Ripsters #1: Date with the Dead (2013)

Jolie was a socially awkward girl whose only friend was Drew, a ghost. she had the ability to communicate with the dead, her mom read palms and cards for a living, and they had difficulties paying the rent. to help her mom with the money, Jolie made use of her ability and started a ghost hunting business, called Ripsters (Rest In Peace Sophisticated Technology for Efficient Removal of Spirits). in the previous town they resided, Jolie had a group of ghost hunters that worked with her; but now in a new town, she was forced to work alone until she came across unlikely people that would formed quite an interesting team with her.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book was such a fun and fast read that i found myself flying through the pages in no time. having Drew with her made Jolie a very interesting and funny character to read. their romance was seemingly serious yet hilarious at times, i often found myself battling against myself whether Jolie should get a living guy to date or stay with Drew since they were so perfect together. i didn't see myself liking Reese or Hayden, even Brit, but before i knew it, i was rooting so hard for them that i surprised even myself with how much more i wanted to know about them. the charm of Ripsters lied in the unique combination of its members, so different yet so compatible together. while i still voted Drew over Hayden, the friendship Jolie built with Brit truly overwhelmed me, bringing tears to my eyes at times. now that i am so hooked, i can't wait to lay my hands on the second installment just to have more adventure with Jolie.

The Lantern Project #1: Archipelago (2014)

Lilly had been growing a pair of wings since being a child. to hide her differences, her parents kept her sheltered and homeschooled. one day, while searching for a lilac hair dye, she came across a man too interested in her choice of color. not before long, she found the man on their doorstep, asking for her and questioning about her abilities. determined to keep Lilly safe, her parents moved them to another location. but again, the man found them and this time, he brought an army of people and had her parents killed. before they were able to capture her, Lilly escaped and flew away. she was later rescued and managed to find shelter at the Charity Academy. before she was able to feel safe or settling down, she was finally captured by the man and was brought to the Firestone Institution.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book started out promising, especially the simplicity of Lilly's life with her parents. however, once the characters started getting involved in one way or another, i became tired of all the names and abilities that i had to memorize. eventually, all the names tend to glaze over for me, appearing insignificant from another. when i managed to capture some interest in Jake, a possible guy to have a romantic relationship with Lilly, he apparently didn't feel the same way. then moving on to the twins, before stopping at Cory. it was quite a hectic read that i found myself absorbed at times, dragging at times, with the hope of finally reaching the climatic moment. Dr. Kibbsty wasn't quite what was expected, especially being a genius and the mastermind villain, he seemed too easy to fool by a bunch of kids. fortunately, Lilly was a very interesting and lovable main character, which was solely the reason i managed to go through the book pages by pages.

Elements of Power #2: Water (2013)

after rescuing everyone from the Helian realm, Jasmine and her friends decided to pay the Brizan Realm a visit. the main intention was to get Jasmine's abilities under control and also to discover the truth about her parents. they were finally able to figure out why Jasmine hair was purple, unlike anyone within the four realms. purple was the result of combining red and blue, making her a child of a Helian father and Brizan mother. it wasn't long before the Queen of Brizan, her mother approached her and told her about her birth and giving her away to the Arcan realm for adoption. but before they had time to bond, the Queen's commander, Emmanuel decided that Jasmine was a threat and was determined to get rid of her once and for all.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. second book of the series was a far more easier read compared to the previous. while the first book focused its stories on the Arcan and Helian realms, the second book moved the focus to the Sephan and Brizan realms. while Jasmine and her friends moved their location from Arcan to Brizan; Roxy escaped from Helian and landed mistakenly in Sephan. knowing so little about the Sephan, it was actually quite interesting to watch how the Sephan worked. even though the story continued to focus partially on the political aspect, the election was easier to enjoy and wasn't as overwhelming. seeing how the story ended with a cliffhanger, i very much looked forward to a third installment, wanting especially to know how the unlikely sisters, Jasmine and Roxy, would work out their differences and relationship with Brae.

Elements of Power #1: Fire (2013)

the story took place in a world formed by four realms: Arcan the air realm, Helian the fire realm, Brizan the water realm, and Sephan the earth realm. people from each of the realm had different abilities, all depending on their elements. Jasmine had been adopted into the Arcan royal family since she was an infant. she became close with Brea, the Prince, believing that they would eventually get married. however, she often felt unsettled for not knowing her parents or origins. lately to complicate things, she found herself having prophetic dreams. it worsened when Brea was sent to Helian for a meeting that the Helian King had called forth, gathering leaders from all four realms with the hope of working together.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. starting the book, i was quite overwhelmed with the mass amount of details i read, especially when it came to the four realms. after dragging myself through the first half of the book, i was pleased to find myself enjoying more as the youngsters started taking over the spotlight. the focus was mainly on Jasmine, Brea, and Roxy, the Helian Princess. while Jasmine grew from a weak character into a stronger one by the end of the book, she didn't exactly succeeded in becoming a lovable character. it came as a surprise to me because i expected myself to fall for the main character like always, especially for having such a perfect growth. Roxy on the other hand, who was originally a tough character, transformed into a weaker character and filled with so much emotions, i couldn't believe when i rooted for her as the role seemed to suit her surprisingly well. throughout the book, i was most captivated with how each of these characters and their relationship with Brea progressed, also with their astounding abilities that had so much room to expand.