Book Reviews!

IA: Initiate

Welcome back!

I have another book review for you... In under a week too!

IA: Initiate by John Darryl Winston

Genre: YA Supernatural Thriller

Naz Anderson is a seemingly normal 13 year old boy, with secrets even he is unaware of.

He tries to keep out of the way at his foster parent's home, but unfortunately walks in his sleep, and hear's voices in his head. He's protective of his little sister, and wants to go unnoticed in school, however, on the mean streets of America, this attracts the attention of the gang Incubus Apostles... After an act of gang violence one morning on his way to school, Naz tries to keep out of their reach, and find answers surrounding the deaths of his parents, while uncovering his supernatural abilities. With a violent gang after him, the only way Naz can survive is to unlock his supernatural abilities.

IA: Initiate certainly lives up to its name. This book is the start of something big...

Events of the past are filtered throughout the book, making readers wonder how things turned out the way they did. With the clever use of dreams, John Darryl Winston shows us what happened in Naz's past, making your heart ache for him and his sister.

Winston has a way to call forth your emotions, and make you question if you could survive everything Naz has gone through, which I would be glad to never find out. With mysteries to uncover, and finding the courage to overcome the evils that are after you, this hard to put down book is a great start to what is going to be an even greater series. I look forward to seeing what else John Darryl Winston has in store for us.

This style of book is different from what I normally read, but it is always good to branch out! I am giving this book four out of five stars.

Happy reading, everyone!

Flight Of The Vessel

Welcome, readers!

It has been awhile since I last reviewed a book, but here it is at last!

Part One: Flight of the Vessel (Vision Dream Series Book 1) by Robert Clifton Storey Jr.

Genre: epic YA Fantasy.

Set in a medieval fantasy world, the princess of Palzintine, Angelterra finds that on her nineteenth birthday, the peaceful existence she has always known is torn from her grasp, as the evil one took away her homeland and killed her family.

Angelterra and her young lady knight, Jeela, flee Palzintine and are constantly hunted by monstrous beasts and dark agents of the evil one, Shutharja. With no home, parents, and no thrown, Angelterra must stay strong and inspire her exiled people in order to keep hope alive, that they and their allies can resist the menace that threatens all the kingdoms of the world.

This fantasy has a religious theme, many feasts, and magic of both varieties. (Light and dark magic)

For a free eBook, this one is well written, and with all the hard names, I was impressed that there were no typos. Those who enjoy a good fantasy would surely enjoy this one, especially if they're into magic, strong and brave women, wizards, and a war between good and evil.

While reading, I often found myself wishing that history books could be written like this. Then I might have done better with American history in school...

Like other books, this one did lag throughout different parts of the story, (like history class) but you learn the history of many things in their world. For a while there, I seriously thought I would give this book a three out of five star rating. But then I reached the last few chapters...

Pretending that I was princess Angelterra while reading these last chapters, I was intrigued and hurt, but forgiving under the circumstances.

If you want to know why, you need to download the free eBook from amazon!

Like I mentioned earlier, I planned on giving it three stars, but things changed... I am giving Part One: Flight of the Vessel four out of five stars!

Now go read a good book!

A Job From Hell

Welcome back!

Today I am reviewing the young adult, paranormal romance, A Job From Hell by Jayde Scott.

I found this book on Goodreads! What lured me in was the cover. Yes, I unfortunately do pick my next read based on the covers. Unless I read what the book is about first. Then the cover doesn't matter. (Are any of you buying that?)

The first book in the Ancient Legends series, the cover alone promises an exciting paranormal read! The name tells me it's about a girl, who obviously takes a job, unknowing that her employer is of the paranormal himself! Between the cover and the title, I instantly thought: "Ooo! Maybe her employer is a demon!'

Was that too presumptuous of me? Nah...

Amber goes to Scotland to start a summer job, and once she sets eyes on her employer, (expecting an old rich man, he turns out to be a young sexy one), her fate is sealed. She enters Aidan's deadly world one night when lost in the woods, unknowingly entering a race and winning the prize... One worth killing for. Now the only chance Amber has to make her life go back to normal, is to enter the Otherworld. However, in order to do that, Amber must die...

Sounds like a demon thing, right? Well, I must say that I was a little disappointed to find out that it was just another story about vampires. Despite that fact, I thought the over all story was pretty good. According to Goodreads reviews, people either love it or they hate it. This is what set me apart from them: I didn't love it, nor did I hate it. I liked it. I do think vampires are a bit played out theses days, but Jayde Scott did a good job. The vampire fan girl in me still clings to life!

Out of five stars, I give it three, for it was misleading... If I had known it was about vampires when I picked it up, I am sure I would have given it a different rating.

I recommend this book to those who are looking for a vampire, paranormal romance, where the main character isn't sulking or begging to become a creature of the night. Finally, someone who appreciates their family, sunlight, and eating steak!

Happy reading everyone!

A Peculiar Review for Peculiar Children

It's about time we young adults got a book with pictures!

Hello, everyone!

I am pretty sure you have seen this book around!

If you haven't, well you are in for a treat! Or maybe not. You don't know what I am rating this book yet.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Rigs is full of secrets, creepily beautiful antique photos, and of course, peculiar children!

In the book we follow Jacob, a teenage boy from a rich family, who has one friend (not really), and a grandpa, who told him the most amazing stories when he was a child. (I believe you grandpa!) After tragedy ensues, Jacob finds he must go to the island where his grandfather grew up, leading him to an abandoned orphanage and peculiar pictures. Upon further investigation, Jacob discovers that the children from the photos, may still be alive...

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars! Why? Because I found it refreshing to read something different and does not have an over used plot, (i.e. Twilight) but still has everything you could possibly want in a Young Adult novel.

If you are looking for a book that has secrets to uncover, humor, and will creep you out in the middle of the night, (because you could have sworn you just saw the shadow of a Hollowgast, and had to have your older sister go downstairs with you because its dark, just so you can get some allergy meds), then this book is for you!

This book was very enjoyable, and I am crawling out of my skin to get my hands on the sequel!

It was hard to put down!

Before I go, I shall leave you with some quotes from the book:

“When someone won't let you in, eventually you stop knocking.” -Jacob's Father

“How many times have I told you? Polite persons do not take supper in the nude.” -Miss Peregrine

“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.” -Jacob

The Eye Of Divinity!

Good day, readers!

I have recently read a book called, 'Knights: The Eye of Divinity' by Robert E. Keller. It is the first in a series, and you can find it for free on Amazon if you are interested.

It is about a young boy named Lannon who lives in a valley with his sick, crazy father and ill-tempered mother, before three knights arrive looking for new recruits. By sight, they see that Lannon is scrawny, and is not knightly material. But then they discover that Lannon has a gift; one so powerful and rare, that it could save the kingdom of Dremlock from the goblins and the Deep Shadow, which threaten to destroy the legendary kingdom. Lannon possesses the Eye of Divinity. (I was very relieved when Lannon was recruited, because his father was bipolar and his mother liked to complain about how she is the only one who works. This was the best thing that ever could have happened to boy.)

The knights take Lannon back to Dremlock to become a squire, and learn how to unlock the Eye in order to save the kingdom. Along with his friends, Lannon discovers that not even Dremlock in safe from the Deep Shadow, which has infected the hearts and minds of those around them, making them question if anyone in Dremlock can be trusted.

I know it's a good book when it engages me enough to suddenly start talking to the characters, as if I am their conscience that they never listen to. "That's not a good idea Lannon, don't do it... You did it! Why didn't you listen to me?!" Meanwhile my mom is sitting next to me on the couch, probably thinking I'm insane.

My favorite characters were Furlus and Taris, the tower masters and two of the three knights that recruited Lannon. I envisioned the dwarf and wizard as the Gimli and Legolas duo in this series.
Cordus, the third knight, and also the Lord Knight, would probably be Aragorn.

I give this book four out of five stars, and I cant wait to read the next in the series. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy.