Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Mini Reviews: Akata Witch, And Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

So here's my first mini review post.

I'm doing a 365 book challenge. I'm on book 18 which is "Don't Breathe A Word" by "Jennifer Mcmahon"

So, unto my reviews.

Akata Witch
Description
from Goodreads
Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she’s albino. She’s a terrific athlete, but can’t go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a “free agent,” with latent magical power. Soon she’s part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too

Review
You don't find a lot of paranormal (and young adult) African books so I was excited to read this and I'm glad I did.

The charcters (and the reader) are constantly reminded that the world doesn't revolve around them. No matter how important you (think you) are, the universe will go on without you.

The only thing I didn't particularly like was the resolution. It was too easy, considering all the foreshadowing.

4 Stars

Zahrah The Windseeker
Description
from Goodreads
the northern Ooni Kingdom, fear of the unknown runs deep, and children born dada are rumored to have special powers. Thirteen-year-old Zahrah Tsami feels like a normal girls life.- she grows her own flora computer; has mirrors sewn onto her cloths; and stays clear of the Forbidden Greeny Jungle.But unlike other kids in the village of Kirki , Zahrah was born with the telling dadalocks.

Review
An exhilarating read.

It was a bit slow at first but it picked up towards the middle. It was a great read.
Zahrah is a wonderful character and I was rooting for her all through.

There's a lot of Alice in Wonderland in the book.

4 Stars

Wednesday, 18 December 2013

REVIEW: The Birth of Vengeance by P.A. Ross



Source: Free copy from Author
Publish Date: May 28th 2012
Publisher: Scarlett-Thorn
ASIN/ISBN: B008732YPQ
Format: ebook
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 168
Date Read: December 17, 2013

Description
You've been beaten, bullied and betrayed but vengeance is at hand. One swift stab of a needle and the vampire formula will coarse through your blood. It will give you the immortal powers of the vampire for the night. Your fangs will bite and claws will rip at their flesh. No human will stand in your way. You will taste blood and feel the thrill of the hunt, but tomorrow you will be human again.

Can Jonathan Harper resist such temptation? He wants vengeance on a gang that have driven him to despair. The vampire formula can give him vengeance but at what cost.

This dark urban fantasy series embarks on an action packed adventure, as Jonathan must face the consequences of his decisions. “The Birth of Vengeance (Vampire Formula #1)” is the first novel in a series of new vampire books.


Review
This is probably one of my worst of 2013.

I give the author 2 stars for effort and for writing about vampires from a new/different angle and talking about a very important issue; bullying.

The story, the characters and the writing was all disappointing.
There was a lot of repitition, unnecessary details and inconsistencies (with the characters).

Jonathan was always going on and on and on about being bullied and wanting vengeance and feeling guilty for abandoning his friend.

Jonathan is a moody, uncertain character who is always whining. Even after all the training and everything. It got a bit tedious after a while.

The story in general just wasn't working for me and at the end, there was a failed attempt at throwing a curveball.
My reaction was: "oh please"

This story could have done a lot better.


Find The Book
Amazon || BN.com || Kobo || Smashwords

Find The Author
Goodreads: Paul Andrew Ross

Rating
2 Stars

Recommendation
This book wasn't my cuppa but you might enjoy it if you can get over the constant whining. It's supposed to be horror but it doesn't cut it for me.

Saturday, 2 November 2013

Blog Tour: Unchosen by Michele Vail [REVIEW]


The Book

I thought the worst of my reaper training was behind me… turns out I was wrong. Dead wrong.

Molly Bartolucci has done a lot of growing up but after being accused of using illegal magic at her school for necromancers, reaper-in-training Molly is treading lightly. As the destined leader of Anubis’s Chosen, she needs to study hard, train harder, and stay out of trouble.

Uh, right.

It doesn’t help that she’s feeling more than academic about her melt-your-bones hot reaping instructor, Rath.
And if her relationship drama isn’t enough to drive her over the edge, she has to deal with mother issues, nosy little sisters, suspicious friends, and an unnamed force stalking her at school.

Then her family is attacked, and her bio-dad ends up comatose in the hospital. Now, Molly has to uncover who’s trying to hurt her loved ones—and all without the help of Anubis.
Amazon || Book Depository || Goodreads

Review

This is a great paranormal story.
I like the storyline and the characters are great.

Molly is very funny and sweet. She has an undefined relationship with Rath that isn't properly developed.

I haven't read the first book in the series (Undeadly) but I wasn't confused or lost or anything like that.
It was pretty easy to follow and understand.

There's a little action and there's never a boring moment in the book. I couldn't stop reading and I finished in under 2 hours.

There's a big twist and cliffhanger at the end. The next book seems interesting A great read and is highly recommended.
Especially if you're a paranormal fan that's tired of vampires and werewolves.

Rating
4 stars

Publisher: A Freeman Publication
Release Date: October 29th, 2013
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction


Favourite Quote
“You want good advice? If something big, bad, and ugly is chasing you, don’t trip. Dumb ass.” ~Secret History of Reapers, Author Unknown

The Author

Michelle Vail
writes young adult paranormal fiction about zombies and reapers.

She likes reading, dogs, cats, board games, ghost-hunting shows, and Halloween. She believes in magic, inthe impossible, and in the restorative powers of chocolate.

Michele lives happily-ever-after with her Viking and their family.
Facebook || Goodreads || Google Plus || Twitter || Website || YouTube

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

REVIEW: Goodbye Nothing by Beck Sherman

Source: Free copy from Author
Publish Date: Feb 01, 2014
Publisher: Beck Sherman
ASIN/ISBN: 9780385342049
Format: ebook
Genre: New Adult, Horror
Pages: 309
Date Read: October 22, 2013

Description Since the night of the accident, Cain Emmerick has felt different. Empty. What was important to him—family, friends, his job—doesn't matter anymore. His new life revolves around that Nothing inside of him and the extraordinary highs he gets from committing random acts of violence.

Seventeen-year-old Joey Morgan is blind, but that doesn't stop her from seeing. Something bad is about to happen. Something that could tear her world apart.
For Joey, college life isn't quite turning out like she planned, because before good grades, fitting in, and love, comes survival


Review

Cain is fascinating and amusing. His story is heartbreaking because he was loveable before "The Nothing".
Joey is endearing. Her greatest quality is her perseverance. You can't help but root for her and her.

Cain thought he probably took away more of the car dealer than was left in the office. He wondered if he should have confiscated the head. Used it as an HOV lane passenger, as company at the breakfast table, as compost for tomato plants, as a ventriloquist dummy, as a hat and sunglasses holder, as a Terence-o’ lantern, as a stamp and envelope licker, or as a place to stash his valuables, because how many people would venture near a severed head? Cain guessed maybe three out of ten people who knew full-well it was real. Some people were messed up.

Some parts of this book are so disgusting and vile it’s unimaginable. The author doesn’t spare you from visualizing anything.
It's certainly horrific and gory. Shocking and jaw dropping. For most of the book, I was like:
but in a good way

I loved it from the beginning. It got a bit slow towards the middle but picked up later.
All in all a great read.


Find The Book
Goodreads

Find The Author
Facebook || Goodreads || Twitter || Website

Rating
4 stars

Recommendation
If you like Stephen King (but with a happy ending) or Dean Koontz, this is for you


On a totally different note.

I love NA but I'm tired of reading contemporary and paranormal. Most of them romance. Please please please we need horror, suspense and so forth in NA

Monday, 14 October 2013

Book Blog Tour: Astral Ordinance II by Meltem Y.K.

The Book

Jayna and Ethan have a spectacular wedding in the Astral plane. Life goes on in a happy monotone for a few years, but they are still forbidden to see each other on Earth.
One morning, Jayna and Liam do not wake up from their state of suspended animation. Something major has happened on the Astral plane and Jayna is not telling them the whole story, but there is no denying the sense of danger.
Amazon || BN.com || Goodreads || Smashwords

The Interview
How many books are in The Astral Ordinance series? Do you have a plan or will you just go with the flow.
There are two published books in the series, the third one is being written. I am going with the flow. As long as the story is flowing for me I will keep writing. I can honestly say that I don’t see this series as being completed in three or four books. The story and the characters are very rich. They come to life for me and demand that their story be told.

What is the inspiration for the series?
The inspiration for the series are the various Ascended Masters that I know about. Ascended Masters (also known as Enlightened Masters or Self-Realized Masters)  are not common knowledge among people, but they do exist. I am lucky to be  privy to their existence.

Is there any special meaning/lesson/message you want readers to get from your book?
Definitely! I am showing people a glimpse of what humans are capable of doing if they develop themselves spiritually.
Ascended Masters and Lightworkers are role models we can all aspire to. I promote love and respect, the code of Ahimsa which is the way of non-violence, protection of animals, and I even give ideas about vegetarian meals. You can read my books as entertainment and think of them as fantasy paranormal books or you can look deeper and learn a lot. The choice is yours.

Which character do you relate to the most?
I relate the most to the two moms. Grace and Estelle.
Grace is Jayna’s mother and Estelle is Ethan’s. They are devoted to their families, have varying degrees of psychic abilities, but they are not nearly as advanced as their offspring in Astral matters.

Are any of the characters based on real people you know?
Yes, there is definitely a Divine Mother in India who is the sister of Babaji. Both siblings are very evolved spiritual beings, and very very old.

I read that apart from your interest in Astral Travel you are also a yoga enthusiast. When did you start yoga? Why?
I started Yoga many years ago, but it was Iyengar style Hatha yoga. I discovered Kriyayoga seven years ago and it changed my life. I was always looking for that one nameless thing that would fill a void in my life and didn’t know what it was. When I found out about Kriyayoga I immediately knew that that was what I was searching for and a lot of things fell into place for me.

Tell us more about being an animal activist. Why animals? Why not anything else? the environment for example.
Oh, I definitely support environmental causes and human rights also, but animals have a special place in my heart. I support many organizations that are trying to change the world for better, put an end to child labour or slavery, call it whatever you prefer; human trafficking, fight against drugs, etc. I spend a good deal of time signing petitions and making donations every day. I am not an affluent person, but I do what I can in terms of financial aid. I think that God created the Earth, put oceans, plants and animals on it then populated it with people to give us the perfect place to learn and evolve ourselves
. The year 1700 A.D. marked the beginning of an ascending doper, an age of enlightenment. Although we have a long ways to reach enlightenment as a collective human race, my humble opinion is that animals are there to teach us compassion and help us towards enlightenment. If you see a stray dog, will you walk away or stop and make a call to the Humane Society? When the Humane Society sends you an urgent message because there was a flood somewhere in the world and animals need your help, will you delete that message or donate what you can? In this age of instant and mass communication, there is a lot that we can do to end the suffering of both people and animals. At the end of the day, people have language and can express their suffering and cry for help. Animals don’t. We have to take up the fight for them, love them and protect them. That is what makes us human beings. If you want to evolve and ascend as a human, go and help someone and while you are at it, don’t forget about the animals

.

How does being a (foster)parent affect your writing.
I cannot talk about my fostering too much as I have signed a confidentiality agreement, but I can assure you that fostering has opened my eyes to a lot of human suffering that is going on right here in our own community. I come from a very tightknit and compassionate family, so I could never have imagined the kinds of violence that takes place in other families.
The children need our protection when their own families cannot provide it for them; my family and I are there to do exactly that. We provide a safe and loving environment to the children when they need it. As a person, fostering made me develop by leaps and bounds. I am sure that is reflected in my writing.

Do your interests in yoga, animal activism and your Economics degree affect/influence your writing? How?
Most certainly all of those things you mentioned affect and influence my writing. I am the sum of everything that I learned and experienced.
Without my yoga there wouldn’t be all the rich characters in my books. As I mentioned earlier, there really is a Divine Mother. My passion for animals is also in my books, one of the characters is a marine biologist who goes and fights dolphin hunters. This is probably the right time to mention that the annual dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan started once again and Ric O’Barry with other animal activists are there to observe, record and try to convince the Japanese government to put a stop to this tradition.
Dolphin meat is very dangerous for human consumption because of the very high levels of mercury in it. Many children were born with extreme retardation due to dolphin meat consumption by their mothers in and around that town. I hold a BA in Economics and a certificate in Human Resources. I still have plans to do a graduate degree, but that probably won’t happen for a few more years.
The character of Estelle in the Astral Ordinance is my super mom/business woman. I can get into Estelle’s head because of my training in Economics and Human Resources. I even outlined a business plan for a chain of vegetarian restaurants that Estelle started and handed over to her son, Ethan, the hero in our series. Their mission is to teach people to eat vegetarian one day a week. Most doctors recommend this, Ethan is opening up these restaurants to make it easy for people to follow doctors’ orders and eat vegetarian. I eat vegetarian seven days a week so I am in a good position to give people ideas how to do it. All of these are in my books.

What book are you currently reading?
Currently I am reading Amanda Hocking’s last installment of the Watersong series, Elegy

If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be? why?
I would like to have dinner with the Divine Mother, but then again I am not sure that she eats. We might just end up meditating together. She is one of the most enlightened souls left on Earth.

Random
Fave Season of the year - Summer
Fave Dessert - Baklava
Fave yoga pose – Listening to the internal sound while gazing at the infinite
Fave food – Grilled veggies
Fave book written by another author – The Autobiography of a Yogi
Random Fact – Olive leaves, Sage and Lavender ward off evil, not garlic.

The Author
A university graduate in Economics, this mother of three and foster mother of 25 has been drawn to the world of paranormal since childhood. A devoted reader herself, Meltem Y.K has always had the aspiration to create her own brand of fantasy.
While working full-time and raising a family, into the late hours of the night, Meltem Y.K dreamed the fantasies that only she could and created a story that's grown into the Astral Ordinance series. Amazon || Facebook || Goodreads || LinkedIn || Smashwords || Twitter || Website

Thursday, 29 August 2013

REVIEW: The Siren's Tale by Anne Carlisle

Wow. just wow.

I received a free copy courtesy of the author

Finished: August 29, 2013
Rating: 4 stars

*The Book
The sexual exploits of sirens in human form make for charming erotic-paranormal entertainment and spicy inspiration for YA/NA readers. Female power and intellect clash with rustic superstition, with deadly consequences, as the siren Cassandra seeks a life of fiery passion in the Old West. The consequences affect her lovers and descendants, owing to a curse that deflects the sirens' paranormal powers toward the dark side. The contemporary frame poses questions: Will the youngest siren learn how to live and love? Can a siren's voracious appetite for adventurous passion be reconciled with core human values?

*It is the second book in the Homeschooling Trilogy but can be read as a standalone novel

My Opinion
Wow. Wow. Wow.
I first loved this biok just because it isn't about werewolves and/or vampires.
This book is amazing. The storytelling is amazing. I was so drawn into the book that I couldn't stop(or sleep) until I finished it.

I felt like some was telling ME a story. talking directly to me.

The way she intertwined the POVs and the time periods was just so amazing.

This is definitely one of the best paranormal books I've read.
Anne Carlisle is a great storyteller.

I have nothing bad to say about the book

Get it
Amazon
BN.com
LazyDay Publishing

*Book blurb from LazyDay Publishing