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.

Books Reviewed in 2010.

These are all of the books I have reviewed in 2010.  They are organized alphabetically by title.  I will be adding them as I post reviews.  You can also read my reviews that I wrote in 2009 here.

• Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (4.5/5 Stars)
• Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman (3/5 Stars)
• Arcadia Snips and the Steamwork Consortium by Robert C. Rogers (1/5 Stars)
• Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis (4/5 Stars)
• Bound by Flame by Anna Windsor (4/5 Stars)
• Century : The Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario (3.5/5 Stars)
• Child of Darkness by Jennifer Armintrout (4/5 Stars)
• Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey (3/5 Stars)
• Flirting With Forever by Gwyn Cready (3/5 Stars)
• Friend is Not a Verb by Daniel Ehrenhaft (4/5 Stars)
• Gateway by Sharon Shinn (3/5 Stars) 
• Girl, Stolen by April Henry (4.5/5 Stars)
• If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor (3/5 Stars)
• Living With the Dead by Kelley Armstrong (4.5/5 Stars)
• Lost For Words by Alice Kuipers (4/5 Stars)
• Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward (4/5 Stars) 
• Ni'il : The Awakening by James Boyle (1/5 Stars)
• Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (4.5/5 Stars)
• Play Dead by Ryan Brown (4/5 Stars) 
• Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony (3/5 Stars)
• Rising Shadow by Jacqueline Wheeler (1/5 Stars)
• The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner (5/5 Stars)
• The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox (3/5 Stars)
• The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells (5/5 Stars)
• Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran (4/5 Stars)

Waiting on Wednesday - March 24, 2010

Waiting On Wednesday

Hosted by Breaking The Spine

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Desire Me by Robyn DeHart
Release Date : June 1, 2010

From Author Website :

Years ago, Maxwell Barrett found a map to Atlantis and dedicated his life to the search for the mystical lost continent. But when an alluring woman makes a wager for the priceless artifact, he may have discovered an even greater treasure.

A descendant of Atlantis, Sabine Tobias needs the map to decipher an ancient prophecy. What she doesn't need are the sparks flying between her and Max. He's too devilishly charming to be trusted: The fate of her people is at stake as well as her heart. Yet a ruthless killer also covets the map. Now Max and Sabine must race to decode the prophecy's riddle before this criminal fulfills his deadly mission.

After reading and reviewing the first book in this series, Seduce Me, I'm psyched to find out that the second installment will be released this coming June! I never thought I would enjoy a Historical Romance, until I read these books...and now I find myself looking forward to reading new ones all the time. If you haven't tried one yourself, you should really give this series a go...starting with Seduce Me, you can read my review of it here.

Teaser Tuesday - March 23, 2010

***This is my first Teaser Tuesday in a long time! I'm so glad I'm finally able to get back into posting they way I used to. Look for more Teaser Tuesdays, Waiting on Wednesdays, Friday Finds (and coming soon my new Farewell Fridays)...as well as many reviews (these have been piling up!).***

Teaser Tuesdays

Hosted by Should Be Reading

Anyone can play along!
Just do the following :

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
5. Share the book title and author so others can wishlist the book.

My Teaser :

Black in the torchlight, they shone with iridescent blues and greens, as they began to move, like oil rainbows on dirty water. The thick, scaly plates that covered their bodies moved like a suit of armor, but they were not unbalanced and clumsy as a Human in a suit. They moved as though made of fluid, rolled like quicksilver as they advanced into the hall, steam roiling from their flared nostrils, surveying the battle with their hungry red eyes.

pg. 310

Amazon Affiliates :

Clicking on the above cover image for Child of Darkness by Jennifer Armintrout will redirect you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase after clicking this link I will receive a small percentage of sales.

Review : Once a Witch by Caroyln MacCullough

Title : Once a Witch

Author : Caroyln MacCullough

Publisher : Clarion Books
Genre : YA Paranormal
ISBN : 978-0547223995
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : September 14, 2009
Rating : 4.5/5 - Loved It.

Description from Amazon :

Tamsin Greene has come from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search - and the stranger - will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.

Trailer :

Review :

Tamsin Greene was born into a family full of witches. While all of the other children around her started gaining their powers, Tamsin remained normal. She was destined to be one of the most powerful witches to ever enter the Greene family, but still remains barren. This is difficult for Tamsin, making her feel like a failure to her family, and an outcast.

While she has no powers, each of her family members is gifted with different Talents. Some are able to see the future, while others can merely freeze someone in time. It doesn't make matters any easier for Tamsin, knowing her sister is one of the most Talented members of the family, as well as the most gorgeous.

While working in her families book shop, a tall young professor from a nearby college comes to her for help. He mistakes her for her lovely sister Rowena, and asks that she locate a lost family heirloom that has been lost for centuries. Tamsin knows the right thing to do, although she wants to prove to herself and her family that she doesn't need to be Talented in order to fulfill this request. So instead of telling him the truth, and sending him in the right direction, Tamsin takes on this quest. Locating such an object can mean the fate of not only Tamsin, but everyone she holds dear.

I sat down to read this novel because a fellow blogger, J.Kaye from J.Kaye's Book Blog wanted to do a Twitter discussion. The discussion didn't turn out the way we had hoped, due to our conflicting schedules, but the book was everything I hoped for. It was engaging from the start, and I easily grew to like Tamsin. I think she was a little too hard on herself at times, at the guilt of being the only Talentless person in her family. Despite the fact that she was without any kind of supernatural power, she holds her own.

Tamsin was quick to judge the other members of her family when it came to how they felt about her. She distanced herself from her family, even so far as to take herself completely out of their town to go to college in Manhattan. It wasn't completely her fault though, because it seemed that her entire family treated her like she had problems merely because she was different than they were.

My favorite characer in this novel was Gabriel, Tamsin's childhood friend. While everyone else treated her like she was different, he just shrugged it off and treated her like a real person. He didn't care whether she had a Talent, or a million, he just wanted to be friends with her and show her that he could be trusted. There was also quite a stirring of romance from the two that I wouldn't mind reading more about if there were future books.

I think Once a Witch would make a great first book in a series, although I'm unsure as to whether or not this will be the case. I will definitely be reading more from Carolyn MacCullough though, as her writing flows beautifully, and is extremely easy to follow. I found myself lost in this story, and a few times ended up clocking in late from my lunch break because I just couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book to both young adults and adults alike, especially if your into paranormal stories.

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 Once a Witch after clicking on these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Review : The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner

Title : The Last Queen

Author : C.W. Gortner

Publisher : Ballantine Books

Genre : Historical Fiction

ISBN : 978-0345501851

Series : Stand Alone

Release Date : May 5, 2009

Rating : 5/5 - Loved It.

Description from Goodreads :

Juana of Castile, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne, has been for centuries an enigmatic figure shrouded in lurid myth. Was she the bereft widow of legend who was driven mad by her loss, or has history misjudged a woman who was ahead of her time? In his stunning new novel, C. W. Gortner challenges the myths about Queen Juana, unraveling the mystery surrounding her to reveal a brave, determined woman we can only now begin to fully understand.

The third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, Juana is born amid her parents’ ruthless struggle to unify their kingdom, bearing witness to the fall of Granada and Columbus’s discoveries. At the age of sixteen, she is sent to wed Philip, the archduke of Flanders, as part of her parents’ strategy to strengthen Spain, just as her youngest sister, Catherine of Aragon, is sent to England to become the first wife of Henry VIII.

Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her handsome young husband, the sole heir to the Habsburg Empire. At first she is content with her children and her life in Flanders. But when tragedy strikes and she inherits the Spanish throne, Juana finds herself plunged into a battle for power against her husband that grows to involve the major monarchs of Europe. Besieged by foes on all sides, her intelligence and pride used as weapons against her, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it could cost her everything.

With brilliant, lyrical prose, novelist and historian C. W. Gortner conjures Juana through her own words, taking the reader from the somber majesty of Spain to the glittering and lethal courts of Flanders, France, and Tudor England. The Last Queen brings to life all the grandeur and drama of an incomparable era, and the singular humanity of this courageous, passionate princess whose fight to claim her birthright captivated the world.

Trailer :

Review :

Oridinarily I would give you a brief summary of the book in question. I feel that the above synopsis pretty much sums up what this book is truly about, and that is why I am just going to push ahead and give my review of this wonderful novel.

This was one of those books that drew me in from the very first page. It's so full of emotion that I was easily feeling what the characters on the pages were experiencing. At times, I got angry and would shout, which is not something I will normally do when reading a novel. I usually leave that kind of behaviour for when watching movies, but this book was so extremely descriptive and alive that I felt like I was watching a movie. Each scene was unfurled effortlessly, and it was easy to just keep on reading until there were no more pages to turn.

I honestly never knew anything about the last queen of Spain, Queen Juana. It was a complete surprise to me to learn her side of a story long forgotten. Although this novel is written as fiction, there are some truths to be had amongst it's pages, and luckily Gortner explains a lot of how he came to write this novel, at the end of the book. I feel like I know Queen Juana now, and feel like she was treated unfairly in her life. I honestly wanted to reach into the pages at times to shake her opponents until they stopped their cruel ways. I was hoping throughout the entire novel that Queen Juana would get her revenge on those who did her and her country harm.

I'm extremely greatful to have been given the chance to read and review this novel. I would honestly recommend this book to anyone who loves history, historical fiction, romance, and ever growing drama. I couldn't get enough of Gortner's voice on the history of Queen Juana, the last queen of Spain.

Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy of The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner, from the author after requesting a copy to review.

Amazon Affiliates :

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

On with the reviews!!

Ok, so if you saw my post a few weeks ago than you should have seen this coming! I'm back, and to celebrate, today I'm posting a review. I've been reading and reading, and getting all of my reviews together. I will be starting to post a review a day, and am going to try to stay away from as many memes and what not. There will be a Mailbox Monday again, but that's only when I actually start receiving books again!

So on with it...here's my first review in awhile...