Review: How To Date An Alien by Magan Vernon

Book: How To Date An Alien by Magan Vernon

Series: My Alien Romance #1
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy 
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble *Kindle/Nook versions are currently FREE (as of 7-23-12)
Available Formats: Ebook / Paperback
Publication Date: December 6th, 2011
How Did I Get This Book: Purchased
First Sentence: "If someone told me at the beginning of that summer that I would come face-to-face with death because of  Romeo and Juliet romance, I would never have believed it."
Description: High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war?

It's rather difficult for me to categorize this book, because it spans several genres. Obviously it's a young adult science fiction story, but it is also a romantic comedy. I guess I'll go with sci-fi-romance-romp. How's that? At any rate, I certainly enjoyed it. 

Although the story centers around an Alien plot line, I would recommend it to readers who don't normally enjoy sci-fi stories. Vernon injects enough comedy, heart and romance within the book that it should appeal to a variety of readers.
 
I'm not sure that the character of Alex could be categorized as particularly unique, but she's likable nonetheless. She's quirky and snarky; traits I happen to adore in characters. As the book progresses she really comes into her own and shows a great deal of determination and gusto.


Ace, Alex's love interest, is also rather likable. Although we didn't get to know him as much as I would have liked. The book chugs along at a quick pace and unfortunately it causes some of the character development to suffer. I hope that in the next book we'll get to know more about Ace. From what we've seen, he is a great character, but I'd still like to get to know him better.


How To Date An Alien is a delightful comedic romp that readers are sure to find enjoyable. It's a quick, light read that will keep you entertained for a few hours. 

Review: Harbinger by Sarah Wilson Etienne

Book: Harbinger by Sarah Wilson Etienne
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy 
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository
Available Formats: Ebook / Hardcover
Publication Date: February 2nd, 2012
How Did I Get This Book: From Author, For Review
First Sentence: "My nose prickled with the stench of dead flowers and mildew."
Description: "Girl, Interrupted" meets "Beautiful Creatures" in this fast-paced thriller
When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast. 

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red. Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too. 

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

I'm a bit on the fence about Harbinger. You see, I really, really wanted to adore it. The cover is beautiful, the concept is superb and the writing is absolutely gorgeous. So naturally, I thought that it would become of one of my favorite new books.

The problem I had - the only problem was that I was completely and utterly confused about 3/4 of the way through the book. Things take a crazy turn and I will admit that I got absolutely lost in the story. I was loving everything; the characters, the setting and the mysterious storyline and then Etienne threw in a huge plot-twist. For me, it was just too much. I didn't really understand what was happening and the book just left me completely and utterly confused. And because I was so invested in the characters and story, I was really put off by it. I wanted to understand what was going on.

But you know, that may just be me.  I am sure that some of you will follow along beautifully. So, I would recommend that you give Harbinger a chance because (from what I understood) it was a beautiful book. It's dark, creepy, intense and exciting. Plus, like I said, the writing is absolutely lovely. I mean, look at all of the quotes I pulled - I obviously enjoyed that factor of the book. I'm going to have to give Harbinger 3 stars, because of the all the confusion. However, for others (who understand everything), I could easily see it being a 4-5 star book.

Favorite Quotes:

I'd learned early on that secrets were insidious things. And I had my own. Maybe the only reason people avoided my eyes was because they saw the wrongness in them.

This wasn't panic, this was madness. 

Old memories fluttered in their cages and then vanished again as the air stilled.

THen he looked straight at me, and I saw a flicker of fear  in his eyes before he looked away. Like I was an escaped tiger who might attack at any second. I had the urge to do just that. To rave and scream and claw. But my sense of defeat overwhelmed everything else.

"I was about to scream bloody murder when my stepmom popped her head in and told me to brush my teeth. 'Cause of course, dental hygiene is super important when you're being kidnapped."

It was like learning a new language, this back and forth. Kel's voice was sad and rough and funny all at the same time, and it made me want to tell him things. 

She locked me in the dark and I said thank you.

It was more intoxicating than I ever imagined to have someone look at me like that. To let them see into me without flinching. 

Was it so obvious that I was broken?

Because when Kel touched me, I was terrified. Terrified and so very alive.

A few heads were nodding now. They might not know what she was talking about,but they could smell blood. 

His eyes flicked up and speared mine. Splaying my thoughts wide open. Every buried yearning sizzled to the surface. And as I burned, the world froze around me. The fence, the chatter, the Takers dropped away, and all that was left was an island of us.

But I didn't want to be his. I wanted to run through the dark. I wanted the hot breath of night against my skin. I wanted to be touched, but not eclipsed.

It's all fun and games until someone gets a Taser in the crotch.

 

Review: Tempest by Julie Cross

Book: Tempest by Julie Cross
Series: Tempest Trilogy #1 
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Available Formats: Ebook / Hardcover
Publication Date: January 17th, 2012
First Sentence:  "How far back should I go?"
How Did I Get This Book:  From Publisher, For Review
Edition Review: ARC
Description: The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Tempest by Julie Cross is the story of Jackson, a 19 year old guy who just happens to have the ability to time travel. It's definitely an exciting story that keeps you on your toes.

I was a bit worried I would have a difficult time keeping everything straight with all the time traveling. You see, there are all of these different rules and loopholes about time traveling that make it kind of an intimidating setup. Sometimes when Jackson travels back to the past it’s almost like a memory – he doesn’t really change the outcome. He can alter the past while he is in it, but it doesn’t change the future. But sometimes, once he starts getting the hang of time traveling he really can change things around. This means when he has interactions with people during a time jump, they sometimes remember it and they sometimes don’t - but Jackson always does. Am I confusing you yet? Honestly, I was intimidated by the whole thing, but it’s not hard to keep track us. Cross does a great job establishing the parameters of each time jump as well as the outcomes. I can see how it could get confusing when reading the next book, simply because everything won’t be fresh in your mind. I can just picture myself thinking, “does this person know that? I remember it happening, but did it still happen?” 

Now I loved the concept of Tempest and I loved most of the plot. My main issue with the storyline is that we don’t really get a concrete vision of Holly and Jackson. Yes, their relationship takes center stage in the story, and we do see them together a lot, but it’s with all of these different versions of Holly. Let me explain – we’re back to the whole time travel thing. There are two main Holly’s in the book; 007 Holly and 009 Holly (Holly from 2007 and Holly from 2009). When the story begins, Holly and Jackson are living in 2009 and if I remember correctly met earlier that year. Well after some time travel gone haywire, Jackson gets stuck in 2007. He seeks out 007 Holly, but she obviously doesn’t remember him, because she hasn’t met him yet.  So we’re got these two different versions of Holly, which mean, really we have two different relationships. So as a reader, it’s hard to come to grips with what their relationship actually is and how they are together.  I know that I liked them well enough, but with two different Holly’s it really throws a monkey wrench in things.  Honestly, I don’t know what I would have preferred happen. I did like the both Hollys and I liked Jackson with both of the Hollys. It was just hard to separate the Hollys from one another. I guess it would be different in 2009 Holly remembered 2007 Holly and Jackson, but she doesn’t.  And there I go confusing you again. 

Now, let’s talk about my favorite aspect of Tempest. There is this whole mystery/espionage thing incorporated into the story and let me just tell you – it is awesome.  Jackson not only has to try and figure out how to control thing time traveling ability, he also has to unravel this mystery surrounding his life and the people around it. As the story progresses, he uncovers more and more secrets that make him question who he can really trust. Honestly, it’s incredibly exciting. There is another surprise around every corner and believe me; it all makes the mind reel.

I’m going to be straight with you guys, Tempest was awesome. It’s absolutely brimming with adventure, mystery and excitement. What am I looking forward to the most about the next book? Courtney. I caught that foreshadowing, Julie Cross.  So bring it. Seriously everyone, you won’t be disappointed, go find yourself a copy right now!

Favorite Quotes

Bad. Very Bad. Absolute wrong thing to say. I cringed, waiting for her to shout or grab another shoe to launch in my direction. 

"I don't mind hearing your secrets, even if they're sad."

Maybe it wasn't good and evil, but a whole bunch of gray area. 

Her scream was deafening and I went into machine mode as I jumped. Not through time, but an actual jump. Off the roof. 

I squeezed my arms around her so tight, I don't know how she kept breathing.

"I'm trying not to think about what we just saw, but I have a feeling therapy is in my near future."

Review: Touch by Jus Accardo

Book: Touch by Jus Accardo
Series: Denazen #1
Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction(?) / Paranormal Romance
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository
Available Formats: Ebook / Paperback
Publication Date: November 1st, 2011 (Entangled Publishing)
First Sentence: "I couldn't see them, but I knew they were there, waiting at the bottom."
How Did I Get This Book: From Publisher, For Review
Description: When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll turn to dust if he touches her.

It's not until Dez's father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there's more to this boy, and her father's "law firm," than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation -- an organization devoted to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons -- his entire life.

And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills.

The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

 I do not really know how to put this delicately, so I am going to just come out with it. Touch by Jus Accardo was in a word (or two), freaking amazing. The characters, the plotline, the pacing; everything was just spot-on.

Kale is quite literally starved for touch. He has never been able to touch a person without killing them. When he discovers that he can in fact touch Dez, he cannot seem to get enough. He’s extremely affectionate with her and it’s just so incredibly priceless. He’s not only been starved for touch, he has spent his life basically in isolation from the outside world. He doesn’t understand things; he doesn’t quite have a grasp on the social norms and customs. In a sense he kind of reminded me of Brendan Frasier’s character in Blast From The Past. He’s ignorant when it comes to social interactions – especially those with women. I particularly love this little scene.


Then, making a spur of the moment decision, I brushed the lightest of kisses on his left cheek.
He sat up straight, eyes wide, and touched the tip of his index finger to his cheek. "What was that?" I blushed. "A kiss."
"That's what a kiss feels like?"
"Well, technically. There are a lot of different types of -"
"Show me."
"Show you what?"
"Show me some of the other kinds."
"You're asking me to kiss you?"
He nodded, hands curled around the edge of the bed. "is that not right?"



The internal dialogue used as she narrates situations like this just killed me. When she is forced to describe why people hold hands to Kale, I nearly died. Deznee just has such a spark; it’s impossible not to love her. The same goes for her relationship with Kale. Their connection is fierce, exciting and absolutely adorable all at the same time. There were a number of moments between the two that just melted me into a pile of goo.

The storyline itself is packed to the brim with action. Accardo grabs your attention from the very first page and never relinquishes control again. I was completely enthralled by Touch; it has action, excitement and an incredible romantic storyline as well.

I simply could not put it down. I read the entire thing in one sitting and then went back through my favorite parts and read them again. I still am flipping back through my favorite quotes and rereading them. You need to give this book a shot, because believe me, you won’t be sorry.

Favorite Quotes

Buzzed or not, I was still pretty sharp. Whoever those guys yelling in the woods were, they were after him. Drug deal gone south? Maybe he'd gotten caught playing naked footsie with someone else's girlfriend?

Mr. Mime didn't seem like he was rocking a sense of humor.

Stay calm? Was he crazy? He was pointing a gun in my general direction! If anything about that situation said calm, I was missing something.

He reached for me, hesitating for a moment before pulling his hand back. "Can... can I touch you again?"

"You're a human being, not a weapon. You don't belong to anyone."

I didn't know how to respond. Imagine that. Me. Speechless. Glaciers were probably popping up all over hell.

I sighed. If I had to have the sex talk with a guy my own age, I was going to die. Baseball analogies wouldn't work. He probably didn't even know what baseball was.

If possible, the rain fell even harder now. We were soaked almost instantly. Fantastic. Now on top of homeless chic, I'd be rocking the drowned rat look.

The guy who'd tumbled down the embankment, landing at my feet - the Six who'd tried to kill me, was more than that now. I didn't know when it happened, or how, but there it was.

I'd had a lot of guys look at me like I was a fun vacation on the beach, but the way Kale's ice blue eyes devoured every inch of me, full of heat and hope, I felt like Christmas morning. Timeless and perfect.

I understand now, Dez," he whispered sleepily. "I understand the hand thing."

Just you wait. Payback's a bitch, Daddy.

I waited a few minutes for them to get it out of their system - testosterone and all that. It took longer than I'd hoped, but eventually they'd settled for menacing glares and silent seething.

When we finally came up for air, he was smiling at me. It seemed to come easier to him now, smiling. It did funny things to my stomach.

"Just you. Only you. Always you."

"For me.," he said. It came out as a cross between a choked growl and a whimper. It was shocked, and it was possessive. Full of pain and laced with joy. "You were made for me."

A chair. Someone had thrown a chair at me. What the hell was this, WWE?

Review: Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire

Book: Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire
Genre: Urban Fantasy  / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository
Available Formats: Ebook / Hardcover
Publication Date: November 15th, 2011 (PYR)
First Sentence: "Piotr hefted the newest box of loot and hauled it to the back of the mill floor, wrestling it into their makeshift pantry with effort."
How Did I Get This Book: ARC From Publisher, For Review
Description: The Never is a place of greys, a world a breath beyond our own, layered just past the memories of yesterday and the fleeting present moment. It is here, in this dismal limbo, that ghosts such as Piotr, Lily, and Elle must sort out an existence, both protecting the children called Lost and themselves from the walking darkness that is the army of rotting Walkers.

Caught between her duty to her calling as the Lightbringer and her concern for her new ghostly friends, Wendy must walk the line between the two worlds, aiding Piotr in his fight against the Walkers as well as searching out the wandering soul of the one who means the most to her. Time, however, is running out and in the end... who will she choose? 

The story of Lightbringer was incredibly creative. Wendy is a lightbringer; she sends lingering spirits to rest.  When her mother’s spirit goes missing, Wendy makes it her mission to find it and return her to safety. At the same time, Piotr is having problems of his own. Piotr is a rider; a teenage ghost that oversees the safety of several ghost children.  One by one, the ghost children are being kidnapped and Piotr and his friend have no idea why. Wendy and Piotr meet and they decide to help each other out with their mysteries. I am over simplifying this, but you get the gist of it. 

Wendy is an interesting character, but she wasn’t terribly memorable. I just did not feel that connection that you want to feel with characters. I felt the same about the overall book. Like I said, I found it undeniably creative, but I would not classify it as a page-turner.  When I put the book down, my fingers didn’t itch to pick it up again. I didn’t have to force myself to read slower, so that I didn’t miss anything. I was interested in the book, I just wasn’t captivated by it.

I also wasn’t too fond of Eddie (Wendy’s best friend).  But for the life of me, I cannot exactly tell you why. To me, he was presented as Wendy’s alternative to Piotr, more than her partner in crime. He is meant to be her best friend, who wants more out of the relationship. But I struggled to really figure him out. At times he flirts with Wendy, but then follows it up with a joke. So, like Wendy, I was confused about where he stood.  

I would love to see more of Wendy's family in next book. I am interested in seeing how Wendy’s siblings play into the upcoming story arcs. I doubt Jon has any paranormal abilities (it seems to be a girl thing), but I wonder if Chel’s powers will ever awaken.  That would present an interesting story arc.

I enjoyed Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire, I just didn’t love it. It was a rather creative story, but I found it to be a bit slow at times. I was impressed with how unpredictable the story was. I left like there were twists and turns around every corner. That coupled with the creative storyline, McEntire was able to create a rather impressive book.The characters and storyline were interesting; I just wasn’t pulled into the book. Still, it was entertaining and I will be keeping an eye out for the upcoming books.

Favorite Quotes

Some days, he thought there were definite benefits to being dead.

"Hush your mouth, everyone needs to laugh at death a little, else all you can do is cry."

The rest of her whispered danger, but a living girl had seen him, had recognized him for what he was, and that was a siren call Piotr was unwilling to resist.

This strange girl would be the undoing of him, Piotr mused silently, before nodding.

Come hell or high water, Wendy intended to help.

Piotr's voice was low, almost indistinguishable from the steady rush of blood in her veins, the soft whoosh of her breath.

Wendy leaned into his touch like a plant seeking the sunlight and he chuckled, deep and low, a rumble in his chest that Wendy felt in her fingertips.

Part of her knew doing this, chasing after those electric kisses, was courting death, but she felt fearless and wild, unbreakably young. 

Review: Borrowing Abbey Grace by Kelly Green

Book: Borrowing Abbey Grace by Kelly Green
Series: The Shadow #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy  / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Available Formats: Ebook
Publication Date: October 17, 2011
First Sentence: "The first thing that I realized when I woke upin the back of the van was that I had noidea at all how I'd arrived in the back of a van."
How Did I Get This Book: From Author, For Review
Description: When Abby Grace wakes up in the back of a van, she has no idea who she is, how she got there, or why anyone would want to kidnap her. After escaping her masked captors, she hurries home, only to discover that she unknowingly left her younger brother behind in the van. Unable to answer the police’s questions with her memories gone, she retreats to the safety of her bedroom where she tries to reconstruct her life. Just as she is settling into the belief that things will one day return to normal, she looks in the mirror—and sees a stranger’s face.
As Abby learns next, she has become a Shadow, sent to inhabit the lives of strangers in trouble. With nothing to go on except the vague hints of her cute but maddening Guardian, a 19th century ghostly teenager named Will, Abby sets out to rescue the missing brother. But she will need all of her intelligence, fearlessness, and wit, because if she fails to find him in time, she will remain trapped in this unfamiliar body forever.

In Borrowing Abbey Grace, Green creates an incredibly intriguing setup that will keep readers interested and coming back for more. You see, Abbey is a Shadow. When someone ‘borrows’ Abbey Grace, she takes over their body and solves whatever problem they have. This time, Abbey get’s placed in the body of Brooke, a girl who was recently kidnapped. Abbey has to face the challenge discovering who kidnapped her and finding Brooke’s little brother.

Isn’t that great? What this tells me is that Green will always have somewhere new and exciting to take the book. We will always have Abbey, but everything around her will change.

Green packs a great sense of suspense into the plot. There is a lot of build up, but I was a bit let down by the ending. It was certainly a surprise ending, but for me, it wasn’t very satisfying. I wanted more from the book. The storyline presents a number of great questions about Abbey and her past, but it doesn’t answer any of them.

Abbey is a great character. She is strong, likable and has no problem carrying the storyline along. She’s got spunk and sass and is quite the little spitfire.

This was a quick, short read, but it certainly packs a lot of potential. I wasn’t a huge fan of the storyline this time around, but I loved Abbey. She has the whole Veronica Mars vibe going on, which is always a hit with me. I look forward to reading the next installments of the series and seeing what trouble Abbey finds herself in next time. I just hope that her storyline is touched on a bit more. I have so many questions about her that were completely left open.

 

Favorite Quotes:

Apparently, Brooke's Dad-my dad?- was not the sort of father that allowed  a day for mental recuperation after a person has been kidnapped.

Who eats soup by themselves?

Leo's stare had given me the same twisting feeling in the pit of my stomach that Ms. Peterson had when she'd known about me jumping out of the van. Naturally, I thought it best to follow him home.

I threw open the linen closet in the hallway: just sheets and towels that smelled like mountain streams and lilacs. No murderous freshman.

I didn't want him to think I was weak, but he was the only person in the whole world who had any idea of the real predicament I was in, and that made him, at the moment, my best friend, even though he was about as comforting as a catcus.

Blog Tour // Review & Giveaway: The Legacy of Kilkenny by Devyn Dawson

Today I have another great blog tour for you guys! I've got a review of Devyn Dawson's new book The Legacy of Kilkenny! This tour was put together by Bewitching Book Tours.

Book: The Legacy of Kilkenny by Devyn Dawson
Genre: Urban Fantasy  / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Barnes  & Noble | Smashwords
Available Formats: Ebook
Publication Date: June 11th, 2011
First Sentence: "Whoever came up with alarm clocks should be shot in the foot, and shot again in the knee and maybe even the arm just for good measure."
How Did I Get This Book: Blog Tour / Bewitching Book Tours
Description: The Legacy of Kilkenny is the story of Abel Casey, an ordinary boy until the stunning Pru Phelan came to town and introduced him to his destiny. Pru had a vision that the Great Wolf was born and he can be found in Piedsville, Oklahoma and his name is Abel Casey. Pru's main assignment? To kill Abel... at least make his family believe he is dead. The Great Wolf is expected to become the leader of all packs. As Abel starts training he begins to have abilities of a werewolf, he hasn't shifted and he doesn't want his family to believe he is dead. Will he be able to convince the pack that he can protect his family. Just when everything seems to be going okay, Abel's sister Allie meets a new guy named Arien. Arien isn't any guy, he is a vampire and he knows the Phelan pack has found the Great Wolf, he wants to know who it is and he is threatening to turn Allie into a vampire if they don't tell him who it is. Allie is already moody, will she contract the Human Vampiric Virus (HVV)? Abel wants a relationship with Pru, but she only has eyes for her bodyguard Oakley. The story will have you cheering for the good guy.... hating the bad guy... dream of the sexy werewolves and love to hate the vampire Arien. The multiple scenarios may be too much to bear for our newly unshifted werewolf Abel, can he save his sister? Will he find love? Will Pru be able to fulfill her assignment? Will Allie become a vampire? Who will be brutally murdered? Enjoy this page turning supernatural story.

The Legacy of Kilkenny is the first book in a new series by Devyn Dawson.

I will be honest, I had a difficult time getting into the storyline. The narrative switches on and off between Pru and Abel, which presented a bit of a problem for me. It’s not that it was done poorly, I just preferred Pru’s POV to Abel’s. I found myself hastily reading his sections in order to get to Pru’s.

I cannot exactly say why I didn’t connect with Abel; I just know that for me, Pru was the stronger character. Her voice is both strong and compelling, and her storyline was more intriguing to me. I loved discovering her relationship with Oakley – one of her pack werewolves. Their relationship was definitely the highlight of the story for me. I found that it sort of overshadowed the rest of the plot for me; I found myself seeking out their scenes together.

In The Legacy of Kilkenny, Dawson introduces a number of different plotlines that I hope will be explored in the future. She spends a lot of time and effort constructing the dynamics of the pack, which is something I really enjoyed. I think that it provides a great structure and is something that can be built off from. I also hope that she explores the shaman aspect more in future books; I feel like that had a great deal of potential.

The Legacy of Kilkenny holds a great deal of potential. Although it has some kinks to work out, it is a good series opener. Like I stated before, the relationship between Pru and Oakley was my favorite aspect and I would definitely love to see more of them in the future.

 Favorite Quotes

I would think of Elmo when he was around, nothing like a red furry cute-as-hell monster to cover up your attraction.

He whispers to the top of my head. "You have no idea what you do to me."

 

About the Author:

My name is Stefanie Dawson but you might know me better as Devyn Dawson.  I decided to use a pen name since there is a famous Stephenie that writes the same genre.  I didn’t want to be “oh, you’re not THAT Stephenie” - sad but true.  The characters in my head have been bugging me to be heard for a few years, after a big kick in the butt from a doctor telling me my eyesight was in danger; I flipped out.  I quit my real job making real money and wrote like a lunatic to bring my characters to life.  My husband and son survived on ‘man food’ for a year and allowed me to chase this dream.  I have two children that aren’t so little - my lovely daughter is 21 and my son is 17.  They grow up fast!  I’ll never grow up as long as the characters want to be written about.  I am proud to say that my eyes are doing fine and I’m eternally grateful to everyone that has read The Legacy of Kilkenny.  It is incredibly wonderful when someone emails me to tell me how much they loved my book.  I save every email so I can look at them when I want to give up.  Thank you to all my Lovies! 

My current projects are going very well and should be finished soon.  The second book to The Legacy of Kilkenny is Malevolence and will be released at the end of November 2011.  I’ve received a lot of emails asking to know more about Allie, Abel’s sister.  Allie is a character in TLOK, and her journal that documents her journey as she dates a vampire will be released October 2011 as a novella.  Allie is an unstable girl once vampire venom runs through her veins; her journal will give the reader an inside view to her life.  The title of the novella is The Seduction. 

Again, thank you!

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Now, for the giveaways :) Devyn was kind enough to offer one lucky reader an ebook copy of The Legacy of Kilkenny. All you have to do is fill out the form below. The giveaway will end on Oct 31st.

Review: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Book: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Series: The Faerie Ring #1
Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository
Available Formats: Print / Ebook
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
First Sentence: "You wouldn't be here pickin' pockets, would you?"
How Did I Get This Book: From Publisher, For Review
Description: Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.  
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty… 

The Faerie Ring features a dynamic, likable cast of characters.  The heroine, Tiki is strong-willed, independent, courageous, loyal and caring. Basically, she’s my kind of girl.  Honestly, I loved all of the characters – so much in fact that I wish I could have seen more of them. I understand that the book is centered around Tiki, but I would have loved to learn more about her self-proclaimed “family” – especially Fiona and Shamus.  They both appear to be incredibly interesting characters. In my opinion, Hamilton has struck gold with this ragtag group of petty criminals and I would love to see her expand on them.

The romance between Tiki and Rieker was paced extremely well and I found myself wholeheartedly believing their relationship and interactions.  There wasn’t an all consuming pull between them – they BOTH could keep their heads on straight. Granted, TIki irritated me at times, but I am infinitely grateful that Hamilton wrote her with a independent streak a mile long. Rieker for his part certainly wasn’t perfect either. But he tries to do right by Tiki and that’s all we can really ask for.

However, I felt like a lot of the drama between Tiki and Reiker was unjustified and unnecessary. I am not saying that Tiki should have trusted him right off, but I felt like their relationship traveled in circles. She made some choices that I found rather naïve and she was constantly jumping to conclusions.  

Let’s talk about the setting for a minute. I will be upfront with you – Victorian London is one of my absolute favorite settings.  I will read practically anything that takes place there, so I was instantly on board for The Faerie Ring from the word go. That being said, I obviously adored that aspect of the book Hamilton did an incredible job with both the setting and crafting the characters to fit into the setting.  

I did have a few issues with The Faerie Ring, but all things considered, Hamilton has created one heck of a story. It’s got excitement, mystery, danger, romance and a healthy dose of magic. I cannot wait to see what comes next for Tiki!

Favorite Quotes

Just like a kitten pretending to be a lion.

Oh bloody hell. She'd just stolen the queen's ring.

Tiki was uncomfortably aware of how close Rieker was standing to her, yet at the same time she felt pulled toward him, as though in the grip of a magnet.

Tiki ran hard, ignoring the startled looks of strangers. It felt good to run, to run away from her sadness and fear.

Expecting his usual aloof expression, she saw instead that his smoky eyes were locked on her face and the walls that he usually hid behind were gone. There was something that looked almost like longing in his expression. 

Rieker's hand slid from her wrist to her hand, and his fingers entwined around hers. Before she could move, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close. Instead of being afraid, Tiki felt an odd sense of safety.

"My God, girl, you can bugger up any well-thought-out scheme."

A few strands of his long, dark hair had been caught by the wind and blown against his face. Without thinking, she reached up and smoothed the strands away from his skin, wishing she could smooth away the pain etched there.

"One minute sweet and nice, like a lovable little kitten, the next she'd give you a pop in the jaw if you say the wrong thing."

A cry of despair escaped her lips. When had she fallen in love with him?

"We're bound by more than love, it would seem. Destiny seems to have plans for us as well."

Review: Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Book: Ashfall by Mike Mullin
Series: Ashfall #1
Genre: Adventure / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository
Available Formats: Print / Ebook
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
First Sentence: "I was home alone on that Friday evening. Those who survived know exactly which Friday I mean."
How Did I Get This Book: Netgalley
Description: Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.
Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

Ashfall is an incredible coming-of-age adventure story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a gritty story that asks some rather tough questions. The main being, How far would people go to survive? 

When the Volcano in Yellowstone Park erupts, fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone for the weekend. At the start of Alex’s story, he is very much a boy. He is understandably frightened and looks to his neighbors for guidance and protection. Well, without giving away to many details, he witnesses some rather traumatic events and decides to take off alone in search of his family. 

It is at this point in the story that I really got hooked.  I don’t know why, but there is something about survival stories. We all would like to think that we would keep our cool in desperate times, but who knows. Alex faces some incredible challenges along his journey – food and water shortages, encounters with desperate and dangerous people; you name it, he overcomes it. Ashfall may be an adventure story, but at its core it is a coming-of-age story.  

I also would like to talk a little about the romance between Alex and Darla. I was a bit nervous when Darla’s character was introduced. I wasn’t an immediate fan of hers and I could not see how a romance would fit into the puzzle. Well, long story short, I had to eat my words.  The relationship between the two was so incredibly raw, honest and just plain believable.  It wasn’t rushed and it wasn’t exaggerated. They fit together beautifully and complemented one another; it was an equal partnership. They relied on one another and trusted each other completely. 

I honestly do not want to divulge too much information about the plot because I do not want to spoil it for you guys. But trust me when I say this – you need to read Ashfall.  It’s exciting, addicting and undeniably entertaining. You won’t be disappointed with this series debut!

Favorite Quotes:

I hate to disappoint, but I just lay there, curled in a ball, shaking in pure terror.

Then, we waited. Waited for the noise to end. Waited for the house to fall on our heads. Waited for something, anything to change.

The next few hours were, well, how to describe it? Ask someone to lock you in a box with no light, nobody to talk to, and then have them beat on it with a tree limb to make a hideous sound. Do that for hours, and if you're still not bat-shit crazy, you'll know how we felt.

Maybe we were ghosts of a sort, spirits from the world that had died when the volcano erupted.

I didn't say anything - just held up my hands and shuffled backward toward the door. Antagonizing a little old lady holding a shotgun seemed like a very bad idea.

I'd never heard any noise quite so welcome as the click that a shotgun made when it wasn't killing me.

But even more than I wanted to check out and give my emotional wounds time to scab over, I wanted to live.

I didn't care much for being called stupid and softhearted. But the boyfriend bit I could live with.

I wanted, needed to see her so badly that it woke me up at night.