Showing posts with label 4.5 hearts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4.5 hearts. Show all posts

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Review: Water (Elements of Power #2) by Heather James


Fantasy

Get the book here: Amazon Smashwords
Interested? Check it out on Goodreads!


Blurb:


Water pooled around my feet, rising at an alarming rate. I stared - panicked - at the palms of my hands, willing the water gushing out of them to stop as miraculously as it had begun.

I only sneezed!

Jasmine is struggling to control her new powers, causing floods and fires with an accidental flick of her wrist. In a desperate attempt to master at least one aspect of them, she travels to the Brizan Realm, where she comes closer to discovering the truth about her parents than ever before. But not everyone wants their secrets revealed.

Alone, powerless and, for the first time in her life, afraid, Roxy has only one thought occupying her mind: escaping Cinaer's clutches before it's too late. Her flight will take her across the ocean, but not in the direction she is expecting. Before she can try and get back to Brae, she needs to rescue herself.

Despite being on opposite sides of the world, the girls soon find themselves closer than ever.




My thoughts:

**This book was given to me by the author for a "Read-to-Review".
This hasn't affected my review in any way.**

Second book of the Elements of power series.
Water cannot be read as a standalone. 
If you haven't read Fire, I wrote a spoiler-free review here.

The following paragraphs will contain minor spoilers.

Water was too short for my liking. Not only because of the number of pages, but also because I really got into the story.
Similar to the first book, Water was narrated by Jasmine and Roxy. Only this time, the story was more focused on Jasmine, which I didn't mind at all, since I like her better than Roxy.
I learned a lot about the other Realms. Namely the Brizan and Sephan Realm. Who knew the Sephans would be so peaceful yet angsty competitive at the same time?

Interesting characters were introduced. They made me wonder who are to be trusted and who are not. Especially Tristan, who is shady as heck.
With new characters comes new love interests! I personally ship Roxy with Tristan. But the question is who will Brae choose?
With everything happening, uncertainty is evident.
All I know is that there's a storm named Jasmine brewing and it's gonna be good! Anticipating the third book! :)

Rating: 4.5/5 hearts




About the Author


Heather James is a young-adult author who writes about heroines with amazing powers, heroes who will break your heart and fantasy realms that you will want to move to. 

She works as a librarian in a school and spends her school holidays writing, reading, playing flag-American football and baking.


You can find out more about Heather here:

Blogspot       Goodreads       Facebook
Twitter        Pinterest         Smashwords


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Review: Midnight Star by Danielle Ward

Fantasy, Romance & Mythology

Get the book here: Amazon Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
Check it out on Goodreads!

Blurb:

Vegas Hart is walking a thin line between fact and fiction, only she doesn't know it yet. A star-gazing freak, musician and songwriter, a typical day in Vegas' life revolves around her music, her perfect boyfriend, Gage and trying hard not to take her mother's lack of parenting skills personally. But when a sexy professor subs for her astronomy class, the facts of Vegas' life turn into a twisted work of fiction, as sultry visions of him and her lead her to uncover she's not who she thought she was...not even close.

Vegas is forced to embrace her hidden identity as the physical embodiment of the Vega star, an immortal constellation and granddaughter of the gods. And although that would have been spectacular, especially considering that totally explained why she'd always felt spiritually connected to the stars, she discovers her destiny is to imprison a sinister predator threatening the immortal family she never knew existed.


If that isn't enough, add in an undying and passionate past love that threatens her current relationship, a serious bout with memory loss, three wicked sisters spinning a future Vegas yearns to change, and a moody Oracle and you've got a twisted romantic tale of epic proportions. In order to save her family, Vegas must accept her divinity and make gut-wrenching sacrifices that leave her questioning everything she's ever known.




My thoughts (spoiler-free):

This book was given to me by the author for a "Read-to-Review".
This hasn't affected my review in any way. 

Mythology is one of my favorite things in the world. Not that big into constellations though.
But this book made me want to know more about constellations and galaxies.

Oh yeah, this book has a Love Triangle. DUN DUN DUN!

Now, now. Before you get discouraged, hear me out first.
Up until this book, I thought ALL love triangles were unnecessary. That it was just to make the MC (Main Character) suffer. But Midnight Star proved me wrong. This book actually needed the love triangle to make the whole thing work.
Unbelievable, right? 
Read it to believe it. haha! :P

I loved Vegas as a character. She was always so determined and strong-willed despite the struggles, not to mention the freaking memory loss she experienced.
I mentioned that there was a love triangle, right? And what "team" am I? 
I'm rooting for Leo, although I really liked Gage. Yes, Vegas will be loved either way. The problem is, she can't choose. And I quote "I cannot choose between my soul and my heart."
What will you do if you were to choose between two perfect- and I mean really perfect- guys?
I honestly don't know either. I am quite fickle, unfortunately.

The writing was poetic and structured. Danielle Ward did an awesome job integrating humor, fantasy, drama and romance into one book.

Rating: 4.5/5 hearts





About the Author


Danielle is a National Board Certified teacher who does what she loves. She reads obsessively, writes constantly, and hangs out with teenagers to get great ideas for her books (under the guise of being their English teacher). She has a degree in English and Technical Writing and a Masters in Teaching, but all she ever really wanted to be was a writer…and maybe the person who gets to create cool names for Cabbage Patch Kids. She lives in Kentucky with her husband, two sons, two leopard geckos, six beagles, one cat, one corn snake, and a mouse that recently escaped its cage!

You can find out more about Danielle here:

Her Website      Goodreads      
Twitter             Smashwords


Saturday, March 22, 2014

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill


Mystery, Romance & Sci-fi

Get the book here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blurb:

What would you change?

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain. Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present— imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 
Marina has loved her best friend, James, since they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it... at least, not as the girl she once was. 
Em and Marina are in a race against time that only one of them can win. 

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

My Thoughts (spoiler-free):


The story is told by alternating perspectives of Em and Marina.
It is fast-paced, but it took me awhile to take in all the details.

What I loved about this book:
  • The emotion seeping through the pages, especially Em's. I got so attached to Em.
  • This book really makes you think, not just because it's sci-fi. 

I was about a quarter in when I started to understand what was happening.
I'm the kind of reader who tries to figure out the plot twists, I end up overhypothesizing.
So, everytime I read mystery books, I get so suspicious over everything.

I can imagine Cristin Terrill just laughing at my reactions.

My Theme song: Mirror by Kat Dahlia

Rating: 4.5/5 hearts