Haven Lost
The Dragon's Brood Cycle, Book One
by Josh de Lioncourt
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Emily is a high school hockey star in Minneapolis, with an extremely dysfunctional family life. For the most she is a typical teenager, except for her strange ability to know when and where another player on the ice is going to move. One day it all changes when she starts seeing the reflection of a boy in mirrors and windows, and when she gets home finds her mother dead of a drug overdose. She runs away and when she awakes she is in another land, another time, another world? Haven Lost is the tale of Emily's discover of what is important to her and her life in this strange place. She makes friends, decides without any prior knowledge of people who is good and who is evil and sets out on a quest she doesn't understand. Along the way she picks up a best friend in Celine, a ward in Michael and someone who just might become more than a friend in the future, Corbbmacc. Together they travel the land, looking for the answers that they need to understand what is going on. Josh de Lioncourt has done a wonderful job of mixing history, fantasy, and magic together into a tale that is compelling and exciting.
Haven Lost is set to be the first book in a series titled The Dragon's Brood Cycle. This first book sets the story up very well, you have a grand adventure, and it is not a short adventure either. It takes time to tell, yet the story never seems to get bogged down or drag, it is always moving along and begging you to turn the next page and keep going. The answers always seem to be on the next page. Josh de Lioncourt is a wonderful storyteller in that he is able to keep your attention and have you guessing the entire book. I never saw the reveal from the last three pages coming until I got to them, and that is not usually the case with mos books. This book and series has the potential to sky-rocket into the forefront of youth and teen reading, becoming the next Harry Potter series.
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The Legacy of the Key
Ancient Guardians, Book One
by S.L. Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Reece is your typical college student, dealing with classes and unfortunately, her father's passing. At least that is what she thinks anyway. She is heading to San Diego to finish up things on her father's estate, when she notices two handsome young men at the airport, and then they are on her plane, which ends up having trouble and returning to Philadelphia. She later notices them again while out with friends, and while out on a run they save her from being abducted. Turns out they are her Guardians and she is someone called The Key. Now she must understand that there are other dimensions and worlds other than her own, all while hiding for her own safety. Ancient Guardians is a young adult tale of character and honesty. S. L. Morgan takes fantasy and morals and makes it into a wonderfully captivating romance novel between a young girl called the Key and her Guardian.
Ancient Guardians: The Legacy of the Key is the beginning of a new series, and it is a strong start to the series. It lays a good foundation for more to come. The guardians are shown to be a people that a strong, yet morally upright and have good values; which is why they were originally chosen as the guardians in the first place. Greed and power are the opposite and are shown to get in the way of life and what is really important. This fantasy novel is set in multiple dimensions, which is a fun concept to think about, with Earth being the central focus of the dimensions. Although there is some fighting, the crux of the story is the romance between the Key, Reece and her guardian, Levi. This is a great young adult and teen novel in that the romance is also woven in with a moral message of honesty, trust and doing the right thing. This novel will also appeal to older readers as well, and given that it is very clean, even mature younger readers would do well with the novel.
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An Almost Perfect World
Legend of East Series, Book One
by Carrie-Ann Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Miranda loves acting, and has always been great at memorizing her lines, but she is taller than most of the boys in school, so life has been a little rough. Finally in this play her co-star is her same height. Miranda has always known she was adopted, but what happens in the next few days rocks her world like no other. Two strange boys appear in the neighborhood, Alex and Griffin and attempt to get to know Miranda. Although attracted to Alex she tries to avoid them to the point that they are forced to kidnap her. Turns out that Griffin is her brother and Alex his best friend, and they live on another world. They have to take her home for their mother's funeral. Once there she meets her father and twin brother Evan, she gets a job as an actress and learns more about herself. She also finds some secrets. An Almost Perfect World is the story of Miranda's life as she is reintroduced to life on Utopia. Carrie-Ann Barnes tells an inventive story of a promised child, hidden away and brought back to save the world.
An Almost Perfect World, is a cute title given that the world we are taken to is called Utopia. Everything is not perfect on Utopia, and Miranda learns from Jackson that she might be the one that is suppose to save the world. Although at the end of the book, leading into a second we get a hint that someone higher in the family thinks Jackson has it wrong. I found the novel to be interesting and truthful, I mean how would you feel if you were suddenly dropped onto another plant at age 18 and had to figure out everything all over again. It rang true, and felt like something that could really be happening. I enjoyed the characters, something in each of them spoke to me. This is set up to be part of a series, you can tell by the abrupt ending of this book, which is not one of my favorite things, and you can tell that certain characters are keeping secrets. Although billed as a young adult book, this is a great read for young adults, teens and adults as well.
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Cloak and Silence
The League, Book Seven
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Cloak and Silence is labeled as book 6 in the League series, but I call it book 7, because I don't label books as 2.5 and such. So my numbering is sometimes a bit off the numbering on the books themselves, but I still keep them in the correct order, and work very hard to make sure that I get books that come out later worked back into the series where they rightfully belong.
The last book was Darling's story, so we saw a great deal of Maris, now we get to move on to Maris and find out his story! Maris is just one of those guys that you can't help but love. He is just always looking out for his friends, always ready with a joke and making everyone feel better and we all know that underneath it all he is probably hurting but won't let anyone know it.
Maris comes from another of those war-mongering planets that believes a man is measured by his might in battle. So for a young man like Maris, who is gay, growing up there was extremely rough! His own family took out hits on him. But the thing about Maris is that when you become his friend, he is loyal to the bitter end.
Ture has lived all his life on the same small planet, doesn't know much about other cultures or planets, but he was disowned by his parents when he told them he was gay, and he is only looking for someone who will love him for who he is and not try to change him.
Maris and Ture are introduce by Zarya and it is an instant attraction, but both have been hurt before and are a little guy shy of trying another relationship. This is a well written and beautiful relationship that unfolds in this story. Just because it is about a gay couple, don't let that turn you off the book, it is well worth the read. This is a future world that will give you pause to think about your own world, and some believes and traditions going on now.
The League
Book 1: Born of Night
Book 2: Born of Fire
Book 3: Fire & Ice
Book 4: Born of Ice
Book 5: Born of Shadows Link to My Review
Book 6: Born of Silence Link to My Review
Book 7: Cloak & Silence
Book 8: Born of Fury
Book 9: Born of Betrayal
Book 10: Born of Defiance
Book 11: Born of Vengeance
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Born of Silence
The League, Book 6
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The future worlds under the protection of the League are once again the setting for this, the fifth book in the series. Sherrilyn Kenyon takes us back to a cruel and tough existance of this future, yet one where poeople who truly find love, love more deeply than anyone else.
This story will follow the Sentella agent Kere, the governor to be Darling Cruel and the leader of the resistance forces, Zayra. Zayra and Kere, meet on missions and fall in love, and although he has managed to keep his indenty hidden form her, to protect Sentella and the organization, he is ready to reveal all to her, but he needs four days he tells her to protect his family. Of course, we all know what happens to the best laid plans of mice and men.
Darling Cruel may be his name, but he is anything but cruel, although that is not what the world thinks of him, and he just lets them think what they want. The abuse and torture that Darling endures throughout his life at the hands of his Uncle, schoolmates, doctors, guards, and captors is beyond belief. It is more than anyone one person should ever have to go through, in fact it is probably more than ten people should have to go through. Does it explain who he is? Sorta, but more it makes the love he feels for those friends that he holds dear that much more remarkable. He is willing to die for certain friends that have proved their loyalty to him. There is enough detail in the accounts that you understand what is going on and what happened to him, but not so much that you are sick to your stomach.
Now, I have read a few reviews that said they HATED this book because they felt like the author jumped ship with Darling. I am not sure what they are talking about. They felt that the author "turned a gay character straight" and I think that is silly. In the entire series I have never though Darling was gay. Yes he hung out with Maris, who is clearly gay, but I got the feeling more that Darling didn't want anyone to know anything about his love life, it was a closely guarded secret, not that he was gay. So this book did not seem a departure from the past storylines for me, in fact I felt it fit in perfectly.
I have loved this series, and excited to say that it looks like there are at least three more books scheduled to be released in the series, or at least the author have given out titles for three more. I also happen to love the setting, the future and this harsh and unforgiving world, where people love better. Sometimes I wish I could actually go there!
The League
Book 1: Born of Night
Book 2: Born of Fire
Book 3: Fire & Ice
Book 4: Born of Ice
Book 5: Born of Shadows Link to My Review
Book 6: Born of Silence
Book 7: Cloak & Silence Link to My Review
Book 8: Born of Fury
Book 9: Born of Betrayal
Book 10: Born of Defiance
Book 11: Born of Vengeance
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The Shayton Chronicles Book 1:
Destiny Sets
by Karen Fainges
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Here on Earth the stories of vampires are a bit twisted and not so true, but in another parallel dimension there is a world called Shayton that is inhabited by real vampires and they are nothing like the stories. On Shayton the world is in danger of collapsing and the ruling Council is always on the lookout for ways to correct the issues and stave off the collapse. Lisa is the daughter of the king, but she has been banished from Shayton and lives on Earth. Now the council wants her back, and selects a human to bring with her for a purpose, providing a godChild. The Shayton Chronicles Book 1: Destiny Sets follows Lisa as she is brought back and conceives not one but two children and the lives of Lisa and Tony, the children and Shayton that follows their conception and birth. Karen Fainges takes a paranormal or fantasy novel and adds the elements of a family saga to give a new and different novel on the idea of vampires and their coexistence with our world.
The Shayton Chronicles Book 1: Destiny Sets begins what promises to be a unique and fun novel series. Even though it could be called paranormal or fantasy, I think the best genre label for it should be family saga. It follows Lisa and Tony, then their children around through life to the point where they are once again reintroduced to their parents. Talkar is followed as he fights for his place in the world of Shayton, then as he leaves and finds a fulfilling life on Earth with Molly, and later a child with another species. Karen Fainges does a wonderful job of creating a story that you want to follow from the beginning, characters that you relate to and feel for. Although this book spans a great deal of time, it almost feels as it is all happening within moments of each other. This is definitely a good book for adults, highly mature young adults and those loving the idea of a new approach to vampires.
The Shayton Chronicles
Book One - Destiny Sets
Book Two - Tamal's Journeys
Book Three - The Children of Tamal
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Wilding Heart
Faery Tail #3
by Deborah McNemar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Carradoc is tired and lonely, he his the son of the King of Death, and he has spent a lifetime on his own. It is time for him to die, but he has one last month to see if he can find someone strong enough to fight his father to save him. He travels to New York to visit his cousin Damien and is allowed to stay with him while he is there. Melody is a waitress and friend of Damien's, but before Carradoc finds that out he saves her from a mugging. She is instantly attracted to him, which he finds strange, most people want nothing to do with him. A sudden kidnapping of them both throws everything in the air. Wilding Heart is the story of Carradoc and Melody, as he tries to safely get her home to her own realm, while she allows her self to fall in love with the Heir to the Throne of Death without regard for who is his, but for what he is. Deborah McNemar blends a touching romance story, innocent and beautiful with a fight to save the Faery Realms and as an added bonus follows other characters in the realm as well.
Wilding Heart may be the love story of Carradoc and Melody, but they are not the only to people in the world. There is Carradoc's cousin Damien and his love Etne, who end up in this because of their connections to both Carradoc and Melody. Then there are the Faery Courts and areas they travel through and visit on their journey. You see their story as well and others. Deborah McNemar weaves and exciting tale of love and strength, and of how heart can be stronger than body. Carradoc was in search of someone strong, he thought is meant warrior strong. There is a beauty and innocence to the story of Carradoc and Melody that you don't find very often. Anyone, young or old, who is looking for a faery book, or a romance, or just something to make them feel good about the world again, then this is the book for you. It will touch you with it's tale and make you believe in the goodness of people once again.
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Faery Tail Series
1. Faery Tail - Centurni and Star's story Amazon Link
2. Griffin Feathers - Damien and Ethne's story Amazon Link
3. Wilding Heart - Carradoc and Melody's story Amazon Link
Summer Solstice Summer
by E.J. Squires
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Soren and Ailia, along with their family are heading to the Southlandic Kingdom to escape from Eiess and her minions. Just as they are set to leave the Aesira Jewel is stolen, Soren takes off back north after the jewel while Ailia and the rest of the family heads south. Summer Solstice Summer is set mostly in the warm Southlandic Kingdom where most of the family is staying. Even this far away they are not out of reach of Eiess and her wicked ways. She send the Nukkern to shape-shift into Soren and try to break Ailia's spirit. Meanwhile in the north Soren is captured and tortured almost to the point of death, leaving him little to bargain with to escape, but yet escape he finally does.+E.J. Squires weaves the Vikings and the magic, the myths and the legends all into a wonderful story that will captivate you.
Summer Solstice Summer is not only the story of Soren and Ailia, but the story of Ailia's twin sister Lucia. To say that Ailia and Lucia are polar opposites is an understatement. Lucia and thrown her fate in with Eiess and is working against her sister, but in this book we she her growing her own indepence a little, and she has her own building storyline. E. J. Squires takes all the great things about the Viking tales of the longhouses, the dragonboats, the furs and cold weather, then mixes it with this legend of a Sun Queen that must reset the season, and a jewel and different realms and worlds and yet it doesn't feel like a mess. It all comes together and feels like it was meant to be there, this is exactly how the world was meant to be, and the characters and feelings are so vivid that you find yourself crying and laughing along with them. This is wonderful book, the second in a series, and I feel that any age would enjoy it, young adult to older adult. Definitely something you want to look for.
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Embarkment 2577
by Maria Hammarblad
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Alex awakes but can't remember anything, and she is certain she is dreaming when the doctor, or at least the person in the white lab coat turns around and has yellowish-orange skin. Wake up, wake up, wake up Alex screams in her mind but nothing changes. Everyone in the room keeps saying everything will be better when Adam gets her, who is Adam? It seems that Adam is an android from the year 2577 that landed back in present day, and Alex helped him to get back home, but in her final act of bravery she took a bullet that killed her in our time, and Adam brought to this time to be saved. Now she has to learn life all over. Embarkment 2577 is actually a collection of three small stories about Alex and Adam and life in the year 2577. Alex learns to live on the ship, and in each book it seems she causes some problem, without meaning to or knowing it. How the crew and her friends have to work to get her out of some sticky situations are what all these stories are about Maria Hammarblad does a wonderful job of adding in enough information facts to make you really feel like you are learning about living in space along with Alex but not enough to bore you.
Alex has the needy quality to her, but not in a bad way. She can take care of herself, but her she is in a completely new world and has no idea what to do. Adam is supposed to be an android, but he is more human than anything we've seen before. Maria Hammarblad gives us a real life feel in this science fiction novel. The aliens sound plausible and interesting. If anything Embarkment 2577 make me want to delve more into science to see if we can't make some of this come true.
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The World of Karov (Children of Demilee, #1)
by Elyse Salpeter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Adam and Alec are identical twins, in looks only. In their minds they are complete opposites. Alec is deeply disturbed, and takes after their father. Adam longs for a normal life, and he risks it all to runaway and try to find that life. Just as he thinks he has found the answers and is about to marry, his twin Alec kidnaps the bride and disappears. Adam searches with no luck, only to come upon someone who offers him a chance to start over in a new life on a new world. The World of Karov needs Adam, and he finds a place of respect. Adam may have left his past behind, but it will forever color his feelings and what he does? Can he make a new life or will his past continue to haunt him forever? +Elyse Salpeter weaves a wonderful tell of two worlds, two lives and two twins completely different yet always interconnected.
The World of Karov is a wonderful place for Adam to be. He is respected and not pitied because of his brother and father. He has a talent that is useful and he finally begins to feel that he has a place, even if it is on a different world than that of his birth. Somehow though, family can not be forgotten or left behind, and one day Adam will have to face his again. +Elyse Salpeter has written a tale that is so bold and different, you just have to keep reading. While the main character starts the book at age eight, this book is directed towards Young Adults and Adults alike. There is meaning in everything for both generations to glean.
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Mary of the Aether
by Jeffrey Aaron Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Living in a small town can have it's ups and downs. For Mary everyone knowing her and her father, who seems to be much too old to actually be her father, is one of the downs. Mary would rather live where she can fade into the background more easily. Mary has never fit in, and now at fourteen, her father spins an unbelievable tale that she is a Lightbearer from another world, and the last of the kind. Talk about not fitting in anymore, now she is going to stand out, unless she can keep people from knowing. The worst is that there are Lookers out there searching for her. She's not sure she can turn to the only friend she really has in Kristen, she has a big mouth, but maybe the guy she is crushing on. Aiden is a bit like Mary, not really an outcast, but not the most popular boy in town either. Can he be the one to help her? Mary of the Aether follows her story once she learns of her true nature, and what happens as she is searched out by others who want to destroy her. Jeffery Aaron Miller once again uses his unique knack for writing about other worlds to draw you in and to have you totally engaged in the story.
Jeffery Aaron Miller is a wonderful writer, who can take you to a fantasy world yet still keep you in touch with the real world and it's own conflicts. Mr. Miller just has a wonderful knack or ability to create these other worlds that are mixed with our own world, and yet the issues of growing up in this world, poverty and unpopularity, are intertwined with the lofty goals of the other world. There is so much in his storytelling to admire and to recognize for the youth of today. I find his writing and storytelling abilities to be fascinating. Mary of the Aether is another series that follows Mary and her truth as a Lightbearer and her quest to preserve that as the last living Lightbearer. This is a great book for the young adult and teens. The issues they face in the real world are dealt with, while giving some adventure and fun to the whole story with the other world and it's own realities.
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Bloodstone - Deep Water: Book One
by Jeffrey Aaron Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
In the world of Jeffrey Aaron Miller's imagination there is a small village that lays nestled in the valley surrounded by mountains. Over the years, the village has isolated itself and cut itself off from the outside world. The idea was for protection, but soon they are to learn that it did not work. Jaren is a young man, bored with life in the isolated village. Arelas is a merchants daughter, one day a large team of horse-mounted knights ride into the village, only to destroy it completely. Jaren and Arelas are able to escape through a hidden cave. Bloodstone follows them as they travel from town to town, only to find that the knights have been there and destroyed it too, looking for people. A dying stranger gives them some answers to what is going on, and they set out on a quest to stop the madness.
Bloodstone gives you the feel of a old-world tale, with knights and villages surrounded by walls, and most people traveling by foot. This feeling makes is easy to envision this world where a small bit of magic has turned a King and his Knights mad with power and greed. Jeffrey Aaron Miller gives us a hero in a young boy, probably around 16 to 18 years old and the daughter of a merchant close to the same age as a heroine. As they travel the world looking for answers, they find themselves in much more than they bargained for. The story was well written and kept my attention throughout, although I have to admit that I did not enjoy the sudden end to the book, as it is book one. I do want to read the next book now, so I am sure that was the intention. This book would be great for all readers, and with the ages of the characters, even young adults and teens would be able to relate and enjoy the story.
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Kwennsefulass
by Kris Godwin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Imagine waking up and not knowing who you were, not know where you were, not knowing when you where and not knowing what you were. Kwennsefulass is that kind of story. A young man takes the name Kwenn, short for Kwennsefulass which is written on a necklace he wears, but he knows nothing else. He can't even tell you the world he is on or anything about it. As tragedy strikes the town he first stumbles into, and some consider it an omen and his fault. He feels a drive to find the reason for the tragedy and to answer for it, even if it had nothing to do with him. +Kris Godwin gives him a strong moral character even if he knows nothing else about himself. The story follows as he sets out with a few villages to find out what has happened, maybe regain his memory and to save the world.
As +Kris Godwin weaves this tale of fiction and fantasy and legend together, I am reminded of the stories of the Greek and Roman gods and the ways that they played with the fates of mortals. Kwennsefulass gives you a sense of that, yet it is something altogether different at the same time. From the moment Kwenn wakes, I felt for him, I could feel his loneliness and fear and I wanted him to find his memory and to find the answers, yet around each twist in the book I was glad that it hadn't come back yet. That meant there was still more book. Even days after finishing the book, I still find myself thinking about the story and Kwenn and what the author was wanting to say. This is a great story for all, and for some it will stay with you and become a friend.
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One: A New Beginning
by Lennie Stanfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Zack and his dad, Jim were good friends. They had always been close, but after the passing of Zack's mom and Jim's wife Deann, they grew even closer. It was a bound that got them through the tough times. This weekend they were going caving, a new cave no one knew about. Zack and Jim were always careful when caving, and took great care with their supplies and safety precautions, but no one could have foreseen what happened. One has been dormant for so long, many, many centuries and yet something is happening around him. Something that he feels he needs to check out. One observes Zack and the aftermath of the caving accident, he is moved to help. What follows is an unbelievable blending of faith and sci-fi. One is from another planet and together he and Zack rebuild and plan out Zack's life. Lennie Stanfield uses the people around Zack to confirm his faith and at the same time, One is part of the story that confirms the faith Zack has known his whole life. One: A New Beginning is also the story of a new life for One, his old life gone and a chance and a reason to become active again.
One: A New Beginning is a superb blending of faith and another planet with life on it. I have never seen it done in a book before, especially not like this, and yet it worked. Yes, I had to go bad and reread of of the pages where One is talking because of the more complex computer like language he uses, but it was worth it. The bond between Zack and his Dad, amazing! Not only that, but every family relationship you meet in this book, Lennie Stanfield has made a strong family relationship. I would love to find a place where all the relationships are that strong, but it was just so comforting to read about them. Zack is just graduating from two-year of college, so to say this could also be a coming of age book would be true, but I also think teens and adults would enjoy the story.
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