The Jewel by Amy Ewing# Review

Title: The Jewel

Author: Amy Ewing

Series: The Loan City #1

Publisher: Walker books

Source: Ibooks

Release Date: 21 August 2014

Buy Now:

IBooks: Currently Free at time of Posting

Amazon currently Free at time of Posting

Goodreads

Violet Lasting is no longer a human being. Tomorrow she becomes Lot 197, auctioned to the highest royal bidder in the Jewel of the Lone City. Tomorrow she becomes the Surrogate of the House of the Lake, her sole purpose to produce a healthy heir for the Duchess. Imprisoned in the opulent cage of the palace, Violet learns the brutal ways of the Jewel, where the royal women compete to secure their bloodline and the surrogates are treated as disposable commodities. Destined to carry the child of a woman she despises, Violet enters a living death of captivity – until she sets eyes on Ash Lockwood, the royal Companion. Compelled towards each other by a reckless, clandestine passion, Violet and Ash dance like puppets in a deadly game of court politics, until they become each other’s jeopardy – and salvation.

 

My Thoughts

 

 

 

 

The Cover: The cover drew my attention, the girl in the ball gown really reminded me of The Selection series, but it was beautiful enough for me to read the Synopsis. The Synopsis: What more could you want from a book? illicit affair, star crossed lovers, glitz and glam, Handmaids tale and the selection all rolled into one. It had me so I brought it on Ibooks. The Story: Violet has grown up in the marshes, the poor part of her “country” but for some reason the royal families in the Jewel “The elite families” Can no longer have children, so they test children from the poorer areas for signs that they have powers called Auguries. These special children are then locked away in holding facilities until they come of age and then they are auctioned off to the rich so they can be come surrogates, the girls don’t get a choice in this life and some are horribly treated at the hands of the families. My Review: Yes pretty glittery dystopians have been done to death lately, but Amy Ewing brings a new gust of life into the genre, Amy doesn’t really focus on the growing up part of Violets life as most do, although she is upset to leave her family. Violet is thrown into the glittery world of The Jewel, world of wealth and excess and horrible people. Violet grows up knowing that she is special and will become the surrogate of the royals, so it is no surprise, what is a surprise is that some of the surrogates start to die, because the royals are jealous or just vicious. Through little acts of rebellion Violet becomes noticed, she is told that she can be saved but she must fake her death, but during her time as a surrogate she falls in love, This part of the story would have been nice to do more in depth as we didn’t really get a chance to have a strong attachment to Ash, the lover. I really enjoyed the book, more love would have been nice, Violet is a great heroine that is the right mix of rebellious and submissive. I highly recommend this book, it ended on a cliffhanger so I am hanging out for the next book.

 

The Last Girl by Joe Hart # Review

Title: The Last Girl

Author: Joe Hart

Series: The Dominion Trilogy #1

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Source: Supplied by Netgalley

Release Date: March 1 2016

Buy Now:

Amazon currently priced at $6.49

Goodreads

A mysterious worldwide epidemic reduces the birthrate of female infants from 50 percent to less than 1 percent. Medical science and governments around the world scramble in an effort to solve the problem, but twenty-five years later there is no cure, and an entire generation grows up with a population of fewer than a thousand women.

Zoey and some of the surviving young women are housed in a scientific research compound dedicated to determining the cause. For two decades, she’s been isolated from her family, treated as a test subject, and locked away—told only that the virus has wiped out the rest of the world’s population.

Captivity is the only life Zoey has ever known, and escaping her heavily armed captors is no easy task, but she’s determined to leave before she is subjected to the next round of tests…a program that no other woman has ever returned from. Even if she’s successful, Zoey has no idea what she’ll encounter in the strange new world beyond the facility’s walls. Winning her freedom will take brutality she never imagined she possessed, as well as all her strength and cunning—but Zoey is ready for war.

 

My Thoughts

 

 

The synopsis of this book really drew me in as well as the cover, I am a sucker for a good dystopian, unfortunately it kind of fell flat for me, although I still found the book enjoyable it is not going to stick too much in my head, it is kind of a read it and forget it kind of deal, well at least until the next book comes out.

Joe Hart has created a world where female babies have stopped being born, any girl babies that are born are taken in and brought up by the government in an institution. our Heroine Zoey has been taken from her family and raised with the other last females, everything is fine until zoey starts questioning what they are really there for and why can’t they be part of the outside world.

 

 

 

 

Menagerie by Rachel Vincent #review

Title: Menagerie

Author: Rachel Vincent

Series: Menagerie 1

Publisher: Harlequin

Source: Supplied by publisher

Release Date: September 29 2015

Goodreads

From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent comes a richly imagined, provocative new series set in the dark mythology of the Menagerie…

When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger’s Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she’s forced to “perform” in town after town.

But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other “attractions”—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she’ll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

Renowned author Rachel Vincent weaves an intoxicating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity in this intricately woven and powerful tale

My Thoughts

To me anything written by Rachel Vincent is pure gold, I have never read a book of hers that I did not thoroughly enjoy, I must admit I could not put this book down.

Delilah has a great life she has a wonderful mother, a good job, excellent boyfriend and a best friend that has been there for years, until the night her boyfriend decides to splash out on horribly expensive tickets to the travelling Menagerie, things go horribly wrong for Delilah when she sees a handler torturing a young werewolf child to  get her to perform, it flips a switch in Delilah and she strikes out with a power that she did not know she possessed.

Now instead of watching from the outside Delilah is watching from the inside as a Cryptid (mythical monster) while they determine what she is, with no idea how to turn on her powers and watching the other cryptids be humiliated and tortured day in and day out Delilah must find a way to not only protect herself but those around her.

The Menagerie world is so beautifully written you are transported to a world that has mythological beings, although these beings have been stripped of their rights and used and abused by humans, after an event that is slowly unravelled to us as the book progresses.  I would absolutely love a prequel to get more information about the history of the book.

This book is hard to put in a genre, fantasy yes, little bit dystopia and Adult literature, Ms Vincent has made a beautifully smooth transition between Y.A and Adult that makes this book so enjoyable.

I love that even though Delilah is being tortured, abused, beaten and starved she stays herself and doesn’t break, she is strong and powerful she just needs to find her voice.

I extremely recommend this book for anyone who is a Rachel Vincent fan and anyone in general that wants to take part of an amazing fantasy ride that will have you gripping the edge of your seat.

*It seems I made a embarrassing mistake in my review in mentioning that Rachel has just moved into adult writing, which is of course not true, silly me, sorry Rachel, I have removed this part of my review.

The Harvesting Melanie Karsak #review

 

Title: The Harvesting

Author: Melanie Karsak

Series: The Harvesting

Publisher: clockpunk press

Source: Brought

Release Date: 2014

Buy Now:

Amazon

Goodreads

“The world, it seemed, had gone silent. It was something we knew but did not talk about. We were alone.”

While Layla Petrovich returns home to rural Hamletville after a desperate call from her psychic grandmother, she never could have anticipated the horror of what Grandma Petrovich has foreseen. The residents of Hamletville will need Layla’s cool head, fast blade and itchy trigger finger to survive the undead apocalypse that’s upon them. But even that may not be enough. With mankind silenced, it soon becomes apparent that we were never alone. As the beings living on the fringe seek power, Layla must find a way to protect the ones she loves or all humanity may be lost.

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up undead!

My Thoughts

 

 

This book is really a Gem, I was not expecting this book to be as wonderful as it was. I could not put it down. The Author Melanie Karsak, really mixes it up in regards to genres and creatures, It is a wonderful mix between apocalypse fiction, fantasy and a hint of romance. As scary as that sounds Karsak was completely able to pull it off, with no dramas. I loved how the book kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing at the plot twists.

I highly recommend this book and looking forward to reading more of Karsak’s books.

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard #Review

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Source:  Publisher

Release Date: February 10th 2015

Buy Now:

Amazon

Goodreads

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

My Thoughts

This book was Amazing!! I could not put it down, and after being in a reading slump this is just what I needed to get reading again.  Red Queen first of all the cover oh my god I did not even read the blurb first I just had to have it, so simple and clean but gets the message across wonderfully.

I would recommend Red Queen to anyone that enjoys The Hunger Games and the Selection novels.  The people are segregated into two groups the silvers which are determined by their blood, it is coloured silver and they have magical abilities, and the Reds which the people bleed red and are used as the workers, common people and slaves. The usual story in a dystopian, but except for Mare who is a red born and bred, but has magical abilities that she can not control, she is so special that the Elites pretend that she is one of them, but we all know that you cannot pretend to be someone you are not forever.

Red queen is a struggle for power between those who have it and those who don’t but also a struggle to right wrongs and make the reds equals. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait for the next instalment to be released, do your self a favour and click the Amazon link above and get this incredible book.

 

 

In the End by Demitria Lunetta #review

 

Title: In the End

Author: Demitria Lunetta

Series: In The After #2

Publisher: Harper Teen

Source: Brought

Release Date:June 24th 2014

Buy Now:

Amazon

Goodreads

She thought it was the end of the world… But it was only the beginning of the end.

It’s been three months since Amy escaped New Hope. Since she’s seen Baby, or Kay, or Rice. And she’s been surviving on her own, like she did before she was “rescued” and taken to what she thought was a safe haven. Then, in the midst of foraging for supplies, her former fellow Guardian’s voice rings out in her earpiece. And in a desperate tone, Kay utters the four words Any had hoped she would never hear:

Dr. Reynolds has Baby.

Now it’s a race against time, for Baby is in imminent danger, her life threatened by the malevolent doctor who had helped start the end of the world. In order to save Baby, Amy will have to make her way to Fort Black, a former prison-turned-survivor colony. There she will need to find Ken—Kay’s brother—for he holds the key to Baby’s survival.

But before she can do any of this, she’ll have to endure the darkest places—and people—of the prison. And one small slip-up could not only cost Baby and Amy their lives, but threaten the survival of he people in the After.

Demitria Lunetta has created an utterly compelling conclusion to the story she set forth in In the After. Readers of the Hunger Games trilogy will not be able to pit down this book, which is gripping from beginning to end.

My Thoughts

Such an amazing end, to bad In the After is only a duology and not a trilogy or even more I really think that this world could have a lot of potential, I loved this series and hope that spin off’s will be made.

Amy has escaped New hope and is back to surviving on her own, I really feel for her with this because even though she was surviving on her own before baby, being separated is terrible, Amy finds out that Baby has been taken by  The horrible Dr Reynolds and is “testing” her.  The horror of knowing what this evil man is capable of and now has innocent Baby really makes your blood boil, but it gives Amy a new mission. To save Baby.

Amy makes her way to Fort black to find Kay’s brother who may be able to help her save Baby.  Fort Black is like a slap in the face for Amy, after surviving on her own for so long, in Fort black life is pretty much Anarchy, to survive untouched Amy meets a guy called Jacks who will help her find Ken, but first in order to save Baby and survive Fort Black she must give herself to Jacks and let him own her, as are the rules in Fort Black.

Lunetta paints such a vivid picture in her writing from the pristine, regulated New Hope to the Anarchy and Mayhem of Fort Black you get to see the worst and best of human kind in a crisis and the different ways they adapt to survive.

Amy is such a strong character that I loved seeing her have to live under the rule of a man owning her, it was a great seeing her interactions with Jacks and the other characters that are owned in Fort black.

All up I Love the whole In the After Series, but I want more!  please make some spin-offs, I could not put it down and highly recommend the series.

Previous Books:

 

Scorched by Erica Hayes #review

Title: Scorched

Author: Erica Hayes

Series: Scorched #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Source: With thanks from Netgalley and publisher

Release Date:  May 22 2014

Add to Goodreads

Buy from Amazon

The Synopsis

In a world where everyone wears a mask, you can’t trust anyone… not even yourself.

Verity Fortune was once Sapphire City’s top crime-fighter, wielding her powers of telekinesis to battle the city’s most despicable villains. Now, she’s consumed by a single burning desire: revenge. Against those who took away her mask, her memory, and nearly her life.

Having escaped from the asylum they left her to rot in, Verity dons her mask once again and becomes the Seeker, a vigilante warrior for truth.

But when she unwittingly uncovers an evil conspiracy deep within her own family, she’s suddenly on the run, alone and hunted by those she thought were on her side…

My Thoughts

 

 

Scorched is an Urban Fantasy, that centers on the whole Good vs Evil plot line,  however when everyone wears a mask, how do you know who is good and who is evil.

We meet Verity in a mental Institution undergoing test/torture treatment, After she manages to escape she goes to her family for help where she finds that nothing is like she remembers.  Her father who owns a multimillionaire dollar company, is dead and in his place her uptight sister is now head of the company and running for Mayor.  Their company however is just a front for their hidden talents, they are a crime  fighting family, who wear costumes and keep their town safe.

Since Verity has been missing, Law and order has gone down the drain, with the Super Villains Razor fire and the Gallery taking over and making everyone’s life hell.  Verity can’t just sit and watch everything her family has worked for go to hell so she decides to go against her family and go after the villains.

At the beginning of Scorched I felt a bit lost it was like I was picking up the second book of the series, as it just jumps straight into the story, after I worked out what was going on I was hooked, Verity has no Idea who she can trust after someone betrays her and lets the hospital know where she is after she goes to her family for help. Verity has nothing, the clothes on her back no money nowhere to go but she can’t stay with her family where it is not safe.

I love how it is not a straight up and down Good Vs Evil fight, that it shows just what humans are capable of and that anyone can be hiding a bad side. Scorched really kept me in suspense because even though you think the plot would be predictable it really isn’t, It is enough to keep you turning page after page.

The secondary characters are just as dimensional as the main characters, I particularly liked Glimmer, her accomplice and friend/love interest, he is there for her when she can’t trust anyone and he wants to destroy Razor fire the bad guy just as bad as what Verity does.  He helps her to discover who is the bad guys and who are the good guys.

Everyone has their own special powers, and as geeky as that sounds it is not like a comic book. I would compare it more to a show like Arrow where the heroes are not stuffy stuck up snobs and the bad guys are the ugly twisted creatures.  Both good guys and bad guys are normal people with special powers, that also manage to hide themselves well to fit in with society. Scorched also has a more updated feel to it with the use of technology to track people and the use of weapons. 

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys watching Arrow or Lost girl, I am not sure about any books that it may compare to since I have never read ones like it. So if you have any recommendations let me know.

 

Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson #review

Title: Reckoning

Author: Kerry Wilkinson

Series: Silver Blackthorne #1

Publisher: St Martins Press

Source: With thanks from Netgalley and publisher

Release Date:  July 1 2014

Add to Goodreads

Buy from Amazon

The Synopsis

One girl. One chance. One destiny.

In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorne takes the Reckoning. This coming-of- age test not only decides her place in society – Elite, Member, Inter or Trog – but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King Victor.But these are uncertain times and no one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide?Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out . . . The heart-stopping first book in a new trilogy by UK author Kerry Wilkinson,Reckoning is the story of one girl’s determination to escape the whims of a cruel king, and what she must do to survive against all odds

My Thoughts

 

 

Reckoning is a cross between Divergent and The Selection,  In other reviews I have seen it compared with the Hunger Games but I really don’t get that connection.  Once a Child turns sixteen they have to undertake a test called Reckoning, where depending on the outcome of the results, The Teens will be placed in different Social Groups that Comprise of: Elite, Member, Inter or Trog.  Silver has always been fascinated with technology and where she lives there is a technological wasteland just past her town, where she loves to scavenge for old outdated pieces of technology and make them run or pull apart her technology pieces and tweak them.  She considers cheating for the test, but the King does not look down favorably if a cheat is caught and the consequences are not worth the risk.

Each year Thirteen Teens are chosen to be offerings to the King, this is highly sought after position as the families will be offered a large compensation for their child being an offering, the catch? no offering is ever seen again.

Silver is chosen as an Offering to the King her mother gives her a special dress to wear and tearfully tells her goodbye.  Silver from the start sets her self apart from the other offerings, growing up surrounded by boys, she is tough and knows how to look after herself, after a bunch of higher up offerings start teasing a Trog on the train, Silver steps in to protect him, which makes her the outcast from all the other offerings from her area.  To me though this just gives the impression that she is a Tough chick that won’t take shit from anyone, but has a heart of gold to step in and protect someone who is classed lower in society to her.

The world building is great, set in the UK, The King is seen as a savior and loving King to the public, but once the offerings turn up to the Castle they find that he is nothing like he is portrayed on T.V.  Fair warning this becomes a violent battle for survival for the offerings, including rape, violence and torture.   Although I would not say that it is in league with The hunger Games, It is more psychological, where especially the rape is hinted at but not graphically talked about which I really appreciated.

The only part I disliked about the Story line was that it was a little too predictable, not so much that it was hugely detrimental to the story but sometimes I got frustrated with it.  I do belive though that the small twists and turns that are thrown in, as well as the growth of the Teenagers really bring something special to the story.  I loved seeing how Elite offerings thought of themselves better than everyone else, began to work together with those lower caste than them to aid everyone is survival.

The romance was a little flaky though to be honest, although I could see the stress of the situation would lead to wanting comfort, especially when you don’t think you will survive, I think that Silver had a lot more to think about than romantic intentions when her life and possibly everyone she loves lives are on the line.

All up I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Y.A dystopian Genre, although the story line was a little tired it still had enough emotions, thrills and action to keep you keen to see it through. I can’t wait for the next Installment.

 

Kahayatle by Elle Casey #review

Title: Kahaytle

Author: Elle Casey

Series: Apocalypsis

Publisher: Independant

Source: Netgalley as part as a Anthology

Release Date:  June 25 2012

Add to Goodreads

The Synopsis

My name’s Bryn Mathis. I’m seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I live alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I’m almost out of food and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day. 

It’s time for me to leave and find another place to live … a place where I can find food and shelter … a place where they won’t be able to find me. 

Alone, it might have been possible; but now I’ve got company. I’m worried that I don’t have what it takes to get from here to my final destination. 

And I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there

My Thoughts

 

 

Bryn never took her dad seriously when he was prepping and training her for the end of the world, now she will never get the chance to thank him.  A virus has wiped out anyone over the age of puberty in the world.  Children are left to fend for themselves, Once the food runs out, they have no means of survival, except for viscous gangs of children who survive by catching weaker children and resorting to cannibalism.

After these gangs arrive in Bryns town, she decides it is time to go, along with a neighbor that she has reluctantly picked up they will undertake a huge journey to the Everglades where they are hoping that the gangs will stay in towns, and away from the swampy land of the Everglades.

At times Kahaytle is terrifying, funny, and thought provoking , in a unique world where children have to survive without adults to look after them, cook for them love them and teach them right from wrong.  It will leave you on the edge of your seat wanting more I highly recommend this book.

Enmity by E.J Andrews Blog tour Guest Post and Review

Welcome to my tour stop for Enmity a Y.A Dystopia story told from a different perspective I enjoyed this story and was lucky to have Author E.J Andrews write a guest post about her favourite scene to write in Enmity so kick back, read and enjoy.

Guest Post by E.J Andrews

My Favourite Scene to Write

My favourite scene to write was probably the introduction between Hermia and Chase. I enjoyed writing their confusion; Hermia’s panic; and, Chase’s amusement in her hysterical behaviour – but he tries to introduce himself regardless.
“All I see is the plain grey uniform they all wear and I panic, moving backwards hastily like a deranged person running from a demon.
‘Hi.’ I hear just one small word exit his mouth.
He looks quite confused at me trying to escape while still facing him. We are now at least five or six feet apart.
‘What are you doing?’ is all I can think to ask, though it’s more an accusation than a question.
I actually get a look at the guy, and he can’t be much older than me, a year at most I would say. His eyes, they are most striking, but I have no idea why. I don’t usually like brown eyes, but his are so deep they seem profound.
‘I was just introducing myself, I heard that was polite?’”
Chase never had any interest in the adolescents that were brought to the Compound; he continued his routine as normal while his brother and friends became their Keepers to assist with Darria’s plan to train them.
Hermia, on the other hand, hates everything to do with the Compound and its Keepers and its creepy homeliness. But when Hermia meets Chase she seems to forget all that and all she sees is the challenge that Chase is setting before her – to catch him.
I enjoyed writing this scene because it was one of the first I actually came up with once I had started writing Enmity. As soon as I imagined Hermia and Chase meeting in my mind it was such a rush of adrenaline and excitement to put it down into words. The first meeting between two strangers can foreshadow how their whole relationship will evolve – with Chase and Hermia their initial meeting sets up that their relationship will be anything but simple.
“‘I’m Hermia,’ I say and then extend my hand. I know that he knows who I am; I’m just trying to figure out his game.
‘I’m Chase.’ He closes the gap between us and takes my hand, shaking it quickly, his face hardening a bit after he lets it go. ‘Apparently I was named Chase because, well, I’m good at chasing people.’
The feeling of Chase’s hand grasped in mine is still a fresh imprint on my skin, and his words seem like a challenge. I know he was just making conversation, but I cannot help wanting to run. I give him the most wicked smile I possess and take off, leaving him standing there, bewildered.”

My Thoughts

 

We are introduced to the world that Enmity is set as it ends, A solar Flare wipes out Life as they know it.  60 years later is when the story begins, told in dual narration between a male and female character, Nate and Hermia we get an insight into the new world through their thoughts and feelings, I really liked the duel Narration because you really get a good Insight in what happens through the story.

A group of Teenagers are kidnapped and taken to a training facility to help take over and create a new world leader, the world has become a terrible place to live, and with each character being chosen for the compound for different reasons, they are trained to become deadly assassins charged with assassinating the current leader, you get the feeling all the teenagers are expandable to the new world leader until we start to unravel exactly why each character is chosen and we go deeper into each personality and history.

Enmity is an action packed, suspense with a bit of romance packed into a novel that gives you a different view of a rebellion, usually in dystopians we find that the main character disillusioned with how the world is, they create an act of rebellion that catches on, except in Enmity we are not sure if the Rebellion or New World Order are going to make a difference instead of inspiring the main characters to join, they are kidnapped some in horrible circumstances, It makes you wonder what is going to happen in the next installment,  are the new world Order going to make a difference or will the Characters get the chance to make up their own minds on how the world should be run.