Avalonia Chronicles Books 1 and 2 by Faarah Oomerbhoy

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Last of the Firedrakesby Faarah Oomerbhoy is a tale about a girl named Aurora. Aurora had been with her adoptive family since she was two years old until their fatal car accident and now she’s living with her adoptive father’s brother and his family. Her aunt is rude and lets Aurora know often that she’s not cared for and her cousin gives her the same treatment. The family visits an estate where Uncle christopher gives Aurora away to a dangerous looking man, named Lord Oblek. Lord Oblek takes her back into the tapestry that he came out of. Aurora is taken to a prison and placed in a pit with other prisoners who are scheduled to be executed the next morning, Kalen and Finn. The two of them are Fae and each has a distinct personality. The Black Wolf, Rafe who is a mage, saves all three from the prison confines. When they arrive at their safe meeting place, Rafe discovers who Aurora truly is as she tells him how she came to be a prisoner. Aurora is the rightful heir to the kingdom that Morgana stole from the king and queen when Aurora was two years old. Aurora needs to stay hidden or Morgana will have her killed just as she killed the king and queen all those years ago. The safest place for Aurora, according to Rafe, is with her granduncle Duke Gabriel Silverthorne. Once she has met the duke and his family, Aurora is sent to attend a magic school, Evolon, to receive magical training. On the way she meets with a thousand-year old Fae that changes Aurora’s appearance so Morgana will not find her. Aurora now goes by Rory and she’s enjoying and learning from her classes but she’s still trying to get used to her plain appearance a little at a time. This book has many similarities to Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings but stands well on its own merits of dynamic characters, increasing plot twists and conflict. The setting is described beautifully and The Last of the Firedrakes is a wonderfully told fantasy worth 5 stars!

The Rise of the Dawnstar by Farah Oomerbhoy was fantastic! Wow, this sequel to the Last of the Firedrakes really packs a punch! Full of action, adventure, intrigue and plot twists, this story continues to pull me further into its world. Love, loss and uncovered secrets built intense relationships and kept my interest. I can’t wait for the next book in the Avalonia Chronicles. 5 stars!

Rowan Wood Legends by Olivia Wildenstein

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Rowan Wood Legends by Olivia Wildenstein, the sequel to Rose Petal Graves, opens with Cat mourning Holly. Holly has passed away and Cat wonders if there was foul play. She discovers what happened to Holly and the reasoning behind her death. Cat seems to be going through a maze while blindfolded when it comes to figuring out who her friends are and who she can truly trust. Kajika, Ace and others are not what they immediately seem to be. The struggles with her identity and where she belongs continue to taunt Cat and she’s still keeping these questions and part of her life from her father. The romantic relationship she finally concedes too is cute and I want to read more! 4 stars for a fantasy with unanswered questions in a supernatural world.

 *Rowan Wood Legends can be read as a standalone but does continue the story from Rose Petal Graves. Rose Petal Graves will be available to anyone who wants to read it first!*

Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne. Finn is attending a camp for overachievers. The campers are divided into two teams and Finn becomes the reluctant leader of her team. Willa is the leader of another team. Several teams are created and given directions and rules to pretend each team and its territory (each team has been given a spot of land with different attributes) are a real part of civilization. The teams compete and combine together if they choose to, and see who creates and sustains their society. The story is about relationships and self-awareness as well as the skills of these select groups of students. It is also a survival adventure and part LGBT, tastefully written. The book is interesting because of the differences of leadership styles and skills and the array of personalities that make up each team. Realistic fiction and a well written young adult story; 4 stars! FYI: There’s a sequel planned for release in Fall of 2017, All the Ways to Here by Emily O’Beirne.

Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know Of) by F.J.R. Titchenell

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know Of) by F.J.R. Titchenell! This is a humorous story about Cassie and her discovery of zombies and how she dealt with this not-so-great turn of events. While she travels across the country with friends, she spends the time pondering how the zombies came to be and observes how each person deals with the tragedy in their own way. Cassie’s personality makes the story funny and lightens the dystopian mood. 4 stars for this action packed fun zombie story!

Birthright by Jessica Ruddick

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review Birthright by Jessica Ruddick! Ava has always seen people’s auras in color and when she turned sixteen, she became a seeker for one of the many Grim Reapers. This is her inheritance. She seeks people with white auras that could become angels and then she tells Xavier (a Grim Reaper) the person’s name and he takes their life. Ava lives with her mother and they move quite often and don’t have much money. Her mother is a seeker also. She meets Cole when he saves her from getting run over by a car. They end up being project partners and have to do internship work together for 80 hours at the mechanic shop where he works. Ava and Cole annoy each other and the annoyance is described perfectly in this statement of Ava thinking about Cole; “He did a good job, worked hard, went the extra mile. God, it pissed me off.”. Funny! Another great line shows how mechanically inclined Ava isn’t, “I couldn’t tell you the first thing about a catalytic converter other than it was metal and shiny. And it probably converted something”. The down to earth sense of humor is great, the chemistry between Ava and Cole is charming and the fact that both of them have less than happy backgrounds makes them perfect for each other. An enjoyable supernatural read, 5 stars and I look forward to the sequel, Retribution!

The Edge of Brilliance by Susan Traugh

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review The Edge of Brilliance by Susan Traugh. Amy suffers from bipolar disorder and she’s worried that taking her prescriptions and attending therapy will make people think she’s crazy. The author’s note is touching and genuine and explains how the story is loosely based on true experiences and she gives hope to anyone struggling with mental illness. The story takes us through Amy’s ups and downs and the statistics after the epilogue are eye-opening. 4 stars for this helpful and informative realistic fiction story!

Rose Petal Graves by Olivia Wildenstein

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Rose Petal Graves by Olivia Wildenstein. Cat returns home from college to a drunk father and her mother’s funeral to prepare for. Her mother was Native American and believed in the magical legends of her ancestors. Part of the legends include fae and fae hunters. As the story is told, Cat learns how much her family roots are tied into the faerie world. She loses people she cares about and gains a relationship with others and she also has to resolve some guilt issues. The mix of good and evil and everything in between kept Cat alert and unsure of who she could put her trust in. I like the story and the fae and fae hunter concept, but I am a bit mad at Cat for turning Blake away when she falls for someone with his memories and similarities. It makes me wonder if Blake’s injuries were the reason for her distance. I rate Rose Petal Graves 4 stars for a mysterious fantasy story with more to tell!

The Last Shadow Gate by Michael W. Garza

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review The Last Shadow Gate by Michael W. Garza! Gavin and Naomi are staying with their great grandmother (Mama Walker) for the summer and they are not sure what to expect. They have heard strange tales of shadow gates from Mama Walker. Their great grandfather has been missing for years and Gavin and Naomi search the woods where he disappeared. They end up in another world and the creatures that reside their know of Papa Walker, their great grandfather. Tiberius, half spider/half human, helps them search for Sir Walker, as he is known in this world. The siblings are told that just trying to return home is not a worthy quest. They are told to bring freedom to the world they are now in and to restore Alandra’s rightful heir because that is a worthy quest and Sir Walker’s dream. They make friends in unlikely places and see strange creatures on their journey. There is so much more to come of this story and I am looking forward to it! 4 stars for this fantastical adventure!

The Carnival Keepers by Amber Gulley

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review The Carnival Keepers by Amber Gulley! The cover is beautiful and the synopsis sounds interesting. James starts off the story in the prologue as the main character. Violence ensues, creatures come out, characters are not what they seem and more and different characters take over the story. I was confused about the plot of the story and I felt like it kind of jumped around and I did not have any concern for the characters and I didn’t feel invested in the story at all. The writing is good, but not my kind of story; 3 stars.

 

Weariland by Mary Shotwell

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review Weariland by Mary Shotwell! This fairy tale retelling of Alice in Wonderland kept me riveted. The suspense, danger, mystery and riddles pulled me in so strongly that I wanted to read the book in one sitting. Lason (like Jason with an L) is a descendant of the first Alice that fell into Wonderland (now called Weariland because of the dreariness) many generations ago. The author’s creative imagination changed Wonderland in many ways that I could have never dreamed of, such as the changing of the execution style. Instead of “off with their heads”, the Queen devised a horrible simple machine to take the prisoners feet off. We get to see more of the White Rabbit’s home and family and there is deception from the past in Lason’s family. Her grandmother disappears and Lason dives right into Weariland to solve the mystery and has to figure out everything on her own. I’m glad that Lason’s mother became stronger for her daughter as the story progressed. I grew to care for her as much as I cared for Lason. The danger and suspense kept me hooked – 4 stars!