Review of "Angels in Stone"

Won this book at Goodreads again and it was awesome. I absolutely loved it! It is the first book in the "Stone Series" and the next is due out this spring. The next, which I will definitely be buying. Because this one ended in such an awesome way, I have a feeling that, impossibly, the next book may be even better. Formal review:

Wow, what a ride. "Angels in Stone" by Tanja Kobasic is an amazing book filled with thrilling twists at every turn that will leave you breathless for the next book. “Angels in Stone” follows Claire, a narcissistic, snobby woman who cares only for herself and will do anything to get what she wants. Even if it means selling her soul to the devil. And when she meets the voodoo priestess Esperança, that option is made readily available.

The first thing that caught my attention in this novel was the originality of it. There aren’t many books with a character that has you rooting for their demise, and if there is, you’ll usually drop the book because you can’t stand reading about the character. This book, however, manages to pull it off flawlessly and at times—dare I say it?—you may actually find yourself rooting for Claire because, as cruel as she is, she has qualities that are much easier to relate to than a perfect character with no flaws.

The second thing I noticed, of course, was the beautiful prose. The writing was lovely and managed to make the complex plot easy to understand, though it was not, by any stretch of the imagination, simple. Everything was so easy to picture and it was as if you were there, experiencing what Claire was experiencing and seeing what she was seeing. Emotion seeped through the pages and you were never confused unless the author wanted you to be.

Then we get to the characters. Yes, as I’ve said, Claire was unlikeable… in the beginning. But as she grew and we began to understand why she was so bitter and angry, she became more and more likeable to the point where you’re wishing she would give up her hate and accept the light inside of her. And Claire wasn’t the only one to grow; Esperança the voodoo priestess, who was probably my favourite character though I did end up loving them all, changed in ways I never expected; ways that shocked me in a good way. Patience, Esperança’s “granddaughter” also shocked me when I found out who and what she really was. Even if nothing else in this book was good—which definitely isn’t the case—I’d still enjoy it because of the characters and the dark, humorous banter between them.

Now, finally, the plot. Wow. Really, wow. The pacing wasn’t the lighting-paced, fast-flowing pace that most amazing books are, but it was a slow, smoldering pace that was so intense you couldn’t tear yourself away from the pages for a breath of air. You may think a slow pacing would be a bad thing but, like Claire’s narcissism, it was an amazing thing. It’s not that I love slow paces but it’s just that the author pulled it off so well.There’s a part where Esperança is telling stories of the past and they’re so rich, full of life and just so…well, fantastic that I think I may even reread the book.  

The one thing that may turn readers away from this book is the deepness of it—there are times when the reader must read between the lines to really understand. Yes, it may turn some readers away, but I found it only added to the richness of the plot, characters and writing. There are great themes and if you have to think a little to get them, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. So overall, I love this novel. And with the cliff-hanger that it ended on, I cannot wait to read the next one!

So there you have it. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a deep, philosophical read that isn't your usual paranormal. If you're looking for a richly written book with well written, unlikeable characters that begin to turn likeable, then look no further. Tanja Kobasic is your author.

Final Verdict: 7.8/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber

Review of "The Metro Dogs of Moscow"

This is a child's book I won over at Goodreads to review. It's a really cute read and one of those books I'm going to pass on to my children as soon as they can read chapter books. After giving them one to read about cats first, of course. Formal review:

“The Metro Dogs of Moscow” by Rachelle Delaney was a quick, fun read that would be a nice thing to enjoy on a leisurely day with your children or even just by yourself. It’s a novel that falls into place with many movies I’ve seen about a small dog with a big heart who has to go on a mission to help other dogs. It isn’t the most original of novels but it’s cute with innocent, pure-hearted characters and simple, evil villains.

The plot is very predictable in its simplicity—for anyone over the age of ten at least—but nonetheless it’s heartwarming and follows the tradition of someone realizing that they have unexpected friends where they least thought they would. The writing style is also very simple and perfect for any young, reluctant readers who aren’t looking for tons of description about one thing or intricate, complicated explanations about someone’s true motives.

There is a nice amount of characters that reoccur in the novel, and each one is different, if stereotypical, so there’s at least one character for everyone to enjoy. The snobby, but large-hearted Beatrix, the gentle, intelligent Boris, the tough, kick-ass Ania, the grumpy-turns-nice, kind JR, the submissive, cautious Pie and the mischievous, fun-loving Robert are a just a few pups that come to mind. Not to mention the humans—messy, flirty George, dog-loving, rich John, beautiful, intriguing Katerina, mysterious, elusive Filip Filipov… There’s no shortage of characters and each one provides great fun and amusement.

The setting was great fun as well—Moscow, Russia through the eyes of a dog was certainly interesting and, in many circumstances, provided great humour as our sheltered protagonist, JR the embassy dog, soon shows us. This is one novel I could easily see being made into movie that audiences of films like Lady and the Tramp, Bolt, 101 Dalmations, All Dogs Go to Heaven and Cats and Dogs would enjoy. A movie from the dog’s point of view where the dogs can talk and have to solve a predictable problem.

Overall, this book was very light-hearted, quick read. The kind of book that you’ll pick up and read one lazy Saturday afternoon in the sun while sipping some sort of yummy drink and giggling at the childish humour. It’s a perfect book for any child under the age of about twelve, especially a child who loves dogs or just animals in general. If you read it as an adult, you will easily be transported back to your youth and enjoy a book where you won’t have to think about anything that’s going on because it’s not a particularly difficult book. It’s a nice book that deals with the theme of knowing who your friends are and strength in numbers. And not judging a book by its cover (I mean this as in a theme in the book—I personally think the cover of the book itself is cute). So if you’re looking for a book with a deeper meaning that you have to read between the lines to get, I’d suggest reading something else. But if you’re looking for a light, fun read with a child-like simplicity, or simply a book for your child, look no further.

Yes, this was an adorable book and I enjoyed it when I read it. Well it isn't the most memorable of books, it's sweet. In an I-love-the-characters-but-I'd-like-them-even-more-if-they-were-cats kind of way. Although at this very moment I'm dogsitting so we'll keep this our little secret. 

Final Verdict: 6.5/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber

Review of "The Corin Chronicles Volume 1: The Light and the Dark"

Wow that title's a mouthful. So I've taken a little while to read this one because at times I had to put it down--the sheer amount of character deaths can be a little overwhelming at times. Nonetheless, I finished it which goes to show it wasn't absolute garbage (actually it was far from it). This book by Marvin Amazon baffled me because I had a hard time deciding whether I liked or disliked it. (Although... I know what my opinion on the cover is... This is one book where I'll say "Don't judge the book by its cover.") In the end, I'm still undecided. Formal review:

“The Light and the Dark,” which is the first book in the “Corin Chronicles,” is what I like to call a setup book. Think “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.” Sure, it was an okay movie but it was all a build-up to the next movie, which needed a setup to be as mind-blowing as it was. In my eyes, this is essentially what the first book of the “Corin Chronicles” is; a setup to what has the potential to be a mind-blowing series.

It starts off pretty fast paced—a war between gods and demigods, and you think you know who the good guys and bad guys are. Lightning-paced battle sequences that aren’t so descriptive you want to cry because you don’t understand—really, it was a well-done, albeit straightforward (but lots of people hate battle strategy anyway so that’s okay) battle. Then you have the repercussions and a five thousand year skip. Thing is, the viewpoint we have five thousand years later is from the opposite side of the war and we hear a whole different story. Now it isn’t really clear who the good guys and bad guys are because both sides of the story are so biased. Which was interesting, original, and brilliant.

So why the low rating? I can tell you it wasn’t writing style—the writing was average and though I wished for a little more description but it didn’t both me too much. I can tell you it wasn’t the cover because I’m not rating the book for its cover, as much as this one annoyed me. I can tell you it wasn’t the characters… but I’d be lying. The characters. It wasn’t that I hated them but it was that I didn’t really care about them. Because this book had so many and they were dying left and right, main characters and minor. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem (“Game of Thrones” comes to mind) but the problem was that they were in the book for so little time that I didn’t really get attached to any of them. Just as I was starting to like a character, they’d die and then my attention would drift. Because the points of view kept switching and you never really stayed with the same character for long, there wasn’t really any development.

Which brings me back to my original point—setup book. Because the few characters that were alive will most likely make appearances in the next book (I will cry tears of frustration if they don’t), I can see that there will definitely be some developments and then maybe I’ll start liking some of them. The plot was also like this—just as things started getting really interesting, you get cut off and switched to another plot. And another setting. With different characters. And different points of view of the original battle! It was all over the place and nothing really connected in the end at all so the reader is left hopelessly confused and wondering why you even had to know about one plot. Things haven’t even started to come together, really.

The real thing that saved this book and has made me at least consider getting the next one is the last one hundred pages or so. They’re a quest and they all stay with the same group of characters (finally!). Although they do keep introducing new characters and I keep tearing at my hair and wondering why I need to know who “insert any name of a character in the last 100 pages here” is.

So, for just this novel, I’m going to have go with a lower rating. This is the reason I normally choose to rate a whole series; because I know if this series settles on one plot and starts connecting the dots—that really just look like a bunch of dots right now and have no real big picture—it will end up going to mind-blowing proportions. Because it has the potential to, it really does. It’s very original, as I’ve said before (I mean, historical fantasy mixing with urban fantasy? It’s brilliant!) and that’s something that’s so hard to find in the fantasy genre these days. But for now, I’ll hold off on further judgement. Until I read the next few books… which I probably will.

At this point, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Not because it certainly isn't worth reading but because I'm still not sure if it is. Only time (and when I say that I mean the next few novels) will tell. I'll give you my final verdict on this particular book but as for the series as a whole... the judge is still out on that one. Too soon to tell.

Final Verdict: 5.4/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber

Review of "Jinx"

Hm... I daresay that after reading this ARC copy of "Jinx" by Sage Blackwood, I have a feeling what the next big hype for younger readers will be about. Formal review:

This novel was a phenomenal debut novel by author Sage Blackwood that reminded me of my favourite books as a child. Filled with twists, turns and wonderful characters, this is one novel that you won't want to miss no matter what age you are.

To begin, I’d like to comment on the writing style; it was amazing. Simple enough for a child to understand yet elegant enough for an adult to love. Readers of all ages and reading levels can find delight in the pages of “Jinx,” especially with Jinx’s sharp intelligence and surprising humour. He has to be one of my favourite third person point of view characters I’ve read for a long time.

The characters are all absolutely wonderful. From the mysterious, cruel Bonemaster to the grumpy, hilarious Simon, I loved each and every one of them. It was hard to choose a favourite among them all be they a villain or one of Jinx’s many awesome friends. It was great fun to watch them all grow and to watch the bonds grow between them, and this is one of the few novels I’ve read where I really care about what happens to every one of the characters because they’re all so loveable.

The plot was fantastic with some twists and turns that I did expect and even more twists and turns that I didn’t. It was easy to understand and wasn’t too complex but it still wasn’t so straightforward that I knew every single thing that would happen. The whole thing, while using some elements from well-known fairy tales, was so very original that I had the largest grin on my face while I was reading it because I was so pleasantly surprised to find that authors can still come up with completely original ideas. That in itself was magical.

And oh, the setting was lovely! Absolutely wonderful new worlds and places to immerse yourself in with radiant descriptions. Sage Blackwood really managed to breathe life into this new world so that I find I just may go back and reread the novel to revisit it. I’d love to see another novel or two (or three or four or more!) that go beyond Urwald to the places briefly mentioned, though I certainly wouldn’t mind reading many more novels that explore Urwald itself. The setting goes beyond a simple extension of the real world into a whole new world that’s really found a place in my heart.

Really, I have nothing but good things to say about this book. I read it in a day and I think I’ll even go back and reread it because that’s how much I enjoyed it. It’s hard to find any fault whatsoever with this book and I think it’s absolutely amazing that this is the first novel of this author. It certainly reads like a novel of an author with a great deal of experience and I think it might just be one of my favourite books of all time. One thing I will say is that, though it can be read as a standalone novel, this has the potential to become a ground-breaking beginning of a series of novels.

Really, there isn't words to describe the depth of love I have for this book that took me back to my childhood reading days. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone no matter how old you are, what genre you like or how much you like reading. I won this on Goodreads and it has to be one of the best things that's happened to me on the reading level for the year of 2012. Highly, highly recommended.

Final Verdict: 9.0/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber 

Review of "Brokeback Mountain"

So I read this one by Annie Proulx. And cried. And cried. And cried. My advice to you; watch the movie first. Okay formal review:

I picked up this novella from the shelf off of the library after seeing the movie and read it in about ten minutes. To be completely honest, I thought the movie was much better than the novella because there was more character development all around but I still enjoyed the book. In a bittersweet my-heart-hurts-forever kind of way.

Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar were two gruff, dare-I-say manly cowboys who fell in love. And that’s basically everything that happens in this novella but it’s so heartbreakingly beautiful. The reason that I thought it was such a great story was because it didn’t matter that the people who fell in love were two men, it didn’t matter that they were breaking taboos, it didn’t matter whether they were gay, straight, bi or whatever else, they fell in love and it was a wonderful love. This story goes to show that love isn’t something that can be controlled by anyone; it happens whether you want it to or not.

Jack and Ennis didn’t start off liking men, and I doubt that either one of them was gay even by the end. They simply fell in love and it didn’t matter about anything else. The plot is just that and it’s so simple yet beautiful at the same time. The writing wasn’t really anything special but it was good enough. The two main characters—Jack and Ennis—were really the only ones with development in the book but they were fantastic, loveable characters. Neither one of them was stereotyped as the “girl” of the relationship and that’s how it should be.

The thing that struck me most about this short novel was the meaning behind the simple, sad quotes and the depth of just how much Jack and Ennis loved each other. You can say that two men together have nothing on people like Jack and Rose from “Titanic,” Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare’s play, even Tarzan and Jane, but if you’re saying that then you’ve never read or seen “Brokeback Mountain.” I truly believe that these two people are soulmates just as much as Jack and Rose, Romeo and Juliet, Tarzan and Jane.

I wouldn’t have a problem recommending “Brokeback Mountain” (the movie or the novella) to anyone looking for a short read about true love and soulmates, be it a straight man, a woman or anyone at all. Even if you’re the most homophobic person on the entire face of the earth, you can’t deny that what these two cowboys have is real, true love, because they have absolutely nothing to gain from being together (in fact, they have so much to lose it’s crazy that they continue to see each other).

One final thing; the ending. I’m sure many people have heard about what happens in the end but I’m not inclined to spoil it. I will say that it made me cry after the movie and my heart ached after the book. Whether it was a happy ache and tears of joy or a sad ache and tears of sadness I won’t say, but even if you’re a toughie it’s still hard not to cry at the end of this one.

Also, R.I.P Heath Ledger. ♥

Warning: don't watch or read if you don't like crying. I happen to enjoy things that make me cry because it means I cared enough to cry over them. And ouch. My heart still hurts. The movie I'd give an 8.9/10. But anyways. The book.

Final Verdict: 6.8/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber

Review of "Trapped"

Won this one in a Goodreads contest too. Great website; if you haven't checked it out yet I definitely recommend it. So this book was different. Not necessarily a bad different, just...different. So without further ado, formal review:

"Trapped" is the steamy, breathtaking first novel from author George Bernstein. Jackee Marren, mother of two young children and wife of the cold, cruel Phil Marren is injured and ends up paralyzed, only able to blink her eyes, which is how she communicates.

This may seem like a novel with no real conflict but here’s the twist; Jackee’s accident which left her paralyzed was no accident and she discovers her almost killer through psychic powers. Yes, you read that right. Psychic powers. Psychic powers which allow her to read minds and much more. But don’t be deterred by this bit of the novel which seems unrealistic; it works well with the plot and if she didn’t have powers there really wouldn’t be much of a plot because she wouldn’t be able to do anything.

The writing from this novel was average; it was a little difficult to get over the writing in the present tense because that’s rather unusual but you get used to it. It wasn’t the most descriptive novel I’ve ever read but it certainly wasn’t the most non-descriptive. The beginning starts off a little slow but once it picks up speed, you’ll find this book hard to put down. I read it in less than two days and I barely have any time to read anymore, which goes to show that once you get into this novel, you have to finish it.

The characters were interesting. They're motives weren’t the most original but I enjoyed reading about them and cared about what happened to them. Jackee was exceedingly interesting because it seemed her character didn’t evolve into a better, more caring person but devolved into vengeful, almost evil type of woman. It was pretty awesome and if that was what the author was going for he did a fantastic job.

The plot was good; solid and interesting. It wasn’t the most thought provoking plot in the world; it was pretty obvious who the killer was and what was going to happen, but it still had a hint of originality to it and a good twist when Jackee’s powers start to develop. As it went further on, the plot had some steamy scenes which were fun to read and it got darker as Jackee’s thoughts got darker. The ending, which I saw coming, was creepy nonetheless and while I knew what would happen I didn’t expect it to play out exactly like that. And when I say creepy, I mean creepy in a good way.

Overall, this was a very interesting read. It had a slow but suspenseful build up to it, and if you enjoy that kind of thing (I did; it was very well done) then you’ll like this novel. It gets progressively better and everything falls neatly into place when it reaches the climax. It was never really explained why or how she got her powers but it wasn’t really essential to the plot so it can be forgiven. The romance was lovely, with some love triangles and squares going on and a whole bunch of stuff that you’ll have to read the book to find out about. So if you’re bored and looking for a steamy, different read than normal, this one’s for you!

 I would recommend this to fans of mystery/thriller/romance books. But because of the smokin' hot erotic scenes in it I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under sixteen. Unless you're a really mature fifteen year old. I don't know, but it definitely isn't for kids. Have fun young and old adults.

Final Verdict: 7.1/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber

Review of "Winter's Destiny"

I won this book by Nancy Allan in a giveaway on Goodreads and it was pretty breathtaking. By the end I gave up on all of my work I had to do to finish this. It starts off great and ends even better. Formal review:

“Winter’s Destiny” is a mystery/thriller/romance novel about a woman who sees an image of herself bleeding outside of her house and then her life collapses around her. It is a fast, intense, lightning-paced read that you won’t want to put down until the amazing conclusion.

I loved this book. It started out quick and, like another reviewer said, I wasn’t sure if the author would be able to keep up the pace but she did and it was phenomenal. Unlike other books, this book didn’t take time out of the action to explain tedious backstories that make you want to put the book down and snooze. While everything was being explained, there was constant action and twists and turns.

The only reason I didn’t rate it higher (the editing was sort of bad but I’m not going to bring that into this) was because it was a little predictable, but I didn’t really mind. Considering it’s a first novel, I think the author did an amazing job. I love the characters from the strong, brilliant Amy to the sweet, tough Dallas. And all of the characters in between including her son and other characters who I won’t mention but who’ll you know by the time you finish were great. Even the villain was awesome (I hated him but he’s the kind of character you love to hate).

The plot itself wasn’t the most original but there still were enough twists to make it not seem like any old average mystery novel. The romance was also adorably sweet and not too overdone; it managed to make you root for Dallas and Amy without taking too much away from the plot or boring you.

One thing I have to comment on is the setting. I absolutely adored it. The cliffs and the danger of the water and “Sneak Waves” were awesome. The author does a terrific job of explaining so that you actually feel as if you’re in the story with the characters, fighting against the suction of a wave trying to drag you out to sea. The fact that the setting lent itself to the dangers of the whole story was awesome. And I’d love to have a house on the coast designed by Amy (when you read it you’ll know which house I’m talking about).

The writing was pretty good too; I didn’t expect too much from a first novel but my expectations were surpassed. The writing added to the story and if I was in a bookstore looking for the next book to read I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book by Nancy Allan because I know her writing style will only get better as she gains more experience. She has description but not so much that you’ll grow bored and she’s good at showing feelings over telling.

Overall, a great quick read. If you’re looking for something engrossing then you’ll like this book. Any fans of mystery thrillers will love it for a fast paced, fun read. Definitely recommended. 

Not much else to say on this one. Have fun mystery/thriller fans. Nancy Allan is an author to keep an eye on.

Final Verdict: 7.0/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber