Monday, December 16, 2013

Monday, December 16, 2013 - , , No comments

Braving the Brontes (Carly Keene: Literary Detective):

Rating : 4.5 Stars
Version: ARC eBook
Author: Katherine Rue
GoodReads:
Carly Keene is a twelve-year-old from Alaska who has always longed for adventure. She gets her wish when she is transported back to 1846 and finds herself living with the Bronte family in England. There is a mystery surrounding the Bronte sisters, and until she solves it Carly is stuck in the past. Will adventure be what she thought it would be? Will she ever get home?

 Review:
Carly Keene, Literary Detective was a fun and imaginative story. The book's description alone was enough to hook me, throw in a bit of nostalgia and I had to read it! The main character, Carly, is very likable and easy to relate to, especially for those who have a vivid imagination and thirst for adventure. 
I loved the plot, but initially was hoping for a bit more. For instance, after reading the description I imagined Carly falling into a book filled with fantasy and action. Yet, despite not meeting my expectations, I'm not at all dissatisfied. The thought of falling back in time to meet the Bronte sisters is both unique and creative. Additionally, younger audiences will find this book has plenty of action.  After all, there are ghosts, time travel, mystery, and lets not forget adventure --Carly almost died--. Thinking back to the books that I used to read when I was in elementary school, I can definitely see me picking this up off the library shelf. 

I’m not sure if it’s my copy or the publishers style, but some sentences were choppy with words straddling numerous sentences (whole chapters). Similarly, the chapter headings were preceded and followed by 3 and 3*, respective. I originally thought it was strange, but figured the number 3 had some significance story. Could the 3 stand for the Bronte sisters and 3* represent the change underwent by Carly's presence?


Sunday, December 8, 2013

Sunday, December 8, 2013 - , , , , No comments

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble:

Rating: 5 Stars
Version: eBook
Author: H.P. Mallory

GoodReads:
Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

 Review:
I really debated about posting a review for this book, but I enjoyed it so much that I want it to gain recognition. I also wrote my review before I read the GoodReads summary, so skip the first paragraph if you don't want a basic rehash of the plot.

The book centers around a witch living in L.A. that's for the most part, unaware of her abilities. Jolie - the witch - has visions and uses those visions to make a living as a psychic. She meets a man, who later turns out to be a warlock, that puts forth an unusual job offer. The job entails using her abilities to see who killed his friend. Jolie accepts the offer and ultimately discovers she can reanimate the dead. Yet in doing so, Jolie alerts the whole magical community of her presence, which happens to be at the early stages of war. A witch has never been able to reanimate the dead before. So, with this knowledge, you can imagine why both sides want her.

I really loved Mallory's writing style, because she writes as if she's having a conversation with you. Moreover, the story flows very well and keeps you hooked. If its any indication, I finished this book in about a day. The fact that I was reading the All Soul's trilogy beforehand probably helped though, because both series contain very similar aspects such as, a magical war; an unaware, blond haired, super powerful witch; and similar magical constrains. However, if I were to compare Harkness and Mallory, I think I would side with Mallory. In contrast to Diana, Jolie was more proactive and sure of her abilities. Also, it didn't take two books for Jolie to get past amateur level and I really appreciated it.

This book is currently free! So, you have no excuse not to read it!

 Free on Amazon: Click Here

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