 Captivating and engaging from start to finish.
Blurb: “The year is 1304 A.D. in the Yorkshire area of England. King Dunstan reigns in Europe over the Kingdom of Misty Hill. The King’s castle stands large, beautiful and strong surrounded by large fences and all of his knights and their squires. Not far off from the castle lives the townspeople enclosed by the safety of the Northern Woods and the mystery of the Dark Woods to the South of the Castle. The story showcases a young squire named Jai and his best friend, the beautiful princess Amelie. As the story unfolds we follow both of them on their adventures from their secret meetings in the Northern Woods to their forbidden steps through the Dark Woods. Most especially, though, we follow Jai who quickly develops an unforeseen talent for seeing visions. As Jai and Amelie journey along their days, another kingdom from across the land arrives for The Medieval Games. As The Medieval Games begin, Jai uncovers secrets about the other kingdom to imply that they are more than what they seem - secrets that only he and Princess Amelie are privy to. What will they do with those secrets? What is the other kingdom really there for, if not for The Medieval Games? If he keeps secrets from the King will he risk his chance at knighthood?” This is a sweet and captivating story. The beautiful picturesque writing style is the key element to the plot. The events take place in the year was 1304 A.D. in the Yorkshire area of England. The main characters are squire Jai, a tall young man, and Lady Amelie, his best friend, and the beautiful Princess of the land, both about 18-years-old. As they are friends for many years, despite their difference in their noble status, the reader can easily predict and except them to be together in the future. But the story takes us in witnessing something even more special. “There was a strange yellow door that only Jai could see. A ray of light shot down through the treetops far above them and highlighted the door, standing in the dirt in the middle of the woods.” The visions bothered him because he knew he was the only one seeing them, he knew they were not real, yet he did not understand why he was seeing them. Jai’s vision isn’t something explainable at first but it will save the Kingdom. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep reader’s interest. The ending leaves you with answers and also questions that will make you eagerly expect the next book in the series. I warmly recommend. My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon
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 A great read, with fantastic and tensed fight scenes.
Blurb: “The most dangerous women in the world dare the most dangerous place in the world. The Shingora, a place known and dreaded by all, the name driving those who hear it to mutter prayers and make signs for protection. None who have gone to that island ever came back… until now. The trade guilds sent an expedition there, hoping to find a wellspring of natural resources. Only one man returned, his experience having reduced him to gibbering madness. Now the guilds are sending a new expedition, three hundred strong and armed for war, to learn the fate of the previous one and rescue the survivors… if there are any. Joining them are the Chosen sisters: Aleena Kurrin, the Battle Queen, gifted by the gods in war, and Baezha Ambrose, the Witch Queen, gifted by the gods in magic. Sworn to recover any survivors, they are joined by a host of new friends and brave an island teeming with bizarre creatures. And on the Shingora, everything kills. Yet an even darker discovery awaits them in the Shingora’s depths, an unnatural horror far worse than anything the island’s sinister reputation ever hinted at. And while immersed in all the island’s perils, a traitor threatens the company from within. With treacherous enemies at their backs and engulfed by a horde of abominations, the sisters will be tested as they’ve never been tested before… and even those Chosen by the gods have their breaking point.” Though listed as book 3 of the series Sisters of the Storm, this is a stand-alone novel. Packed with a great adventure, an almost impossible goal to achieve, a team of warriors, sorcerers, physicists, and a great dose of magic, this book is a ‘hell’ of a ride. The best people were carefully selected for a mission to the island Shingora, named also 'The eight hell' as no one ever returned alive from there. The offered payment was impressive as the job seemed a tough one. Will they succeed? Will they return to be actually paid or they will have the same destiny as anyone else that set foot on Shingora? The characters, the scenes, and all the descriptions are wonderfully done. There are two main characters: Baezha Ambrose, a gifted sorceress, and Aleena Kurrin, her adoptive sister, a gifted warrior. Beautiful, talented, gifted, intelligent, super-powerful and yet sensitive. The success of the missions depended a lot on them. They were soon the target of gossip and constant verbal and physical attack. Graff was the main reason behind. He was a guild member but paid by someone else to prevent the success of the mission as there were certain people that wanted things to stay unchanged on the island. In fantasy or real world, humans have the same characteristics and most of the time the good ones win. Despite the fact that a big part of the story is filled with action, magic, and alchemy I was pleasantly surprised seeing that the author tackled a bit of humor and lots of emotions too. I don’t want to reveal more as not to spoil the fun of reading. I do want to congratulate the author on his writing skills and abundant imagination. Quotes from this book: “Suggestion spells only work on minds susceptible to them,” Baezha said. “Any other mind would realize it when someone tried to use one on them. If you’re worried about me using one on you and Reegan, it’s obvious I haven’t.” “How?” Reegan demanded. “Because I would’ve suggested you and Graff make love before the main mast at mid-day, yowling like cats.” A few chuckles bubbled through the crowd.” “But I warn you now,” she said, her voice hardening, “do not mistake my patience for weakness. When my patience is spent, it is utterly spent. There will be no room for compromise or negotiation, I will accept no excuses or justifications from you, and whatever I do I will do with a clear conscience, because gods know I gave you plenty of opportunities to drop this and leave me in peace.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  Wonderfully written fantasy novel.
Blurb: “A human spirit banished to the body of a cat. Merliss has seen centuries of change, centuries of trouble. Something nasty has come through one of the ley gates. It walks upright. It talks. And it looks like an oversized cat, but as Merliss can attest, it doesn't smell like a cat. It's a cat sidhe on the hunt for slaves, anyone with opposable thumbs. Merliss travels to unknown territories to rescue a friend and encounters more trouble making her way home. The situation on the moors is far more dire than Merliss and her friends could have imagined.” Where can we find human spirits? In this fantasy paranormal adventure, they are in the bodies of animals and birds. The main protagonist is Merliss, a human spirit banished to the body of a cat. She, the cat, is supposed to be centuries old that she alone can’t remember anymore. Already from the beginning, we meet Saerwynn, Farland’s apprentice that she is yet to discover her gifts. The main problem is their encounter with a bad creature, a cat sidhe, a witch that shifted too many times into the shape of a cat. Not at all a regular cat. A mean, killer oversized cat. Merliss decides to go after the sidhe and save Saerwynn but she falls into several traps on the way, bordering with great dangers and we are yet to find if she survived. As the story unfolds we meet other characters too, animals or humans. The story is dark at moments. The descriptions of the places and the characters are wonderfully written. I may not be a big fan of fantasy but the author deserves my respect for his imagination and writing skills. Type of reader: Fans of fantasy adventures searching for something new. Quotes from this book: “Tell me. What do you profit from our bargain?” “Why, a friend,” said the pooka without a moment’s hesitation. “The value of a true friend exceeds their weight in gold or some such wisdom.” “I’ll owe you a favor,” said Saerwynn. “There will be no debts among friends. If you must think of my kindness as a transaction, consider it a favor to Merliss, first among felines of the moor.” “I believe your gifts will bring wisdom to your work. Time will answer. Patience before uncertainty is a hard lesson to learn. Let your gifts guide you in their own time.” “There are many kinds of fear. Sometimes it drives you to feats you didn’t think possible. Sometimes you cower behind it. Fear is natural. You cannot suppress it, but you must be the master of your fear. If it does not work for you, it will kill you.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  The constant fight between good and evil.
I love stories about good and evil despite the fact that the ending can be easily predicted. What I can't predict are the details in between. The novel starts with a mean child Monty and his bullying over Juan and other kids at school, and then we are soon taken 25 years into the future. Monty is the bad guy, Juan the good one. There is something missing though, and that is because of the way he was raised, Juan doesn't believe in God. But Easter is just around the corner and Juan gets asked by his brother-in-law to be the Easter Bunny at their kids’ party. Here the fun part begins or better said the rich imagination of the author is translated into words. Juan may have to wear that Bunny costume more than a day and his life seems to be ruined. The good things will start happening though only when he finally accepts God into his life. Sort of ‘everything happens for a reason’. Well, the book is not entirely positive as we have on the other side the bad Monty, the worst man possible. Not only he disrespects his father, but he is planning to take his place as the CEO of the company through some dirty work, not being afraid to hurt him to death. Luckily, his schemes end one day. Overall, I was lacking emotions, especially around Juan's relationships, felt like the pace of the story was too fast, and some things, especially related to Monty, were a bit exaggerated. But I did enjoy the story, the twists, and the final message. I encourage you to see for yourself. Quotes from this book: “People sometimes need to think there is something greater than them. It makes no sense, but if it makes people feel good, then that's fine.” “Who are you, really?” Then Juan looked closely into the man’s eyes and said, “Are you…?” “I AM,” the man replied before Juan could say another word. Juan’s grin was now a full-fledged smile. “You show up at the most unexpected times.” “I’m always here, Juan, everywhere. Just look into their eyes.” My rating: 3/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  This is such a great fantasy novel with a really nice flowing narrative, well-done descriptions of characters and places, and deep messages. Sienna, the main character, at the age of 5 was left without her parents and she never ceased to hope that one day she will find them. She is currently living with her adoptive parents and just about to graduate. Her life wasn’t easy and after, constantly placing her in difficult situations. For the past two years, she was forced to stay in a relationship with Jedd, a really dangerous and controlling abusive young man. At the begging, it wasn't clear why does she stay with Jedd and plays his game pretending that everything is fine when she detested him. Later on, everything became clear and made great sense. Sienna is native American but not at all a regular person. She is a “human dreamcatcher”. That is right. She perceives dreams differently than ordinary people. Was she from another planet? Does Earth have a sister planet called Navaeh? She was soon about to discover the answer to that question plus lots of other mind-blowing things and events. Even though she didn’t think she could love someone, the moment she managed to heal from the past, her heart was opened for someone that hopefully deserved her love. No matter how cliché it may sound, while on Neveah, Sienna fell in love with the prince of her dreams, the prince of Feardawn. Will she choose him or rather the good guy Darius? Did she manage to find her parents? You will have to discover on your own. The author surely has a buoyant imagination and gives enough details and explanations, nothing is too much, nothing is missed, just a perfect reading in the world of dreams with the message: "Believe in your dreams!"
Type of reader: Fantasy, fairy tale genre with the warning that the text contains certain elements of abuse and rape. My favorite quotes from this book (there were so many and it was so hard to choose): “As I wander further into the forest, twigs crunch beneath my bare feet and refreshing, cool air fills my lungs. I can always find peace when I am embraced by the mother of mothers: Nature.” “Let me start with saying that dreams are not mere dreams. They are an alternative reality, taking place in another dimension. This dimension, to be exact.” “Just as the grass, trees and flowers need rain to grow, we need sorrow to grow. Our tears are the very raindrops that transform our pain into sunflowers. Suffering is not a punishment, but a lesson to learn from.” “All of us hide behind walls,” Darius says, “whether they are mental, emotional, physical, or otherwise. But there is no wall that can keep you from attaining your greatness, Sienna." My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon |
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Message to you:In order to be a good writer, one has to read a lot. And I do and I love it....and I chose to share my readings with you. Feel free to share with me any of the books you have read or wrote, if I find them interesting I will add them to my list. I'll post my reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and all my social accounts. |
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