E-Book Review : The Sevenfold Spell by Tia Nevitt

Title : The Sevenfold Spell
Author : Tia Nevitt
Publisher : Carina Press
Genre : Fantasy, Romance 
Format  : e-book 
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date :September 27, 2010
Rating : 2.5/5 Stars - Okay

Description from Amazon : 

Have you ever wondered what happens to the other people in the fairy tale?

Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying "good" fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.

Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.

Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia's prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation--which plays right into the evil fairy's diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she's willing to make?

Review : 

I've always been a huge fan of a good fairy tale retelling, and when I read the synopsis of this book on NetGalley I had to read it.  Sleeping Beauty has always been one of my favorites, and I wanted to read what Nevitt's take on this story would be.  I was surprised at the approach, but still intrigued.

Normally, the princess is the main character, but not in this retelling.  A young maiden from a tiny village, named Talia, is our main character in this situation.  She isn't remarkably beautiful as most would assume.  In fact, she's quite the opposite.  Talia is described as being ugly, with warts, and most definitely not a looker.  She has even been forced to settle with one young man as her only chance at marriage, because of her ugly features.

When Talia and her mother are forced to give up their spinning wheel, the only source to their livelihood, Talia is forced to use her dowry to keep them alive.  Without that money to offer to her future husband, Talia loses the chance at becoming a wife as well.

I found this part of the Sleeping Beauty tale to be most distressing.  I'm glad the author gave us insight into the lives of the people we had never before seen.  I didn't particularly like Talia's character, but she was good for this part.  There was a lot of sexual content in this story, and at times it felt like it was not necessary.  I just wanted to skip over most of these parts, and get to the real story.

Nevitt's take on Sleeping Beauty was in fact different, but I can still only say that I only enjoyed it a little bit.  I felt like she could have given us a little more magic, and romance, rather than just flat out sexual content.  I would love to give more of her work a chance in the future, because I feel she has great potential.

Where did I get this book? :

I downloaded my review copy from NetGalley.com and read and reviewed this copy for my own enjoyment.

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Review : Gateway by Sharon Shinn

Title : Gateway
Author : Sharon Shinn
Publisher : Viking Juvenile
Genre : Young Adult / Fantasy
ISBN : 978-0670011780
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : October 15, 2009
Rating : 3/5 Stars - Good

Description from Goodreads : 

As a Chinese adoptee in St. Louis, teenage Daiyu often feels out of place. When an elderly Asian jewelry seller at a street fair shows her a black jade ring—and tells her that “black jade” translates to “Daiyu”—she buys it as a talisman of her heritage. But it’s more than that; it’s magic. It takes Daiyu through a gateway into a version of St. Louis much like 19th century China. Almost immediately she is recruited as a spy, which means hours of training in manners and niceties and sleight of hand. It also means stealing time to be with handsome Kalen, who is in on the plan. There’s only one problem. Once her task is done, she must go back to St. Louis and leave him behind forever. . . . 

Review : 

Daiyu was adopted when she was very young by an American family, and being the only Chinese member of her family can sometimes be a little stressing.  When she is shopping at the local fair in St. Louis she meets an elderly Asian woman, who happens to be selling jewelry.  She tells Daiyu that "black jade" translates to "Daiyu", and this sparks a significant interest in her.  She is drawn to the ring, and eventually ends up purchasing it.  What she doesn't know, is that one simple ring can mean a world of difference, in a completely different world.

While Daiyu is in this new world, she meets a young man named Kalen, who helps her upon her initial "landing".  She finds that she trusts him, and doesn't truly understand why, but doesn't really care because he is kind and handsome.  He brings her to the people that have made it possible for her to travel to their world, and learns that she is to be a spy, and is to help them to remove a very unwanted person from their community.  Daiyu doesn't understand it all, but she is willing to help, especially knowing that she will be able to stay in this world with her new found friend Kalen for just a while longer.

When given the opportunity to review this novel, I jumped at the chance.  As soon as it arrived in my mailbox I began reading it, and despite the fact that I rather enjoyed this book, I was a little disappointed.  I thought the story was a little slow at times, and dragged on just a little too much through the middle.  I didn't really like Daiyu's character in the beginning of the book, but slowly she grew on me.  I thought she was rather selfish for a person that claimed to help people all the time.  I hoped that she would surprise me somewhere along the lines, and thankfully, she did.

I was probably three quarters through the book before I really started getting into it.  The story was starting to shape itself more, and Daiyu was beginning to shape as well.  We learned more about her past, and the things she enjoyed, as well as her feelings toward the people around her.  She began to understand her quest, and why it was so important.  I was rather curious as to how things would work out for her in the end.

The romance in this novel wasn't as prominent as I expected it to be.  Kalen wasn't your typical "lover boy".  He wasn't perfect by all means, but he was kind and did what he could to help others.  He was personally my favorite character in the book, despite the fact that I didn't get to learn as much about him as I would have liked.  I actually think it was Kalen's character that had the biggest tole on the transformations with Daiyu, and for all the better.

I will definitely read more books by Sharon Shinn in the future.  The idea alone of this novel was something different and exciting, and that makes me wonder what other fascinating stories she has conjured up.  

Where did I get this book? :

I received this ARC in order to participate in a traveling tour with Other Shelf Tours.

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Review : Century : The Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario

Title : Century : The Ring of Fire
Author : P.D. Baccalario
Publisher : Random House Books For Young Readers
Genre : Fantasy - Young Adult
ISBN  : 978-0375858956
Series : Century Quartet #1
Release Date : September 22, 2009
Rating : 3.5/5 Stars - Good

Description from Amazon : 

Every hundred years, four kids from four cities must save the world.

Rome, December 29.

A mix-up with their reservations forces Harvey from New York, Mistral from Paris, and Sheng from Shanghai to share a room with the hotel owner’s daughter, Elettra. The four kids discover an amazing coincidence—they all have birthdays on February 29, Leap Day. That night, a strange man gives them a briefcase and asks them to take care of it until he returns. Soon afterward, the man is murdered.

The kids open the briefcase. In it they find a series of clues that take them all over Rome, through dusty libraries and dark catacombs, in search of the elusive Ring of Fire, an ancient object so powerful that legend says even a Roman emperor couldn’t control it.

In the first book of the Century quartet, Italian author P. D. Baccalario begins a mystery that will take four cities and four extraordinary kids to solve.

Review : 

Elettra is the daughter of a hotel owner in Rome, and she has always done her part to help with anything the hotel needs.  When there is a mix-up with reservations, she offers to allow three children from different cities of the world to spend their time in her bedroom with her.  Their first night, they discover that not only do they now share a bedroom as their sleeping quarters, but the same birth date, February 29th, Leap Day.  It is a coincidence that shouldn't be looked over, and is the start of a fantastic adventure for these children.

Harvey is from New York, and he is probably the most logical of the children.  He's not the type to rush head first into a situation without thinking it over first, and to him, a coincidence is just that.  He has always been a quiet child, but an adventure in the city of Rome may be just what he needs to wake him up.

Mistral is from Paris, and she is an only child, living with her mother.  She's artistic and doesn't leave home without her sketch pad.  She is elegant, quiet, and never gets into any trouble.  She thinks that there may be something behind the coincidental birthday issue among her and her new found friends, and she's all for an adventure, even if it does sound scary.

Sheng is from the city of Shanghai, and he is by far the goofiest of the four children.  He is loud, and outspoken at times.  The prospect of an adventure only makes him more excited, but he also brings comedy to this novel.  I found myself looking forward to moments with Sheng, as he always seemed to make the best of things throughout their adventure. 

When reading this book, I had only really one complaint, and that was the point of view in which it was written.  I felt like it needed to be written in more of a first person view, rather than the third-person aspect that it was.  I would have enjoyed this story more if I were able to read it from the point-of-view of the children.  I think it would have given the book more feeling, especially during the times where they were faced with decisions that would induce great emotion.

I also have to admit that for a child, this book may seem a little scary at times, especially when the man that forces the briefcase on them is murdered.  I was a little shocked at the method of killing that the murderer used, as well as some of his other actions.  Personally my sister would be able to handle this, as she is mature for her age at 10, but I've noticed that some children aren't as lucky.

I'm more than willing to continue reading this story, and look forward to reading the second installment, Star of Stone, where their adventure will continue in the streets of New York.  It's scheduled to be released on September 28, 2010, according to Amazon.

Where did I get this book? : 

I received my copy from the publisher via Shelf Awareness.

Amazon Affiliates :

Clicking on title links of this book will redirect you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase Century : The Ring of Fire after clicking on these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Review : Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey

Title : Dragon's Keep
Author : Janet Lee Carey
Publisher : Harcourt Books
Genre : Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN : 978-0152059262
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : April 1, 2007
Rating : 3/5 Stars -Good

Description from GoodReads :

Far away on Wilde Island, Princess Rosalind is born with a dragon claw where her ring finger should be. To hide the secret, the Queen forces her to wear gloves at all times until a cure can be found, so Rosalind can fulfill the prophecy to restore the family to their rightful throne. But Rosalind’s flaw cannot be separated from her fate. When she is carried off by the dragon, everything she thought she knew falls apart. The dragon sees beauty in her talon where her mother saw only shame, and Rosalind finally understands what her mother has truly denied her. Carey has written a stunning portrayal of the complex relationship between a mother and daughter in a lyrical novel sure to thrill readers who love fantasy—and those who don’t.

Review

Princess Rosalind has lived her life in shame of the dragon claw she was born with. Every day she must don her golden gloves to hide her mark in order to be seen as the rightful heir to the throne of Wilde Island. Her mother, Queen Gweneth, is the only living soul who has seen the claw upon Rosie's finger, and she wishes to keep it that way. She will do anything in her power to keep the throne to Wilde Island safe, as well as the shame of the hideous claw from prying eyes.

Rosalind is captured by a fearsome dragon, and whisked away to Dragon's Keep. There she learns that her hideous claw is beautiful in the eyes of the dragon's, and for the first time in her life feels as though it may not be a curse, but a sign of a new fate. Rosalind barters for the safety of her people, while also building a bridge between her world and theirs. It is all she can think of that will keep both her people, and herself, alive.

The first thing that attracted me to this novel was the cover. I found it both disturbing and beautiful at the same time, which was a wonderful depiction of the feelings portrayed by the characters in this book. I love how the dragon in the background is transfixed by the claw upon the princess's hand. What one sees as something hideous, can obviously be seen as something beautiful in someone else's eyes.

Rosalind's character seemed as though she was genuinely kind-hearted, and would do anything for those around her. While she watched people within her town throw hatred towards the dragons, she found it in her heart to love them, despite her cursed hand. Would her townspeople still love her with the mark of a dragon? Would they accept her for what she was, or burn her at the stake for being disfigured? I personally had to find out, and was thrilled with the outcome of the story.

Another thing I loved about this book, was the language it was written in. There was nothing modern about the writing of this book, and this is what made it even better. The way the words were written only made the story come to life even more. It was a wonderful fairy tale that I would recommend to those who love stories filled with princesses, and dragons.

Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy from a swap on Bookmooch.

Amazon Affiliates :

Clicking on the cover and title links of this book will redirect you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase Dragon's Keep after clicking on these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Review : Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Title : Bitter Night
Author : Diana Pharaoh Francis
Publisher : Pocket Books
Genre : Fantasy
ISBN : 978-1416598145
Series : Horngate Witches #1
Release Date : October 27, 2009
Rating : 4/5 Very Good

Description from Goodreads :

SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU...

Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom...and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle's personal magic weapon -- a Shadowblade -- and she's lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before....

The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances -- including one with a rival witch's Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him -- and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right -- if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is....


Review

Max hasn't always been hell-bent on getting revenge for the freedom that was stolen from her. There was a time in her life when she was just another normal girl trying to make her mark on the world. All of that changed when a witch named Giselle transformed her into her own personal Shadowblade. Now Max is equipped with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance, making her the perfect weapon. Max has no choice, no matter how hard she fights against it, but on her honor she isn't going to make things easy for Giselle.

When the ancient Guardians of the earth decide it's time to destroy the mortal world, they turn to the witches for help. Each coven leader is expected to make the choice of life or death for their coven. Denying the request of the Guardians means certain death, while accepting signs the death certificate of the human race. While Max clearly hates being a Shadowblade, she can't think of what life would be like if she lost Horngate too. In order to protect her home, she must turn to her enemies, a rival witch's Shadowblade, and the witch who turned her into the warrior that she is.

Bitter Night is the first book in a new series called the Horngate Witches. In the beginning I was confused as to why Max was so eager for revenge, but reading further on in the book gave me the full picture. While her character is an awesome warrior, and clearly has no problem getting a date if she so dares, she's not perfect. She definitely has anger issues, and she knows how to hold a grudge. In my honest opinion, I think this has only made her stronger in the long run, despite the not always great outcome.

I'm only hoping that the series will continue to be just as action packed as this first installment. I'm also looking forward to seeing if the romantic interests in this book will continue in the next, and what conflicts they will create.


Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy of Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis from my best friend Derrick for Christmas. Needless to say, he knows me quite well, and I love him for it.

Amazon Affiliates :

Clicking on the title or cover links of this book will redirect you to Amazon.com. If while you are there you choose to purchase Bitter Night or any other products, I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Review : The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox

Title : The Magic Warble
Author : Victoria Simcox
Publisher : Two Harbors Press
Genre : Young Adult Fantasy
ISBN : 978-1935097174
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : January 1, 2009
Rating : 3/5 - Good

Description from Goodreads :

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen - all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Review : 

Kristina Kingsley has never really fit in with all of the students in her school, and always happens to be the butt of every joke.  She looks forward to a day when everyone is nice to her for a change, and she's not judged by what she wears or how she looks.  When she receives a mysterious Christmas present, she finds herself magically dropped, literally, into a world full of creatures thought to be fictional.

In Bernovem, Kristina is known as the "chosen one", because she holds the key to their freedom.  Her mysterious Christmas present is none other than a magical item known as The Magic Warble.  Kristina is no longer made fun of, but is accepted for who and what she is, and is honored as the holder of The Magic Warble.  Using The Magic Warble, Kristina needs to find a way to release the people of Bernovem from the evil grip of their Queen Sentiz.  She will find help along the way from dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, and even talking animals.

I'm not going to say that I loved The Magic Warble, because unfortunately I didn't.  I thought it was an okay novel, especially since this was Victoria Simcox's debut.  It was a little juvenile for my opinion, but the story was quite interesting.  While this story didn't grip me the way I had hoped it would, it did hold my interest enough to finish the story, because I wanted to find out what would become of Kristina, and Bernovem.

The characters in The Magic Warble were very well described, and it was easy to picture the characters in my mind.  The description of Kristina alone makes me think of my time in school, and how the children that didn't have the coolest things were made fun of.  I liked seeing one of these unfortunate children step forward and be the center of attention, and prove that she was special in her own way.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Victoria Simcox's work in the future, and curious to see how her writing develops further in her career.  


Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy from the author, after agreeing to participate in a Pump Up Your Books Promotion blog tour.  Unfortunately at that time I wasn't aware that I would have to shut down my blogging site and wait until March to re-open.  Thankfully I'm back, and am glad that I was able to give my opinion about this book.

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on the cover and title links of this book will redirect you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase The Magic Warble after clicking on these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Review : Random Magic by Sasha Soren

Title : Random Magic
Author : Sasha Soren
Publisher : Beach Books
Genre : Fantasy
ISBN : 978-0979777417
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : January 1, 2010
Rating : 5/5 - Loved It.

Description from Amazon :

When absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from Alice in Wonderland, young Henry Witherspoon must book-jump to fetch Alice before chaos theory kicks in and the world vanishes. Along the way he meets Winny Flapjack, a wit-cracking doodle witch with nothing to her name but a magic feather and a plan. Such as it is. Henry and Winny brave the Dark Queen, whatwolves, pirates, Struths, and fluttersmoths, Priscilla and Charybdis, obnoxiously cheerful vampires, Baron Samedi, a nine-dimensional cat, and one perpetually inebriated Muse to rescue Alice and save the world by tea time.

Trailer :

Review :

Henry Witherspoon is just your run of the mill boy. He's never really done anything truly exciting, until the day he meets Professor Random. He thinks that the old professor is truly crazy, and humors his tantrums about the missing Alice of Alice in Wonderland. Truly a character in a book could not go missing. That sure goes to show what Henry knows...

When Henry first arrives inside of the book he's been transported to he's certain that it can't be happening. There is just too many strange things and people, including Winny Flapjack, the doodle witch. If not for Winny, Henry would be lost, as she will not only become his friend but his tour guide of this strange and magical world. She introduces Henry to many new people and creatures such as, whatwolves (what?) yes!, vampires, Muses, and a nine-dimensional cat.

The world that Sasha Soren has created in Random Magic is completely and utterly engrossing. At times I had an extremely hard time peeling my eyes away from the pages. I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed the story, because the randomness of Alice in Wonderland always confused me and I would soon get bored. I had no troubles reading this novel, although it was just as random as the classic. I enjoyed the randomness, and found myself laughing out loud during some moments in the story.

While this novel is completely random and silly, it also has it's moments of suspense and at times it was even sad. I loved how this novel gave me a little bit of every emotion all packed into one. I'm really interested in reading more from Sasha Soren in the future, because by the looks of it, she has quite the imagination. I would highly recommend this book to those of you out there that enjoy the story of Alice in Wonderland, and want to read a new twist on the story.

I also want to point out that I absolutly love the cover of this novel. I think the cover model has a striking resemblance to Nicole Kidman, and I love the added color. I will most definitely be ordering my own copy for keeps.

Where did I get this book?

This book was circulated amongst many bloggers during a blog tour. The book/s were supplied by the author in exchange for our honest reviews.

Amazon Associates :

Clicking on cover images and links in this review will relocate you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase something upon clicking these links I will receive a small percentage from the sales.

DNF Review : Chrysalis : The Awakening by M.L. Lacy

Title : Chrysalis : The Awakening

Author : M. L. Lacy

Publisher : AuthorHouse

Genre : Fantasy

ISBN : 978-1438959856

Series : Yes, #1 Chrysalis

Rating : 1 - Couldn't Get Into It

Description from Amazon :

All families have secrets. But at 32 years old, Bree Campbell is discovering that her entire life has been a secret. Like most people, it never occurred to her to question her mortality; that is until she learns that she is a mortal born into a family of Magicals and begins to question everything and everyone in her life.

As the doors to Bree’s new world fly open and she finally hears the prophecy told at her birth she must face the revelation that she is a Chosen One; the last and greatest of a long line of Chosen Ones. And if this were not overwhelming enough, she has been charged with saving the earth by repairing the cosmic tear that binds the mortal world she has always known and the Magical world she is just now discovering. But the real question lies in whether Bree will survive the long transformation into the powerful Druid Sorceress that is her destiny or die in the process as many before her have gone.

Bree’s journey will not be an easy one. She must face the realities of her new life and her new family; a clan of vampires who have been charged with protecting her for all of her mortal life. They have chosen her as a leader in their clan, a position that has really complicated things for her. For no sooner than Bree is finally reunited with her long lost love, Steven, Bree must learn how to navigate the jealousies and emotions within her new family. While Bree tries to free herself from her past, including her cruel and lethal husband, she must determine who she can truly trust. And while her clan loves her immensely, they will continually try to stand in her way; all in the name of protecting her from those set upon her death.

Bree’s arch nemesis is Esmeralda, a powerful sorceress in her own right who will stop at nothing until this Chosen One is dead. If Esmeralda can claim Bree’s blood, heart and soul and restore her Demon to his body, she will be so strong that none will be able to oppose her and she will be free to rid the world of all mortals and rule as she chooses.

But with the help of the Guardians and her dreams, Bree begins to awaken the powers hidden within her and begins to embrace the responsibility she has been born to. And even while these changes make her body weak, Bree begins to find an inner strength she never knew she had within herself. Will it be enough to save the world?

Review :

From the synopsis above I was intrigued to read this debut novel from new author, M.L. Lacy. When I recieved the book, I was extremely excited, and couldn't wait to start reading it. Unfortunetly, I made it just past 100 pages before I grew bored enough to say that I can not finish this novel. I'm going to have to update my Review Policy to include a 100 page Rule for moments like this.

I tried very had to get into this novel, but I just couldn't. While the concept of this book sounds intriguing, Lacy, tends to describe her characters surroundings far too much. There was a moment in the book where she started describing everyones attire, from shoes to jewelry, and I soon forgot what was even going on in the story beforehand.

One other thing that had me losing interest was the fact that most of this novel is written in short sentences. It just didn't flow nicely, and I found it difficult to enjoy the story due to this. It also switched from 1st to 3rd person point of view a lot and that just started to confuse me. I think for a first novel, Lacy had the right idea, she just didn't seem to put it into words so that I could enjoy it. I do not wish for this review to prevent you from experiencing this novel, as there were some other reviewers that seemed to enjoy it. It was actually given 5 stars by 4 different reviewers on Amazon, although I will have to give it a 1 due to my experience.