#BookReview Marianne by Ruth Miranda

 

This book starts off with a BANG!

Seriously, I couldn’t believe that the book just jumped into the action, like some epic movie sequel! I loved this sweet surprise, since it’s a major change from the books I have been reading lately.

Ruth Miranda, the fantastic author, opens up the realm of fantasy even further in this book. The slow unraveling of this fantastical universe seemed to work really well within the story. I don’t think I would have liked this series as much if she would have thrown all of the elements at us at once. The way she gives us the secrets to this world piece by piece felt… flawless. Each little piece of information that was released made the story slowly fall into place, and gave some awesome added effects. The information about Nora was what really had me in awe – Ruth knows how to tell a great tale.

If there was a con to this point, I’d say that it sometimes felt like those super villain monologues when all of the information was being released. But, for me, it still worked well. I liked the long descriptions.

When looking at the overall book, it’s definitely the darkest of the three. As a reader, if you felt that the last two pushed the limits, then this book might not be for you. It’s past the PG-13 rating for some of it’s deep content, such as the rape scene. So in my mind, it’s a hard R rating. This scene is brutal, but shows some deep insights into the character it’s following. The plot line gets crazier as it goes on, which boggled my mind. The insanity Ruth introduces to the back stories of these characters… One word: WOW. Just… Wow. A good wow, of course!

As the book progressed, I really liked the depth of Marianne and Marcus’s relationship. It’s a unique dynamic, but it held me tight to this book. I wanted to know more about this pair, and I was so tempted to skip to the pages that they were on! If anybody stood out in this novel, it’s that pair! At times you feel bad for them, and then you hate them, but then you feel empathetic… This roller coaster of emotions is from Ruth’s epic writing. Seriously, I haven’t felt this exhausted from my emotions about a book in a LONG time.

In some weird way, I could relate and emphasize with Marianne. The humiliation, the desire to fit in or be loved by someone, and her emotions being painted on the page all hit me in just the right way. I felt like I’ve been there before, in different ways. And, in my opinion, I think this is where the book is really going to draw it’s audience. I don’t often feel and relate to characters in books like this, but with Marianne… There’s something there.

Nora and Cai’s side of the story is also intriguing – the characters are changing throughout the story as they try to find Marcus. While Marcus and Marianne stood out, the journey Nora and Cai go on is a nice parallel. It brings us away from the brutality of Marcus/Marianne, which is much needed in this story. The romance, the drama and the beauty of their story is the perfect mirror! Kudos to Ruth for making this parallel so good!

Overall, this addicting story of pain and growth is mesmerizing! This series is definitely a must read if you want something darker and fantastical. I’d highly recommend it! It’s hard to find a dark series that takes on so many tough topics, and comes out on top!

There is one big con for me, and Ruth said it herself – I wanted to throw this book at the wall when I was done with it. But I was reading it on my iPad, and that is too expensive to throw. So, I didn’t throw the book at the wall, but I would have liked to.

Five out of five stars! Wowza!

I received this book for free from the author Ruth Miranda in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Check out Ruth Miranda on Goodreads

 

Find the first book in this series, Blood, on:

Goodreads – Goodreads – Blood

Amazon.com – Amazon.com – Blood

Amazon.ca – Amazon.ca – Blood

Find the 2nd book, Scars, on:

Goodreads – Goodreads – Scars

Amazon.com – Amazon.com – Scars

Amazon.ca – Amazon.ca – Scars

Find more books by Ruth Miranda on Amazon:

Amazon.com – Ruth Miranda

Amazon.com – A Study for Love / Amazon.ca – A Study for Love

 

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#BookReviews Girls That Growl by Mari Mancusi

Girls that Growl by Mari Mancusi is a great addition to the Blood Coven Vampires series.

This book continues this series in an excellent manner all the while expanding the universe even farther. Our lead, Rayne, grows as a character which is a nice change compared to many YA novels where our leads stay the same throughout the entire series.

Mari explores lycan within this book alongside Rayne’s character development. While this isn’t my favourite book out of the entire series (this is actually my least favourite, when I look back at all the books – including the new one), I feel like this book does it’s job – it moves the story forward so we can get to the next novels. Don’t be turned away by this book – yes, it’s not as great as the last two books but the following books get much, much better than this one. There always seems to be one book in a series that isn’t as great as the rest (there has to be, not all books can be perfect) and this book is it in this series. The previous and following books are definitely worth reading this book so you can get to all the adventure and romance we love.

There is more Sunny in this book, but the main focus is Rayne. It’s nice to see both girls have a bigger presence in this book!! There is also a bit more exploration of Jareth, for those who love him…

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Re-reading it was an excellent choice for me and I definitely suggest picking this book up!!

Five out of five stars.

 

Check out Mari on Goodreads! Mari Mancusi on Goodreads

Or visit her site: Mari Mancusi’s Website

Tell Mari you read her book on twitter:  @MariMancusi

Did you enjoy the Blood Coven series? Well, it has it’s own website!! Blood Covens Series by Mari Mancusi

Find me on Goodreads, where you can get up to date posts as soon as available: Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads

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#BookReview Blood by Ruth Miranda

 

Blood by Ruth Miranda is a paranormal novel full of thrills, suspense and mystery!

Vampires? Fey? Visions? This book is hitting every notch on the fantastical belt of epicness!

I truly found this book intriguing and couldn’t put it down. It starts off as a character study, following Caius (also known as Chaos), who is in a big band and is uber famous. Now, that’s all fine and dandy but he’s been having visions of a boy and he’s dead. Oh, did I mention there was an accident involving his girlfriend? His life is tricky, and slowly it unravels. Once we get past the short character study in a psychiatrist’s office, Cai is out looking for Marcus who is supposed to be dead. Slowly, Cai learns more about himself and his family roots on his fantastical journey.

The book is addicting – normally I take my time and take breaks when I’m reading, but this book demanded my attention! When you add in the insanity of the plot and how quick it moves, you’ve got yourself a real winner! Keep in mind, it is fast moving and has lots of paranormal aspects to it – so if you like a simple, clean cut story this might not be for you! It’s full of plot twists that might not be easy to follow if you’re not fully into the book whole-heartedly.

This novella is a fun read, but it almost felt too short! It ended so abruptly! Luckily, this is a series so we’ll be getting more from these characters soon! I wouldn’t recommend reading this book if you solely like books that stand alone. The story doesn’t fully close, so you will need to read the next book to know the final ending or have some closure.

Overall, this book has incredible themes and deep topics that will pull adult readers in to feel for these characters. The fantasy sides of this story also bring action and adventure to keep you hooked and gliding along with the story. I think this book will be great for fantasy readers or adults looking for something a little more than just some fantastical fun!

Four out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this novella from the author Ruth Miranda in exchange for an honest review.

All About Blood: a paranormal novella.

‘Chaos’ Nilsson has it all: a successful career in the music industry, fame, money, the girl. He also has a monkey on his back, brought about by the visions that plague his mind and haunt his every waking moment; visions that will only be quietened when he numbs himself with generous amounts of alcohol and drugs. After an accident that nearly costs him his life, he embarks on a journey of self discovery, in search of his roots and the secret to the blood coursing through his veins

 

 

Find this book on:

Goodreads – Goodreads – Blood

Amazon.com – Amazon.com – Blood

Amazon.ca – Amazon.ca – Blood

 

Find more books by Ruth Miranda on Amazon:

Amazon.com – Ruth Miranda

 

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Comment below – what is your favourite fantasy novel?

#BookReview Savior by A. King Bradley

Savior by A. King Bradley

This novel was a great read – it was a mix of fantasy, paranormal and superhero all rolled up into one beautiful package.

Within this story, I get the feeling you are supposed to pity Adam (our main character). His story is daring and full of action and drama, but I always was left feeling bad for him. There would be moments where I would feel delighted and strong with him, and then I just felt like it was a day to rain on Adam’s parade…

But then you must realize Adam isn’t your normal, everyday teenager – he has powers! Hence the superhero tag I left on my Goodreads. It’s not totally fantasy to me, it seems superhero-ish as well with these superpowers he uses.

There’s some subplots among the action and main story – a pinch of romance, but nothing wild (or that would give you the hint that it’s a romance novel. It’s not).

I will say this book is great for a first book in the series. While I might not be able to pick up the rest of the series, I think it’s a great start. This isn’t my top book of the century, nor was I hooked to this book and desperate to finish it, but it was good and well written. A King Bradley is a great writer by my standards and deserves his spot on library and bookstore shelves alike.

The downfalls of this book (as listed by me):
1. I didn’t like the cover. Yes, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but I really do. If I’m in a book store and I want a random read and I’m stuck between three REALLY good back cover/inside cover plots that make it super difficult for me to pick just one on a budget, I choose the prettiest or coolest cover of the three. Is this a bad thing that the cover isn’t drawing me in? No, but it could be for other readers who choose books like me.

2. This book was a good mix of predictable and unpredictable. I love when there’s twists and turns that I don’t guess and can keep going, but this book has a few to many spots where I could see everything coming from a mile away. That bored me more than anything, despite this read being absolutely fantastic at times.

3. Cliffhangers. I HATE cliffhangers with a passion. Why, you might ask? I have read countless books where a cliffhanger is left and then the author never gets to write the next book (or they write it and it’s never published). It infuriates me, and by the time the next book comes out I either forgot everything, can’t afford the book or can’t find it. It left a little to much unknown/cliffhanger-ed for me. It’s a well written cliffhanger, but it annoys me to no end.

4. Pacing issues. Sometimes this book is slow paced and leaves me waiting for something interesting, but when it hits it’s dramatic and action packed points it moves fast and furious! This is something that seems to come with time for writers – the more they write the better they seem to get. This issue did make me drop this book for a while though. It took months for me to finish it, despite me trying to jump back in numerous times.

Overall, this book is a pleasant surprise. It’s well written, has a great plot and is a great read. It’s a definite recommendation to those who love sci-fi and fantasy. It’s not a book for me, but it’s a FANTASTIC book!!!

Three out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

 

Check out this fantastic author on Goodreads: A. King Bradley on Goodreads

Or on his website: A. King Bradley.com

A. King Bradley on Twitter

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#BookReview Night School by Mari Mancusi

Night School is another hit by Mari Mancusi that will leave you hooked and breathless.

So we’ve seen vampires, and we’ve seen lycan…but can you believe that Mari Mancusi added in another magical creature? Yup. She did! Fairies! When I initially read these books when they came out, I’ll admit I didn’t like the fairies that were added. But now, as an adult who constantly sees giant film and book universes I understand the need for such an addition – and it does, oddly, work!! I think it’s a cute addition, and I would like to see Mari build more into these ideas in future installments.

Rayne is our lead in this book, and her sassiness is there (as always). And, as always, this book is fast paced and kept me interested. Plus, on top of it all, Mari tops her plot lines and goes a little crazier. She always seems to know how to go bigger and better.

One thing I really like about these books is Mari seems to understand that it can be lengthy between the times you read her books – so she summarizes what happened last. In the first couple books it annoyed me (because I was reading them back to back) but when I realized that there is typically a wait in between and you might forget what our heroines were up to, then I was all on board! If this is something you don’t like, you can always skip!! But I think this is a nice addition that’ll help readers out.

I did have an issue with this book – we’ve grown to love Jareth and Magnus so much, and they weren’t in this book as much as I would like. Yes, they weren’t integral to the story but it was a shame to pick up this book and not have some epic storylines with them. They were still there, but not as much as they could have been.

Five out of five stars.

 

Check out Mari’s roster of books on Goodreads!  Mari Mancusi on Goodreads

Or visit her website – Mari Mancusi’s Website

See what Mari’s up to on Twitter – @MariMancusi

Did you enjoy this series? Check out it’s website!  Blood Covens Series by Mari Mancusi

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Give me a shout-out on Twitter! Let me know your recent reads!!! Or give me some recommendations!  Briar’s Reviews on Twitter

#BookReview The King’s Peace by Kevin Hammond

 

The King’s Peace is an epic fantasy read to add to your collection!

Fantasy is one of those genres where it can go anywhere – medieval, dragons, superheroes, magic, gods, monsters, creatures, etc – so reading a fantasy book is always a pleasant surprise! This novel focuses on Kings, Dragons, Magic, Gods and action adventure. We follow Nathaniel on his journey, where the King has been murdered and drama and hectic adventures ensue. The book is fast paced and will keep you interested at every turn. For me, I felt this book teetered close to an R rating – so maybe don’t read this to your children. There were dark parts of this book, but it’s not unbearable R (no endless swearing, excessive gore, etc).

The descriptions of the action in this novel are phenomenal. I really felt like I was transported into this story through Kevin’s writing. Mixing that in with the fantastical quest Nathaniel embarks on makes this book soar to a whole new level! I really enjoyed the action and found myself finding this book fun! Throw in a few funny comments and enticing characters, and this book is all around good fiction!

When analyzing the characters, I liked how Nathaniel developed throughout his quest – the thief is sometimes portrayed as a silly or dumb character, but Kevin makes Nathaniel likable and have an actual personality.

Additionally, the further I got into the novel, the more interested I was in the book. Since the writing style doesn’t coincide perfectly with my reading style, it took me a little longer for me to attach to the story. At about page 85 I found myself gripping my device and yearning for more, unable to put it down!

My con for this book is the con I have with all fantasy book – I never know how to properly pronounce the names! All of these cool names are introduced with Kevin’s characters, and I’m lost and probably pronouncing every name wrong! It doesn’t ruin this book at all, but it always makes me chuckle when I look up the pronunciation of the names after I’ve read the book and I’ve created some really weird sounding names in my head. For example – Kelda. Kee-lda? Kel-da? Is the l silent? Is the d silent? Is the k silent? Such a beautiful name, but I probably pronounced it wrong the whole book!

Personally, the writing style didn’t mesh well with my reading style. Just because that little fact is true, doesn’t mean that this book isn’t good. Honestly, it was fantastic! It was kind of nice to have a change from my normal reads to dive into this beautifully written tale.

Overall, this book was awesome! I think it’s a fun fantasy book that should be on my local bookstore’s shelves! Considering this is more of an indie fantasy novel, it will really blow you out of the water! I never expect this much talent and creativity in a novel, let alone from an indie author! This book could be converted to the big screen with how beautifully it was written.

I’m giving it a 3 out of 5 based on my rating system – 3 means I like it! If you look at the Amazon rating, it’d be a 4.

I received a free copy of this novel from the author Kevin Hammond in exchange for an honest review.

 

Find out about the King’s Peace on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21279183-the-king-s-peace

Purchase this book on: Amazon.com – The King’s Peace or Amazon.ca – The King’s Peace

If you read this novel, give me a shout out on Twitter using the hashtag #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

 

Comment below with your favourite fantasy novel!!

#BookReview The Mirror In My Dorm Room by Lashonda Beauregard

 

The Mirror In My Dorm Room by Lashonda Beauregard is an epic tale about time travel.

To begin with, I paralleled Justina almost perfectly when reading this book! I am a marketing student, heading into sophomore year and I am definitely ready to start a new semester! That being said, some of the comments about college are definitely true – you need your ID (it’s essential), some semesters are harder than others, the information about work studies, and sometimes the older dorms are the prettiest (in style).

This book felt like it was written by a college student, which was a nice touch. I’m not sure if it was intended to read like that, but it worked.

The time travel part of this story was a fun twist to the usually typical college story. It had a similar vibe to Alice Through the Looking Glass mixed with a confused identity. Justina, a college student in current day, is now Laurice in the 1930s when she steps through the mirror in her dorm room.

I felt like this story had a lot of potential and is heading towards the right direction. At times, the story came to a full stop at a break in the chapter, which threw the flow off for me. Some of the small drama scenes could have been extended with a little more action or conversation to assist in the ease of the story’s flow. I also wondered how Justina knew managers and famous singers of the 1930s when she had just traveled back through time. She didn’t seem to have the memories of Laurice and was very confused, only to know things pages later that she hadn’t been aware of moments earlier. It was a little strange.

There’s also times where certain comments are explained more than once in the same page – Rayla is a Nursing major and is taking biology. They see her a lot in biology because she’s a Nursing major, and Nursing majors have biology. This happened with quite a few characters, not just solely Rayla. My biggest pet peeve was a sentence about Roger where chemistry was mentioned three times without the full stop. At times, it felt like the comments were purposely used for comedy, but they happened so often it just seemed to be Lashonda’s writing style.

With a little more description (like how Justina’s cute, little pink dress looked) I think this book would really blossom into a truly magnificent piece of writing. Even a little more background on what happened to Justina as Laurice near the end instead of a sudden stop! The ending was getting so good and I was so excited to read what happened, and it was just a quick summary!

For my cons, there were some sentences I would have fixed up. For example, lots of repetition and comments ending in “said”, starting multiple sentences in a row with the same word, some grammatical errors in word choice and very short 3 word sentences. The only reason I notice these things is because I had two back to back English classes these past semesters in college. Most people probably wouldn’t catch on, but it’s noticeable on my end.

Overall, Lashonda Beauregard has a specific writing style that wasn’t meant for me. The book is really cute, lots of fun and a nice take on time travel! I definitely recommend this novel to those who like science fiction and time travel stories!

Two out of five stars.

I received a free copy of this novella from the author Lashondra Beauregard in exchange for an honest review.

 

Find this book on:

Amazon.com: Amazon.com – The Mirror In My Dorm Room

Amazon.ca: Amazon.ca – The Mirror in my Dorm Room

 

Check out Lashonda on her website: http://lashondabeauregard.webstarts.com/

Or give us both a shout out on Twitter! @LBSongs7 & @ReviewAlholic