Review ~ Makai Queen - Tara Fairfield

Paperback received from author in exchange for an honest review

ISBN: 193775670X

Description
Off the coast of Lanai, far beyond the sailboats, there is a hidden world beneath the beryl-blue sea, the marvelous kingdom of Moku-ola, a place where man and beast live in harmony. Unknown and forbidden to those living above the surface, it has never been discovered....until now.

Tessa, a curious teenager with a taste for adventure roams the sandy beaches of Lanai. Feeling lost and hurt she longs for meaning and a place in this world. By chance, Tessa encounters a mysterious man who appears to be drowning. The attempted rescue puts her own life in danger as she is abducted and dragged out to sea.

Far beneath the oceans surface, Tessa is brought to the frightening and wondrous land of Moku-ola. As the dangers of this world threaten her very survival, Tessa must overcome the barriers of self-doubt to discover the keys to her royal destiny.

My Opinion
Recently I have developed an interest for books that are set underwater so I was glad when the author asked if I would be interested in reviewing the book as well as running a spotlight. The book sounded interesting and exactly what I was looking for so obviously I jumped at the chance to read it.

This book took me only a few hours to read due to its short length, however despite the number of pages there is certainly a lot packed into it. Makai Queen was a fast paced and engaging read with a solid story structure. I loved how the book began and the twist that involved the brothers at the start, it really did make me question who was lying to begin with and I couldn't guess where the author was going to take the novel. As well as this I enjoyed the romance element in the book, it was kind of a love at first sight thing but it wasn't packed with cliches and soppy emotions that overpower a story. Fairfield balanced Tessa's decisions and emotions about becoming queen well with the romance so as not to overshadow the main plot wich was original and interesting.

In general I enjoyed this book, it was a fast and easy read however at points I would have loved more detail, especially into the surroundings they were in. Fairfield created this engaging underwater story but I never really built up a clear picture of what the city/houses looked like due to a lack of description. I would have also loved the author to use the senses more to describe things, especially colours in more detail so I could get immersed in the world more. Instead of getting lost in the world I did feel slightly detached from everything. As well as this the only other problem I had was the ending. I'm not sure if there is a sequel but to me it seems a little rushed and didn't satisfy me when I reached it. It didn't really leave on a cliff hanger but for me it didn't really sum everything up and tie all the loose ends up either, especially with the romance and Donnie. It just seemed abrupt and it kind of left the book on a low point

Overall though, besides the many references to God which irritated me slightly (personal preferences to religion though) and the previous issues mentioned, Makai Queen was an engaging, quick and easy read that was good to relax to on a gloomy day. There were a few sad points and a few funny points which balanced the story nicely and if there is a sequel I would definitely want to see where the author takes the story next. I would definitely recommend this to people looking for something new to read.

Review ~ Partials (Partials Sequence #1) - Dan Wells

Purchased by myself as I received book 2 as an ARC

ISBN: 000746522X
Publisher: Haper Collins Children's Books

Description
The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

My Opinion
This book has drawn mixed feelings from me. On one hand I thought it was one of the more interesting, original and believable sci-fi books I have read that used a post-apocalyptic setting. However, on the other hand I had some serious issues while reading it. 

The book started off incredibly slowly and I must admit it took me a few days to get into it, and even then I  struggled. There wasn't much action to begin with and even though it gave you the basic background information I found it didn't hold my attention very well, especially if I just wanted to read a quick chapter here and there. I mean seriously, they seemed to drag on forever at some points. Saying that though I am glad I stuck with this book as once you get into part two it starts to pick up and only gets better as it moves towards the ending. The action increases and so does the character development. I liked how Kira developed into a strong female lead and fighter compared to the frustrated medic and the transformation was great to read. As well as this I liked the overall plot line, yes viruses that kill off everyone have been done repeatedly but books I have read like that normally include a form of zombie and I was pleased to find a book set near the extinction of the human race that wasn't zombie related. The way in which the virus was created and spread was great too, Wells used medical language however the balance struck between being clear, understandable and and not complex was well done. More over I found the Partials to be an interesting development, I think I would have liked to know more about them and how they are living now but maybe that will come up more in book 2. 

The major thing I didn't like about this book was the lack of romance in the relationships. Marcus supposedly loved Kira and wanted to marry her, however there was no passion or spark there even when he tried to convince her to stay. For me this just didn't seem very believable and everything about the relationships seemed forced. Also, when Samm was introduced I thought it was the beginning of something else, how wrong was I though. Instead it just led to more unnatural speech and strained relationships. I liked how Samm kept his secrets and I seriously didn't see the twist at the end but I feel the author could have done more with his character, however with the way he leaves the story maybe something will.

Overall this was an enjoyable to read and because I have received the sequel as an ARC I will definitely continue the series. There were a few issues with believabilty for me and sometimes the writing came across a wooden but I would recommend this to sci-fi fans and any apocalyptic fans looking for something new with a slight twist on the genre.

Review ~ Meet Me in the Dark (Demons of Dreams Saga, #1) - Lilly M. Love

ebook downloaded on an Amazon free day after hosting a spotlight for the book. 

Description
The first in the Demons of Dreams Saga.
Did you sleep well last night? Did you dream? Have you met someone in your dream? Whether it was pleasant or not, it was just a dream ... wasn’t it?
Are you sure?

What if you think you're dreaming, but you‘re not?
What if suddenly a handsome stranger shows up in your dreams and you fall in love with him?
What if you wake up in the morning and your body is covered with scratches that you cannot explain?
What if not only you begin to question your mind?

They come at night, sneak into your dreams and if they want, also into your life! They are the demons of dreams and no one is safe from them...
Did you really just have a dream last night?

Leia Walsh is a young woman, successful in her job selling high-priced properties to New York’s wealthy. Against her good judgment she falls in love with a man who appears regularly in her dreams. Leia doesn’t believe that he is a product of her imagination, but is convinced that he exists. She starts to look for him in her daily life, but the game of the demons of dreams can be confusing and Leia soon doubts her sanity until she is invited to a party one day...was it just a dream after all?

My Opinion 
The description of this book hooked me into accepting it as the idea of dreams interests me, I mean I have enough crazy dreams of my own but the concept of it being translated into a book as the main idea was new to me. The idea of the demons of dreams intrigued me and I was excited to find out what this novel was about. For me though this book didn't live up to what I expected it to be sadly, and I found it quite a struggle to read. I like the initial idea and I think with some editing and re-drafting it could become a really engaging and exciting read but personally, I don't think it's quite there yet. 

The main problem I had with Meet Me in the Dark was the transitions between Leia's dreams and her reality. The changes were quite abrupt and besides a line break nothing really distinguished it from the previous scene. Because of this the writing felt very choppy and hard to read as it became confusing as to which world Leia was in. I think I would have preferred the dreams to be in italics as for me it signals a change and allows me to distinguish it easily, especially if it is not clear the character has fallen asleep. 

As well as this, the choppy style of writing that jumped from place to place made it a struggle for me to connect with any of the characters. There were a few moments where I sympathised with Leia because of her situation but most of the time I felt very detached as I was constantly thrown about in the story. Also, with regards to the males in the novel we never really learn much about them except for the same facts; one runs the business, another is married and they are all incredibly good looking. We only started to learn what they are towards the end of the novel and by then it was slightly too late for me as it didn't give many answers in the short amount of space and just as the book started to pick up it ended. I would have loved to learn little bits about them as the book went on rather than getting it all at the end, although I am still slightly confused as to what they were now.

My final problem with this book is once again related to the characters. Some of their actions or reactions just didn't seem believable or plausible to me, for example Leia never really seemed to freak out when things happened in her dreams. I mean if someone threatened me or did what they did to her I would be scared out of my mind but Leia just seemed to accept it without any emotion. Also there were a few plot holes that let the structure of the story down and I found myself asking "well why didn't she do that instead, isn't it obvious?" It just wasn't very solid in structure and the characters were not continuous throughout which I think may have been added to by the constant and abrupt switching of setting.  

Overall I think this book has the potential to become a very intriguing story however as it stands right now for me it feels underdeveloped and lacking in completion. The initial concept was great but the choppy and jumpy style distracted me too much to get immersed in the characters and world. I'm sorry to say I just couldn't connect with this book no matter how much I wished I could.

Book Spotlight - Jesse James and the Dragon's Egg by W. Edward Woodward III

Jesse James and the Dragon's Egg

Description

Jesse James and the Dragon's Egg! Feast your mind on the thrilling adventures of young Jesse James as he and his friends plunge headlong into peril! See the horrible Shaddach! Read on, aghast as these living dead creatures hunt our heroes mercilessly! Fear the vile Arthur King! See this madman destroy everything that is dear to our noble young heroes! Thrill to daring escapes and feats of bravery never before seen by man! Watch as these brave children face death and danger where even adults fear to tread! Beware Jesse James, for evil walks among us!"

Jesse James is an adventure story but at its heart it's about the stupid things that you'll do for your family and friends. Jesse and his friends lead pretty average, pretty boring lives, that is until they discover a dragon's egg. With that discovery, and the loss of one of his best friends Jesse is thrust into a world that he never knew existed. Chased by an insane billionaire, Jesse and his friends are thrown across worlds, shunned by the very people meant to protect them, and in the end sold out by one of their own. Facing the ultimate evil Jesse finds he must choose between saving his friends and saving his family.

Heavily influenced by the pulp novels of the 30's and 40's and the adventure movies of the 80' and 90's, Jesse James and the Dragon's Egg is a rip roaring adventure, guaranteed to thrill and appease the child... and eighties freak, in everyone!

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lulu, Smashwords

About the Author
Author W. Edward Woodward III has taken a fairly meandering path to creativity. Along the way has tried on many shoes. Retail worker, truck driver, service technician, oil painter, illustrator, commercial artist. Finally, putting on the writing shoes seemed to fit best. Still employed as a service technician, Jesse James and the Dragon's Egg was written mostly on lunch breaks, in shopping malls, and really anywhere an when he could squeeze in a pen.

Born and raised on a farm in Havana Fl, Edward has always had a creative bent, as his meandering path shows and his first exposure to Dr. Who and anime sealed his love of of genre work. A love of comic books and the fantastic artistic stylings of such greats as George Perez and Art Adams lead him to believe that he was destined to be a comic book artist. He had a reasonable eye and a knack for picking up skills that allowed him to believe that for many years. His love of anime would soon lead him away from comics and into the idea that his true destiny lay in animation. Alas, it was not to be. He simply lacked the passion for the pencil that was necessary to pursue such a career. This was a heartbreaking realization for him. Some years went by as Edward wandered through life, trying to find his place. He was heartbroken but there remained a fire in his belly, an ember, a need to create that would just not be squelched. He had many ideas from his years of wanting to work in comics, ideas that refused to die, so one day, in an act of near desperation he put one to paper. Jesse James and his pet dragon were born.

Edward still lives very near Havana, in Tallahassee, with his family and a small circle of friends.

Follow Him Here:

Blog

Blog - Jesse James and the Dragon Egg

Teaser Tuesday (11)

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
To participate you:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from...

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick



"'Oh!' she cried. he was lying on the floor on his side. At her shriek, he opened his eyes."
Page 147




Amazon Paperback
Amazon Kindle