Tag Archives: Teen

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron – a Review

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Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron – a Review

 

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Description:
Magic has a price—if you’re willing to pay.

Born into a family of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah yearns for magic of her own. But each year she fails to call forth her ancestral powers, while her ambitious mother watches with growing disapproval.

There’s only one thing Arrah hasn’t tried, a deadly last resort: trading years of her own life for scraps of magic. Until the Kingdom’s children begin to disappear, and Arrah is desperate to find the culprit.

She uncovers something worse. The long-imprisoned Demon King is stirring. And if he rises, his hunger for souls will bring the world to its knees… unless Arrah pays the price for the magic to stop him

 

 

Review:

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron is her debut novel and the 1st book in her YA fantasy Kingdom of Souls series.  We meet our heroine, Arrah from the start, who comes from a family of powerful witchdoctors in Central Africa.  Arrah has prayed all her young life for some kind magic ability, which all the rest of her family has; once again, as she is tested with other children, she has no magic. 

Soon Arrah learns that many of the young children in her city have disappeared, and to her dismay she suspects her mother, the Priestess, of having something to do with it. Arrah is desperate to find out the truth, and begins to learn about the demons and other species at war with each other; and the plan to help the Demon King, who has been imprisoned for many years, escape and wreak havoc on the world again.

Arrah’s mother arranges to have a demon impregnate her, a sister will be born, who ages quickly to be the same age as Arrah.  This is fantasy ?   The sister, Efia becomes ultra powerful, and in time very evil, destroying everything she touches.  

Arrah, who is a very good heroine, will soon realize that she is destined to save everyone, and is willing to sacrifice her life to do so.   Arrah and her friends, especially Rudjek, her love interest and the son of the leader, will eventually help her fight the evil, but will they survive?

I did have mixed feelings about all the details that did drag the book a bit, but that happens a lot in first books of fantasy series.  I am hoping that Barron continues the flow with less details in the future books. To say too much more about the story would be spoilers, and the last half of the books picks up dramatically, and I do not want to ruin it for you.

Arrah turned into a very strong and tenacious heroine, and I really liked Rudjek and their friends.  It was nice to see how much Arrah loved her father, and watched him come under the power of her mother, but it is Efia who will need to be stopped or the world as they know it will end. Kingdom of Souls was a tense, at times dark story, with much death and destruction.  There were many battles, as well as POV’s from the gods.   Rena Barron wrote a very imaginative and dark story (less details please), especially being her debut novel. I look forward to seeing where Barron will take us in the next book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Onyx & Ivory by MIndee Arnett – a Review

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Onyx & Ivory by MIndee Arnett – a Review

 

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Description:
They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.

The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime

 

 

Review:

Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett is a fantasy duology.  We meet our heroine, Kate Brighton, who is a Relay Rider, for the imperial courier service.  Three Years ago, Kate was considered part of royalty, as her father was the right hand man for the High King of Rime.  When her father was killed because he tried to assassinate his king, Kate became an outcast, with nicknamed Traitor Kate, because she refused to accept that her father was a traitor.   Kate is one of the best relay riders, and when we meet her, she is pushing her horse to the brink in order to make it back before nightfall, when the barrier walls go down.  No one wants to be out in the open at night, as the monster Nightdrakes kill anyone they find.   We also get to meet Kate’s best friends, Bonner, a blacksmith who has developed revolvers; and Signe, her bff, who  also helps Bonner, by creating the gunpowder needed.  Signe was very outgoing, fun, sassy and good friend to Kate.  These two know that Kate harbors a secret that can never be revealed.  She is “Wilder”, those with magical powers, who are looked upon as a danger to the kingdom; all those suspected of being a wilder, are captured by the Inquisition and put to death. 

On one of her relays, Kate overhears a battle ongoing, and rushes to help; only to find a new species attacking the prince of Rime and his soldiers.   Daydrakes are new, and Kate using her revolver manages to kill many of them, and saving the prince.   Corwin Tormane, our hero, and Kate’s former boyfriend from her royal days, is surprised to see Kate.  She has never forgiven him for allowing them kill her father, instead of sending him out in exile.   But both still find themselves with the old feelings, which will be the start of a slow built rekindle of a romance.

Corwin, travels with his best friend and right hand man, Dal and the prince’s soldiers.  They ask Kate for her help in discovering more about these new revolvers, in order to help them fight off the Nightdrakes and these new Daydrakes (sort of dragons who cannot fly).   She reluctantly introduces them to Bonner and Signe, and soon all three will accompany Corwin and company back to Rime, where she hasn’t been in three years.

Upon his arrival home, Corwin and his older brother Edwin will be forced to undergo trials, to determine who will be crowned King.  It was interesting to see all the illusions and dangers both brothers have to face to survive.

What follows is an exciting adventure, where Kate will return to the Kingdom where she grew up, and try to find the truth about her father.  What she will find are some surprises about him, and learn more about The Rising, which is a rebellion of “wilders” in hiding, who want to come out and live normal lives, not in fear of being put to death, because they were born with certain powers.  Most wilders do not use their magical powers to hurt anyone, unless in defense of their lives.  Kate can sway animals, Bonner uses his magic to help make the revolvers, and some have elemental magic.   But the powers that be in Rime, including Edwin, and the governing monarchs fear and hate wilders and plan to eliminate them all. 

Kate, Bonner, Signe will find themselves in danger, when a surprise powerful enemy in Rime’s government kidnaps them to use their powers.  Corwin, Kate, Dal wil have to fight to save themselves, as well as the Rime kingdom who will not listen to reason, and tries to kill them.  This leads to an ultra exciting climax that will lead into the next book of this duology.   There were a number of surprises and twists along the way that made this story even better.  Kate was a fantastic heroine, and I loved her and Corwin together, hoping they will continue to rekindle their love for each other.  The secondary characters were great, from Dal, Signe, Bonner, and even some of the villains were very well done.  Mindee Arnett has done an excellent job with the world building, and I for one cannot wait for the next book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Final Six by Alexandra Monir – Review & Giveway

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The Final Six by Alexandra Monir – Review & Giveway

 

 

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Description:
When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet. Intense training, global scrutiny, and cutthroat opponents are only a few of the hurdles the contestants must endure in this competition.

For Leo, the prospect of traveling to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—to help resettle humankind is just the sense of purpose he’s been yearning for since losing his entire family in the flooding of Rome. Naomi, after learning of a similar space mission that mysteriously failed, suspects the ISTC isn’t being up front with them about what’s at risk.

As the race to the final six advances, the tests get more challenging—even deadly. With pressure mounting, Naomi finds an unexpected friend in Leo, and the two grow closer with each mind-boggling experience they encounter. But it’s only when the finalists become fewer and their destinies grow nearer that the two can fathom the full weight of everything at stake: the world, the stars, and their lives.

 

 

Review:

The Final Six by Alexandra Monir, which is the first book in an unnamed YA SciFi/Dystopian series/trilogy. Having read Monir before, she writes YA very well, and I looked forward the reading this new one.  I am happy to say I loved The Final Six, and will wait impatiently for the next book.

In The Final Six, Earth is going through terrible climate change with the sea rising (tsunami’s) to dangerous and death defying heights.  The world as we know it is slowly dying, with cities throughout the world going under water,  and with little hope of survival.  The International Space Committee has devised a desperation plan to send the most talented 16-18 years old young adults to Europa (Jupiter planet) to find a new habitual planet to send survivors to live before Earth is totally destroyed.  The plan is to quickly send 24 of the chosen ones to America’s Space center to quickly train them, and then pick the final six to go to Europa.

Right from the start, we meet Leo (a champion swimmer), who lives in Rome, and watched his whole family drown in the devastation that flooded his city.  Leo is despondent, and just about ready to kill himself, when he sees the announcement of the 24 chosen ones is about to be revealed.  He decides to go watch, hoping someone he knows will become part of this.  To his shock, his name is called and he is thrilled to be one of those to help find a solution to the world’s troubles.

Naomi Ardalan, is an American Science genius, who is also one of the chosen 24.  Naomi is the opposite of Leo, she is very unhappy to have been chosen, as she does not want to leave her family, especially her younger brother, whom she helps take care of.  

Naomi and Leo will become friends, and eventually find themselves falling for each other.  This is not really a romance at this point, but it has started and they become even closer nearer to the end.  They both will work together, as Naomi suspects that something is not right, and she uses her hacking ability and other skills to delve into the truth.  Leo wants to protect and help Naomi, but he is also determined to be one of the final six.  There are a number of twists and turns, especially as we get closer to the end.

What follows is an in-depth look at the overall competition, as all participants have to go through so many mind boggling situations to train them on space travel and surviving on a foreign planet.  I loved everything about the complex completion, even if I am not really a Sci Fi buff.  Leo and Naomi were great heroes, and I did like a number of the other secondary characters. Of course, there are a couple of villains that we know to watch out for.  Will Leo and Naomi be part of the final six?  Will Naomi be able to find out the truth behind this mission?

The Final Six was a wonderful story line that kept our attention throughout.  I am amazed at the writing by Monir, especially with all the sci fi details.  I will not give spoilers, as you need to read this to enjoy everything.  But I will say there are some amazing surprises at the end, and of course, the dreaded cliffhanger.  I hate cliffhangers, but I will be there when Monir gives us the next book. If you enjoy YA dystopian, Sci Fi, competition,  great characters, mystery, and at little romance, I suggest to read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by publicist

 


Alexandra Monir is the Iranian-American author of the upcoming YA sci-fi novel The Final Six, the best-selling time-travel romance Timeless, and three other young adult novels. She is also a professional recording artist and composer. Alexandra lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and newborn son, where she is at work on her next novel. To learn more about Alexandra, visit her online at www.alexandramonir.com.

LINKS: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

 

 

 

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My Bad Boy Summer by Ann Herrick – a Review

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My Bad Boy Summer by Ann Herrick – a Review

 

My Bad Boy SummerAmazon

Description:
Will Nolan give up his bad-boy ways for Vija?

17-year-old Vija Skalbe wants to be an all-American girl—no matter how hard her parents try to impose their strict Latvian standards on her. She feels unsure of herself with one foot in each country.

Then Nolan, a folksinger, steals her heart at a coffeehouse. When Nolan stops at their table, it’s Vija’s friend, Caprice, who does all the talking. But it is Vija who gets his phone number—and later the back seat of his motorcycle. Soon she is cruising from one adventure to another, dizzy with joy, her new-found freedom and the excitement of being with the kind of guy who is a challenge.

However, when her father has a heart attack, Vija must take over running the family lawn-care business. She feels overwhelmed until sweet brainiac Joel volunteers to help. He shares the workload and lifts her spirits with his humor. But it is Nolan who fills her heart.

It doesn’t matter that Nolan wants everything his way. Or that he’s constantly eyeing other girls. Or that he can be pouty and punitive. Or that he says she’s seeing things all wrong. Until it does matter. But Vija’s in so deep. Will he change? Will she deal with Nolan’s controlling tactics, or is she too far under his spell?

Review:

My Bad Boy Summer by Ann Herrick follows teenager Vija Skalbe through her first true romance.  The year is 1959 and school has just ended for the summer.  Vija emigrated from Latvia to the United States when she was eleven.  Now seventeen – all she really wants is to have a typical American teenage summer.  Her first Friday night of summer vacation and she finds herself at The Exit – a local coffee shop that features music on Friday nights.  Vija’s best friend Caprice has brought her here for a night out of fun and possibly meeting guys.  And even though Vija knows her strict parents wouldn’t be happy that this is where she has found herself on a Friday night – she resigns herself to enjoy the night.  That’s when she meets local folksinger – Nolan Shar.  And while Caprice has her eyes set on bad boy Nolan – he seems to take an interest in Vija, much to Caprice’s chagrin.  Nolan gives Vija his phone number telling her to call if she feels like talking.  And what begins after is a whirlwind summer romance, fraught with lies, complexities, and teen angst.  Vija has exactly what she has wanted, a boyfriend to spend time with.  But as time goes on – she begins to contemplate why it is that she hasn’t told her family about him?  And what will happen when she does? 

I fell for Vija from the first page. She was relatable with real life issues.  Her parents are strict and exactly as I would picture parents being in 1959. She is complex, hard working, and not one to disappoint her parents.  She doesn’t refuse to babysit for a family friend, even though she wants to.  She doesn’t say no to helping her father with his yard-care business, although she would much rather be at the beach.  She is a dutiful daughter and not afraid of hard work.  But when Nolan comes along she begins to tell lies.  Lies to where she was, who she was with and what she was doing.  She knows, although she doesn’t quite admit it until later on – that her parents will not approve of Nolan Shar.  And with just reason.

I knew I was not going to like Nolan from their first phone conversation.  And it quickly went down hill from there.  His attitude towards Vija was ridiculous.  And while she was pining for her first love (we have all been there) he was treating her horrendously.  His criticism of her every time they were together – grated on me and infuriated me. And his constant dismissing of her feelings truly angered me.   I wanted to like him – I wanted to turn a page and have him have some redeeming quality that proved he deserved Vija.  But it never happened.   And although I know it was her first love and she was deeply immersed – I wanted her to see what a total ass this guy was. Because I get it – he was the quintessential bad boy – he lived by his own rules and no one tells him what to do.  She found it appealing – at some point we all have.  But I could not bring myself to like him – not one bit.  BUT, it was refreshing to see a real life, true to realism relationship.  With all that goes along with getting to know a significant other and what you are willing to change about yourself for another person.

Then “Joel the Genius” saunters onto the scene.  And I knew the moment I met him, that he was the one.  He is the one to show Vija how she is supposed to be treated.  He is the one that will show her the respect she deserves.  And although they have been friends for quite some time – eventually she would get past the fact that he was the smart kid she called for math help.  She would eventually see him for what he truly is and the man he is becoming.  And the more time she spent with Joel the less time I wanted to read about Nolan.  And Vija found that to be true too.  The more time she spent with Noel the less she thought about Nolan.  Will she be able to walk away from Nolan and find happiness with Joel?

I wanted Vija to be happy, I wanted her to have everything that she deserves. And as the story unfolds you realize that just like with everything – no one can tell you who to care about or who to fall in love with.  Each person has to walk that discovery on their own.  And Vija does just that.  This is her story to discovering who she is and what she wants, and if she is willing to sacrifice her beliefs or not.  

The story is thought provoking and should be a must read for all teenage girls.  We have all put up with things in relationships that we shouldn’t have and for way too long.  But she is young and first love is the hardest.  And even though the years are far apart (1959 vs. today) the story still holds true,  that even though the package is nice and pretty on the outside and quite tempting  – what’s inside isn’t always what its cracked up to be.

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Author

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Time Lock by Micah Caida – Review & Giveaway

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Time Lock by Micah Caida – Review & Giveaway

 

Time Lock Banner

Time Lock
Red Moon Trilogy – book #3
by Micah Caida
Release Date: June 2, 2014
Author Website: http://www.micahcaida.com

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Description:
His duty. Her destiny. Their last hope.

Every minute counts – literally – as Rayen races against time and impossible odds to deliver a one-of-a-kind computer to the Sphere. Failure means Callan’s death at the hands of his TecKnati enemies. The problems don’t stop there. Rayen, Tony and Gabby’s battle to save their MystiK friends triggers a collision course of two worlds 166 years apart.

Countdown begins now for when the Red Moon sets for the last time

 

Review:
Time Lock by Micah Caida is the 3rd and final book in the Red Moon series. This is considered Teen/YA, but it is a very well written and exciting story for all. The Red Moon series is a mixed genre between Fantasy & Sci Fi, with a little bit of everything from exciting adventure, time travel, sort of dystopian, powerful beings and creatures, and a beautiful romance.

Time Lock picks up immediately after the 2nd book left off. Rayen, Gabby and Tony are back to their time. Rayen has been taken off the Institute premises; Tony is falsely accused and locked up in a room, and Gabby, is trying desperately to control her powers before someone sees her floating in the air. This is just the beginning, but with the help of a friend, Rayen escapes and with Gabby’s help, they free Tony to use that special computer, which takes them back to the future and the Sphere.

Time is of essence, as Callan’s life is in danger, with only hours to save him. The enemy wants the computer that allows them to pass through time. Of course, they don’t know that without Rayen, that computer will not work. This is a difficult review to write, as I do not want to give any spoilers, and if you have not read the first two books, this could also be very confusing. You can read my review on the first two books for a refresher (Time Trap/Time Return), or you can buy the books and read them for yourself. Which I suggest you do.

What follows is a wildly exciting story with Rayen, Gabby, Tony joining hands with Callan, Kaz, Jaxxson, Kenjia, V’ru in a fight to the finish to save them all. They must go against a villain who will stop at nothing to destroy them. There is also traitor among them, who feeds the enemy information that stops their attempts.

With all this non-stop action ongoing, there is such a sweet and beautiful romance between Callan and Rayen. It was beautifully done, as we wanted them together, despite all the obstacles facing them, including Callan’s sure death on his 18th birthday. Can Rayen save him? Will Rayen recover her memories, and find out who and what she really is? Is there any chance that Rayen and Callan can be together? Will Gabby find a way to stay with Jaxxson? All this and so much more will be answered at the end of the book. You really need to read this book.

This was a wonderful story set in a complex, dangerous world that was very exciting, and through ¾ of this book it was an enthralling race to a wild and climatic finish. Micah Caida has created an imaginative world that is complex and detailed, but the amazing thing is that it is explained so well; and all the pieces were so nicely put together at the end.  Caida has created such wonderful characters, even though they are teens, they were tough and mature; we couldn’t help root for them. Micah Caida has written a wonderful series in Red Moon, that ends with Time Lock. If you want a wildly exciting story in a futuristic and complex world, I suggest you give this series a try.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author



Giveaway beigeMicah Caida is graciously offering e-copies of all three books in her RED MOON series (Time Trap/Time Return/Time Lock) to one (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

 1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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7. The giveaway runs from July 1 to July 5, 2014

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