Tag Archives: YA

REDEMPTION (Hearts of Stone #1) by Veronique Launier

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REDEMPTION (Hearts of Stone #1) by Veronique Launier

REDEMPTION (Hearts of Stone #1) by Veronique Launier

BLURB: Guillaume: For five hundred years I’ve existed as a gargoyle. Perched atop an old Montreal church, I’ve watched idly as humanity wanders by. With the witch Marguerite gone, there is no one left to protect, nothing to care about. I never planned to feel again. But then a girl released me from my stone restraints, allowing me to return as a seventeen-year-old human boy. I must find out all I can about this girl’s power . . .

REDEMPTION is the first storyline (September 8, 2012 release) in Veronique Launier’s new YA Hearts of Stone series-Four gargoyles whose life essences have been frozen for 500 years in stone only to be released from their prisons by a young woman with power that even she is not aware. Aude Vanier is a 16year old girl still in high school hoping to make it big with her band the Lucid Pill and while her friends Patrick and Lucy continue to brush her off, Aude soon realizes that something is different than it was the night before. Danger seems to follow Aude wherever she goes. The world is changing and Aude is at the center of it all.

Escape was her only option as Aude Vanier found herself on the run, in the streets of Montreal from a group of strangers she never knew. And the beautiful and haunting Native drums and chanting only intensified her need to escape. And the mysterious voices in her head led her to believe she had been hallucinating the entire event. But a second attack in less than two days has her senses on alert when she is told that she can force the prophecy-The Prophecy of the Seventh Generation.

Guillaume De Rouen and his ‘brothers’ (Garnier, Vincent and Antoine) were free but Guillaume’s curiosity meant he needed to find the young girl as soon as possible and Antoine’s concern meant shelter and money. Their recent release following 70 years of captivity was fraught with anxiety and stress, which lent to personal attacks and mistrust. With no one to protect-no witch to guard-their lives were without purpose and power. To survive in the present they would need to find an Essentialist to help replenish their essence but not knowing where to look would put the friends in a fight for survival.

Guillaume’s quest to learn more about Aude will figure prominently throughout the story. Her power and ability to chant and call the drums is something that concerns them both. But Aude’s visit to a Native Shaman would reveal more to Guillaume then he could ever had imagined-A connection to the past- a connection to the witch. But when a sudden gig for Lucid Pill is next on the horizon for Aude, Guillaume is sure that it is one of the many omens and warnings that are currently following Aude. An ancient Gargoyle is looking for Aude and Aude will soon discover that she is not quite human.

Following the revelation about her familiar roots, Aude continues to encounter varying ominous warnings. But when Guillaume finds Aude beaten and near death, he blames himself for not protecting the young woman with whom he has fallen in love. And Aude believes that his love has been misplaced for another. Aude needs the Gargoyle’s protection as much as they need her to survive. Only Aude will find herself the unwilling sacrifice that heralds the prophecy’s foretelling and one of their friends will die.

Throughout the novel there is told a story-a history of the DeRouen family- of Alice and Mary, of Marguerite and the love that she shared with Garnier and Guillaume 70 years before. Of the curse and the essence and the gargoyles of stone, and how they had come to be over 800 years ago. The history of the witch and the gargoyle and their symbiotic relationship is the premise of the storyline told.

REDEMPTION is an interesting novel. As the first storyline in the Hearts of Stone series the copious amount of background information is almost overwhelming. A family of gargoyles hoping to find their familiars is interwoven with native lore and fables. The relationship between Aude and Guillaume starts out of necessity for one, but by the end of the book, there is love for both. And Aude’s link to the gargoyles will be as close as blood when a familial connection is revealed.

Copy supplied by Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE GRAVE ARTIST by Paula Lynn Johnson-a review

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THE GRAVE ARTIST by Paula Lynn Johnson-a review

THE GRAVE ARTIST (YA) by Paula Lynn Johnson

 

THE GRAVE ARTIST is the March 2012 release by author Paula Lynn Johnson. A detour from the ordinary YA paranormal storylines, The Grave Artist tells the tale of junior high student Clare Davis and her obsession with drawing Death Skull images. But she soon realizes that her compulsion to draw the skulls is out of her control.

 

Clare Davis is the child of divorce and is unhappy that she and her mother are no longer able to live like they once lived.   Following the split of her parents and a near death experience at a party, Clare is forced into counseling when the Death Skull images that she continues to draw (she has named Sammies) become too macabre for her mother to understand-even Clare does not know from where the compulsion originates. But a visit to an old cemetery will reveal more to Clare than her own hand-drawn images.

 

Neil aka Gollum is Clare’s BFF. A fellow art student, Neil’s interest in Clare extends beyond their similar interests.  When Clare’s images begin to interfere with her sleep and her daily routine, the local historical society may hold some answers to the names and faces that begin to haunt. Soon Neil becomes her support and her rock, and guides Clare through her daily excursions hunting for the truth.  But once things become dangerous, Neil wants Clare to pull back from her search.  Clare knows that the only way to stop the compulsions is to get to the bottom of the mystery. 

 

The local historian reveals that the founding family, the Forsythe’s, had a wide and rather colorful history.  But as Neil and Clare begin to search the local archives, they learn that many of Clare’s images are quite possibly a communication from beyond the grave. Dates, names, faces and facts begin to coincide and match many of Clare’s drawings and dreams.  But it will take another near death experience to set Neil and Clare on a path to discovering the truth about what happened over 200 years ago.

 

THE GRAVE ARTIST is a fantastic new novel from author Paula Lynn Johnson. The storyline line is fast paced and interesting with some historical references to religious artifacts and symbols.  The heroine is a typical teenager dealing with some of the same issues as many of today’s teens, including divorce and denial. But the author has intertwined the anxieties of a young teen growing up with the paranormal anomalies of what can only be called a haunting.  The Grave Artist is a wonderful novel.

LINK TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE LOST SOUL (Fallen Souls #1) by Jessica Sorensen-a review

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THE LOST SOUL (Fallen Souls #1) by Jessica Sorensen-a review

THE LOST SOUL (Fallen Souls #1) by Jessica Sorensen

THE LOST SOUL is the first book (June 27, 2012 release)  in Jessica Sorensen’s Fallen Souls series-a spin off from her popular Fallen Star series. Like the Fallen Star series, The Lost Soul features many of the characters from the original series including Gemma Lucas, Alex, Aislin, Laylen and Nicholas. The requisite dark side returns, when the Queen of the Underworld continues to push the boundaries, needing homes for her lost souls. Fey, witches, vampires and demons all vie for the upper hand in a power struggle between good and evil. The action is fast paced and draws the reader immediately into the storyline.

Gemma Lucas is almost 18years old, a Keeper, a Foreseer and in love with Alex. Once she held the power of a star, she is now on a mission to free her father from the Room of the Forbidden. But Gemma’s visions and dreams have once again become life-like and the premonitions and warnings are too strong to ignore, especially when the Queen of the Underworld crosses over onto their plane of existence. Only in this vision, Alex disappears and Gemma is unable to find out where he has gone.

Alex knows that Gemma’s dreams and nightmares have become more frequent, with warnings of blood, death and possession. Since her father has been sentenced to the Room of the Forbidden for breaking the rules, Gemma’s only thoughts have been to find a way to free her father, but breaking the rules could place Gemma in the same predicament as her father. It is only when Alex disappears does Gemma realize that perhaps her one sided endeavor is risking more lives than just her own. And Alex’s rescue and return is not the happily-ever-after of fairy tales and romance. Something about Alex has changed.

The three queens-Essence, Afterlife and Underworld continue their sibling rivalry, but Alex and Gemma become pawns in a fight that will see jealousy and hatred eat away until one sister has total control and the man that she has always wanted. And the man has connections to someone close to Gemma and her friends. As Helena’s powers increase, Gemma’s human frailty becomes more evident with every situation that she pursues.

As a witch, Aislin continues to find a way to increase her powers, but sometimes her magic backfires and when this happens, Gemma and the others will find themselves facing a portal into another realm, where nightmares really do come true. Trapped with no way of escape, the duo will get help from an unlikely hero, who has eyes only for Gemma. But Nicholas is not willing to help out of the goodness of his heart.

Nicholas continues his pursuit of Gemma, even though Gemma is clearly in love with Alex. But Nicholas’s attempts to both shield and protect, are masked by the double speak where only he knows the truth about the 3 queens and their war. Betrayal and lies follow Gemma, but it is the revelation about Alex’s family and their connection to the Queen, that will have Gemma trapped with no way of escape. And in the end, two souls will find a way to reunite, and Alex and Gemma will have no control over the outcome when Laylen becomes an integral part of the war.

THE LOST SOUL is the continuing story of Gemma Lucas and her fight to discover who and what she is. Eliminating the Death Walkers and fighting the fey in The Fallen Star series had previously given Gemma a purpose, but discovering some unknown facts about her family, may prove to be a bigger obstacle than her missing powers. And when the Queen of the Underworld releases the lost souls, no one is safe, not even a friend or someone you love.

Jessica Sorensen writes a wonderful and fascinating storyline that is sure to please, especially for the fans of her Fallen Star series. To be honest, I would suggest reading her Fallen Star series, where many of The Lost Soul characters grow and develop their own personalities and storylines. If you are new to Jessica Sorensen there will be plenty of background information missing in The Lost Soul-information that can only be found in The Fallen Star series.

LINKS TO PURCHASE
The Book Depository
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook and Paper Books

Copy supplied by publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE FALLEN STAR by Jessica Sorensen-a review

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THE FALLEN STAR by Jessica Sorensen -a review

THE FALLEN STAR (Fallen Star Series #1) by Jessica Sorensen

THE FALLEN STAR is the first book in Jessica Sorensen’s Fallen Star series where we are first introduced to a fantasy world of vampires, faeries, witches, Keepers and Forseers. As any introductory storyline goes, The Fallen Star is packed with plenty of background information and the beginnings of character development. With so many featured characters, their growth wasn’t possible in a novel that only covered a few weeks in the life.

Gemma Lucas is a 17 year old girl, morbidly withdrawn, desolate and without any emotions. But over the course of a few months, she begins to ‘feel’. The nightmares and visions are increasing, and her normally withdrawn grandparents are purposely pushing her emotions down. But the sensation of being watched and the spark of electricity she encounters whenever she is in the presence of the new boy at school will eventually send shock waves through her system, as the stirrings of long buried feelings rise to the surface. Only these emotions were buried for a reason.

Alex is on a mission. Sent by his father to ‘protect’ Gemma, Alex must keep secret everything he knows about Gemma’s history, but life has a funny way of throwing curveballs, especially when Gemma begins to ask questions of everyone she has encountered since meeting Alex and his sister Aislin. With the realization that Gemma is something other than a depressed teenager, the young woman discovers there are ‘others’ who wish to do her harm. But finding out that you are possibly the salvation that could secure the portal to another realm, Gemma was not impressed with her new-found status.

Kept in the dark for close to 14 years, Gemma learns that being a Keeper of Life comes with more responsibilities than just a funky tattoo and weird violet eyes. Stalked by Death Walkers and Water Faeries, co-existing with Keepers and Forseers, Gemma is never sure where she belongs. But the constant threat of death from an unknown enemy will put everyone on alert including Alex and his small family of Keepers.

Alex and Gemma’s relationship is rocky at best. Although there are definite sparks, Alex’s demeanor towards Gemma is rife with disgust, sorrow and guilt. His constant need to protect Gemma reflects back to Gemma as betrayal, lies and mistrust, but Gemma will find an ally in Leylan-a former Keeper who is now a vampire. Leylan refuses to keep Gemma’s past hidden but it will be Alex who must pay the ultimate price for protecting Gemma, even from his own family. The requisite bad-guy was obvious to me, but the cliff hanger will have some far reaching consequences in a relationship that should have been ‘Foreseen’ from the start.

THE FALLEN STAR is an interesting storyline. To be honest, except for Gemma’s violet eyes, we are not privy to the heroine’s physical features. This was a bit disconcerting, especially when a reader requires clarity to use their imagination but saying that Jessica continues to build up her worlds with each succeeding story.

As a reader of many different books and series, I would strongly recommend reading The Fallen Star series in order. The character development is slow but is brought about with each additional storyline and novel in the series. Jessica has a new spin-off series-The Fallen Soul series- that includes many if not most of the characters from The Fallen Star series. If you are a fan of YA storylines, you will enjoy The Fallen Star. An interesting look at the supernatural side of life, where Faeries and Witches, Vampires and Demons are only the beginning.

Reviewed by Sandy

LINKS TO ORDER:

Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
KOBO
B&N Nook and Paper Books
The Book Depository

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THE LOST HEIR by E.G. Foley- a review

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The Lost Heir (The Gryphon Chronicles #1)  by E.G. Foley -a review

Today we offer another novel in our middle-grade series of reviews for the young and the young -at -heart to help take away the summer boredom.

THE LOST HEIR (The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 1) by E.G.Foley

THE LOST HEIR is the first book (July 22, 2012 release) in husband-wife writing team E.G.Foley’s new middle grade historical fantasy series The Gryphon Chronicles.

From the website: Jake is a scrappy orphaned pickpocket living by his wits on the streets of Victorian London. Lately he’s started seeing ghosts, and discovers he can move solid objects with his mind! He has no idea why.

Next thing he knows, a Sinister Gentleman and his minions come hunting him. On the run for his life, Jake is plunged headlong into a mysterious world full of magic and deadly peril. A world that holds the secret to who he really is: the long-lost heir of an aristocratic family—with magical powers!

But with treacherous enemies closing in, it will take all of his wily street instincts and the help of his friends—both human and magical— to solve the mystery of what happened to his parents, and defeat the foes who never wanted the Lost Heir of Griffon to be found . . .

The Gryphon Chronicles takes the reader on an imaginary adventure that every child and many adults daydream about. With his best friend Dani, Jake struggles to survive the fetid streets and alleys of Victorian England.

Jake is a 12 year orphan, who is slowly coming into some powers that are very handy when one is starving and hungry. But seeing and talking to ghosts wasn’t an ideal talent until the day he lands in prison.

As a Guardian and a member of The Order of the Yew Tree, Derek Stone has been looking for his lost charge for over 11 years. When his parents were murdered, young Jacob Everton (the 7th Earl of Griffon) went missing and presumed dead, until the day a water nymph spied Jake in the Thames River. With his power to ‘see’, Derek will soon locate and rescue young Jake, only to find them both in prison for murder and contempt. But it will be Jake’s powers of telekinesis and his ability to communicate with ghosts that will eventually free them from their cells to continue a journey towards another adventure.

There are many characters that weave their way and cross paths with Jake and Dani, including an assortment of mythical creatures, assorted frogs, a royal fairy messenger and a talking spider. Jake will find he has some very powerful allies and friends, including a magical family that he never knew existed. But the villain in the story is Jake’s Uncle Waldrick Everton. For the same 11 years, Waldrick had been hoping to locate Jake and make sure that the boy is once and for all, truly dead. Hoping to secure the position of the 7th Earl of Griffon and all of its’ wealth, Waldrick embarks on a series of mystical travel, magical potions and befriending an unlikely ally in a siren turned hag-witch named Fionnula.

And like many fairy tale adventures, Jake will discover the true meaning of friendship and family. Finding a kindred spirit trapped in the cells under his uncle’s mansion, will push the young boy into a struggle for life and death, and beyond his own imagination.

THE LOST HEIR is a wonderful novel along the same vein as the Harry Potter novels. A young boy struggling to survive the poverty of the streets will find himself in a battle to reclaim his identity while trying to avoid the pitfalls of misplaced anger and powerful enemies. A magical storyline with non-stop action and fairy-tale creatures blended with the reality that was Queen Victoria’s England.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook and Paper Books

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WAKE ( Watersong Series #1 ) by Amanda Hocking-a review

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WAKE (Watersong Series #1 ) by Amanda Hocking -a review

WAKE (The Watersong Series 1) by Amanda Hocking

WAKE is the first novel (August 7, 2012 release) in Amanda Hocking’s new Watersong series. A Young Adult paranormal storyline, Amanda once again delves into the fantasies of many young minds and the results are something new and different. WAKE follows the life of 16 year old Gemma-a beautiful young woman on the verge of finding her way in life. A champion swimmer, Gemma dreams of one day making the Olympic swim team, but it is the call of the ocean, that pulls at Gemma’s soul. Every night Gemma heads to Anthemusa Bay to commune with the sea. But it is not only the water that calls to Gemma.

Living in a seaside resort town, the appearance of strangers is nothing new during the summer months and an unlikely trio of beautiful women, is making their presence known. Most of the residents find the women eerily creepy which adds to the already nervous environment when the reports continue to build about the missing local men and women. And when one of the missing is one of their own, the headlines are no longer just a story.

Gemma and Harper are sisters. Following an accident that claimed their mother’s mind, Harper has felt the need to mother both her sister Gemma and their father Brian. But Harper’s overprotective nature was in overdrive. Gemma’s nightly swims were becoming more frequent and stretched beyond the normal time, and now that their neighbor Alex was interested in Gemma, Harper felt it necessary to curtail Gemma’s excursions. But when Gemma does not return home after a midnight swim, Harper fears the worse.

Gemma was curious about the 3 mysterious but gorgeous women who have become an oddity and an attraction. Their nightly dancing and singing was calling to Gemma, like the ocean called to her soul, like a siren’s call. And meeting these women would change Gemma’s life forever. Waking up alone on the beach, with no memory of what has occurred, Gemma will soon realize that what lies ahead is nothing she had ever thought possible.

We are introduced to Daniel, a 20year old man with interests in Harper. Daniel lives on a boat in the harbor and tries to warn Gemma that the sisters are not what they appear. Alex is Harper’s long time friend and Gemma’s new boyfriend. But as the summer months will soon lead to college, Harper isn’t thrilled that her younger sister is now involved with the young man. A summer romance can lead to a broken heart-and the heart that will be broken is not necessarily Gemma’s. But there are bigger and scarier things ahead for Gemma than preparing for college.

WAKE is an interesting storyline and the premiere novel in Hocking’s Watersong series. There is some graphic content as it pertains to the eating habits of the beautiful ‘women’. A different look at the paranormal, which borders on the side of fantasy, Wake will introduce a recent paranormal newcomer to the young adult fictional world of characters. Like most YA storylines, our heroine must make a choice to save the boy she loves and with that choice a few tears. Congratulations to Amanda on another successful Young Adult series. Lullaby is the second storyline in the Watersong series-release date November 2012.

Copy supplied by publisher

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Paper Books
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook and Paper books

The audio book is now available from MACMILLAN audio. For anyone interested in the AUDIO BOOK click HERE for an exclusive excerpt.

Reviewed by Sandy

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SWITCHED (Trylle Series #1) by Amanda Hocking-a review

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SWITCHED (Tyrlle Series #1) by Amanda Hocking-a review

SWITCHED (Trylle Series #1) by Amanda Hocking

SWITCHED is the first novel in Amanda Hocking’s Young Adult Trylle series. Originally self-published, the Trylle trilogy has put Amanda Hocking on the best-seller’s lists. I am not quite sure of the genre, but I would place it in a combination of fantasy and a little urban fantasy-but very little. Although the heroine is not out to save the world, she must save the Trylle.

17 year old Wendy Everly has always felt unloved and unwanted: that she didn’t belong. It doesn’t’ help that her mother tried to kill her on her 6th birthday or that through most of her early childhood she was told that she was switched at birth and killed her own brother. And with her ability to ‘persuade’ others, she knew that somehow she was different. But discovering you WERE switched at birth, puts a whole new perspective on her mother’s delirium and accusations. Wendy is not human-she is a Trylle.

As a tracker and protector, it is Finn Holmes’ duty to find the missing changelings-those children switched at birth with a human infant-a mansklig. And finding Wendy is easy. As the daughter of the Trylle Queen, Wendy must return to Forening and take her position in the hierarchy of the monarchy of the Trolls-yes-the Trylle are a tribe in the supernatural world of Trolls. Not the Brothers’ Grimm ugly old troll who lived under the bridge, but a race/a being of beauty gifted with special abilities and powers. But there is another tribe on the hunt for Wendy, and the Vittra did not want Wendy to ascend to the throne-it is her powers that they required.

Meeting her birth mother for the first time, Wendy is shocked to learn Elora is the Queen. Birth order not withstanding, the Queen is distant upon meeting her only child and daughter for the first time in 17 years. I felt no sympathy for a mother whose heart is solid ice. Cold, aloof and very powerful, Elora’s goal is to see that her daughter is properly trained in the ways of a princess, and most of those responsibilities fell upon Finn including preparing her for her christening and coming out ceremony. But Wendy’s confusion only increases with every question left unanswered. She was expected to be someone other than herself. And the one person she trusted is reluctant to reveal the entire truth.

Along the way, there is a definite connection between Finn and Wendy, but one that could put one or both at risk. As a protector, Finn is entrusted with Wendy’s life, but he can never aspire to Wendy’s position. And it will become clear that Finn has overstepped his position, when he is expected to make one of the most difficult decisions of his life.

We are introduced to several Trylle as well as a handful of mansklig. Wendy will meet the human with whom she was switched at birth, and make a connection that will get her one step closer to her human family. But during the coming out gala, the mansion is attacked and Wendy once again becomes the target of a warring faction of Trolls. Homesick and missing her brother Matt, Wendy makes the decision, that being human was easier than being the next in line to inherit the mantle of Queen.

SWITCHED is an interesting storyline. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read that the supernatural beings were Trolls. Thankfully Amanda has written the characters with beauty that rivals most fairy tale heroines and heroes. The storyline was predictable when Wendy fell for her captor, and the requisite evil step-mother would put many bad guys to shame. Switched read like a fairy tale from start to finish. A few tears fell when Wendy said goodbye to her human brother Matt-the emotional wreck that I am could not handle his pleading.

The book is the first of three, a quick read, the writing is simple and like many YA novels, the adults are manipulative and evil. A society that switches out humans for their own babies, and expects a king’s ransom in return, sounds more like a nightmare than a bedtime story. Perhaps there is a reason the people are Trolls and Wendy calls them grifters. They live off the wealth of the humans they despise.

Would you like a chance to WIN the Trylle Trilogy -all 3 books?  Stop by August 6 for our interview with Amanda Hocking and your chance at the Giveaway

LINKS TO ORDER:
B&N Nook and Paper Books
Amazon Paper Books
Amazon Kindle
The Book Depository
KOBO

Reviewed by Sandy

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HOLLOWLAND by Amanda Hocking-a review

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HOLLOWLAND by Amanda Hocking-a review

HOLLOWLAND by Amanda Hocking

HOLLOWLAND is Amanda Hocking’s first instalment in the Hollows series. Written in the Urban Fantasy genre (with some horror thrown in for the fun of it), Hollowland follows 19 year old Remy King in the search for her 8 year old brother Max. Set against the zombie-ridden wastelands of America, Hollowland introduces a cast of characters that quickly succumbed to the zombie virus or were determined to keep their rag-tag family of misfits together, for all time.

It has been one long year, since the first zombie infested human turned. Remy King and her brother have been quarantined along with hundreds of other virus-free humans for months. Military personnel control the quarantined areas like prisons- no one enters-no one leaves, but when her 8year old brother Max is suddenly removed and held in another facility, Remy takes it upon herself, to find where her brother is held. But the zombies have started to form groups-they are now working cohesively together, as though they have an agenda. As the quarantined area is overrun with zombies, Remy knows she must make her escape if she is to find Max.

So, with two unwelcome companions, 13 year old Harlow and Sommer, Remy sets out into the vast wasteland, that can only be described as post-apocalyptic. Throughout the storyline, zombies surge en-masse towards the virus-free humans looking for ‘fresh meat’. A scratch or a bite from a zombie will render the human-persona non-grata-to be left behind or killed, to prevent further infestation. Remy loses many of her friends and most of her family to the ‘lyssavirus’ mutated rabies virus, but she is determined, to reach her brother Max. The character of Remy at times appears distant, without emotion, but perhaps she has seen too many deaths in the past 12 months. But a foray into an abandoned house, finds not only canned food and bottled water, but other survivors-Blue, a 20 something med –student and Lazlo, a 19 year old rock star, who at times is as useless as an umbrella in a hurricane.

The small group of survivors plods forward, heading north to find Max. Town after town of abandoned and destroyed homes, greets the lonely –but the residual smell of death, decay and rotting corpses fills their senses with fear. Moving closer to Las Vegas, or what is left of the ‘city that never sleeps’ they are continuously under attack from zombies and marauding bands of survivors. Hoping to find help, they fall into the hands of a religious cult leader and his minions, only to escape with a few more survivors, willing to risk their lives on the mission to find Max. Remy and her band meet London, a survivor who has set up a quarantined area, complete with shelter, food and running water, but Remy is determined to complete her mission. So with heavy heart, and a few friends lighter, Remy continues north in search of the military area that is now home to her brother.

At times, Remy’s relationship with the others is cold and distant, but her heart will soften as love encroaches into her life. But Remy blames herself for the deaths of many of her companions and some of the people they have met along the way. But after a violent attack by zombies, where Remy is injured, and a rescue mission by the very people holding her brother, Remy’s only thought is to save Max.

As new members of the quarantined area, the small band of friends, must participate in the daily community life, but Remy finds a hero in Tatum, a military guard, who along with Blue and Lazlo, help Remy gain entrance into the facility where her brother is no longer quarantined, but held prisoner in a game of ‘saving the world from extinction’.

Hollowland has its’ moments. The editing is poor, there are plenty of spelling errors and missing words, but the original release is self-published. The grammatical errors etc, do not take away from the storyline, but the poor editing is a nuisance.

The premise is interesting, but familiar– A heroine who won’t listen and risks the lives of everyone to reach her final destination. The fight scenes are at most, impossible to survive or even choreograph, but somehow Remy makes it through—after all, it is a fantasy. Some fascinating friends, a love interest and an unlikely ‘kindred’ guardian in Ripley, allow for some unexpected twists, but overall I liked Hollowland. There is no HEA, as the heroine finds herself trapped in a world, she was trying to avoid, but her goal was to find her brother Max. The familiar storyline is predictable, but the plot twists make the story interesting and worth the read. Next on the agenda: Hollowmen—6 months after.

HOLLOWLAND is FREE from most ebook outlets.

Reviewed by Sandy

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