Initiate (The Unfinished Song #1) by Tara Maya

Synopsis:

The initiation ceremony is the gateway to ultimate power…or death. A DETERMINED GIRL Dindi can’t do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi’s clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan… AN EXILED WARRIOR Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn’t commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don’t kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father’s wars and his mother’s curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her… assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.

My thoughts:

Oh clever, cheeky Tara Maya giving us the first part of a twelve part series for free so we fall in love with it and buy the rest (only up to book six is published at the moment).

If Faeries (Fairies) or, secret societies and dancing aren’t your thing, don’t bother with this book. But if you want to be swept up in a beautiful but brutal world of fancy, love, betrayal and magic, then head on over to Smashwords and download a copy. It’s free for goodness sake why not!!! If you don’t like it you haven’t wasted anything other than a little bit of time and you do like it you might have just found yourself a new favourite fancy world and many hours or reading pleasure with this series.

For the most part this book is set up for the series, so a lot of information is packed in. It does seem to me that this will be an epic series. I dare say the next book will be even better as I seems to have been set up to be full of danger and action.

At the end of this book Tara’s included the first chapter of the second book ‘’Taboo’’ as if we needed more incentive to go out and buy the second anyway LOL. Well I’m off to Smashwords to Purchase the next book “Taboo” and add it to my *2 read list* and see if this adventure is all it’s cracked up to be.

For More information check out >>>>>

@taramayastales

http://taramayastales.blogspot.com.au/p/the-unfinished-song-series.html

The Calling by Louise G. White

The Calling by

Goodreads Synopsis:

On the run and hiding from the suits, Carolyn’s life is far from straightforward. After her mother and brother go missing in a most extraordinary way, (through a hole to another world which appears in the kitchen wall!), she is determined to track them down and bring them home. But life is never that easy! Rescued and protected by a group of unusual and like minded people , Carolyn hones her magic and fighting skills. Whilst answering a call to retrieve a human from another world she is faced with a quick decision and ends up bringing a demon back with her. Little did she know what effect this demon would have on her. As each day passes her strengths grow and her magic develops to assist her in her quest to track down her family, but there are decisions to make that will affect the rest of her life.

My Thoughts:

Wow this book was a rollercoaster, I don’t even know where to begin.

The first couple of chapters are hard to get into as there is so much thrown at you and so much going on, but you immediately fall for the main character Carolyn and you can’t stop yourself from reading as you NEED need to know what happens to her and you can’t sleep until you know she safe from the suits.

Oh dear sweet Carolyn, her family and the life that she knew is ripped from her when she is fifteen. Carolyn spends the next two years as a possessed incoherent killing machine, ruled only by primal instincts she never knew existed inside her. It isn’t until she meets Note (spoiler- he’s not human) that she truly regains her self. The thrill ride that becomes their life on the run draws you in even more than you thought possible. Eventually Carolyn finds her place with a bunch of ”special” people just like her and comes to peace with what and who she is – Only to have the story finish on the dramatic cliffhanger that rips the whole world and her relationships to shreds.

This was a fast paced, actioned packed romance/ Fantasy/ Sci-fi Novel that was a great start to kick of a new series of awesomeness. I really think there is a little bit for everyone here.

I’m going to give it four stars. I really think the only reason I didn’t fully love the story was that I fell for Ethan (is human), not Note as the leading “man”. Note gets Carolyn (to an extent, but I won’t give away too much) and Ethan is left to struggle with his frustrating and unrequited feelings – Yep Ethan I feel for ya buddy.

I wanted Carolyn with Ethan but she ends up with Note and don’t get me wrong I loved Note as well. I can’t really explain it. I tend to do that; I wanted Jacob not Edward (in new moon & eclipse, but fell for Edward in breaking dawn), Homer not Lee (in tomorrow when the war began, the whole ten books I was like “no not Lee, choose HOMER!! that handsome cheeky greek devil thats been your best friend always!!! my Mum and most of the population where Pro Lee though LOL)

Anyways a Frustrating, Fascinating, Captivating read and Fours Stars. I await the next installment to find out what happens to Carolyn “The Destroyer” next.

Harry Potter Companion Books by J.K. Rowling

I’ve just finished reading the three Companion books and here is a little poem out of Quidditch Through the Ages that I just had to share by J.K. Rowling, I don’t think there is a Potter fan that wouldn’t love it. The set was a quick, cute and entertaining read – a must for any Potter Fan.

Oh, the thrill of the chase as I soar through the air

With the Snitch up ahead and the wind in my hair

As I draw ever closer, the crowd give a shout

But then comes a bludger and I am knocked out.

Harry Potter Companion Books by J.K. Rowlinghog lib

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides on almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world, which means that the dollars and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope most sincerely that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.

Quidditch Through the Ages    

Did you know that: there are 700 ways of committing a foul in Quidditch? The game first began to evolve on Queerditch Marsh – What Bumphing is? That Puddlemere United is oldest team in the Britain and Ireland league (founded 1163). All this information and much more could be yours once you have read this book: this is all you could ever need to know about the history, the rules – and the breaking of the rules – of the noble wizarding sport of Quidditch.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.

What I’ve Read So Far

Here is a recap of the books I’ve managed to read and review so far this year 🙂

Books Read in 2014 =

January:

  1. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-3x )
  2. The Demigod Diaries (The Heroes of Olympus) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-44 )
  3. Tripwire (Jack Reacher #3) by Lee Child (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-4u )
  4. The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-50 )
  5. The Visitor (Jack Reacher #4) by Lee Child (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-5U )
  6. The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-66 )
  7. The Son of Sobek (Percy Jackson & Kane Chronicles Crossover #1) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/431Gp )

February:

  1. The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-6E )
  2. Midnight Sun (Twilight #1.5) by Stephenie Meyer (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-6y )
  3. The Enemy (Jack Reacher #8) by Lee Child (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-6R )
  4. Harry Potter – Three Short Stories by Bruce T Forbes
  5. Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology by Amy A. Bartol, Tammy Blackwell, Amanda Havard, Heather Hildenbrand, Tiffany King, C.A. Kunz, Sarah M. Ross, Raine Thomas (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-7b )
  6. Here Among The Ruins by Regina Puckett (my Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-6K )
  7. Day Trips to Narnia by Bruce T. Forbes
  8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  9. Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-7F )

March:

  1. The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4) by Rick Riordan (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-7L )
  2. Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-8d )
  3. Salvation by A.M.C. (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-8J )
  4. Smashwords Style Guide by Mark Coker
  5. Delta Force Vampire: Insurgency by Alex Shaw (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-9m )

April:

  1. Lust & Longing: A Collection of Erotic Shorts by Charity Parkerson
  2. Dementional by Tonya Cannariato (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-9z )
  3. Words by Robert Zimmermann
  4. Time Shifters by Shanna Lauffey (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-at )
  5. Vaempires: Revolution By Thomas Winship (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-aN )
  6. Fifty First Times: A New Adult Anthology
  7. Now You Shall Know – Newcastle Poetry Prize 2013 Anthology
  8. Thunderhead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-bc )
  9. Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey (My Review http://wp.me/p431Gp-bz )

Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey

Goodreads Synopsis:

What happens when falling in love and falling from grace collide?

After dying in a car accident with her two best friends, Lily miraculously awakens to grief and guilt. She escapes to her dad’s to come to terms with the event and meets some people at her new school who seem all too eager to help her heal. Sliding deeper into sorrow and trying to fight her feelings for two of them, she finds out who…what they really are and that they are falling too.

Can she find the strength to move on from the past, reconcile her feelings for Luc, find a way to stop a divine war with fallen angels, and still pass the eleventh grade?

My Thoughts:

Oh wow I was enjoying this so much that I just didn’t want it to end!

Bam! straight up I’m giving this a FIVE out of Five stars. I’m trying to figure out what I liked best about this book, but words fail me. It’s a young adult book but it deals with some major issues (Death, Loss, Love, Guilt, God, Good vs Evil). I think it would suit from anyone from the age 12 to 102 and leave everyone craving more. It made me warm and fuzzy inside. There was Drama and Suspense, Love and Romance and the ongoing battle of good and evil.

You can tell that this book is leading up to an epic series, I’m really looking forward to the next book to see where it goes.

 

For more on Shawna see her website http://www.shawnaromkey.com/

I was found this book through the wonderful Booktastik. Sign up here http://booktastik.com/ for great deals on awesome books.

 

Thunderhead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Thunderhead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nora Kelly, a young archaeologist in Santa Fe, receives a letter written sixteen years ago, yet mysteriously mailed only recently. In it her father, long believed dead, hints at a fantastic discovery that will make him famous and rich—the lost city of an ancient civilization that suddenly vanished a thousand years ago. Now Nora is leading an expedition into a harsh, remote corner of Utah’s canyon country. Searching for her father and his glory, Nora begins to unravel the greatest riddle of American archeology. but what she unearths will be the newest of horrors.

My thoughts:

I this is the first Perston/Child book I have read and I will definitely be reading more. This was a gripping, fast paced read, with suspense, mystery, danger, action and even a little bit of romance in the end. I’m not going to lie it chilled me in parts and I think I might have nightmares tonight, but I enjoyed reading it. Four out of Five Stars.

 

Vaempires: Revolution By Thomas Winship

Vaempires: Revolution By Thomas Winship

 Synopsis:

 It is the morning of Princess Cassandra’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone’s attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the momentous event.

Cassandra’s boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He’s still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution. Vaempires-former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood-have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of vaempires as the dominant species on the planet.

The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, vaempires unleash their secret weapon: a new breed of vaempire that is far deadlier than any ever seen before.

What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, and walk through walls?

My Thoughts:

The story is non-stop action from the first page and as it continues we get friendship and romance added to the mix.

The story is set in a future earth where World War Three happened, caused a Nuclear Winter that nearly destroyed the whole planet and in turn created Vampires, LOVE IT.

I really enjoyed that it’s not Humans vs. Vampires. Vampires are the dominant species, the good guys, the ones being attacked and their world destroyed. An even more mutated race Vaempires are the bad guys slaughtering humans and vampire’s as they attempt to take control. The main characters felt real and I immediately cared about them. As I got closer to the end of this book I thought I knew how it was going to end, but the ending shocked me, I didn’t see it coming. Five out of five stars, I’m really looking forward to reading the next instalment.

Time Shifters

5234978Time Shifters by Shanna Lauffey

Synopsis:

An ancient people who can move through time or space…

A secret that never should have been revealed…

One day in a Los Angeles restaurant, Akalya of the Harekaiian witnesses the capture of several of her people and is the only one to get away. Now it is up to her to rescue the captives and learn how… and why… they are being apprehended.

The key lies in discovering who is behind the hunt for her people, when no one should have known they existed.

My Thoughts:

My only complaint with this book was that it was too short, I wanted it to never end. I’ve just gone and Liked Shanna’s Facebook page because I want to know immediately when the second instalment is out.

I really like Shanna’s take on Time travel. I was immediately drawn into the world of the Harekaiian. The main character is a female by the name of Akalya, she felt real and warm to me, I immediately cared about her. Akalya is a Harekaiian and she possesses the ability to move through space and time. Akalya witnesses some of her own kind being kidnapped and takes it upon herself to rescue the captives.

I really enjoyed this story it was fast paced and I didn’t want to put it down. Shanna gives us mystery, suspense, characters you can feel for, plot twists and romance. Even with all the time shifting and jumping around going on Shanna’s writing is of such high quality that as a reader you don’t get lost and are able to keep up with the fast passed action.

As this is the first Novella in a Ten part series and you can tell that the dark dealings of the ‘bad guys’ are only just coming to light and things are only going to get more intense and more interesting.

I am really looking forward to see how it all concludes.

According to Shanna’s website Time Shifters is only available in eBook on Amazon at the moment, but don’t despair if your still not on the eBook train the paperback is in progress and you’ll be able to grab a copy soon. Keep an eye on Shanna’s website http://shannalauffey.weebly.com/ and FB www.facebook.com/ShannaLauffeyBooks page for updates.

Delta Force Vampire: Insurgency by Alex Shaw

Delta Force Vampire: Insurgency by Alex Shaw

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Government made him Deadly, Vampires made him Immortal…

A new hero and a new genre from Kindle bestselling author Alex Shaw.

Brad Black, call-sign ‘Peter Pan’ is a member of America’s elite Delta Force unit. Tasked to recon a tunnel network in use by the Taliban it is just another day in the sandpit for the Delta Boys until something attacks them in the darkness.

Presumed Killed in Action, Black is abducted by a shadowy figure before being forced to cross the inhospitable Afghan wilderness to be reunited with what is left of his team.

Meanwhile a General from Russian Military Intelligence (GRU) arrives at Firebase Python brining news of a Cold War weapons experiment so shocking that its existence has until now remained top secret.

 Horrific secrets buried in the Afghan mountains for a quarter of a century are about to be unleashed.

My Thoughts:

It took me a little while to get into this book, but in the end I did enjoy it.

I was quite impressed with Shaw’s Vampires; they had some very traditional traits and in other ways felt more human and believable than others I’ve read stories about. There was a line in the book that stated that all humans are born with the Vampire gene and that’s it just waiting to be activated – I really like this theory!!

You get Action, War, Friendship, allied enemies and some spunky Delta boys that become spunky Vampire Delta boys. This is the first book in a new series by Shaw and it will be interesting to see where it goes.

I’m giving it three Stars. It is a good book suited more to anyone into armed forces action adventures. For me personally if there had been some sexual tension or a little bit of romance it would have made more four or five stars, but that’s purely my own reading style. Give it a read, you won’t regret it.

Casting Shadows Everywhere

Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus – www.ltvargus.com.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In his own words, 15 year old Jake is a “huge pussy.” He flinches. Always. He’s too timid to make a move on Beth, the buxom girl of his dreams, and too busy getting face-slammed into lockers by bullies to do much else. He seeks the guidance of the biggest badass he knows, his cousin Nick.

Nick is a professional burglar and makes Jake his apprentice. They stalk suburban neighborhoods night after night, ransacking houses for jewelry and sweet valuables. Nick teaches Jake the finer points of breaking and entering along with his dark philosophy – that there is no right or wrong in the world, just a series of events that happen without meaning.

At first, adopting Nick’s callous worldview helps Jake get over his fears and confront his tormentors, but he also unleashes an aggression in himself he never thought possible. And as he learns more about his cousin, he realizes that Nick’s crimes go way beyond burglary.

In the end, Jake must face not only the monster in his cousin but also the one in his own heart.

My Thoughts:

Oh wow, full on. To say this story is intense is an understatement. The story deals with; peer pressure, crime, absentee fathers, over bearing mothers, bulimia, consumerism, materialism, murder, and chuck in a huge dose of teenage angst as well.

Wow, I did like the story. Its starts off light-hearted and humorous. I found myself giggling at times. There was a part, I won’t say too much as I don’t want to spoil it, that I went, WTF! where is this going. The story got very dark at one point and I had to push myself to keep reading – but I promise you it was worth it in the end. This is a full on story that deals with the meaning of life. I would recommend it for a M15+ age group, due the language and themes. I’m rather conflicted as to how to rate it. I loved the first half, before s#*t got super serious lol but that’s just my reading preference!! So I’m giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars for my enjoyment, BUT I urge you to read it, because it really is a good story.

Seriously it’s free on amazon for Kindle. If you have a kindle or use a kindle app you’d be mad not to download it and read it. Give it a go it might be right up you ally >>>>>>