feb 2016)

Book One: DARKNESS BRUTAL

Darkness Brutal (The Dark Cycle #1)
by Rachel A. Marks
July 1st 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Aidan O’Linn’s childhood ended the night he saw a demon kill his mother and mark his sister, Ava, with Darkness. Since then, every three years the demons have returned to try to claim her. Living in the gritty, forgotten corners of Los Angeles, Aidan has managed to protect his sister, but he knows that even his powers to fight demons and speak dead languages won’t keep her safe for much longer.

In desperation, Aidan seeks out the help of Sid, the enigmatic leader of a group of teens who run LA Paranormal, an Internet reality show that fights demons and ghosts. In their company, Aidan believes he’s finally found a haven for Ava. But when he meets Kara, a broken girl who can spin a hypnotic web of passionate energy, he awakens powers he didn’t know he had―and unleashes a new era of war between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness.

With the fate of humanity in his hands, can Aidan keep the Darkness at bay and accept his brilliant, terrifying destiny?

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

Oh Darkness, where have thou been? What a great read! I could barely put DARKNESS BRUTAL down, aside from having to go to work each day, and still I was able to pick it up between breaks to get it finished.

There's something about lost souls, roaming the streets trying to find themselves that draws me in. I loved Aiden's character. He could have been angry at everyone for his crappy life after his mom died, but he wasn't. His love for his little sister kept him grounded and responsible to the best of his abilities. Perhaps this came from having to care for his mother after she slipped deeper into dark witchcraft when he was younger.

Then saved from the streets by a rag-tag paranormal hunting crew, he gets sucked into a world where he finds the true extent of his powers. Wow. I have to say, I never saw that coming. Let's just say (without giving spoilers), is biblical fiction some untapped resource for novels? Because all I could think was - brilliant.

Action packed, full of adventure and mystery, DARKNESS BRUTAL is a fantastic YA read. I'm waving my 5 STAR flag in the air for you all to see. Don't pass this book over!

Book Two: DARKNESS FAIR

Darkness Fair (The Dark Cycle #2)

by Rachel A. Marks

Release Date: February 2nd 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Against the backdrop of an ancient battle between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness, Aidan struggles to control the newly awakened powers that seem to be his only hope for rescuing his little sister Ava, who is now trapped somewhere beyond the Veil. As he gravitates to Kara, the beguiling and dangerously unstable girl who helped him realize his abilities, a terrible mistake of fate is revealed that points him back toward Rebecca, whose role is becoming more critical to the battle. And no matter what his heart wants, it might be too late to stop the pieces already in motion.

Without knowing the sacrifices that will be required of them, Aidan and his motley crew of friends—each with their own role to play—must face the demon threat head-on. They’re the only ones keeping the growing army of Darkness at bay, and if they fail, the future of humanity could be lost.

Pre-order Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

Well, we all know I've been loving sequels lately, and Book Two of the Dark Cycle series was not a disappointment. A fine display of urban fantasy, the story of Aiden and his sister, Ava, continues. Only this round, Ava's in trouble. As Aiden and the rest of the LA Paranormal team fight to save Ava, Aiden learns more about his powers, which were awakened in Book One, by Kara. But Kara isn't Aiden's only saving grace, Rebecca is still in the picture, providing the love triangle I love to read about.

Urban fantasy is best when dirty and on the edge, and DARKNESS FAIR does not stray from target. An action packed adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seats, I give this sequel 5 STARS.

Rachel A. Marks is an award-winning author and professional artist, a cancer survivor, a surfer and dirt-bike rider, chocolate lover and keeper of faerie secrets. She was voted: Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse, but hopes she'll never have to test the theory. Her debut novel is DARKNESS BRUTAL, the 1st installment in The Dark Cycle. Book 2 releases February 2nd, 2016 and is titled, DARKNESS FAIR.

Author Links: