Review: The Blue Moon Narthex

Title: The Blue Moon Narthex

Author: N.J. Donner

Publisher: Steel Page Press

Synopsis:

The balance of good and evil has been left in the hands of a thirteen year old...

Since the beginning of time, Karmanic matter worked silently and unassisted keeping good and evil in balance, until growing greed in the world meant Karma couldn’t keep up. As World War I rages, the secret Karmanic Sovereign Legion works behind the scenes to help Karma.

A suspicious train accident and an odd stone-shaped object that belonged to his father thrust Cole McCarthy and two schoolmates into the middle of this battle to keep dark forces in check. 

With only the powerful stone, a letter, and grandfatherly Norm to guide them, the trio must unravel clues and tap into unknown strengths to discover who Cole’s father really was and keep themselves and those they love safe.

Includes chapter 1 of book 2 in the Karmanic Sovereign Legion series!

LINKS: Amazon | B&N

Overall Rating:4.5/5

This book in my opinion far surpassed the average quality of middle grade literature.  While I reserve a number five rating for the best of the best, this book was so far up my alley that I couldn’t resist giving it at least a four point five.  I also couldn’t help but be a little biased due to the creative science fiction the book as a whole represented.  Clearly it can be seen that a lot more effort was put into developing the story for this book than most other middle-grade fiction.  More than anything I look forward to reading the future book(s) of this series.

Cover:5/5

Not only do I feel this cover is absolutely spectacular eye candy but I am in love with it’s clever design.  The font is very fitting to the early 1900’s era and is shadowed by the backdrop of dark stone.  Dead center is the symbol described to be on the Blue Moon Narthex itself.  So in a way the cover matches the story in an excellent manner.

Characters:4/5

Cole was the main character of the story.  He fit the stereotypical “chosen one” character that is the lead in these sort of stories.  Even while falling into this stereotype I still found him to be a very enjoyable character and if anything it made it easier to jump right into the story.

Sophie fit the standard intellectual female character role.  Between her love of books and clever nature she was constantly helping the main trio (Including herself) in their adventure.  In many ways she was my favorite character of the story.

Britten is the dumb but loveable friend.  He often brings about comic relief to the story but in many ways was not completely necessary for the story to progress.  Nevertheless he made an excellent support role considering the level of reading this book was targeting.  I’m sure many middle-aged kids will enjoy the jokes and humor he brings to the story.

Plot:4.5/5

The Blue Moon Narthex had a very intriguing plot for a middle-grade novel.  The plot was a little slow at first yet I feel it was necessary to set the tone for this book.  Especially when you consider the fact this book declares to be the first of a series.  I really enjoyed the book much more once it reached its second half.  Between steam-punk styled tech and the ability to travel from one place to another in an instant this book definitely held strong science fiction themes.  There was plenty of action spaced throughout the entire book which kept me glued to the pages and reading.  My only complaint is that I felt the story was cut a little short.  That all might make more sense upon reading future books of the series so I won’t count it against the scoring.

Quotes:

“These won’t be my best clothes after today.” - Cole

“I guess we were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” - Sophie

“A secret latch!” - Britten

ABOUT N.J. DONNER:

N.J. Donner is the author of the new Karmanic Sovereign Legion books. N.J. loves to explore. The world fascinates him and he wants to figure out why and how things work, including Karma.

College adventures took N.J. far from his small Nebraska hometown to the southern hemisphere and the inner city. This was the beginning of his wanderlust and today he loves to travel with his wife, Amanda, and their three children.

N.J. became the first person to graduate with a minor in international affairs from Nebraska Wesleyan University and spent the years right out of college building a successful steel company.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

2/6: Swoony Boys Podcast - Review

2/7: Tales of the Ravenous Reader - Q&A

2/8: Kara the Redhead - Spotlight

2/9: Young Adult Rocks - Review

2/10: books are love - Top 10

Week 2:

2/13: Such A Novel Idea - Q&A

2/14: Book Stacks Amber - Excerpt

2/15: Books Buying Beauty - Review

2/16: Red House Books - Guest Post

2/17: Basic Book Blog - Review

Week 3:

2/20: The Irish Banana Review - Review

2/21: Lisa's Loves - World Building

2/22: Pondering the Prose - Review

2/23: Who RU Blog - Novel Secrets

2/24: The Plot Bunny - Review

Giveaway:

Blue Moon Narthex Swag Box (US Only)

Rafflecopter Code:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c0530f651/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="c0530f651" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_itpfmplg">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Guest Review: We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun

We Are Still Tornadoes

Co-Authors: Michael Kun and Susan Mullen

Release Date:11/1/16
Page Count: 304 Pages
Synopsis: (Found on Goodreads)

Growing up across the street from each other, Scott and Cath have been best friends their entire lives. Cath would help Scott with his English homework, he would make her mix tapes (it's the 80's after all), and any fight they had would be forgotten over TV and cookies. But now they've graduated high school and Cath is off to college while Scott is at home pursuing his musical dreams.

Cover:4.5/5

I honestly feel the cover fit the book nicely.  Even though you will find the true meaning of tornadoes when you read the book I felt that the tornado on the cover more symbolizes the swirling of emotions between the two main characters.  Plus what I can only assume are the two main characters holding hands is a nice touch.

Characters: 5/5

Considering this entire book is Character focussed I would have to say the authors put a lot of time and thought into them.  They made the book exciting and kept me rushing back to read more.  Since there are really only two main characters their lives are essentially the entire plot of the book.

Scott seems to act just as any young adult male would under the circumstances of the story.  He seemed extremely realistic, funny and often would rush to judgement.  Overall a well rounded character.  There were moments I was yelling at the book trying to tell Scott what he should have said to Cath.  In some ways I think that was the point.

Cath felt just as deep of a character to me as Scott did if not more.  I could almost feel what she felt while reading some of her letters in the book.  She is highly intelligent and extremely caring.  It is very cute to realize how closely she cares for her friend Scott right from the start of the book.  I did feel as though some of her reactions were a little over-the-top but they are supposed to be eighteen at the beginning of the story.

Plot: 4/5

The plot was a very predictable yet satisfying one.  You know what will likely happen in the end but the journey of how it happens keeps you going.  I especially enjoyed the way plot would jump from one letter to the next.  This kept things fresh and constantly moving forward.  Unlike some books that can leave you feeling stuck trying to complete a chapter.

Overall Thoughts: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed the style this book was written in.  The entire book is of both Scott and Cath writing letters  back and forth to each other.  For some reason this made the story seem more real and I often had to remind myself I was reading a book.  Personally I would consider this to be a YA book despite the fact it is set in the 1980’s.  This isn’t really a book focussed on a nostalgia trip but on a relationship between two young adults.  Besides the fact that there aren’t any cell phones it felt extremely similar to most modern relationships.  Most likely I will pick up this book for a second read because I enjoyed it so much.  I can only hope that this book is given the chance it deserves.  While it may not be in my top ten favorite books it is definitely a great read.

Live Long and Prosper,

Josh

Read More

Brian Review: As Old as Time by Liz Braswell

Title: As Old as Time

Author: Liz Brazwell

Published On: 9/6/2016

Page Count: 496

Synopsis:

What if Belle's mother cursed the Beast?

Belle is a lot of things: smart, resourceful, restless. She longs to escape her poor provincial town for good. She wants to explore the world, despite her father's reluctance to leave their little cottage in case Belle's mother returns--a mother she barely remembers. Belle also happens to be the captive of a terrifying, angry beast. And that is her primary concern.

But Belle touches the Beast's enchanted rose, intriguing images flood her mind--images of the mother she believed she would never see again. Stranger still, she sees that her mother is none other than the beautiful Enchantress who cursed the Beast, his castle, and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast must work together to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is twenty-one years in the making.

Overall Rating:  4.5/5

I haven't very many fairy tale re-tellings before, so I went into this story not really knowing what to expect aside from having seen the disney film several times. I was really blown away by how interesting the characters were and the depth that this book had to offer. I felt like I could see different parts of the story that I already knew, but was able to learn so much more about everyone and the world around them. I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book, and am interested in the possibility of a sequel.

Cover: 3.5 / 5

I liked the color scheme used on this as well as the shadow of the beast not giving away all the details. I think that everyone reading this story will be superimposing all the disney characters on everyone in their minds as they're reading (or maybe its just me) but I do like the idea of trying to leave some things to the imagination. That said, I'm really not a big fan of quotations of any kind on the cover, and although the quote on this one is a major plot point and not an accolade, I still don't particularly like it.

Characters: 5/5

The characters were the best part of this story, hands down. I am a fan of disney already, and the idea of taking their characters and building off of them is interesting to me. The author was really able to add a lot of depth and intrigue to each of them, and you can really see the characters grow as the story progresses.

Belle: As the antagonist, I feel that Belle didn't have a whole lot of room to grow from where the original story had her. The author was able to fill in a few blanks, give her a strong back story, and a personality that wasn't as apparent in the film. A voracious reader who is somewhat misunderstood and enjoys the company of beasts and horses, I feel like I might know her parallel in the real world.

The Beast: I feel the Beast is opposite of Belle in that you don't really get to know him all that well in the film, but he goes through lots of changes in the story. You learn of his past and why he is the way he is, and get to see the world through his eyes occasionally. I found his character to be the most interesting.

Rosalind: Belle's mother, we mostly get to know her in the flashback parts of the story, dealing with the history of the family and the country they live in. Rosalind felt like the driving force behind the book's plot. If you remove Rosalind from the story entirely, you are left with the disney movie. She was a very interesting character that is able to show that not everything is black and white, and in dealing with people while protecting your own, there are always shades of gray.

Plot: 4/5

Not a whole lot to say, if you've seen the movie, you know the story. However the book shines in providing the details that you can't get in 2 hours in front of a screen. Getting to know everyone's past and their motivations was well worth the read. The book somewhat diminishes the light heartedness of the movie and shows you a reality where everyone really is suffering the effects of a decade long curse, which doesn't always provide a reason for singing and making jokes.

Read More

Brian Review: Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin

Title:  Spare and Found Parts

Author: Sarah Maria Griffin

Published On: 10/04/16

Page Count: 384

Synopsis: (Found on Goodreads)

Nell Crane has always been an outsider. In a city devastated by an epidemic, where survivors are all missing parts—an arm, a leg, an eye—her father is the famed scientist who created the biomechanical limbs everyone now uses. But Nell is the only one whose mechanical piece is on the inside: her heart. Since the childhood operation, she has ticked. Like a clock, like a bomb. As her community rebuilds, everyone is expected to contribute to the society’s good . . . but how can Nell live up to her father’s revolutionary idea when she has none of her own?

Then she finds a mannequin hand while salvaging on the beach—the first boy’s hand she’s ever held—and inspiration strikes. Can Nell build her own companion in a world that fears advanced technology? The deeper she sinks into this plan, the more she learns about her city—and her father, who is hiding secret experiments of his own.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

I had no idea what this book was about going in. I took a look at the cover when it was handed to me and just dove in. The story I found was definitely better than I was expecting. There was a lot of symbolism and meaning in between each line, and I felt that it was able to hit an emotional level that I could really appreciate. Every character has the potential to be great and terrible, joyful and extremely depressing. After I finished, I felt better for having read it.

Cover: 3.5 / 5

Typically I am a big fan of off the wall covers, and when the cover artist tries to depict the meaning of the story through more interpretive designs. However, I felt that this book did enough of that on its own, and there was so much going on in this world that I would’ve appreciated seeing a picture of the artists take on the surroundings the characters were in for this story. A more traditional cover might have been better here, at least for me. The cover they chose was interesting, with a good idea behind the design.

Characters: 4.5 / 5

I really appreciated the depth in the characters for this story. Even characters you didn’t directly interact with often seemed to have their own unique voice.

Nell: The antagonist, and girl our story revolves around. Nell has a lot of inner turmoil and considers herself to be a step removed from everyone around her, including her closest friends. She doesn’t make much effort to fit in, which I appreciated, because it let her be herself. When she finally finds something she is passionate about she refuses to let anyone stand in her way, and does anything necessary to accomplish her goal for better or worse.

Ruby: Nell’s closest friend, Ruby is much more down to earth and approachable than Nell will ever be. She is sweet and kind, and tries to help Nell integrate with their society as much as she will allow, but knows she can only take her so far. Ruby came off as somewhat predictable, but most best friends are like that, and it didn’t detract from the story.

Julian: Nell’s father, the great biochemist / scientist / doctor. You hear a lot about how wonderful Dr. Crane is for his contributions to society, helping to replace lost limbs and parts for members of the town while he spends a majority of the story locked away in his lab. There is always a shadow of doubt, however, on the good doctor’s true intentions.

Plot: 5/5

This story has a lot of deeper meaning, in that if you read everything and take all the words at face value, you’re missing out on half of the story. I felt like it was reaching out to so many different types of people at once, and that there was a character or plot twist for everyone. The book itself can be broken down into fairly simple lines; ‘A post apocalyptic society is recovering from devastation and plague caused by artificial intelligence, watch what happens when some of the old technology is discovered and revived.’ However, there are so many layers to each character and the actions they take, I found myself re reading pages to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.


~Brian

Read More

Guest Review: Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Stalking Jack the Ripper

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Published On: 9/20/2016

Page Count: 320

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

Overall Rating:

Cover: Normally I am one who doesn’t care much for book covers, however this is one of the few I like. I love the gloomy depiction of Victorian London on the bottom half of the cover and I appreciate the slight smirk the subject on the top half has while holding her knife.

Characters:

Many things are expected of a young high born lady in Victorian London, performing dissections and autopsies are not among them. That doesn’t stop Audrey Rose Wadsworth however. Her strong willed nature and disdain for the gender norms lead her to forge her own path and demand more from life than society would willingly give.

What do with your time when you will inherit title, wealth and responsibility from your father? You dabble and comb your hair. At least this is what Nathaniel Wadsworth, brother to Audrey Rose, chose to do. I initially felt like his character was that of a cat exploring a new room. Looking at something, maybe playing with it a little, then moving on to the next thing. However as we get to know Nathaniel better, we see that he is driven by a strong love of his sister and mother.

Lord Wadsworth is a man who is wrought with guilt and anger. These created rifts between him and his family in one form or another. Despite the rifts, guilt and anger however; he is a man who deeply loves his children and only wants to protect them.

Uncle Jonathan is a brilliant forensic scientist and mentor to Audrey Rose. When she wanted to learn the science Uncle Jonathan taught her and held high expectations for her work. It is through him that Audrey Rose begins her investigation, and meets Thomas.

Thomas Cresswell can best be described by Audrey Rose. “His eyes are golden brown when he’s intrigued by something. He’s regal looking and handsome, but more interested in formulas and solving crimes than he is in… … poetry. He acts devilishly warm one moment, then frigid the next, … His arrogance is also … Annoying.” Thomas also has a great deal of care for those he is close to, though it is a subtle care.

Plot:

Deception and misdirection, the challenge of proving one’s self despite societal preconceptions, and a little boy annoys girl romance all in Victorian London during the heyday of Jack the Ripper. The story follows the MC Audrey Rose as she searches for the truth behind a string of savage killings plaguing London while trying to prove herself a forensic scientist in a male dominated world.

Quote:

“I dreamed of a day when girls could wear lace and makeup-or no makeup at all and don burlap sacks if they desired-to their chosen profession without it being deemed inappropriate.”

We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?

~Aslan

Read More

Three Quick Reviews; How to Hang a Witch, Dragonet Prophecy, A Shadow Bright and Burning

How to Hang a Witch 4/5
Adriana Mather
Synopsis (Found on Goodreads)

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire) 3/5

Tui T. Sutherland
Synopsis (Found on Goodreads)

The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice.

A Shadow Bright and Burning 4.5/5

Jessica Cluess
Synopsis (Found on Goodreads)

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. 

Here is the video I posted so you can take a listen/watch.

I have a few discussion posts and a book signing event post coming up for you this month. You can look forward to those as well as a few reviews. I`ve decided to be less worried about the amount of content I post and more the quality that I put on here.


TTFN,
Ashley

Read More

Review: And The Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

And The Trees Crept In

AKA The Creeper Man

Author: Dawn Kurtagich
Release Date: 9/6/16
Page Count: 352
Synopsis: (Found on Goodreads)

When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt's home, it's immediately clear that the "blood manor" is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too--the questions that Silla can't ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that's appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one else? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer?

Cover:4/5

I love the US cover so much. It really fits into the contents of the novel. I will say that the cover model falling does look similar to a few other YA book covers tat have come out recently.

Characters: 4/5

Silla`s guilt and hate for everything was so strong. I was waiting for the self-harm moment to come besides the not eating. She fails but pushes forward because of Nori, Aunt Cath and Gowen. She feels the need to save everyone that she doesn't care for herself at all.

Nori is so sweet and pure yet twisted and cunning. I never truly understood the crippled part of her but slowly Nori grew on me. She was there as a crutch for Silla to care for as sisters are.

Aunt Cath aka Crazy Auntie Cath really is crazy and cryptic. From the get go she is a sweet joyful lady just trying to protect the girls and raise them to be better than the environment that they came from. She want to teach the girls how to protect themselves but does not succeed in the educational sense.

Gowen is very patient and extremely persistent. He is the true definition of love and you don't learn it until you read it for yourself. He never solves Silla`s problems for her just pushes her to find her own way.

Plot: 5/5

Dawn has done it again by creating a story within a story. The descriptions of both house and terror was chilling to read out loud to my parents. This is definitely more mentally emotional than The Dead House is. By reading it out out I was able to give the characters a voice and listen to them grown not just in my head. Wha would you do if you were stuck in house sinking and surrounded by trees?

Overall Thoughts: 4/5

I read this out out for 3 days, roughly 11 hours of my voice going dead. My mom was full of guesses but we pressed on to the end. The format is a little hard to read out loud but in your head it should be fairly simple. I like the journal entries the most and would always shift my voice to fit the sections.

TTFN,
Ashley

Read More