Review: The Dark World

****This book was received through Netgalley for an honest review.****

The Dark World (Dark World, book 1) by Cara Lynn Shultz

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Hardcover | Kindle
Goodreads: The Dark World (1)

Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.

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Review:

The Dark World was such a rush while I was reading it. Then after about a week from frantically finishing it, reality sunk in. The Dark World doesn't really have anything new to offer. And when I first started reading it I had thought to myself, “Oh, kind of like a rip off of the Greywalker series.” Where the main character dies and comes back with the ability to see ghosts and a connection to the Grey world. Yet . . . The Dark World was exactly what I needed it to be with just enough new.

First off no love triangle. Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you!! Which is probably why I was so carried away with the romance! No stupid lead choices on who she should love. There's actual build-up!! Yes, no insta-love. There's actually time for Paige to develop feelings! While The Dark World isn't brave enough to wait and build-up into the next book, it's still a good step for the genre.

Paige is a strong character and while it's a normal plot for someone who can now see ghosts, I'm still satisfied. She had her fall into what she believed was madness, and then coped. She became stronger, and I love how Schultz wrote her flawed and relatable. Meaning Paige does have a personality! Once she realizes what is happening she even takes actions to become stronger and to preserve her life. Bravo.

The Dark World introduces readers to a slightly new twist on demons and their world, blending in the human world and magic users. Up front I will say it's pretty cliché for the genre. Paige is the “crazy” girl, her only friend is a ghost (Dottie who you have to meet!!!), falls for the demon slayer, is suddenly pulled into a world she's been trying to ignore, hunted, and blah-blah. Sometimes cliché is where the fun is. Because of decent world building and likable characters and humor this book was a hit with me. While it sucked me in immediately, readers my want to prepare to be bored for the first few chapters. Once things get rolling, it's all good.

Sexual Content: Kissing, clean make outs, sexual humor, and honestly it’s all really clean.

 
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
The Dark World (1) Untitled (2)	The Dark World (1) Untitled (2)	The Dark World (1) Untitled (2)

Wednesday Wishes

I’m on my Star Wars binge still. I wrapped up the original trilogy! It was so fun! Forgot how much I love Harrison Ford. Which prompted me to finally hunt down a copy of Blade Runner.

Anwho rambling cut short. I watched Episode One. Confession . . . . I still like it. It’s not that bad.

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Dreamfire by Kit Alloway

Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Series: N/A

Joshlyn Weaver has always lived with a big secret. Ordinary kids spend their free time going to the movies, hanging out with friends, and searching on the internet.

But for her, an evening at home usually means entering people's dreams. For many generations, her family has been part of a very powerful and very secretive society of dream walkers. Tasked with the responsibility of lowering the world's general anxiety — which only leads to war and strife in the waking world — their job has always been to stop nightmares before they go too far.
By stopping nightmares while sleeping, they help to stop nightmares in real life.

But when an ancient feud within the dream walker society resurfaces right when a seemingly unconnected series of very strange and very scary events start occurring during her dream walks, Josh finds herself in a race against time. The one true dream walker has never been known. Could she be the one?

The books about people with dream powers have bored me. And I keep avoiding all the ones people say are great for fear of being disappointed. Because the ones I had been recommended have been bad.

But I can’t stop adding them.

A Kiss Before the Apocalypse by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Remy Chandler, book 1

Boston P.I. Remy Chandler has many talents. He can will himself invisible, he can speak and understand any foreign language (including the language of animals), and if he listens carefully, he can hear thoughts. Unusual, to say the least, for an ordinary man.

But Remy is no ordinary man; he's an angel. Generations ago, he chose to renounce heaven and live on Earth. He's found a place among us ordinary humans; friendship, a job he's good at, and love.

Now he is being drawn into a case with strong ties to his angelic past. The Angel of Death has gone missing, and Remy's former colleagues have come to him for help. But what at first seems to be about tracing a missing person turns out to involve much more; a conspiracy that has as its goal the destruction of the human race.

Only Remy Chandler, formerly known as the angel Remiel, can stop it.

For some reason this has never been on my my future purchases list. But I keep hearing good things about this series.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: N/A

Naomi Novik, author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Temeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale.

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

Again I own the other works by this author but I have to try them out! This sounds amazing and I love that the series has dragons again!

Review: The Queen’s Army

The Queen’s Army (The Lunar Chronicles, book 1.5) by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
(Dystopian)
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: The Queen's Army (1)

It is time. The boy must leave his family to serve in the Queen's army. To be chosen is an honor. To decline is impossible. The boy is modified. He is trained for several years, and learns to fight to the death. He proves to the Queen—and to himself—that he is capable of evil. He is just the kind of soldier the Queen wants: the alpha of his pack.

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Review:

What a fantastic short! Again I had issues with the lack of building the world. Finally readers get a glimpse of life on the moon, and it's left to the readers imagination. Ugh! I know it's a short, but this is foreshadowing for future books. Is nothing going to be expanded on? Nothing fleshed out. Meyer has a great world/universe here. Yet, it's all left to the reader to do the heavy lifting.

Anywho I like his introduction to the Queen's Army. How even her people are easily mind controlled into doing what she wants. That the Queen does not want subjects, she wants mindless bodies to do her bidding. Which makes me wonder who will be left to worship her? Besides her main flunkies. Which now that I think about it is probably enough for her.

It's brutal, scary, and is a fantastic setup for Scarlet. And having now started Scarlet it's a solid setup into meeting a new character. Probably giving readers a huge help in liking the character so much more and developing him.

In the end this is a short you don't want to miss. It introduces new characters and helps flesh them out pre-Scarlet. While I find this annoying because if you don't like tracking down all the shorts (some of them being wastes) you might miss on a story that helps develop the actual series. It gives readers our first official glimpse at life on the moon, even if it isn't developed fully.

Sexual Content: Clean on this front.

 
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
Glitches (0.5) The Little Android (0.6) Cinder (1) The Queen’s Army (1.5) Scarlet (2) Cress (3) Fairest (3.5) The Princes and the Guard (3.6) Winter (4)	Glitches (0.5) The Little Android (0.6) Cinder (1) The Queen’s Army (1.5) Scarlet (2) Cress (3) Fairest (3.5) The Princes and the Guard (3.6) Winter (4)	Glitches (0.5) The Little Android (0.6) Cinder (1) The Queen’s Army (1.5) Scarlet (2) Cress (3) Fairest (3.5) The Princes and the Guard (3.6) Winter (4)

Cover Coveting(11)

 
Cover art is found from Wicked Scribes, ATUF, Goodreads, social networks, and other sources.
***All cover art may not be final.***

Really had to hunt and peck for covers this week. However, I found some gems! Especially for certain Jay Kristoff book . . .

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A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: Cool cover. No blood, but the glitter  is pretty nifty. Yeah, I can see this as a fairy book. Plus, the person on the cover doesn’t look warped or weird.

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: The thorns speak of fairytale, but the style of the lady screams . . . contemporary.  But she matches the thorns. I feel torn. I like what they’re trying to do, but it doesn’t work well for me.

Becoming Darkness by Lindsay Francis Brambles

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Dystopian  Shera’s thoughts: Ooooooooo. I totally see what they’re trying to do with that strip of red. Because they definitely can’t go full blown swastika.  I like it. It ties in with the alternative history. Or, maybe I’m putting too much thought into it.

Burned by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Dragons of Eternity, book 1  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Well it’s not bad. Not great. For a self pub cover is definitely pretty good. It looks like a PNR cover and the dragon clues readers in. Awesome.

Conspiracy of Angels by Michelle Belanger

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Shadowside, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: An adult Angel book? This excites me! Though I feel like the cover is trying to trick readers. Besides glowing light there’s nothing to indicate that it’s an Angel book on the cover. It’s in the title I know, but I do think it’s a smart move. Readers either love or hate angel books by now. I’m hoping this is really a Urban Fantasy. Love the cover.

Dawn of the Flame Sea by Jean Johnson

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Flame of Seas, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance (Romantic Fantasy) Shera’s thoughts: OK, I like what they were going for. But the longer I stare at it it looks so tacky. Hmmm.

Half a War by Joe Abercrombie

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Shattered Sea, book 3 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: young Adult Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! The weapons coming out of the flames is perfection! Way to keep every cover so clever and amazing. Bravo! Bravo!

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and jay Kristoff

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Illuminae Files, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction Shera’s thoughts: Hmmm. Both authors have such amazing covers for their other books. I was expecting more. (And it doesn’t say anything about this not being the official cover.) But I really do like it. What an interesting color choice. I love the clouds and stars. Plus all the type being “scraped” out of the sky is so cool. Love it!

Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Innkeeper Chronicles, book 2 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy (Sci-Fi) Shera’s thoughts: (Still no official release date, just “2015”. Gosh I want this so bad!) Ahhhh! Love it!!! What a different look from the last cover. But it still fits! I adore this one! It’s so illuminating! (Crap I’m gonna have to cave and read it online.)

The Killing Jar by Jennifer Bosworth

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Shera’s thoughts: Not sure if this is Paranormal or Dystopian. But it could fit either. Love that these are moths on the cover! They’re so simple, but beautiful! Overall this cover enchants me and I love the typography! Well done! Though I’m wondering what’s going on with her hand and hair?

The Geomancer by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Vampire Empire, book 4 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Steampunk Shera’s thoughts: Another solid cover! Love it! Though I had no idea that this series was going past book 3! Last I heard it was the final one. So when I saw the “A Gareth and Adele Novel” on there I thought maybe they were new characters telling the story, but still in the Vampire Empire verse. (Yeah, I haven’t read them yet. Gareth and Adele are the leads.) I hate it when a series tries to update it’s name midway. Not sure if they’re trying to change it. But adding that extra bit seems silly and makes the cover more cluttered.

Cover Coveting(8)

 
Cover art is found from Wicked Scribes, ATUF, Goodreads, social networks, and other sources.
***All cover art may not be final.***

It’s so wonderful to see more authors turning to science fiction and high fantasy! I was be moaning not too long ago how favorite paranormal writers seemed to be switching to paranormal romance and less seemed to be sticking to urban fantasy.

It feels so much better to see all these yummy sci-fi and high fantasy!

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A Silver Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Heart of the Wolf, book 17 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Fits the series well.

Blood Call by Lilith Saintcrow

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: There’s something about covers with cityscapes like this that just capture my attention. Especially when it’s fading or doing something interesting. In this case the cityscape is turning into blood! Not sure what’s happening on the left side that’s dark, but really cool. This is supposed to be a new series.

Illuminate by Tracy Clark

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Light Key Trilogy, book 3 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: Well this is better then the last cover. Still don’t like it. Is that a hole on her butt pocket?

Nevermore by Rob Thurman

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Cal Leandros, book 10 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: My world is a better place now that this cover has finally been released. Fits the series so well and I love the grit! That bloody handprint on the window back there! Wow!

Shades of Treason by Sandy Williams

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Anomaly, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Science Fiction Shera’s thoughts: How fascinating that an Urban Fantasy author is making a jump to science fiction! I love it! This cover is totally awesome! Ah! It makes my sci-fi heart swell with pride!

Shadow’s End by Thea Harrison

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Elder Races, book 9 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Well it’s a better cover for the series. And I love the undone suit look. Sexy. But there’s still something soooooo fake about the guy on this cover.

Starflight by Melissa Landers

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Starflight, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction Shera’s thoughts: The spaceship trail looks really fairytale-ish. Not spacey. If you know what I mean. However, I still adore this cover! How exciting to see this author starting up a new sci-fi series.

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Witchlands, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!!! Sweet bookness yes! What a fantastic cloak cover. Especially with that ship hiding in the background. Ah!! The magic floating water and the sword just feeds my wants!

Review: The Little Android

The Little Android (The Lunar Chronicles, book 0.6) by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
(Dystopian)
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: The Little Android (.6)

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles by New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

When android Mech6.0 saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her body is destroyed and her mechanics discover a glitch in her programming. Androids aren’t meant to develop impractical reasoning or near-emotional responses…let alone fall in love.

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Review:

This was amazing! Again I have my fears about Meyers lack of development as to what the people and environment look like. Basic fleshing out. I'll admit that it is a step up from both Glitches and Cinder.

At first I thought this was Iko's story. Nope. This is about Mecha6.0, who I hope will show up in later books. Or I wonder if other characters from this short will. Either way I adored it.

The story is riveting and it's always a sci-fi favorite of mine. Can artificial intelligence become human. What gives a human the right to deny said AI life because it has evolved. This is a sweet love story. A love triangle to be exact. It shows that a machine can even achieve truer emotions than most humans. The ability to sacrifice for the one they love.

Unlike Glitches I highly recommend checking out this one! A brilliant short in the same universe as Cinder. There's even a cameo with THE Cinder making an appearance. If you want to be moved and your mind given a tickle try this out! This short brings up many interesting questions about humanity and love.

Sexual Content: Kissing, talk of escort droids, and overall pretty clean. Some mild jealousy accompanied by some wicked thoughts.

 
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
Glitches (0.5) The Little Android (0.6) Cinder (1) The Queen’s Army (1.5) Scarlet (2) Cress (3) Fairest (3.5) The Princes and the Guard (3.6) Winter (4)	Glitches (0.5) The Little Android (0.6) Cinder (1) The Queen’s Army (1.5) Scarlet (2) Cress (3) Fairest (3.5) The Princes and the Guard (3.6) Winter (4)	Glitches (0.5) The Little Android (0.6) Cinder (1) The Queen’s Army (1.5) Scarlet (2) Cress (3) Fairest (3.5) The Princes and the Guard (3.6) Winter (4)

Star Wars: The Passion Ignited!

As I mentioned yesterday, all the Star Wars action going on has sparked my love for the series again!

However, I’ve found out some of my friends were unaware. So now I’m spreading the trailer love here.

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Here’s the first trailer that dropped last year in November.

Good teaser. But the most recent one is what really sparks up my passion.

The best part is that at the Star Wars Celebration it was announced that there will be more females in the franchise. Kathleen Kennedy made a point of saying that females will have a bigger, and better, roles in the Star Wars verse. Cause let’s be honest not every girl watching identified or cared for Princess Leia or Queen Amidala. Personally I didn’t get Leia until I was older. Even then I’d still choose to be Han Solo on the playground.

So more female characters! Maybe actual warriors, with actual story time? Even villains?

It’s no secret that I left a lot of old school high fantasy authors behind because I got bored of their all male casts and damsels. So to see a franchise I love finally have some decent female characters? I’m there.