Thursday 14 August 2014

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Lost Kingdom — Stephanie Beerden

"A Prophecy made long ago, announced the arrival of the new Ladies of Elements.

And now almost a millennia later, it finally came true …

All her life Arima thought she knew who and what she was. That is until the day of her sixteenth birthday came and her world is turned upside down, when she’s told she’s not a White Witch but Lady Spirit. And that she is the one that has been foretold, will unite the Five Ladies of Elements once again and save Ilendia and the Other Lands from Ahriman, the Demon King.

At first Arima refuses to accept her new fate, but when Shanums come and destroy her village and kill her loved ones, she has no choice but to flee and fall right into the destiny she never wanted. As she grudgingly starts her journey into the unknown, she is accompanied by her unicorn familiar Sirrim, Blythe, a Vampire with a dark past and Myrddin, a mysterious Ljosalfar.

And the longer her journey lasts, the more Arima begins to realise that she can’t escape her own destiny and she must learn to control her powers and learn to be a Lady for the sake of the Sisters she doesn’t know and the people of Ilendia and the Other Lands.

However, things get more complicated when Arima comes into the possession of a key. Her instincts compel her to go towards danger when she discovers that the key she holds, can unlock the legendary kingdom of Eléssima, the home of the Ladies of Elements.

She will have to make the choice to follow her instincts or stay on the path that has been laid out for her."
— Official Synopsis from Good Reads


Review
    
I was given an ebook copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Arima is raised as a white witch by her white witch grandmother. She is taught numerous magical skills and even swordfighting by her grandmother’s friend. However, moments before she turns sixteen years old her grandmother tells her she is the Lady Spirit. With a daunting destiny ahead of her Arima must learn to wield her new powers as a Lady and begin her search to find her element sisters in order to unite and defeat the evil king who killed their predecessors so many years ago. She represents hope for all. Can she fulfill her destiny when danger lurks down every path?

What I expected from a book with such a plot was an enchanting, whimsical adventure, but the writing seemed clumsy to me. Having read the ebook cover to cover, I think this might be the result of it being translated into English. For me the narrative seemed to lack a real sense of flow, feeling disjointed in some places, and the dialogue felt awkward and inauthentic. This appears to be Stephanie Beerden’s first novel translated into English and while it feels like a rocky start, I did feel that the writing got better as the book went on. I hope that when the second book in the series is translated, Beerden can can bring a magical flare to her books which I am sure she is capable of.

While the writing may feel a little uneven, the story and the world built by Beerden is impressive in how expansive it is. Although I never really felt the passage of time in this book, it is said that the characters must travel weeks and even months to their destination, which helps the reader get a sense of just how big the lands are. The quest on which Arima is on is long and gruelling, and she is also on a journey of self where she must discover her own powers and train them. She learns both from other characters, books and through her own practice. She is self motivated, but learns to accept the importance of help and advice of others, and I think this makes her a very strong and well rounded female character. 

Arima is also one of the few female characters in fiction worlds who does not fall in love - or even take a fancy to someone romantically. Her mind is consumed with her destiny - finding her sisters, training herself and staying alive. That is not to say she ever says or thinks explicitly that she does not have time to love, she clearly cares deeply for her friends and those who serve the Ladies, but in a purely platonic way. As the priestesses who served the previous Ladies took vows of celibacy, perhap the Ladies of Elements simply do not feel a romantic or passionate attraction for others? 

The characters which Beerden has created did not always resonant with me. Our grandmother figure who loved Arima as her own apparently could not think of a better time or way to tell Arima about her true identity, though she had sixteen years to consider it. Meanwhile, our powerful antagonist’s early dialogue appears a little juvenile due to style choices with capital letters and too much punctuation used to a comical and overblown effect.

I feel the exposition was not always interwoven in the rest of the text, and because of that I feel the story was sometimes interrupted to give the reader important details to help them understand the fantasy world. While I usually don’t mind the ‘learn as you go’ style in books, I feel that when the protagonist already knows all about magic and such, the narrative needs a little break to explain to the reader what the characters already know and this slows things down. I think a way around this would be to pluck out those snippets of information and make it into a prologue which explains the prophecy about the Ladies. It would make for a more epic opening and educate the reader on what things are before they encounter them. I think that would make for a really powerful and enchanting beginning to this fantasy series. 

While even now I’m not quite sure I have a firm grasp of everything within this story, I have to commend the imagination of Beerden who was unafraid to add magical unicorns and a fighting heroine in the same book. That said, the violence at the end feels much gritter than the rest of the book and the swearing seems completely out of sync with the rest of the dialogue. There are also a few references to hell, though within this book I get the impression that there is no hell, but there is a place called the chaos which serves a similar purpose.


Excerpt

Shortly before midnight Bryeia and Gideon called out to her and told her they would be going back home because they had something very important to tell her. The walk to Arima and Bryeia’s house was quiet and tense. It made Arima feel uneasy. Even Rowan was silent and wouldn’t even look at her. After a while, they arrived at the house. The house itself was made out of light brown wood and had a wooden roof with a layer of straw beneath it to insulate it during the winter months. The windows were a bit dirty and the door was worn, but it was home. Bryeia let everybody into the house before shutting the door securely behind her.

They entered the living room; it was cosy with a rectangular table and two chairs. A coloured carpet decorated the floor for a small coffee table, and a rocking chair stood near the window close to the broad window-sill, which had a few small pillows on it because it was Arima’s favourite spot to sit. There were several cabinets and closets against the wall; one of them was a book-case, which held several books and parchment paper, and the other was a long cabinet with closed doors. Arima immediately went to her favourite spot on the window-sill and looked at the other three people in the room, confused as to what was going on.

“Why did we leave so early, Nana?” Arima asked, feeling a bit disappointed. Bryeia and Gideon looked at each other while Rowan pushed himself against a wall and kept his gaze away from hers.

Bryeia hesitantly stepped forward and said, “Arima, there is something I must tell you. Something I am not sure will be easy to accept, but you must know that it is the truth.”

“What is, Nana?” Arima asked, confused.

Bryeia sighed and looked at Gideon , who nodded encouragingly. “Arima, you weren’t abandoned on my doorstep as a baby,” Bryeia started. “I found you in the forest sixteen years ago on the first night of spring, like today … when you fell from the heavens like a falling star.”

“What?” Arima said, looking at Bryeia with wide, unbelieving eyes.

“Arima, you are not a White Witch. I made you that way with a spell I cast on you when you were a baby, to protect you from Ahriman. But I cannot protect you any longer. At midnight tonight, the spell will break, and Ahriman will be able to find you,” Bryeia said. She took a deep breath, while taking Arima’s hands in her own and looked at the hurt and disbelief in the girl’s light-green eyes . “Arima … you … you are Lady Spirit.”


Stephanie Beerden

Stephanie Beerden was born on Friday the 13th (no joke, she really was) in a small city called Genk and has always been fascinated with the occult, magic and books.

Her childhood and teen years were filled with reading lots and lots of books and imagining what life would be like as a vampire. Until one day she decided that she wanted to try her hand at writing her own books and that was the beginning of her writing adventure.

Her first book is a YA Fantasy called De Elementen – Het Verloren Koninkrijk and after many, many trials and tribulations, one small Dutch publisher decided “Hey, let’s give this girl a shot”. Her second book De Elementen – Archandir was published in July 2013 and in April 2014, she indie-published The Lost Kingdom (The Elements Series #1), the English edition of her book.

Stephanie hopes to keep writing for as long as she can and already has several writing projects in the works for the future.



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Thursday 31 July 2014

Review & Giveaway: Suburban Terrors — Pauline Montagna

Another collection of short stories! I am really getting into this type of book. It feels pretty refreshing after reading numerous books which follow one major plot line. Perhaps we need to have more subplots in our books, with lesser characters having some action?

Synopsis 
Do we really know what secrets lurk behind the tall fences and locked doors of our city’s suburbs? 
Here are twelve stories that delve into that mysterious realm. You’ll find a few thrills, a touch of horror, a ghost or two… and much more. 
‘ …these stories are all entertaining, compelling, and enjoyable, making this the perfect book for bedtime or public transport reading. It’s a great book to have in your bag, ready for the next break in the day. Georgina Laidlaw, Australian Reader

Review


I think there is something for everyone in this book. There's a touch of horror, mystery and crime. Some bits are odd and unlikely, others seem a lot more plausible. A few stories explore punishment or consequences of crime, while others are more detached from that topic. The variety of stories really helped make each one seem fresh and different.

I found some of the stories to be pretty down to earth despite a horror vibe and there were a few twists which are always necessary in a collection like this. While I could pick out a handful of stories which I really liked, I found the one about the struggling writer to be the most amusing. While such an ending might not be everyone's idea of a bad ending, for a writer I'm sure it's terrifying! 

Pauline Montagna

Pauline Montagna was born into an Italian family in Melbourne, Australia. After obtaining a BA in French, Italian and History, she indulged her artistic interests through amateur theatre, while developing her accounting skills through a wide variety of workplaces culminating in the Australian film industry. In her mid-thirties, Pauline returned to university and qualified as a teacher of English as Second Language, a profession she pursued while completing a Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing. She has now retired from teaching to concentrate on her writing. She has published two books, The Slave, an historical romance set in Medieval Italy and Suburban Terrors, a short story collection.


You can purchase this book as an eBook at the author's website or on Smash Words. You can also purchase a paperback version from Lulu.


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Wednesday 30 July 2014

Excerpt & Giveaway: The Telsa Gate — John D. Mimms

Just a little follow up on The Tesla Gate. I have been reading this book (between others) and I have to say I am really enjoying it. So far I don't think the name Tesla has been mentioned despite being about half way through. That's odd. But, I really like the way the subject of death and spirits are being discussed over the course of the story. So my last post about this was just a bit of the prologue and synopsis. Today I have chosen a short bit from the book - I hope you like it!

Tesla Gate Tour
Tesla Gate Blog Tour Schedule

Tesla GateThe Tesla Gate

When a cosmic storm enters Earth’s atmosphere, scientists are baffled by its composition and origins, but not nearly as much as they are by the storm’s side effect – anyone who has died and chosen not to cross over is suddenly stranded here, visible, and can interact with the living.

With the world thrown into chaos, Thomas Pendleton is eager to make up for many broken promises to his six-year-old son, Seth. Soon after the storm, they set out on a road trip to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, completely unaware of the social and political maelstrom they’re heading into that will change their lives forever.




Excerpt


I passed two more rows of stones, all of which were so badly weathered that they could have been little more than smooth rocks protruding from the ground. As I approached the far wall of the little cemetery, I stopped in my tracks as a lump formed in my throat. A single headstone had caught my eye, one that was probably in the best condition of any I had seen so far. It was not the condition of the stone that got my attention; it was the name on the stone – Stan Pendleton.

I walked up and ran my hand over the smooth surface, reading the rest of the inscription. Stan was born in July of 1842 and passed away on February 3, 1884. He was a loving father and husband. That was it, nothing more.

I, at first, felt a flash of intense grief as I was reminded of a tombstone back home in Conway with the same last name, but it memorialized two names, not just one. It also displayed two epitaphs, not just one – Beloved wife, mother and friend and the other short and to the point Sweet angel. A tear streamed down my cheek as I absently knelt then sat in the grass. I pinched the bridge of my nose and wept for a few moments until the realization of where I was came back to me with a jolt. I looked around at the headstones with embarrassment, like I had just been caught weeping in a crowded room. Were any of these people around now, due to the storm? I didn’t know but I did know they definitely weren’t here, not in this sad and lonely place.

It suddenly dawned on me just how woefully inadequate the living is when it comes to memorializing our fallen friends, family and fellow people. This little cemetery was a perfect example of this shortcoming. How can a life lived be reduced to a name, dates and a clichéd sentence or two carved into a rock? A life that will gradually be forgotten as those that remember move on to receive their own carved epitaphs until presently there are none that remain who remember … or care? We leave their memory to the mercy of time and the elements until nothing is left to remind us that they once lived, once laughed and once loved, nothing but a weathered stone.


John D. Mimms

john mimmsJohn D. Mimms is a business owner, paranormal researcher, and author. John served as the Technical Director for the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST). During his four-year tenure with the organization, he helped supervise over 100 investigations and wrote more than sixteen technical articles. One of John's articles, titled "A Christmas Carol Debunked," was read live on Parazona Radio by Paul Bradford of Ghost Hunters International fame. John also wrote the ARPAST technical/training manual which is a comprehensive guide on equipment usage, investigation protocol, and scientific theory for paranormal research.

In 2009 John decided to couple his knowledge of paranormal phenomena with his lifelong love of literary fiction. Among his titles are The Great Keep, Death Theory, and The Lemonade Girl. John is currently working on book two of The Tesla Gate trilogy.





Blog Tour $25 Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 8/17/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Tuesday 29 July 2014

Trailer Tuesday: 29/07/2014

I think it's pretty clear by now that I have very mixed interests in fiction. On occasion I like a bright hearted romance story, but most of the time I like things a little darker with mystery, action or fantasy playing an important role. Today I have tried to demonstrate both sides of what I like by showing two trailers I have found recently. One seem quite bright and cheerful, the other appears dark without a doubt.


If you would like to see your trailer featured here, or would like to share one you found and loved, please send me a link to it via Twitter, Facebook or my contact form on my blog!



Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight



This is the light and bright trailer today. What caught my eye is cake. I love cake. I'm not a huge fan of baking, I enjoy it some times, but I'm no master baker. However, what I really liked about this trailer was that despite being made up of static images it still felt quite dynamic. I cannot stand trailers with static pictures and text. Often they seem like the sort of thing you could whip up in Windows Movie Maker with a few images pulled from Google.  Not this trailer, though! With a fresh and clean look, a sprinkling of word play and the right lines to make you interested, this trailer pique my interest.

Synopsis
How do you learn to love again?

In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson s life as she knows it changes for ever. Now to the external world, at least she s finally getting back on her feet, running her business, Cake. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll.

His rich and charmed life feels a million miles from her own. However, there s more to Ciaran than the superficial world that surrounds him, and he too is wrestling with his own ghosts. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again and embrace an unknown and unexpected tomorrow?
Good Reads



Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant



Disorientated first person angles? Amnesia or ghost? Paying for misdeeds? Yes, this is what I like. Give me a nice dose of supernatural redemption any time. My favourite part of this trailer is the line about the game which you must 'Play or Pay'.  Chilling.

Synopsis
I remembered my name – Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself.

And then the games began.

The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear. 

But what does any of this have to do with Mara? She is about to find out . . 
Good Reads
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Thursday 24 July 2014

Review Tour: Boulton Quest Series — N. D. Richman

I have two reviews today - for Brothers, Bullies and Bad Guys and Sinners, Survivors and Saints which are book one and two in the Boulton Quest series. This series is aimed at young adults (/middle graders) with 'the reluctant reader in mind'. If you're an adult reader looking to delve into a young adult book full of action, adventure and mystery then you should check this book out as well!


Official Synopsis for Brothers, Bullies and Bad Guys

Their parents are kidnapped in a home invasion and Christopher and Michael must unite or die in their quest to find them. Adventure turns to mystery when the brothers follow a hunch leading them over the Pacific Coast Mountains, across the ocean, and to a fortified island where they fight for their lives with tragic results.

Official Synopsis for Sinners, Survivors and Saints

Christopher and Michael become multi-millionaires and their greed endangers Katherine's life. While Christopher, Michael and Thomas are racing to rescue her, Robert Cain’s army steals the mysterious machine and his frightening intentions become clear.

Can Michael beat his inner demons?

Will Katherine lose the will to survive?

In this exciting sequel to Brothers, Bullies and Bad the future becomes clear, and it seems things can only get worse.


Review for Brothers, Bullies and Bad Guys

Packed full of action suitable for younger audiences, Richman does a great job at painting a vivid picture while remaining engaging.

As an older reader I feel I’m a bit better equipped to guess plots and twists because of the amount of stories I have been exposed to. The family reveal towards the end of the book was something I guessed right in the beginning, but I don’t feel it was explored that well in terms of changing family dynamics or emotions. I’m not sure this book was really concerned with exploring friendship, family and feelings. Sure, those themes arise, but they aren’t greatly elaborated or developed. I think for reluctant readers, which is the target audience for this book, that might a good thing. Some reluctant readers may consider books a place for emotions and other touchy-feely topics they are not interested in, whereas television and films offer action packed explosions, car races and fights.

This book did not contain as much action as your typical Transformer movie, but I feel there was still a lot going on. There was an explosion, cars and guns, among other things. However, Richman did a great job of not glorifying that sort of behaviour or situation. Younger readers who are more prone to action packed television might find themselves enjoy this series.

While the ages of the achievements of the characters given their young age and upbringing seem pretty unlikely (okay, it’s a story, but I still like things that seem plausible), I feel younger readers will be able to relate to the main characters based on their age and roles. Of the four children/teenagers within the book, there is only one female who serves as a light love interest and defender of her young brother. The males are more varied with one playing the role of responsible older brother, younger boy genius slash trouble maker and bullied ‘runt’. I think most people could probably place themselves into one of those categories.

The language is varied and Richman paints scenes with great detail. For readers lacking confidence, this could feel a little challenging, but that is not a bad thing. Richman does a great job of making sure every reader is pulled into the world s/he has created.

This book probably meets most, if not all, of the requirements for its target audience. There are some parts which seem completely disjointed from the rest of the story, for example the visions of the future and seeing a ghost for no apparent reason. This made me question what the purpose of those elements was. It seems to provide an easy explanation for some of the actions performed by characters, and perhaps that is the only reason they exist within the story. Or perhaps something will be revealed later on in the series which explains these occurrences. Regardless of this and the lack of exploration of a few themes I think could have been capitalised on, this book was engaging and pleasant.



Review for Sinners, Survivors and Saints



I feel that the majority of my review from book one applies to book two. Richman adds such detail that even those who claim not to have an imagination will be picturing the scenes within the book. 

Again, the potential to explore family dynamics and the changes in relationships is not used. There is a few off handed mentions, but no real development or exploration. This makes the characters feel a little stiff, but I think this book is really written with action in mind rather than anything else.

In each book the adults, who are meant to be protecting their children, seem to get weaker and more powerless. Maybe this is just taking advantage of young people’s desires to save themselves and others without the help of adults. It is not really the kind of thing I appreciate within a story, but in this context it works and is explained. 

We have the ghost popping up again for no reason that I can see, besides to service as a frail reason why some things happened as they did. I feel like this doesn’t fit with the rest of the story which seems based in the real-ish, non-paranormal and non-fantasy world. You could say there is a bit of sci-fi given the mention of a time machine, but there still isn’t an explanation for single ghost. Given the ghost is question did not receive a whole lot of attention, development or explicit connection to the characters she is visiting; I feel it’s even more odd. But, that is a very minor issue I have with the book. Perhaps younger readers are more accepting of ghosts popping up unexplained in their books.

While I like that Katherine had some chapters to herself to demonstrate some girl-power, I feel in comparison to other sections of the book it was a little dull. I did appreciate the reveal of her character background, however and maybe it was a little cliché to have her reflecting on her past when she might soon die, it was nice to know she had some depth to her character.

I think this book is as good as the first and provides a brilliant set up to a face-off with the ultimate villain. 
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Wednesday 16 July 2014

Book Tour: The Telsa Gate — John D. Mimms

Tesla Gate
Who doesn't love a book which explores what happens when there are issues with the afterlife? Today I'm hopping on the book tour train to show you The Telsa Gate. I have also been provided a free copy of this book to review, so I will come back with my verdict in a few weeks!


The Tesla Gate


Publication Date: February, 2014
Pages: 300
| Genre: Sci-fi

When a cosmic storm enters Earth’s atmosphere, scientists are baffled by its composition and origins, but not nearly as much as they are by the storm’s side effect – anyone who has died and chosen not to cross over is suddenly stranded here, visible, and can interact with the living.

With the world thrown into chaos, Thomas Pendleton is eager to make up for many broken promises to his six-year-old son, Seth. Soon after the storm, they set out on a road trip to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, completely unaware of the social and political maelstrom they’re heading into that will change their lives forever.


Excerpt (The prologue)

The day the storm hit, the world was changed forever.

Its severity would not be measured in property damage or loss of life, although the latter could be argued. This storm’s impact turned man’s beliefs completely upside down; the social upheaval would be worse than the aftermath of any storm in history.

Though this storm did not bring hurricane force winds, driving rain, cyclones or even floods, its effects would be far more subtle … but the impact every bit as palpable. This storm had unique origins and, unlike most weather events, it was not relegated to one geographic area. Indeed it covered the entire planet; no one was left unaffected.

Living or dead.


john mimms
John D. Mimms


John D. Mimms is a business owner, paranormal researcher, and author. John served as the Technical Director for the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST). During his four-year tenure with the organization, he helped supervise over 100 investigations and wrote more than sixteen technical articles. One of John's articles, titled "A Christmas Carol Debunked," was read live on Parazona Radio by Paul Bradford of Ghost Hunters International fame. John also wrote the ARPAST technical/training manual which is a comprehensive guide on equipment usage, investigation protocol, and scientific theory for paranormal research.

In 2009 John decided to couple his knowledge of paranormal phenomena with his lifelong love of literary fiction. Among his titles are The Great Keep, Death Theory, and The Lemonade Girl. John is currently working on book two of The Tesla Gate trilogy.


book blast button




Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 8/7/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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