Review of Shadows

Most people know how much I love Angelfall. However, most other angel books have not compared. I can pass on most of the angel series, so I was reluctant to read Shadows by Paula Weston, but the name kept popping up. I'm a believer in fate and destiny (on a good day anyway) so I ordered the book and started reading. In the neginning, I was far from interested. I wasn't exactly bored, but there was very little reason to keep reading. And then in stepped Rafa. the book quickly became interesting-seizing my attention. Everything took off from there.

I'm normally farily good at reading the signs. Most authors put enough writing on the wall so that there are no surprises. Not the case here. There were so many times that I was just shocked. The secondary characters all had their own motives and they kept derailing the story -- in a good way. No one was what they seemed. The main character even kept you off your toes, but she was always loyal, funny and true to herself- whoever herself managed to be. You want a funny story that keeps you on your toes? This is the story for you.

Eradicated

Newest addition to our story line:

In 2223 A.D. humanity realized they were not alone. An alien group from the planet Gliese 581-d came to Earth to escape the destruction of their home planet. Earth's leaders allowed it because the aliens were peaceful, they were beautiful, and something about them was utterly irresistible.

400 years later humanity has all but been eradicated. Most humans have been absorbed into the alien population. Maya Richardson is one of the few thousand remaining humans. She lives in a fledgling where she had lived with both of her parents, until they each disappeared, abandoning her to for the glittering allure of the Gliesian society.

Unfortunately, she is branded a traitor when her best friend vanishes with the commune’s money. Maya has to prove her innocence to take her rightful place in the commune hierarchy.

But Maya has a secret. Actually, she has two secrets: one that can save the commune and the other that can save humanity. Unfortunately, exposing one of her secrets will get her kicked out of the commune. If she exposes the other, she'll find out that the aliens aren’t so peaceful after all.

Why I love Singleton Johnson

Why I love Singleton Johnson

          I was born in America, but I feel like I was born in the old America. An America where loyalty meant something, where people chose to stay married instead of getting divorced, where your friends were there for you no matter what and where something as small as an election didn't diminish your love for this country.

Maybe, I used to suffer from a bit of naivete. My friends have always told me I was sheltered, but I don't think that's it. I think our loyalty has plummented. It is easier to get a new model of anything then it is to fix the model that we have.

That's why we created Singleton the way that we did. He is all the things a female could want in a man: smart, funny, but most importantly loyal. He's there for the sake of being there. You can rely on him until the end, to be supportive, to be protective, and most importanly to be the loving guy you can depend on. The characters in the sequel, The Azemeon, are a little different. Life lessons have made them change a bit, but they are all still the same characters that you remember. I hope you continue to love them as much as we do.


Singleton simplified

-strong
-mildly egotistical
-loving
-protective
-caring
-funny
-care free
-loyal

It has been forever

It has been forever since I blogged.

I have definitely missed it, but I have every intention of remaining consistent. Soon the launch of my new novella series, Eradicated, will hit the stores. The sequel to the Exemeus is almost done, which means promotions and giveaways for my loyal readers.

I also have a million YA books to review, so they should be coming your way-- coupled with the giveaway of some of the best books of the year.

Feel free to send in lists of your favorite books, especially if you read ya, fantasy, romance with a touch of humor.

I'll be posting soon.

Blog Blitz

I know I have been MIA. I've been doing a lot of  work to make sure that more people hear about The Exemeus. I've been setting up tours and arranging promotions. I should be back around to posting reviews, reading books, and writing the sequel by the end of the month. We'll see.


Here is the banner for my next tour.

Blog Tour!-The Exemeus

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Review-Switch

In the novel Switch the author, Karen Prince, creates an intricate story about self-discovery set in the heart of Africa. Prince seamlessly blends multiple points of view and a dynamic setting together in a way that makes for a wholly original coming of age story about a germaphobic, hypochondriac named Ethan.  When Ethan is sent from the technologically advanced city of Cape Town to stay in the underdeveloped countryside of Zimbabwe with his father, Ethan has to decide how far he is willing to go to survive and what he’s willing to do to save those he loves.

The story begins in the mythical land of Karibu with a soul swapper pondering whose body it wants to inhabit. His current body is getting old and he needs a new one in order to continue living, but for him to live, someone else must die. In a conundrum, since he is not keen upon ending someone’s life he peers out over the city and his eyes land on his victim-a witch named Gogo Maya.

Gogo Maya is soon captured a long with her familiar, a leopard named Salih. In order to escape Gogo Maya performs a magical ritual called a switch. Unfortunately, she ends up switching right out of Karibu and into Zimbabwe, inadvertently sending Ethan’s cousin, Joe, into the wilds of Karibu. Through an interesting series of events Ethan ends up gaining the witch’s power and is placed in charge of traveling to Karibu to find Joe.  

Along the way Ethan runs into deadly creatures and perilous situations. The best part of Prince’s story is the development of Ethan’s character. In the beginning, his thoughts were riddled with phobias about the native traditions and their possible impact on his cleanliness and his health. As the story progresses and Ethan finally runs out of hand sanitizer, he becomes more and more concerned with the well-being of those around him, growing into an unlikely hero. In countless situations Ethan puts aside his fears, to save others, but most impressively he puts aside his beliefs of superiority and learns the value of other cultures and traditions.   

With a cast of side characters such as a witch with a vacillating moral compass, a scrupulous soul jumper, and a shape shifting Hyena with his own agenda Switch is unlike any other young adult book on the market. The characters are multi-dimensional, with motivations that make them seem more human than your average protagonist or antagonist. No one can be classified as all good or all bad, which is an accurate depiction of the world-- and people --not often seen in books. This setup challenges the reader to consider all possible outcomes, and to constantly reevaluate the characters for who they become as the novel progresses.   

Although this story shines, because of its innovative setting and its cast of characters, there are portions of setting and inner monologue that could have been edited out to ensure a continuous flow of action.  Additionally, there are aspects where complex problems are quickly and easily fixed (or not fixed) with no consequences. Despite these flaws, Prince has written a timeless coming of age piece that will appeal to people of all ages.

                    *********** 3.5 STARS ****************