[Blog Tour] Review: Shards by F.J.R. Titchenell & Matt Carter + Giveaway

Title: Shards
Author: F.J.R. Titchenell & Matt Carter 
Genre: Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Series: Prospero Chronicles #2

Paperback, 368 pages
Publication: June 16, 2015 by Jolly Fish Press

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review, and blog tour.

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When autumn descends on Prospero, California, Ben Pastor hopes that the normality of the new school year may offer a reprieve from the town’s recent paranormal horrors. Mina Todd, however, knows all too well that there are no reprieves and no normality in this town, especially after she starts having crippling, unexplained hallucinations of the dead. But even she can’t prepare for what the coming year holds.

On top of a brewing civil war that threatens all of humanity, inside the walls of Prospero High, Ben, Mina and their expanding network face a sinister campaign that aims to destroy their friendship, a newly human Haley Perkin struggling to readjust to life, and an assassin of untold power who is picking off human rebels. Ben and Mina’s one hope may rest with a mysterious figure hiding in the woods outside of town; a living legend who may know how to stop this dangerous new breed of supernatural foe. That is, assuming the figure doesn’t first kill everyone himself. 

We’re back to Prospero, California with Shards, the second book in the Prospero Chronicles following Splinter Hunter Mina and her best friend Ben as they try to navigate high school and protect the town from Splinters who are body snatching the residents. Since the events in Splinters, we find Mina and Ben in a precarious agreement with the Splinter Counsel. The agreement states that as long as they keep quiet about Splinters and stay within Prospero’s limits; the counsel won’t go after them and their friends and families. But the Splinter Counsel is the least of their worries, as they discover a more superior race of Splinters called ‘Slivers’ or ‘Shards’ who are out to start a war by attacking humans and splinters alike.

Like the first book, the chapters alternate POVs between Ben and Mina, enabling readers to immerse themselves into what the characters think and feel. I had so much fun reading Shards and in my opinion it was even better than the first. With the world building and characters’ foundation already set reading this book was a breeze. I love that there’s no more secrets between Mina’s group of friends and the splinters. There are no more fake pleasantries or cordialness, and that’s where the fun begins…when Mina and her friends stop being scared and fight back. The new characters Greg and Julia were a hoot and who knew Haley had so much in her! She definitely surprised me the most. Readers will get to meet Mina's new allies and foes and ‘The Old Man’, a mysterious guy who started training her since she was 8-years-old. Lots of interesting things happen in Shards…now that Mina actually convinced people that there’s a threat to the town and she’s not trying to take on the problem alone.

Overall, Shards is a great squeal to Splinters which was full of actions and humorous dialogue. Which is always a win in my book. I can’t wait to see what happens next. It seems like all the events since the first book is leading up to a big explosive finale and I have a feeling it will happen in the next book! I highly recommend Shards! I know the covers don’t have that big wow factor…but don’t let that stop you from checking this series out, it’s worth reading!

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From June 3rd to July 3rd

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

 J.R TITCHENELL and MATT CARTER met and fell in love in a musical theatre class at Pasadena City College and have been inseparable ever since. Though they have both dreamed of being writers from a very young age, they both truly hit their stride after they met, bouncing ideas off of one another, forcing each other to strive to be better writers, and mingling Matt's lifelong love of monsters with Fiona's equally disturbing inability to let go of high school. They were married in 2011  in a ceremony that involved kilts, Star Wars music, and a cake topped by figurines of them fighting a zombified wedding party.

Titchenell and Carter live in San Gabriel, California.

Connect with the authors!

  F.J.R. Titchenell   Facebook | Twitter  |  Website

Matt Carter  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Website

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily 
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Series: Bloodlines #2

Paperback, 418 pages
Publication: January 8, 2013 by Razorbill

Source: Personal Library

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Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. Alchemists protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and her sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi - the fiercest vampires, the ones who don't die.

But it's her fear of being just that - special, magical, powerful - that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Braydon, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else - someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.
Should she trust the Alchemists - or her heart?

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California - tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

I’m starting to really dig Adrian and Sydney as leads and possible couple. I’ve read many books where the secondary characters go off and become leads of their own novel but Adrian and Sydney are the only characters that I’ve seen that made it worked…they’re actually more interesting and likeable enough to carry a novel all on their own. In the first book, Bloodlines, we finds out hiding out in Palm Spring isn’t as boring or uneventful as everyone believed it to be. The Alchemists thought hiding Princess Jill in a desert oasis would ensure her safety but instead there were sightings of strigois and vampire hunters. Readers encountered strigois in the Bloodlines, and now in The Golden Lily, we delve deeper into the world of vampire hunters.

In my review of Bloodlines, I wrote that Rose is my all-time favorite YA heroine and no one can compare to her. While that is still true, the more I read about Sydney the more I like her. Rose is one of the most kick-ass heroines in the YA genre but Sydney can totally kick-ass in her own ways through hard work and smarts. And, in my opinion Sydney is way more relatable than Rose. Then there’s Adrian, the Moroi everyone loves. Underneath Adrian’s devil-may-care attitude is someone who’s sweet, caring, and intelligent...and surprisingly cares about what people think of him (to an extent). I really love Adrian, ever since he turned up in Frostbite…and now that I see another side to him…it’s like Dimitri who? LOL.

All in all, The Golden Lily is a solid addition to the Bloodline series. I love that I get to see more of Sydney, Adrian, Jill and Eddie who all played secondary or tertiary characters in the Vampire Academy series and meeting new characters like Trey and Angeline. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series, and can’t wait to see what Mead has in store for Sydney and Co.

Alice in No-Man's-Land by James Knapp

Title: Alice in No-Man's-Land 
Author: James Knapp
Genre: Dystopain, New Adult
Series: N/A

E-book, 375 Pages
Publication: May 13, 2015 by Curtis Brown Unlimited 

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review. 

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Alice Walshe has led a very charmed life, until now.

Twenty years after a pandemic crippled the country things are finally back on track and her father, a major player at real estate giant Cerulean Holdings, has made billions renewing the pockets of urban decay that were left behind. As his protégé she has accompanied him to one such area named Ypsilanti Bloc, a particularly valuable site due to its proximity to a major thriving city. When their airship is attacked by Ypsilanti's biggest militia, however, Alice and her brother Cody only barely escape and end up as the sole survivors of the crash.

Alice emerges from the drop ship to find herself trapped in the very Bloc that her father was meant to re-purpose - a ruined city that militias, gangs, and even cannibals now call home. She is discovered by a pair of teens who have tracked the wreck hoping to scavenge anything useful, and with few options open to her she employs their help to find her brother and get home. Things grow more complicated, however, when she realizes that the attack may not have been random, and that Cerulean’s renewal project may not be as benign as she had been brought up to believe.

Alice in No-Man’s-Land is a New Adult-Dystopian novel set in the future as humanity rebuilds from a devastating virus. There are two types of people that inhabit the world, the haves and have-nots, and Alice is in the former group. Alice is being groomed to take over her father’s business, a job that specializes in reclamation and renewal. While on an airship going into the Ypsilanti Bloc, a ravaged slum area with her family; their airship gets shot down by Ypsilanti militants leaving Alice stranded and her brother, Cody missing. With the help of two savvy street rats, Alice is able to navigate the desolate strange land in search of her little brother, only to discover the government been lying and keeping secrets on what’s been is going in the Bloc.

This book is darker, grittier and more violent than any other dystopian I’ve read but it suits the world and characters that Knapp has created. I thought the world building was well-done; I could visualize Alice and Cody’s pod being ejected from the crashing airship, The Las Costras gang with their bald heads and tattooed bodies, and the Yagas (cannibal) chained up in the basement. The only thing that I wish was better explained is Cerulean and what Yuric Walshe did, since I’m still not 100% sure what Yuric’s job entailed. As for the characters, they were fully developed and everyone had a distinctive personality. At the beginning of the story, Alice was a naive and sheltered girl barely into adulthood. She’s from the upper-class and was provided for all her life, so when she crashed into Ypsilanti she was in for a serious rude awakening. I loved seeing Alice’s growth over the short period. She went from a clueless 'princess' to someone who isn’t afraid to fight back or fight for others who couldn’t fend for themselves. When people met Alice, they dismissed her right away because she’s a girl and because she’s one of the privileged (Glass) but despite her looks and where she came from, she showed that she can roll with the big guys and throw a few punches, no problem. I also really like Basilio and Maya, the two teenagers Alice met the first night. They may be street rats-occasional drug dealers (not by choice) but they were smart and resourceful, making the most of it from their surroundings.

At the beginning of each chapter, there is a quote/commentary from either radio shows, newscasters, government officials, or family/friends so that readers can experience different point-of-views, and see things on both sides since the book is narrated in first-person by Alice who is for the most of the book within Ypsilanti Bloc. I thought the quotes/commentaries added a nice touch in building up the world, at the same time giving readers information in an engaging manner that isn’t info-dumping. Overall, I really enjoyed Alice in No-Man’s-Land and hope there’s a sequel in the works. If you enjoy dark and gritty dystopians with a bit of science fiction then you should check Alice in No-Man’s Land out. Alice in No-Man's-Land is the best New Adult-Dystopain I've read all year. I highly recommend it!

[Cover Reveal] Madison's Song by Christine Amsden

Madison's Song is a stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series!

Cover art by Tamian Wood

Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black…

Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison’s nightmares are not.

Despite her fears, when Madison’s brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.

Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to Clinton’s home only to discover that he’s vanished. Frantic now, Madison must overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And she’s not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott’s are literal, and they have him convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.

Ebook Release: July 15, 2015

Tentative Paperback Release: September 15, 2015

By Christine Amsden

New Adult/Urban Fantasy Author of the Cassie Scot Series

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Cassie Scot Series Order

Cassie Scot (Cassie Scot #1)

Secrets and Lies (Cassie Scot #2)

Mind Games (Cassie Scot #3)

Stolen Dreams (Cassie Scot #4)

[Early Review] Nightborn by Lou Anders

Title: Nightborn
Author: Lou Anders
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Series: Thrones & Bones #2

Hardcover, 352 pages
Publication: July 14, 2015 by Crown BFYR

Source: I received a review copy (arc) from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Karn Korlundsson is a gamer. "Not" a riddle solver. But in order to rescue his best friend, Thianna Frostborn, he will need to travel to the faraway city of Castlebriar (by wyvern), learn how to play a new board game called Charioteers (not a problem), decipher the Riddle of the Horn, and tangle with mysterious elves.

Meet Desstra. She's in training to join the Underhand--the elite agents of the dark elves. When she crosses paths with Karn, she is not all that she appears to be.

Everyone is chasing after the horn of Osius, an ancient artifact with the power to change the world. The lengths to which Karn will go in the name of friendship will be sorely tested. Who knew that solving a riddle could be so deadly?

Nightborn is the second installment in the Thrones & Bones series following Karn Korlundsson, a Norrøngard farmer and lover of board games, especially Thrones and Bones. Readers last left off with Karn and Thianna destroying the Horn of Osius, a magical horn crafted in Thica enabling the user to control all reptilian creatures such as snakes, wyverns and dragons. After the crazy adventure, Karn returned home to help with the family farm, while Thianna traveled east to see the world beyond Ymiria. But it turns out the horn they destroyed wasn’t the only one made, as there are two more out in the world hidden. Just as Karn is getting the hang of bartering he is summoned by Orm to help Thianna, who has gone missing during her quest to find the remaining Horns of Osius. In this latest sequel, there are new foes, unlikely alliances, and more action as readers’ tag-along with Karn on his newest adventure.

In the first book Anders introduced us to Frost Giants, Norrøngardians and the Undead Draugs. In Nightborn, Anders expands on his world building as we travel east towards new territories inhabited by elves, dwarves, gnomes, nomads, and other fantastical creatures that will surely delight and disgust you (ew, rodent people!). The dark elves played a big part in Nightborn, similar to how the frost giants were in the first book. And they happened to be the best part of the story! I was immediately hooked from the first page as Anders drops readers right into the fray as the dark elves are taking their final exam, using their cumulative knowledge and training in stealth, sabotage, combat, and strategy to win a coveted position in the Underhand, a elite organization only opened to the best of the best.

One of the first thing that intrigued me to this series was how the author incorporated a board game into the story. Karn used his knowledge of the game Thrones and Bones to strategize and outfox all his enemies in Frostborn. And once again readers are in for another treat, since Nightborn involves another game called Charioteers, from the lost Gordion Empire and a riddle which if solved, discloses the location of the Horn of Osius. Of the two, I really liked the riddle. It was fun seeing Karn solve each verse taking him a step closer and closer to the horn.

All in all, Nightborn is an excellent addition to the series. I enjoyed it way more than I expected and in my opinion it was just as good, if not better than the first book. Make sure you check out the extra goodies at the end; there’s a instruction for Charioteers, a handy glossary, excerpts for a riddle, song, History of Katernia, empires timelines and maps. I highly recommend Nightborn to everyone and can't wait to read the next book!

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Title: Gunmetal Magic
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels #5.5

Mass Market Paperback, 326 pages
Publication: July 31, 2012 by Ace

Source: Personal Library 

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After eviction from the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea is a wreck. She starts work for best pal PI Kate Daniels. Shapeshifters under Raphael Medrano — Clan Bouda male alpha, Andrea’s ex-lover — die suddenly at a dig site. With Raphael, she seeks killer in deep dark Atlanta. Her feelings for him may take a back seat to saving the world…

Bonus: Kate Daniels novella "Magic Gifts"

I’m behind on the Kate Daniels series and since I had a tiny break between review books, I thought I’d remedy the problem. While Gunmetal Magic isn’t really part of the series it’s still an in-between book since its label 5.5 and I usually don’t read books out of order if I can help it. Gunmetal Magic follows Andrea Nash, Kate’s best friend as she rediscovers herself after getting kicked out of The Guild. Readers will finally learn more about Andrea’s background, her upbringing and why she never embraced her beastkin side and why she never wanted to join the pack. And of course a little snake cult is trying to raise the God of Chaos.

Before reading this book, I read a couple of reviews for it…someone said Gunmetal Magic read just like a Kate Daniels novel if you swapped out Andrea/Raphael and replaced it with Kate/Curran; except you probably wouldn’t love Andrea/Raphael as much as Kate/Curran. Yup, true. While I loved Andrea and Raphael as supporting characters in the Kate Daniels series, seeing them in their own book I didn’t like them as much. Yes, I was laughing-out-loud at all the snarky dialogue and banter but I was just as much annoyed with Andrea and occasionally Raphael. 

Andrea has always been a stickler for rules but in Gunmetal Magic after embracing her beastkin side she started dressing differently and breaking rules left and right. I get it but it came across too attention needy, like she needed to prove herself. I’ve always seen Andrea as a kick-ass heroine but here…every thing she did it seemed like it was being done for show. Every stunt was like a giant flashing sign that said ‘Look at me! I’m not miss goody two-shoes anymore, I’m a badass bouda!’. It got old real fast. I mean, embracing it is fine but don't flaunt it (she was walking all over town in her beastkin form for the hell of it, I don't recall any shifters doing that). Then there was the whole Raphael situation. She was doing everything she could to get him back but when she found out he lied about something to make her jealous, to ‘punish’ her…she flipped out and said she didn’t want to be with him. I think when Andrea dropped Raphael with no explanation and made him think she dead was way worst. That’s just me. This book consisted of Andrea and Raphael running circles around each-other. They were dying to get back together but since their pride and ego were too big they spent 90% of the book beating around the bush, talking smack and tortuously flirting with one another. Honestly, if they just talked it out from the beginning the book would have been about 100 pages.

I also didn’t like the main plot. It was by no means terrible, it’s just I didn’t care for it. For example the big final scene with Anapa, clay Adep and the little cult, I was so bored I started to skim. I love Egyptian mythology, and initially thought it was cool how the authors incorporated it into the plot but as more was revealed I began to lose interest. It’s probably starting to sound like I dislike this book…but no there were some saving points! The three saving points are: Ascanio, pack lawyer Barabas and Roman (and tiny glimpses of Julie and Derek)! Remember when I said I was laughing-out-loud? Well the scenes/dialogue with these three were hilarious. I missed seeing Ascanio and who knew Barabas can be so funny? As for Roman, I haven’t read the Kate series for a couple of years and my memory is a bit foggy but I thought he was charming and funny…even when he wasn’t trying to be!

While I didn’t love Gunmetal Magic like I hoped I would, I still thought it was a good book. It was nice to learn more about Andrea and the pack…and seeing familiar faces. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in Kate’s world and it felt so good to be back. Now onward to the next Kate book!

The Big Fix by Linda Grimes

Title: The Big Fix
Author: Linda Grimes
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: In a Fix #3

Hardcover, 320 pages
Publication: May 12, 2015 by Tor Books

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Aura adaptor extraordinaire Ciel Halligan, who uses her chameleon-like abilities to fix her clients’ problems—as them—is filling in on set for action superstar Jackson Gunn, whose snake phobia is standing in the way of his completing his latest mega-millions Hollywood blockbuster. There’s only one thing Jack fears more than snakes, and that's the possibility of his fans finding out he screams at the sight of one. Going from hero to laughing stock isn’t part of his career plan.

Seems like a simple enough job to Ciel, who doesn’t particularly like snakes, but figures she can tolerate an afternoon with them, for the right price—which Jack is offering, and then some. What she doesn’t count on is finding out that while she was busy wrangling snakes for him, his wife was busy getting killed. When Ciel goes to break the sad news to the star, she finds out Jack was AWOL from her client hideaway at the time of the murder.

Ciel begins to suspect Jack’s phobia was phony, and that he only hired her to provide him with an alibi—but if she goes to the police, she’ll have to explain how she knows he wasn’t really on set. Up against a wall, Ciel calls on her best-friend-turned-love-interest Billy, and her not-so-ex-crush Mark, to help her set up the sting of a lifetime.

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since the last book in the series was published. I didn’t even realize the gap was that big. The Big Fix is the third installment in the ‘In a Fix’ series following Ciel, an aura adaptor and her friends and family. In The Big Fix, Grimes takes Ciel and the gang to Hollywood! Ciel’s latest job is to fill in for an actor who has a snake phobia. But the situation quickly goes south when the actor’s wife is found murdered and it is up to Ciel to clean up the mess and find the killer.

One of things that I loved about the last book, Quick Fix was the introduction to Ciel’s family. They were a fun quirky bunch! I was so ecstatic when The Big Fix turned out to be a family affair, readers will get to see more of Ciel’s family and also this time…Billy’s side of the family! There are a lot of adaptors in the family, so you know mischief and high-jinks ensues. Ciel always manages to find herself in dangerous and questionable situation, but I guess that’s part of the fun…to see her get into the mess and out of it herself. It's hysterical.

For those following this series, you know Ciel been dating Billy for a couple of months now. I love seeing their relationship develop, more so because they started as best friends/honorary cousins (but not really related!) in the beginning. Their relationship has really grown since we first met them. There are still a few bumps and kinks they’re working through but that’s part of all relationship. There was a small moment of a love-triangle with Ciel’s ex (or not ex) crush Mark. Okay, technically it wasn't a love-triangle since she IS with Billy but it looked like she had thoughts of straying for a second there! Something happens in the book, where Ciel made a colossal mistake, predictable, but I was still shocked it happened. But I also see why the author did that because Ciel, I think, knows now what she has with Billy is real and won’t have any more self doubts or questions about their relationship. I REALLY want their relationship to work, I love the two of them together…so I hope we'll see wedding bells in the future (please Mrs. Grimes make it happen)!

All in all, The Big Fix was an excellent addition to the series. If you haven’t read this series yet, you need to get on it A.S.A.P! If you’re looking for an original urban fantasy series without the plethora of supernatural beings, eccentric characters that will make you fall in love them and a book that will make you laugh till you cry then you definitely need to read this book/series! I hope we won’t have to wait another year and half till the next book because now that I re-familiarize myself with the world and characters…I don’t want it to end! Loved The Big Fix and I can’t recommend this series enough!