Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Dark Ones (2014)

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 The Dark Ones

the story took place in a futuristic world, but instead of advanced technologies, the world was in ruin and always dark. ever since the world was attacked by the Dark Ones, things were never the same anymore. the Dark Ones may have human forms, but they were soulless. Isla and her people lived in an underground cave, arranged in an army-like hierarchy, where those who were over eighteen had to fight to defend their home. with the danger lurking outside, Isla had plenty to worry about, but never did she imagine that a different kind of danger lurked among the people she lived with.

I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for a review. after just finishing an awesome romance, this book became quite a struggle in comparison; especially when I was no huge romance fan to begin with. Isla was a heroin too perfect in every single way that caused the storyline became quite dull. the most interesting part of the book was the environment that the story was set in. with such unique animals and creatures in it, I enjoyed every moment Isla spent exploring it. I was slightly disappointed to find out that Calix and Thad were the Dark Ones. they were so human-like, making them not much difference other than being more intelligent, as mentioned by Maksim, the leader of the Dark Ones. I enjoyed the post apocalyptic world Isla was thrown in, just none of the cheesy romance that was very much love at first sight.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Silver Shadows #1: Darksoul (2014)

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Darksoul

Hazel was best friends with Sumi, a pink-haired girl; and Asher, a hot guy Hazel had a crush since forever. however, Asher was in no hurry to settle down with one girl, thus having a different girl in his arm every single day. in the meanwhile, Hazel was partnered with a cold, unreadable guy in art class, Hunter. Hunter was a skillful painter yet was painfully blunt. the two boys always manage to get onto Hazel’s nerves, pushing her to the limit every time with their fast running mouths. among all the existing havoc, Hazel still found herself thrown into a bizarre world, where monsters were coming for her with reasons she not known, and an angel figure sometimes swooped in to save her. in utter confusion, Hazel was determine to fight her way through life, taking one day at a time.

I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for a review. despite not being a huge fan of romance and excessive banters, I was surprised to find myself entertained throughout the book. after finishing this book, I started to doubt that all these while, the problem was perhaps the writing style, not the romance nor banters etc. as much as I was waiting to feel annoyed with the triangular relationships between Hazel and the boys, I was again surprised to find myself never in that spot. on the contrary, I was even more intrigued towards finding out who the boys really were, uncovering their secrets once and for all, digging out all the delicious details. the moment the story progressed to Hazel’s mother’s relationship, I initially though the plotline went too far, involving just about anyone they can find. but again, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself loving her mother, even her newly introduced partner, immediately after the introductory scene. In more than a dozen ways, the book impressed me by being completely unpredictable; and it was even more impressive to find myself enjoying it so much. every twist pulled me deeper into Hazel’s world and made me loved the trio impossibly more and more as I came to an end of the book. I am now more than eager to lay my hands on the coming installment, anticipating especially the surprises it held!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

The Remedy (2013)

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The Remedy

Joss was the middle sister, with Bibi being the youngest and Adele being the oldest. young and naïve, Bibi accidentally swallowed a poisonous berry one day and was on the edge of dying. determined to find the remedy, Joss set out on a journey to find the jarrlock, a mysterious creature with the ability to create the remedy. With her friends, Domino and Anton, the trio set foot into the dangerous forests of Burkett Mountain with the hope of returning soon enough to save Bibi.

I received a free e-book from the author in exchange of a review. the book was an absolutely fast read. the simple and straightforward writing style made it an even delicious treat. I found myself so completely in love with its characters, from Joss to the jarrlock, Gladwin, to even the annoying Bibi! being a huge supernatural fan, I was especially intrigued with Gladwin’s character. his fluffiness was especially inviting. their adventure flew by in such a fast pace that there were completely no dull moment throughout the book. along with the actions that followed the trio wherever they went, the book was truly an awesome and captivating experience.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

The Disappearance of Lars Wellingsworth (2014)

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The Disappearance of Lars Wellingsworth

Lars was a boy who lived in the mansion with a locked iron gate. Plato and his friends were always playing outside, while Lars watched them from inside the mansion with such admiration. one day, they noticed that Lars were not at the window, watching them. then received the news that the boy was kidnapped. Plato and his friends decided to investigate the crime, by luck they stumbled upon clues and figured out where Lars was.

I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for a review. the book was very simple and straightforward. It reminded me a lot of the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew that I used to be so addicted with, but perhaps with a little less mysteriousness in it. with quite a few characters in Plato’s gang, I started out wanting to know everything about each of them. but traversing through the pages, I soon lose interest in them and referred to them as one person, which were practically no difference. probably considered a children mystery novel, the book was interesting enough to held my attention until the very end. though I wasn’t particularly impressed for there were so many areas where the story could expand itself, it was fortunately fairly entertaining for a short read.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Wolfling #1: Alpha Girl (2013)

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Alpha Girl

Rose lived in a small town called Halfway. she was attacked when she was a child and since then animals had been afraid of her. she was bullied in school, often called a wet dog because of the way she smelled. during every full moon, her parents would chained her up in their basement, just so she wouldn’t run wild hurting people during the transformation. one day, a new teacher joined her school. Mr. Stone was a very charismatic teacher but twice Rose’s age, they felt an unexplained pull towards each other. an unlikely friendship formed, with Mr. Stone unable to reject Rose’s requests.

the book was an absolutely fast read. it was easy to get into Rose’s character, rooting for her. her desperation towards Stone was sometimes frustrating to read but not enough to draw my interest away from how the duo would turn out to be. it seemed unlikely that any parents would allow their daughter to run after an older guy so easily, but for the sake of the storyline, it was satisfying that the story didn’t circled too much on the aspect that could possibly dampened the flow. with the second book in sight and a straightforward plot lineup ahead, it was definitely intriguing to proceed forward, having me eager to know what will happen when more than two werewolves got into the picture.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Divine Fall (2014)

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Divine Fall

Jaime’s only happiness and peace was riding her horse, Beau. one day, a new handsome stable helping hand appeared and there was a mysterious aura about him. the more Jaime met Dothan, the more she tried to figure him out. Dothan was a Nephilim, half angel and half human. he came to the small town for one purpose, to seek revenge for his father’s death. but before he can take down the full-blooded angel that killed his father, he needed a missing piece to enhance his powers. when he discovered Jaime had the access to the missing piece he needed, he began interacting with her. but the more they got together, they more they fell dangerously in love with each other.

I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review. the book for me, started out with too much information to digest. but as I traversed through the pages, it became an easier and easier read. the moment I saw where the story was heading, I flew through the pages and immediately slowed down just to enjoyed the battle where Dothan was to join hands with his supposedly enemy to save Jaime. the twist was surprisingly satisfying. not being a huge fan of romance, I picked out the book for its supernatural part of the story, I was pleased to be not disappointed. I was even more glad that I didn’t once felt repelled towards the romantic sections throughout the book. although I had a difficult time rooting for Jaime even after the book ended; Dothan on the other hand, was a character so charismatic that made him impossible to resist.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Guilt Trip (2014)

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Guilt Trip

Melissa had been hearing voices and seeing presence in her dreams ever since the car crash. In the car crash, her mother died while she survived. the doctor said she was diagnosed with Survivor Syndrome, feeling guilty to have escaped a terrible accident. she went on a trip with her father, to the countryside, where her father was one of the judges for a photography competition. during the trip, they went to various sightseeing spot, where she found herself starting to see and hear things that she cannot explain. she started to wonder if these were the symptoms of her illness, or some supernatural occurrence.

I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review. the book started out being quite captivating, dropping eerie hints every now and then, creating one spooky atmosphere after another. but as I progressed through the pages, the scenes started to feel repetitive and dragged, like we should be revealed more secrets and mysteries by now. during the last quarter of the book, the truth was finally revealed, though still very slowly. as drowsy as I was at this point, I was glad that the story finally moved forward. as interested as I was towards the horror genre, it was a pity that the story moved in a pace too slow to my liking. but in general, I did enjoy the whole idea. it was most satisfying when the truth of each deaths was finally revealed.

Friday, September 19, 2014

I See You (2014)

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I See You

Haven was a shifter. she was determined to get revenge against child predators, whom she once fell victim as well. she hoped to one day get the monster that laid his hand on her. one night, she came across Johnny, stepfather of Cassidy. with her shifting ability, she transformed into a cat before approaching Cassidy, in search of the truth that haunted the little girl. she easily found her way into being a part of Cassidy’s life. but before she was ready, she found herself tangled up with a bunch of supernatural that found their way into her task, including Cassidy’s uncle, Bryce, who knew her secret and Neely, a witch who wanted Bryce’s blood.

I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review. the book was an absolutely fast read, having a straightforward and captivating writing style. despite mixing some romance into the crime chasing plot, I was pleased to find that it wasn’t too much that it caused the flow to get sidetracked. some twists that was placed into the story was enough to impress me, especially the part of putting a shifter into a normal crime chasing storyline. the character development for Cassidy was especially heartwarming, also her relationship with Skittles. the way that the book ended, I could find myself seeing a possible book two, which I would be more than happy to read if and when it come out.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Dangerous #2: Dangerous Boys (2014)

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Dangerous Boys

Chloe was desperate to leave her small hometown, to attend college in the city. but before her dreams could come true, her father left her and her mother for a new lover who now bore his son. her mother became depressed and soon lose all motivation to work. struggling to keep both of them fed, Chloe took two jobs and postponed her dream. in the meanwhile, she met Ethan, a boy who was interested in her and soon they were going out. constant visit to his house introduced her to Ethan’s adventurous brother, Oliver. initially afraid, Chloe slowly became intrigued by Oliver, who always find ways to challenge her.

first quarter into the book it became clear that it was a triangle love story that went wrong. unlike the first series that we didn’t see it coming, this one was far clearer in comparison. like its first book, the timeline was equally jumbled up, mixing together the past and present, increasing the climax along its way. Chloe was initially a character easy to empathize, and it was very intriguing to see how she would overcome her difficulties at home while reaching for her dream. but the moment her stubborn self start surfacing and became instantly attracted to the opposite brother, she became a less likable character and the book immediately lose some of its charm. since then onwards, the story unfortunately went downhill. suddenly in comparison, I started to appreciate the beauty of feeling deceived on the very last page than to know since the very beginning who the main villain was.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Dangerous #1: Dangerous Girls (2013)

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Dangerous Girls

Anna had always been an outcast, until she came across Elise from the popular group. they became best friends, doing things they would never do otherwise. while Elise went for different and more dangerous guys; Anna fell for Tate, a perfect boy with a perfect background, who would never notice her until Elise gave her a helping hand. for Anna, everything was finally coming alive and the trio organized an outing with some friends, to an island for endless parties. but things went terribly wrong when Elise was found dead in her room one day, with the crew out for diving, leaving only Anna and Tate behind at the house.

the book started out a little jumbled up since the story wasn’t told in one straightforward manner, but with a messy timeline. reading halfway through the book was enough to get me accustomed to its style and had no trouble following its flow. the plot was more and more captivating through the pages. as much as I rooted for Anna and Elise character, there was always a shadowy feeling about Tate and Elise relationship. but since the story was told in Anna’s point of view, it was frustratingly impossible to get any insights on that. when my guts feeling was finally proven right, I was instantly glued to the pages, needing to get to its end that very moment just to unveil the mystery. unique in its own way, the book was an awesome read, especially with the twists that came again and again, it was impossible to put down. their friendship drew tears to my eyes and left me so satisfyingly speechless as the book came to an end.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

The Remnant Chronicles #1: The Kiss of Deception (2014)

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The Kiss of Deception

Princess Lia is seventeen, also the First Daughter of the kingdom Morrighan. she was to wed the Prince of kingdom Dalbreck for her father to form an alliance with them. but knowing that she couldn’t accept marrying a man so old that he could be her grandfather, she ran away. she settled in a small town, working at a tavern as she exchanged for a place to stay and some food. In the meanwhile, The Prince and an Assassin came tracking her, each with their own agendas. while the Prince was mostly just curious, the Assassin was paid to kill yet was equally intrigued with the Princess on the run.

I was never a huge fan of historical backdrop, but the story started out mesmerizing, capturing my attention immediately. half way through the book, after Lia became a barmaid and decided to head back to Morrighan for vengeance, things got a little repetitive. the moment Kaden and Rafe appeared simultaneously in Lia's life already took quite a toll on the plot, making it less straightforward and even a little redundant to my likings. when the switching the role of a possible villain to a lover; and the possible lover to a villain took place, many of the characters’ purpose became clear. but unfortunately still not enough to get back on my good sides. at this point, the story started feeling dragged and I had to force myself through it just to know how it ended.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Dissonance #1: Dissonance (2014)

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Dissonance

Delancy was a Walker. she navigated between the worlds formed by people making different choices. each choice will create an alternate world that branched off from the existing one. the echoes of the people will be living in these alternate dimension. Delancy’s job was to keep all the dimensions in harmony. when one of her training session went horribly wrong, she was forbidden from Walking by the council. but Delancy was never a rule follower, she secretly investigate the worlds and the strange connections that they held, coming closer to the truth that the council was trying to hide. to further complicate stuff, Delancy fell for Echo Simon, the echo of the Key World’s Simon, whom she had a crush on in the real world.

despite the interesting plotline, the story was slightly too lengthy to my liking. It tend to ramble on and on about little details that didn’t make any difference to what we already knew. I held on with the hope that there will be some actions in the coming pages and mostly, out of sheer curiosity. the rather complicated plotline was rare to come across and in return, it was hard not to appreciate it for the astounding idea. I was especially impressed that I had rooted for grandpa Monty as much as Delcancy did, feeling his betrayal and experiencing her pain along the way. I particularly enjoyed Delancy’s character development, though it was unfortunate that I couldn’t say the same for Simon. as much as I dragged myself through the pages, I was pleased to have stick with it until the very end. I wouldn’t have thought that I would be shedding tears for the duo.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

The Half Life of Molly Pierce (2014)

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The Half Life of Molly Pierce

Molly had dissociative order, where she created an alter ego of herself, named Mabel. since childhood, Mabel had been within Molly but never given the power to take over her life. one day, Molly had had enough and was aiming to commit suicide at an abandoned warehouse. at that very moment, Mabel found herself controlling Molly’s body, stopping Molly from stuffing her face with a handful of pills. for a year, Mabel repeatedly came out, stealing time from Molly’s life, with Molly feeling utterly confused when she found herself minutes, even hours later, at a completely different place than she last remembered.

the book honestly didn’t have much story to tell. it was obvious where the flow was heading, yet it still managed to be so mysterious and eerie that made it impossible to put down. I would never in my right mind wanted myself to be in Molly’s shoes, yet having the experience of submerging into her character gave me such adrenaline and thrill. when she slowly found out about the truth, I shared her excitement at discovery. unexpectedly, I even felt her sense of lost. at some point, I had labeled Mabel the villain of the story, but the moment she prepared for her departure, the sadness overwhelmed me that I longed for a different ending instead. the book was absolutely brilliantly written, I was so absorbed that i felt a sense of lost when it came to an end.