fantasy

Book Review of Captivated by J.R. Thorn

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Captivated

Author: J.R. Thorn

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 3/5

Amazon

Back cover:

Four sexy vampires. One mortal-born witch. An ancient secret that will test them all.

I’m not a very good witch. It’s not my fault. Being born a mortal sucks and my black cat familiar follows me around like a security blanket. All the other coven brats make fun of me.

My vampires don’t seem to mind. They pose as my mentors and get Aunt Sandra off my back. My initiation into the Royal Covens is only three days away. They’re supposed to teach me how to hide what I really am: a reincarnation of some ancient and powerful witch. I think they’re just telling me that to get in my pants.

What my vampires don’t hide is their hunger for me, both for my blood and my body. That dangerous kind of thrill is going to get me into serious trouble.

Captivated: Royal Covens Book 1 is a medium-burn reverse harem romance and part of a 3-book series.

This book has a great idea but I feel it wasn’t executed very well. There were a lot of characters who weren’t consistent and a lot of stuff wasn’t well research. Although magic in fiction can be whatever you want, there wasn’t enough put in to catch my interest. There were only three or four flowers/herbs mentioned when plants were supposed to be big in getting energy, and the blood magic was inconsistent in that everyone used blood but then someone was considered a rare blood witch. Then she used runes, which is cool, but never named a rune, and never described a rune, and didn’t explain what the runes were. This made me lose interest as there didn’t seem to be much research or world-building. Also slicing large sections is getting old in fiction in general, even if you can heal fast. It is unnecessary for blood magic and would be very, very messy.

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I did like the vampires and the idea that they are her guardians was pretty cool. I just wished I could find out more about them, and wished they weren’t quite as resistant in helping her when they are supposed to be her guardians. The grammar and writing was done well and it was easy to read. Recommend for people wanting a different take on the vampire x witch genre.

(Also, this is not for young adults as there were many sex scenes)

~Dani

Book Review of Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir! by Inumajin

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Title: The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life

Author: Usata Nonohara

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

Right Stuf Anime | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Back cover:

After being worked quite literally to death, corporate slave Routa Okami’s dying wish is to be reborn as the well-loved pet of a rich family. When a compassionate goddess actually grants his wish, Routa commits himself to the lazy, carefree, all-you-can-nap lifestyle of a pampered pup-complete with a beautiful owner and all the delicious food he can eat! But as Routa grows…and grows…and grows…he realizes something is terribly wrong. With his enormous body, razor-sharp teeth, and fierce visage, it’s painfully obvious that he was reincarnated not as a dog but as a giant wolf. And not just any wolf-the legendary wolf king Fenrir!

This is a cute story about a wolf who wants to be a pampered house pet… that was once a human man. It sounds crazy, and weird, but it is really fun, full of adventure and mystery, and you are wondering what could possibly happen next. He thinks he is a puppy reborn, but soon finds out he is a scary wolf.

But let’s be honest here, who doesn’t want a pet wolf?

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All in all, this story is really fascinating, the world is well built, and the characters all make sense. It is only 170 pages long, so it is a nice short read, perfect for busy lives.

~Dani

Book Review of The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life by Usata Nonohara

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Title: The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life

Author: Usata Nonohara

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

Right Stuf Anime | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Back cover:

A girl out of time, a fish out of water
Alchemists used to be a dime a dozen in the Kingdom of Endalsia, so Mariela was never particularly special. But her skills were put to the test one fateful day when a horde of monsters came stampeding from the nearby forest. In a desperate attempt to escape the horror, the young alchemist put herself in a state of suspended animation that lasted just a little longer than she’d planned-an entire two hundred years! Needless to say, there have been some big changes, and biggest of all: Mariela is now the sole alchemist in the entire kingdom. Her one wish in this strange new environment is to get back her quiet, leisurely, low-key lifestyle!

This is a great story about an alchemist who wakes up from a spell and 200 years have gone by. She is trying to figure out how the world works and not let anything know what happened to her. This story does a great job in showing how the spell affected her, and the reasons she is trying to have a calm life.

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The world building and magic in this series is quite interesting and I think the author did a great job in weaving it together, and it all made sense. The second book is already out and I am excited to read it!

Definitely check it out if you like Japanese-style fantasy! Or fantasy in general!

~Dani

Book Review of Birth of the Bacchae by Stephanie Mirro

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Title: Birth of the Bacchae

Author: Stephanie Mirro

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 4/5

IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Back cover:

When the Roman god of wine and frenzies claims you as his own, things get chaotic. Fast.

Ever since archaeology student Serafina Finch found an ancient Roman amulet on a dig in Italy, she’s been having dreams. Strange dreams that leave her with an eerie sense of foreboding. But between a busy college schedule and a boyfriend she’s hoping to marry, she doesn’t have time for strange.

When a mysterious cult takes an obsessive interest in the artifact, Serafina finds her life in chaos. She’s thrown into a supernatural world, where Immortals and witches alike claim ownership of the amulet. Her amulet.

As her connection to the amulet grows, she discovers a dark secret about her past. Serafina realizes she must protect the powerful relic at all costs–even if it means losing one of the people she loves most.

If you didn’t know, I am trash for a good vampire story. I read the description of this story and found the idea of vampires being connected to the god Bacchus to be a cool take on it. I dowloaded the book and was not disappointed.

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I liked the connection of the vampire element with different mythologies. In this story, it was mainly based on the Roman mythology, with Bacchus being the main focus. Our main character, Sera, his an anthropologist, which I loved since I have a degree in anthropology. Man, I would have loved stumbling on some cool vampire artifact, but I digress. Her and her friend are pretty badass, but I didn’t like how much was kept from the main character. A lot could have been avoided if people just told her the truth.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and am in the middle of the second. I will be sure to review the second book as well.

~Dani

Book Review of Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

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Title: Echo North

Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

Changing Hands Bookstore | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Back cover:

he dreamed of the wood and the wolf who was trapped there…

Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: if she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.

In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books- turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up—otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.

This is probably one of my favorite YA fantasy books I have come across. It is well thought out, full of adventure and romance, and weaves in different folklore that I love. I love the idea of the beast being a wolf as in many cultures, wolves are seen as monstrous beings when really they are a beautiful creature that is often misunderstood. There were also elements of the Tam Lin story, which is also one of my favorites because of SJ Tucker’s song about him (listen to it here).

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Much of the story mirrors Beauty and the Beast, which was my favorite Disney story growing up. I probably have seen it a hundred times, of which my mother was glad it was a movie she liked. I loved how the house of the Wolf was mystical in its own way and was every changing and need to be weaved together. It is hard to explain without reading the book, but I found it a great spin. I also LOVED the idea of the book mirrors where you could travel into the stories and interact with them. I NEED THIS! VR is getting close, as some Japanese anime have made episodes where you can watch and move around in the scene, but it isn’t quite as interactive. Soon!

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All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who likes tales inspired by folklore, Beauty and the Beast, wolves, or all of the above!

~Dani

Comic Review of Grimoire Noir

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9781626725980

Series: Grimoire Noir

Written by: Vera Greentea

Illustrated by: Yana Bogatch

Published by: First Second

Rating: 4/5

Get a copy here

Description:

Bucky Orson is a bit gloomy, but who isn’t at fifteen?

His best friend left him to hang out with way cooler friends, his dad is the town sheriff, and wait for it—he lives in Blackwell, a town where all the girls are witches. But when his little sister is kidnapped because of her extraordinary power, Bucky has to get out of his own head and go on a strange journey to investigate the small town that gives him so much grief. And in the process he uncovers the town’s painful history and a conspiracy that will change it forever.

The art for this series really caught my eye and is why I ordered it through my comic book store. I also really like any story with witches and like to see what kind of magic an author decides to use. In this story, all the girls in town are witches and have their own different types of power—some can use fire, some can fly, some can turn invisible, and so on. No one can leave the town either, that way the witches would be confined to the area and protected from the outside world.

But who wants to be confined, am I right?

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There is a lot going on in this story and I felt some parts weren’t completely flushed out and lot was left open. I don’t mind some parts to be left open for sequels and such, but I felt like it ended a little abruptly and there were still a lot of unanswered questions. Most of it was the chase and everything, but then in the last few pages it just kind of all happened and was resolved. There needed to be a little more clues and things to be revealed before how it ended. I enjoyed it a lot though and definitely recommend it.

I felt for the character Chamomile and how she was written. I probably cared about her more than the main guy, and I’m still not sure about their past and what had happened between them. It didn’t seem like something that would end a friendship like they had and I wished we learned a little more. All in all, the art was beautiful and there was enough of the story that it kept me reading until I finished it, as I wanted to know what happened next.

Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

~Dani

Review of Olympian Challenger by Astrid Arditi

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Title: Olympian Challenger

Series: Olympian Challenger

Author: Astrid Arditi

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

Amazon/Barnes&Noble/Goodreads/IndieBound

Back cover:

A hero’s tournament. A defiant contender. Does one girl have the courage to take on Mount Olympus?

Hope’s world doesn’t have room for heroes. She barely has time for schoolwork, swim team, and taking care of her ailing mother. But when she’s invited to a mysterious tournament, the all-powerful hosts won’t take no for an answer.

Transported to Mount Olympus, Hope comes face to face with her new trainers—the pantheon of Greek gods. While other contenders train hard to gain a fighting edge, Hope searches for a way out. Instead, she finds a gorgeous shadow god who may just convince her to stay…

As each round unfolds, the ultimate prize draws closer—the granting of her heart’s deepest desire. If she survives the final challenge, her mother’s cure would be within reach… but only if Hope can ignore the tournament’s dark purpose.

Review:

*I received this book from Netgalley. My review is completely my own opinions and thoughts.*

I loved this book! I’m a big fan of Greek Mythology and love stories that incorporate and of the gods or myths in their stories. The way the gods and Olympus is incorporated in this series is very unique and creative and I enjoyed it very much. This story felt like a mix of Hunger Games and Percy Jackson, so if you are a fan of either, I would definitely recommend this series.

The main character, Hope, is a very interesting character and although some of her reactions kinda made me roll my eyes, I felt she stayed true to herself and had very good growth. I also loved Kieron, although he sort of seemed the dark brooding type that is typical, but his powers and backstory was interesting enough to make me fall in love with him.

The action and description in this series was done very well. There was always something gin on which made the book hard to put down. I read it in only two days and almost couldn’t go to sleep until I learned what happened next. The only problem I had with the book is how Hades was portrayed. That is a personal opinion and not something I would ever base my rating on, but I just wanted to point out that darkness and death doesn’t mean evil… A lot of people believe that and it gets old very quick. The author made the gods her own, and I really enjoyed that and hope that my followers check out the book and read it too!

 

Review of Kill the Farm Boy by Dawson & Hearne

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Title: Kill the Farm Boy

Author: Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 5/5

Amazon/Goodreads/Kobo

Backcover:

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born . . . and so begins every fairy tale ever told.

This is not that fairy tale.

There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened.

And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell.

There, a plucky farm boy will find more than he’s bargained for on his quest to awaken the sleeping princess in her cursed tower. First there’s the Dark Lord, who wishes for the boy’s untimely death . . . and also very fine cheese. Then there’s a bard without a song in her heart but with a very adorable and fuzzy tail, an assassin who fears not the night but is terrified of chickens, and a mighty fighter more frightened of her sword than of her chain-mail bikini. This journey will lead to sinister umlauts, a trash-talking goat, the Dread Necromancer Steve, and a strange and wondrous journey to the most peculiar “happily ever after” that ever once-upon-a-timed.

Review:

*I received this book from Netgalley. My review is completely my own opinions and thoughts.*

I absolutely loved this book! It definitely reminded me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. There were a lot of subtle humor jokes that I made me laugh at loud and my friends to be like what’s your problem. My husband is going to listen to the audiobook soon and I’m excited to see what he thinks since we both like that sort of humor.

The characters were quite funny and unique. My favorite is Gustave, the talking goat, who is fed up with everyone trying to eat him. I also like the evil wizard who wanted to be able harness his full power and be able to conjure up crackers for his cheese. It seemed like a good reason to want evil powers (although shouldn’t it have been cookies?).

The different takes on fairytales and some other popular fantasy movies/books was hilarious. I loved the pun on words and quoting other movies without actually quoting them. I can tell the authors had a great time writing this book and hope they make a book similar to this later.

-Dani

Review of Shift by M.A. George

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Title: Shift

Author: M.A. George

Review by: Dani Hoots

Rating: 4/5

Amazon/Goodreads/Kobo‘

Backcover:

Seventeen-year-old Perry Teasdale is a dreamer.

She’s not the kind of dreamer who waltzes through fields of wildflowers, twirling her skirts in a starry-eyed daze; or the kind who aspires to be the biggest rock star the world has ever known (not that she’d complain, if that accidentally happened). She’s the kind of dreamer who can’t get a decent night’s rest, because her sleep is flooded with scenes from other worlds–ones that seem as real as life itself.

Mind-blowing dreams may sound like loads of fun, but when they start to bleed into Perry’s waking hours–confusing the line between dream and reality, and keeping her in a sleep-deprived fog no amount of caffeine can cure–Perry’s not exactly thrilled.

Try as she might to shake the dreams from her mind, they keep gaining speed, growing ever more vivid and intense…until that hazy boundary between real and imaginary fades away, and Perry is forced to consider the impossible: Her dreams seem real, because they are.

When disaster strikes, sending Perry’s newfound normalcy into a tailspin, she takes the only logical path left: a whirlwind tour of the multiverse, scouring an ever-growing assortment of alternate realities for the missing piece–the missing person–to put her life together again.

Along the way, Perry enlists the help of an ancient wise woman (who may be a tad homicidal); a nerdy-in-all-the-right-ways mathematician (who knows all of Perry’s secrets, even before introducing himself); and a sword (because you can never go wrong with a sword).

At times hilarious–at times heartbreaking–Shift is sure to be, well, one of those two things.

Review:

*I received this book from Netgalley. My review is completely my own opinions and thoughts.*

I found this book to be very enjoyable. It had a mic of adventure, romance, violence, and mystery. It took me a little bit to understand what was going on, which is why I gave it a 4 instead of 5 as it was confusing as they jumped into different timelines. Once I got the hang of it though I accepted it would take me a second to figure out where they were. I think having a thing saying where they were would have been a little better, like a captain’s log.

What I enjoyed most about this series were the characters. They were all well-rounded, individual, and I could easily tell them apart. My favorite character was Max as he was adorable, geeky, and a gentleman. I don’t want to give spoilers about him but I really liked his development and wish I could learn a bit more about him. I loved the timeline his “primary” is from though.

As for the main character, Perry, I liked her but sometimes I was like OMG shut up and pay attention to the *can’t say or it’s a spoil*. But again, that was her personality and the author stayed true to that. I just know people like that and I sometimes want to put my hand over their mouth so I can hear what the other person is saying.

The different world were awesome and I enjoyed how the author designed them and how Perry could transport and figure things out in each scape. I wanted to be able to travel just like that, it would be so cool! This made the book be one of my favorite worlds I would want to live in, as long as I was a shifter with Max.

To conclude, I loved this book but the beginning was sort of confusing. I enjoyed the characters and the ending made me cry almost. Everyone who loves sci-fi should check out this book!

 

Endangered (Daughter of Hades #1)

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Endangered (Daughter of Hades, #1)

I’m proud to announce my upcoming series Daughter of Hades is coming to you at full throttle! The cover will be revealed March 23rd, at the end of the Goodreads giveaway. If you have a blog and are interested in participating in the cover reveal, please check my Facebook for the sign-up sheet through YA Bound Blog Tours next week.

Endangered will be published May 13th, 2016, and there will be plenty of ways to participate! I will be having an online book release party through Facebook, which you can already join by clicking here. At that event I will be having a bunch of giveaways, swag, and author takeover events all day on May 13th so please join us!

Along with this, I will also be having a Blog Tour through YA Bound Blog Tours, so if you have a blog and review books, be sure to check out my Facebook page and join my release party to stay updated!

Be sure to add Endangered to your “want to read” list on Goodreads by clicking here!

Description of Endangered (Daughter of Hades, #1):

Chrys has been in the Underworld for thousands of years, hidden away by her father, Hades, from all of the other gods. He’s afraid that if someone finds out about her, they will destroy her because of the dichotomous power that she holds, the power of life and death. So she has remained in the Palace of Hades all her life, making very few friends and always bored out of her mind.

Huntley would have never guessed that after he died he would wake up with a beautiful girl standing over him. And that she would be the Dark Lord of the Underworld’s daughter. Yet, for some reason, she keeps him around as her tutor, as if he knows anything about the world. But Huntley knows that all she really wants is a friend; being trapped in the Underworld can get pretty lonely.

That is, until Chrys decides she wants to run away to the human world after a big fight with her mother Persephone. Chrys claims her father is just over reacting and that nothing bad will come of it. There’s no way that the gods will notice she’s there for only a couple of days…right?