Review: The Awakening

The Awakening by Melissa A. Craven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won The Awakening from a book blog that I follow. The Awakening by Melissa A. Craven is the first book in the Emerge series. We follow Allie and Aidan as they discover who and what they are. The character development and world building is exceptional. The only problem that I had with reading this book was the entire book is about Allie and Aidan's training. I found it to be boring and monotonous.

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Review: Sigils of the Old God

Sigils of the Old God by J.P. Moore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I won Sigils of the Old God in a giveaway from a book blog that I follow. Sigils of the Old God by J.P. Moore is a story following Jacob, an assassin serving the gods. I had anticipated reading this book, but was extremely disappointed in the lack of editing. The character development was intriguing, and the world building was imaginative. With editing, this book could easily be a four star rating.

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Review: Brooklyn on Fire

Brooklyn on Fire by Lawrence H. Levy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won Brooklyn on Fire in a giveaway from The Reading Room site, which is now bookstr. Brooklyn on Fire by Lawrence H. Levy is the second installment of the Mary Handley Mysteries. Lawrence has a wonderful way of fusing historical events and people with imagination. This is a superbly written mystery that kept me intrigued.

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      My Review of Kalifus Rising by Alane Adams

                               

Title: Kalifus Rising (Legends of Orkney)
Author: Alane Adams
Publisher: SparkPress
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Release date: Sept. 6, 2016
Pages: 347                                                      
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon

                                                                                                                                                                                    

I received an Arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. Kalifus Rising is the second installment of Legends of Orkney. I'd like to start out by stating that I have not read the first book, The Red Sun, but I feel as if Kalifus Rising can be read and have a pretty good idea of some of what happened in the first book, as this book touches on some of the events. Kalifus Rising follows the story of Sam Baron's three best friends, Keely, Leo, and Howie, as they take on different quests to find what they need to help Sam and stop a war. This story is fast paced, high adventure, and full of action. I was impressed with Alane's world building skills as the world of Orkney was opened up to me. I constantly found myself on the edge of my seat, hanging on for dear life amidst the action. The character development is incredible, as I wanted to wring some necks, hug others, and just plain scream at some of the characters. My only concern with this book is that it could have been better edited. There were several grammatical errors that gave me pause. Overall, I give Kalifus Rising four stars for the world building, character development, and the action.                                                                                                                                        

Review: The Blue Dragon's War: an epic fantasy story

The Blue Dragon's War: an epic fantasy story by Sean Newton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I read the first book in this series, and I loved it. I was a little disappointed in the editing of this book, however. There were words used mistakenly, such as, loose for lose, and similar errors. The story was great, and the characters were well fleshed out. There was quite a bit of fighting, which I love when it comes to fantasy stories. I will continue to read this series, because of the world and character building, but I hope the next installment is better edited.

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Review: The Changelings

The Changelings by Christina Soontornvat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received The Changelings from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Changelings by Christina Soontornvat is a middle grade fantasy full of adventure and wonder. It follows Izzy's search for her younger sister, Hen. Hen has wandered into the woods alone and it is up to Izzy to find her. Along the way, Izzy meets new friends willing to join in the search. It was a fast paced story with vivid characters. Perfect for tweens and teens, or anyone looking for a clean fantasy story.

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Review: The Dragon Slayer

The Dragon Slayer by J.S. Jaeger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Dragon Slayer by J.S. Jaeger is a middle grade fantasy short story of the Scrolls of Zndaria series. It follows Nathanial “Nate” McGray's brother Theodore "Ted" McGray on his journey to be Champion of the kingdom of Versii. It is a well written short story that takes us into a world of good vs evil.

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Review: The Gift of Sunderland: An Australian Fantasy Adventure

The Gift of Sunderland: An Australian Fantasy Adventure by J.E. Rogers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won The Gift of Sunderland on a book blog that I follow. All opinions are my own. The Gift of Sunderland by J.E. Rogers is a middle grade fantasy with lively characters that are depicted from some of Australia's endangered species. It follows Waylond, Fergal, and other characters as they learn what friendship and family mean. It is a delightful story with wonderful illustrations.

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Review: The Sword of Demelza

The Sword of Demelza by J.E. Rogers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Sword of Demelza by J.E. Rogers is a middle grade fantasy centered around some of Australia's endangered species. Devon, an orphaned red fox, is on a personal quest of revenge. Erik and Emma, two young marsupials, are on a quest to find the ingredients for a potion to cure their mother. Devon, Erik and Emma encounter each other, realizing that they need to work together to stop the devastation, and end the reign of the evil king, Cynric. This book is beautifully illustrated, and the story is enchanting. A must read for all ages.

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Review: Minotaur

Minotaur by Phillip W. Simpson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I won Minotaur in a giveaway on a book blog. All opinions are my own. The Minotaur by Phillip W. Simpson is a retelling of the tale of the Minotaur in Greek mythology, which has always been one of my favorite subjects. I went into this book not sure what to expect, but I surely didn't expect such a superbly written tale. Phillip's writing is exceptional, and the main character, Asterion, the Minotaur, was so full of emotions and life that I grew to care for this character in a way that I had never cared for a character in a book before. I felt as if I could feel his presence, as if I was in the story that Phillip swept me into. The writing, character development, and the way the story wrapped up makes this one of the best books that I have read in an extremely long time.

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Review: The Unicorn

The Unicorn by Miguel Lopez de Leon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I won The Unicorn in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own. The Unicorn by Miguel Lopez de Leon is a story of teenage twin boys that have a wonderful family life only to find that their lives are drastically changed when their parents separate. This story is quite a challenge for me to review. When I first started reading this book I was enjoying the magical and whimsical story, then all of a sudden it became all too serious. I had never read a book as extreme of mystery and magic as this book was. I honestly don't know what the purpose of the magic was for. It had no bearing on the story, for me personally. I do like Miguel's writing, though. He pulled me in and kept me interested. The characters were well fleshed out and believable. I didn't, however, enjoy the ending. I felt that I had been cheated out of closure with this story.

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Review: The Dragon Round

The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of The Dragon Round from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power is a story about mutiny and revenge. I found this story to be intriguing and full of suspense. It is written well, and the characters are very vivid. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series.

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Review: Dodgers

Dodgers by Bill Beverly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won this book in a giveaway from the Reading Room site. All opinions are my own. Dodgers by Bill Beverly is a stand alone novel about a teenage gang member, East, sent on a mission by his uncle to do a dirty deed with some other gang members. During this journey, East realizes that there might be a different life to be had other than being in a gang. This is a wonderful coming of age story that grabbed me from the start and held my attention to the end. Certain parts of the writing brought to mind of poetry writing. I thoroughly enjoyed following East on his journey.

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Review: Bryant's Gap

Bryant's Gap by Michael E. Burge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won this book in a giveaway on a reading blog and this is my honest review. Bryant's Gap by Michael E. Burge is a stand alone mystery. I don't usually read mysteries, but I was intrigued by Michael's writing style. The characters pulled me in as they were so real to life. I'm impressed with the vivid descriptions, as if I were there in 1947 postwar Chicago. This is definitely one of the best book that I have read this year.

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Review: Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage

Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage by Miguel Lopez de Leon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I won Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage in a Goodreads giveaway, and this is my honest review. Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage is the first book of the Galadria fantasy trilogy by Miguel Lopez de Leon. I didn't know what to expect when I opened this book, but I wasn't expecting to be swept away from the first page. The main character, Peter, finds himself in trouble and is sent away to live with his aunt. He finds himself having to prove himself, and having an unbelievable adventure, and meeting wonderful, and not so wonderful, characters. The characters are very vivid, and the story flows smoothly. I just couldn't put this book down! I'm definitely adding this trilogy to my physical collection of books! Fantastic job, Miguel!

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Review: Daygo's Fury

Daygo's Fury by John F. O' Sullivan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I won this book in a giveaway on one of the blogs I follow, Tome Tender, and received this book from the author. This is my honest opinion, and I received no compensation for this review. Daygo's Fury by John F. O' Sullivan is the first of a series. I'm not sure if it will be a trilogy or a series, to be honest. The story starts with a war, then jumps 172 years later. We meet Liam. He's an orphan, and lives in the slums. It goes into his story for a bit, then we meet Niisa, who lives in the forest. I loved Liam's story. The characters were well developed, and the story line was excellent. Niisa's story, on the other hand, lacked a developed story line. There was too much repetitiveness with Niisa's story. It seemed to go on and on about what Daygo is. I feel it could have been said once, maybe twice, and that would have been sufficient. I'm well invested in Liam's story, and I'm anxious to see where his story goes. I'm assuming that Liam and Niisa will eventually cross paths, but there was no evidence, other than the fact that there are these two main characters in the story.

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Review: The Golden Wizard

The Golden Wizard by J.S. Jaeger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Golden Wizard is the first book of The Scrolls of Zndaria series. It follows Nathanial “Nate” McGray on his quest to becoming a wizard. The characters are believable, though I would have liked a little more details on the creatures mentioned in the book. The story was well written, and the world is enchanting. I thoroughly loved following Nate on his journey. A wonderful story for middle grade readers, and adults alike.

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Review: Forest of Demons

Forest of Demons by Debbie Cassidy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this book from Kindle Scout in exchange for an honest review. Forest of Demons is the first book in the Sleeping Gods Series by Debbie Cassidy. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 37% of this book. It was well written, and I loved the characters. Then out of nowhere, the book went into three months earlier and it took forever for the two stories to connect. The second part of the book felt like it was written by another author. The characters in this part of the book seemed one dimensional, it left questions I wanted to know unanswered, and it abruptly stopped leaving me disconcerted.

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Review: End of Watch

End of Watch by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

End of Watch is the final installment of Stephen King's Bill Hodges Trilogy. I loved the flow of the story, and the characters were well known after reading the first two books. This trilogy was slightly different than King's usual works, and he touches on the subject of suicide, which needs to be addressed in this country. Well done Sai King!

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