Wednesday 17 October 2012

The Cloud Roads (#1 The Books of the Raksura )by Martha Wells



Title: The Cloud Roads
Source: I bought it
Genre:High Fantasy, Romance, Fiction
Author: Martha Wells


Blurb: Moon has spent his life hiding what he is — a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself... someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community. What this stranger doesn't tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power... that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony's survival... and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save and himself... and his newfound kin.
 
Wow, That's what I have to say to begin with...Wow. I haven't heard a lot about this and came across it quite by mistake on amazon.com, I was looking for books with sifters and this popped up. To say the least I was equal parts interested and skeptical, I don't usually go for High Fantasy but these days, for me anything fiction will work. So anyway, I got the book and from the first page it drew me in. The main character Moon and his savior Stone would have to be my two favorite characters.

It all starts off with Moon living in yet another groundling ( beings that live primarily on land) settlement, he's trying to fit in as he always does, which is always difficult. Moon has no idea what he is which can be a pain when he so closely resembles the evil race that terrorizes the three kingdoms the Fell. Yet again he's thrown out of this dwelling, because he looks like a Fell when he shifts in to his winged form.

Turns out he's right he isn't a Fell he is a Raksura. The terminology in the book reminds me of dragons, like the way call their  babies clutches, however it is clear that they aren't dragons at all. The concept of the creatures in this book are unique and the world building here is fantastic, I L-O-V-E-D it so much! The Cloud Roads is filled with flying islands, flying boats, and creatures of all sorts that could only come out of a healthy and wild imagination! 

On top of all the wonderful story telling about the Three Kingdoms (Earth, Sea and Sky) and the pacing there is a wonderful story about loyalty, friendship, and romance. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series, The Serpent Sea!

If you would like to know more about this book or would like to purchase it use the links below:

Goodreads
Amazon

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Lost Souls: Promo & Excerpt ABG blog tours


Lost Souls

Souls who refuse to pass into the afterlife become wandering spirits, trapped between the world of the living and the dead. These are the Lost Souls. Some of these Lost Souls have banded together, uniting to fight against an evil endangering both their existence and the safety of the human world they once inhabited. This evil has taken shape in unholy creatures called the Changed, beings who were once Lost Souls but who are now dark, dangerous and disturbed monsters. The Changed feed on the energy of the Lost Souls, growing stronger with each Lost Soul they drain. The ultimate goal of the Changed is to harness enough energy to return to the land of the living by possessing the body of a human. The mission of the Lost Souls is to stop them…


Title: Resurrection
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Episode One
Number of Pages: 66
Publisher: Self Published









Christian Thompson is killed in a car accident but refuses to pass into the afterlife because of his protective need to shelter his daughter Aurora from her cruel mother. He soon discovers there are others like him, other wandering spirits trapped between the world of the living and the dead. He joins this larger group of Lost Souls in their struggle to destroy the evil endangering their existence.

Unholy creatures threaten both Christian’s new world and his old. They are entities called the Changed, beings who were once Lost Souls but who are now dark, dangerous and disturbed monsters. Their ultimate goal is to return to the land of the living by possessing the body of a human.

Little does Christian realize that his decision to refuse his own death will endanger the very life of the daughter he has vowed to protect.





Title: Imperfection
Author: Laurel O'Donnell
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Episode 2
Number of Pages: 60
Publisher: Self Published







Sam and her brother Ben, along with their new friend Christian, have just defied the leader of the Lost Souls. Outcast from their former group, the three of them battle the dark forces of the Changed on their own. They investigate the mysterious disappearance of one of their Lost Soul brethren. As the search deepens, they come to the chilling realization that their nemesis, Scala, has escaped his centuries-old prison with revenge on his twisted mind. A wicked possession leads to grave consequences and the Lost Souls must make a difficult choice between life and death for an innocent victim.



Excrept


“Sam?”


She turned to find Ben standing in the doorway, Christian just behind him. She quickly looked away, wiping at her cheeks, at her face and stood, bowing her head so they wouldn’t see. “What are you doing here? Where’s the Dad?”


“Are you okay?” Ben asked softly.


“Yeah,” she said, but her voice was shaky and thick. And she couldn’t look up at Ben because he would know she was not okay.


“Christian, give us a moment,” Ben asked.


He knew. Damn him, he knew her too well.


“It wasn’t your fault,” Ben whispered. “You saw… we saw Damien die. We couldn’t know he’d become a Soul.”


Oh, God. Kill me now, she thought. She couldn’t do this right now. She sighed, trying desperately to keep her emotions under control. “Eugene told you. I’m okay. Really.”


“No, Sam. You’re not okay.”


She sat on the side of the bed trying to get hold of herself, to push the feelings aside. The memories were too painful. She had buried them for so many years. “We have to concentrate on Scala now.”


Ben nodded and sat beside her. “That’s why you have to be all right. You can’t think of him now. It makes you vulnerable. And we can’t afford to make mistakes.”


“I know.” She stood up and looked at the pictures on the kid’s dresser. It was a team basketball picture, two men standing on either side of the team like bookmarks. Coaches. She felt Ben’s gaze on her, contemplating. She turned to him. “There’s just one thing…” She looked Ben in the eye. “Please tell me you didn’t know.”


A displeased frown etched his brow. “I didn’t know. There’s no way. You know I would have told you.”


She nodded and turned back to the kid’s desk. It was remarkably clean of miscellaneous objects, of any kind of item that would give her a clue about the boy. A computer screen sat in the center, on and humming softly as if waiting for the boy to return. She knew Ben would have told her. Or did she? Would he try to protect her as Eugene had?


“You believe me, right?” Ben asked.


Sam nodded again, refusing to believe the doubt festering in her mind. He would have told her. She pulled open a drawer. It was filled with scattered sheets of papers and notes.


“You can’t think of him as your husband anymore. He’s a Changed.”


She winced at the proclamation. Even though she knew Damien was a Changed, he was still her husband. And she couldn’t escape the guilt that weighed her down. If she had been there, if she had only known… she could have prevented Damien from Changing. One thing was certain, she would never be able to hurt Damien. And that fact was the most dangerous of all.






Author Bio:


Laurel O’Donnell has won numerous awards for her works, including the Holt Medallion for A Knight of Honor, the Happily Ever After contest for Angel’s Assassin, and the Indiana’s Golden Opportunity contest for Immortal Death. The Angel and the Prince was nominated by the Romance Writers of America for their prestigious Golden Heart award. O’Donnell lives in Illinois with her four cherished children, her beloved husband and her five cats. She finds precious time every day to escape into the medieval world and bring her characters to life in her writing.





Buy Links:

Resurrection: Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes and Nobles

Imperfection: Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes and Nobles




Where to find the author:

http://www.laurel-odonnell.com/

http://www.facebook.com/LaurelODonnell.author

http://twitter.com/laurelodonnell

Wednesday 3 October 2012

The Night Circus

The Night Circus

Title: The Night Circus
Source: I bought it
Genre: Dark Fantasy, YA, Romance
Author: Erin Morgenstern



Blurb: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des RĂªves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the hear


Greetings Lads and Ladies! Here I am keeping my blog alive! Today I want to talk about the night circus. Yes that is what I said talk...This is not a review, more of a discussion about this particular book. 

To Begin let me start by saying yes, I did read this book and it was to my tastes fairly good. However some people have a different opinion about this book. I've read that; "it's too over done" and "the world building sucks" etc. 
I for one do not have a problem with the world this book is set in. I'd describe it as dark fantasy, with a Y.A theme and  some romance mixed in. Truthfully though the start was a little too slow. There are about 200 pages where all that seems to be happening is training  and flash forwards. 

I must too confess that like other readers I to was confused as to the time frame of the story. I'd read the date and then I'd forget it and let me tell you it is a very confusing thing in this particular book if you lose your place.

The storytelling is fantastic and when you member your place, so is the pacing. I think the imagery that Erin brought out in this book was also unique and wonderful!

All in all I'd say for a first novel it was pretty good,  there are surprises and things you expect. Let me just say that all the versions of the cover I've seen all suite the contents of the book!

 If you would like to Know more about this book, here are some links that may interest you: 
Goodreads
Amazon

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