Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

The Society by K.A. Linde - Review and Excerpt

         

GoodReads ~ Amazon ~

 iBooks ~ Barnes&Noble ~ Kobo ~ GooglePlay


Author: K.A. Linde
Publication Date:  23 October, 2018
Publisher: K.A. Linde, Inc
Series:  Ascension, book 4
Genre:  YA Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14 and Up
Rating: 5 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 


Book Description:

The fourth book in the fantasy Ascension series that NYT bestselling author Susan Dennard called "perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas." 

 War is on the horizon. All while a new power grows strong, threatening the very balance of good and evil. Desperate to save her homeland, Cyrene goes in search of the dragons that may be the key to ending this battle—and heal her dying friend. Can Cyrene master her magic to save the world? 

AVAILABLE NOW




My Review:

My review feels like it should just go something like this

1. I like big books and I can not lie!
2. Cover Love!
3. This series grows you.
4. Action!
5. Adventure!
6. Twists and Turns!
7. Kick Butt (Thanks to Amazon I can't say what I really want to, ha) Heroine!
8. Amazing Secondary Characters.
9. Swoon-worthy romance.
10. Dragons!
11. This is a must read!
12. Did I mention, DRAGONS!!!!

When I began this series back at The Affiliate I liked it, but it wasn't a total favorite of mine.  Wow, how times change and a series grows over 4 books. I am a total convert to the love for this series.  K.A. Linde has found her voice when it comes to YA and it is gorgeous.  

The Society is a huge book, 600 pages huge, but you would never know it because it reads so easily.  This story is encompassing, it is going to grab you and hold you to it until you come to that final page, leaving you breathless and unable to believe that you went through 600 pages that fast.  

One thing about this series, you do not want pick up any book and just start in a random place.  Make sure that you read this series from book 1, The Affiliate forward, they all interconnect and if you try and pop in a random book you will be lost.   Book 4, The Society starts right in where The Consort left off.  Cyrena is off on an epic journey to save a friend and bring back dragons to save...well everyone.  She is an awesome heroine who just becomes even more kick butt through this book. Cyrena's character development through this entire series has been wonderful to 'watch' and wow, with this book she really comes into her own.  

K.A. Linde really gives us everything in this book and just when you think everything is coming together she shocks us with unexpected twists and turns that will leave you gasping and begging for the next book...which sadly won't come out for another year *cue the tears*.  I love the connection of all the characters in this book, Cyrena's 'gang of friends' is amazing and all back together and I just can't get enough of them.  I am going to need stories for everyone, EVERY ONE.  Hahaha.  

If you are looking for a new series to start that is full of action and adventure look no further than this series.  K.A. Linde has created a world that you won't want to leave.  


~ HAPPY READING ~ 

         

Excerpt:

There is a power brewing in Emporia, Cyrene. And I can’t shake the feeling, and I cannot pinpoint it. But it is there, and it is growing.”
Cyrene felt the same words that Serafina had echoed in one of her spirit dreams. A dark power had threatened to take Cyrene out of the dream. She had even succeeded in pulling Cyrene to her where she was cloaked in shadow. She’d told Cyrene to come to her and given her a portaling coin to do so. Cyrene still kept the coin with her at all times…even though she’d sworn to Vera and Matilde and Serafina that she would never use it.
“Like what Serafina said.”
“She was what made me test that energy. Her warning prompted me to check into the matter.”
“And?”
Vera shook her head. “It is worrisome, but it is not here. Not yet.” Her face was still pale though, and she looked nervous.
“What does it mean?”
“You know the story of the Creator, yes?”
“Of course,” Cyrene said. “She created all life and brought about the first people. She was the one who blessed the very first Doma with her powers.”
Vera nodded. “That is only half of the story.”
“As with all light, there is always darkness. A push and a pull. A yin and a yang,” Vera explained. She looked sideways, as if expecting Matilde to be there to finish her sentences. “As the story goes, the Creator had a sibling—the Destroyer. Two goddesses who brought life and death, good and evil, creation and destruction.”
“Okay. But it’s just a story.”
“Is it?” Vera whispered. “Aren’t all of your stories true? You believed them all to be myths. Dragons, Braj, Leifs. Just myths. How is this any different?”
“And you believe the energy you are feeling, that Serafina fears, and that found me in my dream was the goddess of destruction?” Cyrene’s eyes widened in abject horror. “Are you saying a god walked into my dream?”
Vera shook her head. “I don’t know. Yes. Maybe.”
“Well, that seems reasonable.”
Vera laughed unabashedly. “Oh, Cyrene, you always surprise me.”
“I mean, I tend to believe that the thing I least expect is probably most likely.”
“There’s no guarantee that this is the case,” Vera said. “I could be imagining it.”
“But you don’t think so.”
“No, I should have seen the signs long ago. Who else could be controlling the Braj, the Indres, and the Nokkin? They are her children after all. Created out of darkness and used as weapons. The Nokkin were the first descendants of the Doma. A family that magic corrupted and turned into horrible creatures that could suck the magic out of people, bent on destruction. There were signs. Just like there were signs the last time. And we did not see them.”
“The last time?” Cyrene asked. “Do you mean…these same things were happening during the War of the Light when Viktor killed Serafina?”
Vera nodded once.
“And did you see this goddess then?”
“No. Just her influence.”
“So, I might be about to fly into a panic for no reason.”
Vera smiled. “Perhaps. We have the gift of foresight, as we know both the prophecy and how this ended in the past. We can stop this, Cyrene. You can stop this. I believe in you. The past does not dictate the future, and you choose your destiny. Nothing is set in stone until it happens.”
“And here I thought, the worst part of my night was letting the man with the red feather slip through my fingers.”
“Let me worry for you. Creator knows I already do it enough,” Vera said. “Focus on the task at hand. We cannot fight an enemy we cannot see…and if we are unprepared, we will lose.”
Cyrene sighed heavily and flopped back on her bed. No pressure.
   

   ta-amazon

The Affiliate: Book 1 
"With rich romance and twisty political intrigue, THE AFFILIATE is a breakneck fantasy ride that's perfect for fans of THE SELECTION or THRONE OF GLASS." --Susan Dennard, NYT bestselling author of TRUTHWITCH 

On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland--an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have... King Edric himself. Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. 

Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde's new Ascension series. Great for fans of Game of Thrones, Tudors, and Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series. 

   tb-amazon
 Amazon ~ iBooks ~ Kobo Goodreads    

Cyrene Strohm is a Queen’s Affiliate, a high-ranking official of the court of Byern, with power and privilege to spare. But she’s also a keeper of dangerous secrets: like the fact that she holds the heart of the King, and that she possesses magic in a world where magic no longer exists. Determined to discover what this means and how to use her newfound abilities, Cyrene sets off for the distant land of Eleysia. An island nation where Affiliates are strictly forbidden from entering. But the journey is perilous, and the destination may mean utter ruin, as Cyrene comes to learn that everything she’s been told her whole life – about her court, her homeland, and even herself—are bound in a beautiful lie.       

   AmazonUS ~ AmazonUK ~ iBooks ~

 Barnes&Noble ~ Kobo ~ GooglePlay  

After the loss of a friend and false imprisonment in an Eleysian dungeon, Cyrene has no interest in destiny. Her heart was shattered, friends scattered, and her home is nothing but a pretty illusion. Even her magic won’t cooperate. When all seems lost, she turns to the one person she never thought that she would trust:

Prince Kael.

His darkness mirrors a growing force lurking within her. A struggle she never imagined threatens to consume her. And as friends and foes begin to show their true colors, she starts questioning whether anyone is who they seem. Even herself.

      



K.A. Linde grew up as a military brat and created fantastical stories based off of her love for Disney movies, fairy tales, and Star Wars. In her spare time, she is an avid traveler, loves reading young adult novels, and dancing. Additionally, K.A. has written more than a dozen adult novels and is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Lubbock, TX with her husband and two super adorable puppies. K.A. Linde loves to hear from her readers! You can contact her at kalinde45@gmail.com or visit her online at one of the following sites:

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O'Keefe - Release Day Review







Author: M. O'Keefe
Publication Date:  13 October, 2015
Publisher: Bantam Publishers
Series:  Everything I Left Unsaid, book 1
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Age Recommendation: 18 and up
Rating: 4 Stars
~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 


Book Description:


Fans of Jodi Ellen Malpas, K. Bromberg, and Joanna Wylde will be unable to resist this sexy, deeply intimate tale of a woman running from her past, and the darkly mysterious man who sets her free. 

I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.

And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.

His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.






My Review:

This is the first book by Molly O'Keefe that I have had the pleasure of reading and I have to say I am so glad that when given the opportunity to pick this one up I said yes please!  

Annie is running from a life of struggle and a man that has literally beaten her down.  One she can accept, struggle and hard work are nothing to her, the other means life and death.  


“When we are pushed to the edge we were capable of anything. Surviving was the only thing that mattered..” - Annie


She's criss-crossed her way across the east coast finally 'landing' in Flowered Manor Trailer Park, where:

"Everyone minds their own here.  They all keep to themselves... It's safe and it's quiet and we don't truck with no nonsense," - Keith

Flowered Manor is a dilapidated trailer park in the middle of no where North Carolina and it's perfect for a woman with nothing, no money, no real family, and no where to go, because it is freedom.  Freedom from repression, freedom from fear, freedom from pain.  It is nothing and yet it is everything.  

Standing in her new home, a home that most people would turn their noses at, but that Annie can't help but love because it is safe a phone rings.  Confusion seeps in as Annie looks for the source, finding the phone shoved deep into the cushions of the couch (I am not sure I could have gone there Annie, not sure at all, haha) she debates answering and her world changes instantly with a timid 'Hello'.  


I loved Annie.  I loved her strength, her fire, her will, her innocent soul and her kindness.  I really loved how she, especially after everything she has been through, makes her own decisions about people.  She isn't going to let anyone bully her into opinions anymore.  She is told multiple times by different people to stay away from certain people, but instead of continuing to be afraid she is forging a new path for herself and that means discovering who people are not listening to who others believe them to be.  This doesn't just apply to others, this is a book about Annie finding herself.   She, with the help of the residents at Flowered Manor and especially Dylan, is determined to regain her 'self', to discover who she truly is with out the influence of others.  I think one of my favorite things is about to her is something that Dylan says numerous times...She is Brave.  

Dylan, wow there isn't too much I can tell you about Dylan because honestly it feels like we know everything and yet nothing at all about him.  I also have to be very careful about what I say here because the things we do learn about him all lead to the bigger picture, a picture that is still at the end of the book not fully revealed.  I can tell you he's a bit of a hermit, having isolated himself after a horrifying accident maims him although I believe he's never been much of a people person to begin with.  He's thoughtful, although not always what we would call considerate.  He's an alpha with a serious vulnerability to him and a painful past.  Even through his more jerk fueled moments you can't help your heart from aching for him.  

"He was forgetting. She was making him forget. 
He came from a long line of villains. And that shit couldn’t be forgotten… He was still the beast. The bad guy in the stories. She just didn’t know it yet. And he was forgetting. He was letting himself forget. Because he’d somehow gotten addicted to the sound of her voice. The way her voice made him feel.
Sometimes it was nice pretending to be the hero." - Dylan

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though it ended on a doozy of a cliff hanger, thankfully for all of us book 2, The Truth About Him (Hello....that title!) comes out soon so we won't have to stew with that shocker too long.  I would liked to have a little more character development, I think we got a lot of it in this book for Annie, but we are kind of left hanging with Dylan, Ben, and Joan...however by title of the second book it looks like some of that may come about, at least for Dylan.  We do get a wonderful build up into Dylan and Annie's relationship, it's quick in a sense but seeing as 3/4ths of the book their relationship is strictly on the phone when they finally do meet and have a true physical relationship you don't feel as thought it came out of no where.  

In a sea of Contemporary Erotic Romances this book sets itself apart with a unique story line and writing.  This is a book you will happily read in one setting and be ready to jump into book 2 as soon as you shut the cover.  Fans of New Adult, Erotica, and Contemporary Romance will enjoy this book.  If you have triggers to domestic abuse please go in cautiously.

~ HAPPY READING ~ 



Everything I Left Unsaid Playlist




The Truth About Him
Releasing 24 November, 2015



Book Description:

We played our roles, told each other lies.

But now Dylan is no longer just a mysterious deep voice on the other end of the line. We’re face-to-face and our relationship is very, very real.

We still have secrets—but so much is crystal clear:

The thrilling danger.

The raw, naked desire.

The need to keep feeling the way he makes me feel. Forever.

Dylan is putting up walls, trying to keep me safe, but he can’t shut me out. He has seen my darkness and rescued me. Now it’s my turn, if only he will let me.



Molly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.

She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.

Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.