Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Book Review: Immortal Writers by Jill Bowers


Young up-and-coming author Liz McKinnen has no idea that her life is about to change forever when she comes home from her first book tour. When she's kidnapped and told by her captors that she has to kill her fantasy book's antagonist, she thinks that she's fallen into the hands of crazy, dangerous fans... until her antagonist sends a real, fire-breathing dragon after her. Liz is quickly initiated into the Immortal Writers, a group of authors from throughout time whose words have given them eternal life, and whose prose is so powerful that it's brought stories over from the Imagination Field into the Reality Field. As Liz meets authors such as William Shakespeare, JRR Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe, and Jane Austen, she has to learn how to control magic, fight dragons, and face her own troubled past before her power-hungry villain takes over the world. Will she survive the ultimate battle against the dragon lord whom she created?



 


Immortal Writers isn't a book that I would normally go for. Actually, if I'm being completely honest ... I didn't mean to pick this one off of NetGalley. I received an email about this book and when I clicked the link to check the book out, it approved me on NG. So. I figured since I got it, I might as well give it a shot!

I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up. I didn't give it a second glance once it was put onto my Kindle after the whole NG Email Mis-Click of 2016. I was pretty pleasantly surprised. I'll try to keep any spoilers out of here ... nothing I say won't be found in the first chapter or so. This author chick gets kidnapped and told that the characters she has created within the pages of her book have come alive. Her characters came alive because she's an Immortal Writer. Immortal Writers are authors like Shakespeare, Poe, Austen and hundreds more. Basically, they are the authors that have made a massive impact on the literary world. Yeah, the premise of this book is nothing like I've ever read before and to say that it grabbed me almost immediately would be an understatement. I was totally intrigued by this whole idea. 

Unfortunately, I don't think that the main character (Liz) was stout enough to handle the kind of weight that the Immortal Writers author put on her. Liz was not a compelling character. I didn't really connect with her and the fact that she was this awe-inspiring author was not believable in the least. When you bring characters into a book and they are bigger than life people/fictional-characters then anything standing next to them is going to wither in their massive shadow. That is exactly what I think happened to Liz. Liz as a character didn't compare to Shakespeare. Even Shakespeare's part in the book seemed more fleshed out than Liz's. That's unfortunate. There are some books where the story-line will carry a reader to the end of the book and then there are books where the characters are what propel the book. This one should have been pulled off by the characters. But it fell short and for the first time, I was actually really irritated with a book. 

Most of the time, when I read a book and it doesn't go well, I just shrug it off. It happens and it's not that big of a deal and I just move on to the next one. But this time, I wanted it to succeed so very badly that I was pissed when it was over. It had so much potential and instead of becoming an amazing book, I was left unfulfilled and questioning my initial positive feelings. I wish that Liz had been a better character for me. I wish that she had been as amazing as her author counterparts. 

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review *



Available Now


Monday, March 14, 2016

Book Review: Between Dreams (Pendant Series #1) by Cynthia Austin


Sidney Sinclair was living the dream of any eighteen year-old girl…

A handsome rock star boyfriend, a closet full of designer clothes, a limousine service at her beck and call, and a mansion in the hills of Los Angeles.

Even with all that glamour and excitement at her fingertips, she still feels as if she’s been missing something in her life so she decides to leave.

While trying her best to put her dysfunctional romantic relationship aside and tend to her beloved Granny, Sidney unexpectedly stumbles upon an intriguing emerald pendant boxed away in her grandmother’s closet.

Soon she learns it once belonged to her long-lost mother who committed suicide when she was just a baby. Suddenly feeling emotionally connected to the woman who had birthed her, Sidney begins to wear the necklace.

This sends her on a whirlwind journey that alternates between fantasy and reality…

Almost immediately, she starts having dreams linked to the mysterious pendant. As danger begins to seep into her life, Sidney refuses to remove the necklace and instead documents each dream to help her further understand them. However, she soon begins to wonder if they are dreams meant to bond her to a mother whom she never knew?

Or a subconscious warning that threatens her very life?



 


Ms. Cynthia Austin contacted me a few weeks ago about a read request for this book and while I almost always say no thank you to fantasy novels, this one piqued my interest because the blurb was interesting and it was highly rated by quite a few people. So I just had to get my hands on it to see what all of the fuss was about. Nothing worse than being left out, right?!?

I actually have quite a few thoughts on this one and I'm not totally sure where to start off. I think talking about Sidney first is a good start... here's the deal ... the girl is a doormat. And let's be honest, I just love a flawed character and her being a doormat kind of appealed to me. I was very interested to see where she would go from that first page because surely there would be some growth involved. Unfortunately, Sid didn't change much from the beginning. She is taken advantage of in multiple different ways and it was a little hard to read after a while. I just wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake some sense into this crazy woman. It almost became painful with each page turn because I wanted her to stand up for herself but it never happened. 

The reason that there wasn't much character growth is probably because this book is pretty short and it's part of a series. There was a feeling of escalation from the very beginning and I won't lie, I was uber-irritated when it ended on a cliffhanger. I HATE cliffhangers with a fiery passion. I just hate being left in the lurch. If you don't like cliffhangers, you'll want to wait to pick this one up until the next in the series is out because the bear trap of an ending just snaps shut right in the middle of a scene basically. 

And finally ... the thing that I've been perplexed by since I finished the book. There's a religious aspect that I definitely was not expecting. It took me by surprise, actually. At times, it felt a tad bit preachy and then there were religious debates almost that ... I don't know ... it just didn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting concept within the book about Adam and Eve and the events surrounding that and what if there was another man for Eve but the almost bible-bashing by Sid and then the preachy moments ... I was ultimately just turned off, I guess. I'm not totally for sure why ... I'm not one of those crazy-religious people, so it didn't offend me at all. I think that at the crux of it my unrest is the fact that it felt like two totally different books being mashed together ... the stuff with Sid and her d-bag rocker and then Sid and her dreams. Maybe the next book in the series is going to tie both of these worlds together and it will be all good. It just didn't feel all good with this one. Too disjointed. I think that I'll need to put this one aside for now and then maybe read it again sometime later. Perhaps a second reading will bring up some different feelings. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *



Available Now



Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Cover Reveal: Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully: Ceruleans #5 by Megan Tayte




I am very proud to be a part of this particular cover reveal! Megan Tayte writes an amazing series called The Ceruleans and this is the fifth (and final) installment in the unique story about a girl named Scarlett whom is haunted by death but believes in the impossible and conquers it all.

Without further ado, I'd like to present ... 

 

 DARKNESS HAS FALLEN, AND SHE ALONE WILL SEE THE LIGHT

With her mother’s life hanging in the balance, Scarlett is devastated – and done with being in the dark. She wants answers, all of them.

But when was her pursuit of the truth ever straightforward?

Pulling a single thread triggers a great unravelling. And each revelation will force Scarlett to rethink what she thought she knew about the Ceruleans, the Fallen, her family – herself.

All that came before was a mere prelude to this, the last journey. From London to Twycombe to Hollythwaite to Cerulea, Scarlett will be stalked by the ghosts of what has been, what may have been and what may come to pass. Until she reaches the place where it all began, and it all must end.

But in the final reckoning, none will survive unscathed. And some will not survive at all.

In this explosive conclusion to The Ceruleans series, all must be defined by their actions: sinner, saint… or something more beautiful entirely?



Available: February 16th, 2016




Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did.

Thirty-odd years later, I’m a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. My fiction recently earned me the SPR’s Independent Woman Author of the Year award.

I write the kinds of books I love to read: young-adult romance fiction with an edge of paranormal. Young adult, because it’s the time of life that most embodies freedom and discovery and first love. Romance, because I’m a misty-eyed dreamer who lives for those ‘life is so breathtakingly beautiful’ moments. And paranormal, because I’ve always believed that there are more things in heaven and on earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy.

I grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days I make my home in Robin Hood’s county, Nottinghamshire. I live with my husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; my son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and my baby daughter, a keen pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as I pursue my impossible dream: of baking something edible.


Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Review: The Codex: An Angel's Guide To Seducing A Human by Joe Duck


When an ancient book capable of summoning a demon is stolen from heaven, Narius, a young and not so bright angel of knowledge, is cast down and ordered to destroy it.

If he fails, he can never return to his blissful life as a lazy library guard.

Fortunately, to aid him in his quest, Narius is accompanied by the Codex, a theoretically holy book, who sprouts terrible courtship advice like a cheap fortune cookie.

Upon arrival to the world below his, Narius is tricked into helping Emily, a greedy sorceress in a bit of a pickle, trying to deal with a hungry dragon.

Together, the human and the angel must overcome enchanted apples, evil elves and the impoverished dragon or risk watching their world burn.



 



To be completely honest, I'm not a big reader of fantasy books. Not because I don't like them but because I guess my imagination wasn't made for reading fantasy. I love fantasy movies and television shows, so I'm always giving fantasy books a try but unfortunately, it never works out. It's pretty frustrating on my part because I want to love them so badly. LET ME LOVE YOU!

When I picked this one up, I knew that I would just adore it. The premise was something that I hadn't read before and I thought that it was an interesting idea and I was super curious to see how the author would go about weaving this story. To be honest, I wasn't disappointed in the least. 

There is one thing to keep in mind when reading The Codex ... this is not your normal angel book. I've read a few books about angels and there is always an underlying seriousness about them like the author is afraid of angering the angels among us or something. The Codex is a bit more lighthearted. There are some pretty hilarious (sometimes naughty hilarious (which is the best kind)) situations mixed in with the more serious parts of the book. 

I thought that the characters were a mix of curiosity, naiveté and inexperience, which made them interesting and enchanting. I found that I couldn't get enough of either Narius or Emily. I just wanted more and more of each of them. Each scene with them kept me wanting more. The conversations between these two will definitely keep you on your toes because you never can tell what is going to come out of their mouths.

The story line was one of those where you're left scratching your head and wondering how in the hell the author even came up with some of this stuff. What kind of mind can create such an intricate yet lighthearted book with so many fantasy characters, all the while keeping things feeling authentic and partially realistic. Well, as realistic as a fantasy novel can be. 

All of that being said, I know that this was not a novel for me. I know, that sounds weird after everything that I have just said. The bottom line is that while I enjoyed how well the book was written and the meat of the story, it was not a good fit for my reading preferences. It was not a total loss, I've found an author that I can appreciate and I found that I can enjoy fantasy novels a bit more than I have in the past. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *



Available Now


Saturday, May 2, 2015

Review: Death Wish (Ceruleans #1) by Megan Tayte


Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Blake is haunted by death. Her estranged sister has made the ultimate dramatic exit. Running away from school, joining a surfing fraternity, partying hard: that sounds like Sienna. But suicide? It makes no sense.

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Scarlett comes to the isolated cove of Twycombe, Devon, with grand plans to uncover the truth. Alone. But she hasn’t reckoned on meeting two boys who are determined to help her. Luke: the blue-eyed surfer who’ll see the real Scarlett, who’ll challenge her, who’ll save her. And Jude: the elusive drifter with a knack for turning up whenever Scarlett’s in need.

As Scarlett’s quest for the truth unravels, so too does her grip on reality as she’s always known it. Because there’s something strange going on in this little cove. A dead magpie circles the skies. A dead deer watches from the undergrowth. Hands glow with light. Warmth. Power.

What transpires is a summer of discovery. Of what it means to conquer fear. To fall in love. To choose life. To choose death.

To believe the impossible. 



 



Scarlett has a lot of baggage and the biggest bag in the bunch is her sister's recent death. She decides to spend her summer break investigating what may have happened to her sister, Sienna. Scarlett's first order of business is to get out onto the sea where her sister died. After nearly killing herself surfing, she is more determined than ever to improve and get back out there but next time, with the help of a hunky neighbor. Mysterious things start happening around her and Scarlett is terrified at what it all could mean.

Death Wish is the first novel by the budding new author, Megan Tayte. For the first book out of the gate to be this good is pretty rare. I found that Tayte's character development was interesting. She gives you little morsels at a time and gradually builds the characters in the story. I have read a lot of books where you just get your nose rubbed in all of the goings on of characters and it can be a little overwhelming but that wasn't the case with Death Wish. I liked the slow and steady pace that this tactic created. The story was unhurried and laid back but it did kick up quite a few notches about three quarters of the way through, when things started to really heat up. 

I found it a little strange that so many people are touting that this is a romance novel ... while there IS romance, it is not the focal point of the story. That was also a bit refreshing. Going in, I thought that the paranormal/fantasy parts of the book would take a backseat but again, I was mistaken. I love how the majority of the book was cloaked in secrets and you went along on this crazy ride along with Scarlett, rather than knowing what was going to happen and Scarlett having to catch up. 

Death Wish was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and I would be interested in seeing what the second novel has to offer to the continuing story. That being said ... I do have a few things to point out for all of you American readers out there. In case you didn't know, this book takes place in England and is written by (you guessed it) a British author. So I decided that I'm going to help all of the non-Brits out a bit and give you what I am going to call, The Non-Dictionary Dictionary. I'm going to tell you some weird (to Americans) terms and what they DO NOT mean. That will help you weed out the actual meanings from your first assumptions. 


The Non-Dictionary Dictionary
  1. chocolate digestives: this does not mean chocolate laxatives
  2. micro-boot: this does not mean a very, very, small cowboy boot
  3. titch: this does not mean an itch on your boob
  4. cheese sarnies: this does not mean cheese candy
  5. cuppa: this is not slang for "cup of"
  6. higgledy-piggledy: this is not the term used when going to the Piggly Wiggly
  7. gorse: this is not a goat/horse hybrid
  8. trilby: this is not a type of singing fish
  9. kipper: this is not mean being happy
  10. manky: this is not a man hanky
  11. grubby mac: this does not mean a dirty Big Mac
There you have it. You can thank me later for addressing your first definition assumptions and getting that out of the way. Now go get the book so you can see where these words were used and start figuring out what they actually mean.


* I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review *



Available Now!


Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Review: Red by Alyxandra Harvey


Bad girls burn hot…

Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair.
It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble.
And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.

When her latest “episode” gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.

Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.

But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family…






Red is about this girl named Kia whom everyone thinks is a bit of a pyromaniac. She does have a problem with starting fires but not the way that people think. She starts them alright ... and the fire literally comes from within her. Kia gets kicked out of school for setting some old lady's roses on fire, so she gets shipped off to live with her grandmother. It's not some beautiful, homey little cottage that she's going to ... it's a castle and Grandma is the vet/wood chopper/everything else for the residents of this amazing home. Soon after moving in, she notices that things probably aren't as they seem and then the story really lights up. No pun intended. Fine. Maybe it was intended ... it sounded perfect. 

What did I think? Well ... I'm not a big fan of paranormal ... I mean, I like paranormal novels but it's not my "GO TO" genre when I'm looking for something to read. Something about this cover and the blurb for it ... it was intriguing and I was super excited to pick it up. All of that nonsense being said, I really REALLY liked this one. 

I really liked the whole premise of the story ... the reader is really kept on their toes because you don't know what is going to happen next. It's always something new with each turn of the page, you literally couldn't predict the next exciting part. The writing was pretty good too. Not the best that I've read but it wasn't bad and it did keep you interested. I didn't find myself skimming pages or skipping paragraphs to just make the story move faster. 

This book is a stand alone. I don't believe that there will be a prequel that comes out and it was so nicely buttoned up at the end, I don't think that there will be a sequel either. And that has some serious drawbacks. One being that even with all of the info that you know about these characters, there is so much that is still unknown. It felt like you had enough to get you through to the end of the book but it lacked a depth that I think the book would have benefited from. There is such a thing as too much information but these characters didn't come close to having that issue. I just wanted ... more. I've said it a million times, I am a greedy reader. I'm a SUPER greedy reader. I want to know every minute detail that the author has to give me about characters, locations, situations and after the author gives me that, I want MORE. I want all of the details that the author has thought of but figured it would be too much for the story. Most of the time, it's not! Tell me about these characters' past. Tell me about their needs, wants, urges, passions, hatreds ... I want everything. I think this story just lacked those extra things and it made you feel like these characters were just part of a clique at school that you don't really know anything about except the big stuff. You don't know what makes them tick. 

Anyway, that's just how I felt. Now, by no means does everything that I've said in that last paragraph mean that the book isn't worth reading. I think that it is. ESPECIALLY if you're a person who has a hard time getting into a book ... this will keep your attention and feed that urge to read. 

This was my first book by Alyxandra Harvey and I'm excited to see what else this author has under her sleeve because this was good. 



Available: March 10th, 2015



Sunday, December 28, 2014

Review: Endless by Amanda Gray


Jenny Kramer knows she isn't normal. After all, not everybody can see the past lives of people around them.

When she befriends Ben Daulton, resident new boy, the pair stumble on an old music box with instructions for “mesmerization” and discover they may have more in common than they thought. Like a past life.

Using the instructions in the music box, Ben and Jenny share a dream that transports them to Romanov Russia and leads them to believe they have been there together before. But they weren't alone. Nikolai, the mysterious young man Jenny has been seeing in her own dreams was there, too. When Nikolai appears next door, Jenny is forced to acknowledge that he has travelled through time and space to find her. Doing so means he has defied the laws of time, and the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time, is determined to send him back.

While Ben, Jenny and Nikolai race against the clock - and the Order - Jenny and Nikolai discover a link that joins them in life - and beyond death.







So much potential. I had such high hopes for this novel because the premise was so interesting. But I guess I should have figured the book would turn out this way when the word "traveled" was spelled wrong in the blurb. Yeah, yeah ... I know that sounds mean but as a reader, I feel robbed. Robbed of the experience that I had so hoped would happen when reading this book. 

On with the slaughter! Haha ... mostly kidding. So the characters were okay ... I really didn't like Jenny. She seemed shallow and selfish and to be honest, her name drove me up the damn wall. I don't know why. I have friends that are named Jenny and it's never bothered me before ... but it really drove me crazy and I really couldn't remember who in the hell "Jenny" was when I would read it in the book. That lasted for close to 60 pages. Not good. 

I did enjoy one character and that was Ben. HE should have been the focus of the story because I loved ever Ben-moment that I got! He was just the perfect character, he had just the right amount of screwed up to make him interesting and urge you to root for him. I'll miss Ben.

The part of the book that I really enjoyed and kept me reading was the stuff about Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor because it was the most interesting out of everything on those pages. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to redeem the book. There were just too many coincidences that helped out the characters or freak accidents that happened out of no where for no explanation. Could I have missed the explanation? Sure. I was having a hard time focusing on pretty much everything in Endless, so there is a possibility that these things were explained. But again, having things spelled out for me wouldn't have made the book better. It was, in a word, meh. But the cover is pretty ... it does have that going for it. Not for me. OOOH. And I didn't like the ending. It was a cop-out and too simple for what had happened throughout this whole book. I don't care if it will take the author an extra 20-30 pages. You make that ending count! I don't have to like the ending, I just want it to stand up with the rest of the book and tie everything up or have an epic cliffhanger. I don't ask for much.

I should have consulted my Ouija Board before picking this one up.






Sunday, September 28, 2014

Review: Night Sky (Night Sky #1) by Suzanne Brockmann, Melanie Brockmann


Skylar Reid is shaken when Sasha, the little girl she babysits, is kidnapped. Scared that the weird dreams she’s been having about Sasha are real—and even more afraid that Sasha is already dead. When a mysterious girl with extreme butt-kicking abilities roars into town on a motorcycle and, well, stalks Skylar things get even weirder. Supergirl Dana tells Sky that she also has abilities – that a hormone in their blood makes them stronger, faster, smarter. A hormone that the makers of a new drug called Destiny will murder to get their hands on.

Dana and Milo, her dangerously hot yet oh-so-forbidden partner in crime, want Sky to join them in their mission – to mold Sky into the ultimate weapon. She can sense there’s something about her abilities they’re not telling her. But the only way to save Sasha and stop other girls from being taken is to embrace the weird…and fight Destiny.






First of all, it needs to be said that I am a HUGE fan of Suzanne Brockmann. Huge. To be honest, I didn't even realize that she was one of the authors of this book until after I had already started reading it. The premise was so catching that I didn't even take a moment to look the book up before I practically begged NetGalley to let me have a shot at it. Anyhow ... there's that. I had a bit of a rating issue with this one as well. It see-sawed between 4 and 5 the entire time I was reading. It was a pretty difficult decision ... one I'm still struggling with, actually.

Getting back to the book ... it was a little slow going for me. And not because the novel was actually slow ... it was just a little confusing in the first few pages. Now, this could be totally my fault. I could have been trying to devour this too quickly and I skipped over some important bits. While this doesn't happen very often, it does happen and so this could be totally my fault. But once I was 2 or 3 chapters in, it was good. Too good. This was the point where I stopped what I was doing and checked to see who the author was. Man, was I surprised. And not surprised at the same time. The writing is stellar and the action scenes are so thought out that it feels like you are there. 

I was pretty attached to Sky from the very beginning. Sky and Cal are so endearing that you can't help but love them and be totally sympathetic to their individual and combined plights. Remember, these kids are in high school. The Brockmann ladies took me back to those days (which was FAR too long ago) and I felt like the story I was reading was one that could have happened in my high school. Their writing style is so realistic that you can almost hear lockers being slammed shut and sneakers squeaking across the linoleum as kids race to beat the bell. I derailed a bit, I meant to talk about how realistic the characters were and then I went ahead with everything else. 

Back on track ... the characters ... you'll love Sky, Cal, Milo and Dana. You'll eat up every interaction between the 4 of them and you'll be waiting with bated breath for the next one. It took me a couple of days to read this one but it was because I had to force myself to put it down. I didn't want to just blow through it and then wish I could get that magic back. You know the magic ... the stuff you get when you read an amazing novel for the first time. You only get that once so I had to make a conscious decision to not squander this first time. Night Sky was just a great novel that has everything in it, a little fantasy, a little romance, a few parental unit issues, and some amazing moments where people stand up for themselves, their friends and what they believe in. 

There is only one thing that really stinks about this book. It's the fact that Night Sky isn't even out yet and I'm going to have to wait for Lord only knows how long for the next installment and let me tell you, it will be an excruciating wait.



Release date is October 7th!



Sunday, September 7, 2014

Review: Hidden Wings (Hidden Wings #1) by Cameo Renae


Seventeen is a life changing age for Emma Wise.

As her family's sole survivor in a car crash, she is left with a broken arm and a few scrapes and bruises. But these are only outward marks; inside, her heart is broken and the pieces scattered.

Whisked away to Alaska, to an aunt she’s never met, Emma starts over. Secrets unveil themselves and now…she doesn't even know who or what she is.

A centuries old prophecy places Emma in the heart of danger. Creatures of horrifying and evil proportions are after her, and it will take Emma, her aunt, and six, gorgeously captivating Guardians to keep her safe. But, if she can survive until her eighteenth birthday... things will change.






I have been burned by quite a few novels about angels. Too many. Usually, I'll just turn a book down when I hear it's about them. But something made me pick this one up and I'm really glad that I trusted my instincts on it. It's totally renewed my faith in these fantasy novels and I'm pretty excited to find another one. 

The author (whom I've never read anything from) really surprised me. She drops you off in the middle of an ongoing ... situation ... and it was the perfect start to this story. I loved meeting the characters the way that they were introduced. You know, the main character is in the hospital after this horrible wreck and she's just kind of coming to terms with what has happened to her and her family ... meeting her friends as they come to the hospital gave you this sense of timidity from the main character, it was really strange. I became anxious when Emma did ... the author just did such a great job of immersing you into this new world that Emma now inhabits.

It was really a great story, one I'll be excited to finish once I pick up the other novels. This is definitely an author to keep your eye on because she writes captivating heroes and villains that you really can't get enough of! Ooooh ... and one tiny spoiler ... it's minute (so minute that it really isn't a spoiler) ... just watch out for Kade ... you'll fall in love with him!