Tag Archives: book reviews

Apr 19 2013
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Book Review: The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

z1Title: The Sweetest Dark

Author: Shana Abe

Series: The Sweetest Dark #1

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance / Historical

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.
 
England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.

The Review:

There are several things I really liked about this book. For one thing, the writing style and overall voice were amazing! The overall presentation of the story was unlike anything I have ever read and it made me instantly happy that I picked it up. I also really liked the main character and got behind her story right away. She is smart and sassy and generally the type of person you want on your side. I was completely sold… For about the first 50 pages.

It’s not that she lost me completely – throughout the story the strengths I listed above were still present. She simply Made some outlining decisions that I thought could have been better. For example, the first half of the book was working towards a big reveal (which is a tool used by writers to keep the readers interest as the plot unfolds). Unfortunately the big reveal in this story was something we already knew from reading the Overview. It just wasn’t enough to keep me excited, especially since it also lacked in the romance department. I didn’t realize how essential romantic tension was until I read this book. The whole idea of a preordained soulmate is romantic in itself, but the blind acceptance of that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Speaking of bad taste (on a random note), there seem to be a tad bit of unnecessary profanity in this book. Don’t get me wrong I think swearing can really add to my enjoyment of a book when it is used to help define character or is simply for humorous effect. It did neither here – Abe dropped the F-bomb in a situation that wasn’t serious enough to draw it from an otherwise proper character. While swearing doesn’t bother me in the least, I don’t think it has a place in a teen genre.

Overall, I think the unique approach to this story along with Abe’s obviously excellent writing skills make this a worthwhile read, despite my concerns. She also tied it up well enough that I am genuinely looking forward to reading the second book. I still gave the book 4 out of 5 stars, and I’m pretty sure my little holdups wont bother many other people – it really is a great book!

Recommendations: I would probably feel comfortable recommending this one to teenagers 15+. While there is nothing blatant, there are still a few suggestive elements that would get me in trouble with some parents around here. As always, use your own discretion.

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

Apr 18 2013
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Coming Soon: Dancing with the Devil

July 30Title: Dancing with the Devil

Author: Keri Arthur

Series: Nikki and Michael #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: July 30, 2013

The Overview: Private Investigator Nikki James grew up on the tough streets of Lyndhurst and believes there’s nothing left to surprise her. All that changes the night she follows teenager Monica Trevgard into the shadows-and becomes a pawn caught in a war between two very different men. One fills her mind with his madness, the other pushes his way into her life-and her heart. Nikki knows how dangerous love can be, but if she wants to survive, she must place her trust in a man who could easily destroy her.

Nik’s Notes: If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably know I have a weakness for anything by Keri Arthur. I will forever have a soft spot for her Riley Jensen series as its the one that first sparked my love for urban fantasy.

While Dancing with the Devil is not exactly a new series, it is new to the U.S. (unless you ordered an overpriced “print on demand” copy of questionable quality ten years ago, like I did). In any case, I am glad the publishers chose to re-market this one locally so I can get my hands on a good copy.
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Not only do I have a physical copy of this book in my TBR pile, but I also have been lucky enough to get an digital ARC from Net Galley. I am excited to finally start reading it, as the prospects look good for the release of the whole series (at reasonable costs). Be on the lookout for a review within the next month or so. :)
Apr 17 2013
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Book Review: Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

a1Title: Tiger’s Curse

Author: Colleen Houck

Series: Tiger’s Curse #1

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

The Review:

I wanted to like this one, I really did. I’m a sucker for books with exotic animals or different cultures, and this one had both (which were actually the best elements of the story). I even had one of my coworkers swear up and down that this was her “most favorite book ever!” Combine all of that with the strong sales trend I’d been noticing and a killer cover to boot and, needless to say, it didn’t’ take much to talk me into buying this one.

But I didn’t like it. I hate it when that happens.

The basic idea for the book was great, But there were elements to the actual plot line that I think could have been stronger, specifically regarding conflicts. For at least the first 50 to 100 pages there were no conflicts or inciting moments to let us know what the overall arc of the story was supposed to be. There was, however, a plethora of false tension while the main character discovered what we already knew from reading the back of the book. This is a poor choice of pacing on the authors part. The basic conflict of the story should be evident right up front if you really want to grab your readers. The sooner the better, in my opinion.
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In the teen genre, at least some sort of romantic tension has to be present for me to enjoy the book… as long as it’s done right. Tiger’s Curse has so much senseless turmoil between characters that I got bored with that element of the plot pretty quickly. I actually think that without stronger and external conflicts to drive her story Huock was forced to create trouble out of thin air to have something to write about.
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Overall this one was a disappointment for me, not for the story idea or the writing, but with general outlining. I’ve read so many brilliant books of late that it just didn’t stack up. Like I said, though, it sales are strong and I’ve talked to at least three people who absolutely loved it.
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Recommendations: I would recommend this to people looking for a light read. There was also a great deal of fabulous Indian culture throughout which gave the book a unique flavor, so I might actually recommend this to people in the mood for something different (with disclaimers).
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Other books you might like:
 
Apr 16 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top 10 Obscure Series in My TBR Pile! (4/16/2013)

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Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke & The Bookish that allows book lovers to geek out about their best reads. This week’s topic is known as a “rewind” which means we all get to pick our category. I’ve chosen:

Top 10 Obscure Series in My TBR Pile!

It’s important to note my definition of obscure, here: it’s any series that I’ve never had anybody request or refer to in my ten years of bookselling experience, nor have I ever seen them in my blog feed. Despite that, these books somehow found their way to my shelf anyway and have all managed to survive at least five library purges. Unheard of doesn’t mean not good. 6 out of my top 14 favorite fantasy books of all-time could have easily been in this list ten years ago.

Here’s some title overviews:

#1 Aurian: To the city of Nexis, where Magefolk rule uneasily over a race of mortals, a young girl named Aurian comes to learn the magic arts. Her dormant powers are coveted by the corrupt Archmage, who intends to possess her. When she rejects him for a mortal, the enraged Archmage plans his revenge.

#2 Orphans of Chaos: For Amelia and her friends, the strict English boarding school she lives in is all she has ever known.  The sprawling estate, bordered by unknown territory on all four sides, is both orphanage, academy, and prison.  The school has a large staff, but only five students, none of whom know what their real names are, or even how old they are. Precocious and rebellious, all five teenagers are more than just prodigies.  Amelia can see in four dimensions.  Victor can control the molecular arrangement of matter.  Vanity can find secret passageways where none existed before.  Colin is a psychic.  Quentin is a warlock. And, as time goes by, they’re starting to suspect that none of them are entirely human . . .

#3 The Glasswrights’ Apprentice: A mere glasswrights’ apprentice must uncover an elusive brotherhood whose deadly venom reaches out to stain the heart of her guild, the heart of her family — and the heart of her king….

#4 Path of Fate: In the land of Kodu Riik, it is an honor to be selected by the Lady to become an ahalad-kaaslane-to have your soul bonded with one of Her blessed animals, and roam the land serving Her will. But Riesil refuses to bow to fate-a decision that may have repercussions across the realm…

#5 Son of Avonar: Magic is forbidden throughout the Four Realms. For decades, sorcerers and those associating with them were hunted to near extinction. But Seri, a Leiran noblewoman living in exile, is no stranger to defying the unjust laws of her land. She is sheltering a wanted fugitive who possesses unusual abilities-a fugitive with the fate of the realms in his hands…

#6 Touched by Venom: Desperate to find Waivia, Zarq and her delirious mother flee through the underworld of their land – from the Zone of the Dead to a sanctuary for outcast dragons, through discovery and persecution. Consumed with the desire for revenge, Zarq develops a taste for the highly addictive venom drawn from the dragons she has been taught to revere, and sinks into a realm of bizarre magics. Here, influenced by the divine grace of dragon memories, Zarq glimpses possibilities of revenge and social revolution. But to achieve them, she must defy not just the sexual taboos and patriarchal conventions of her society, but the Emperor who rules her nation.

#7 The Sword: Two men. One is a prince of royal blood. The other is a half-breed, part human, part elf. But the part that is human is also royal.Two women. One is a princess, pampered and protected. The other lives in the forest, the leader of a band of rebels. She too has elven blood. This is their story — the tale of love and hate, courage and cowardliness, and magic both dark and light.

#8 Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe: Halcyon Blithe, being a young man of good breeding and lineage as well as endowed with those qualities and abilities of a sorcerous nature and wishing to fulfill his full potential, is ready to assume his proper place in the world. He aims to seek his fortune among those who tend and sail the awesome nautical juggernauts-the dragonships. With this in mind, Blithe gladly accepts his rank as Midshipwizard and becomes a member of the crew who man the dragonships-vessels which harness the bodies and strength of living dragons with seafaring technology. Combining elements of Hornblower with Harry Potter, and Robert Louis Stevenson with Robin Hobb, Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe is a nautical tale rich in magic and intrigue. A tale set against a panorama of fantastic naval battle as we follow the career of a young midshipwizard as he moves up through the ranks of His Majesty’s Navy

#9 Swords of Riverside: Welcome to Riverside, where the aristocratic and the ambitious battle for power in the city’s ballroom, brothels and boudoirs. Into this alluring world walks Katherine, a well-bred country girl versed in the rules of conventional society. Her mistake is thinking that they apply. For Katherine’s host and uncle, Alec Campion, aka the Mad Duke Tremontaine, is in charge here—and to him, rules are made to be broken. When Alec decides it would be more amusing for his niece to learn swordplay than to follow the usual path to marriage, her world changes forever. Blade in hand, it’s up to Katherine to navigate a maze of secrets and scoundrels and to gain the self-discovery that comes to those who master: the privilege of the sword.

#10 Stardoc: Dr. Cherijo Grey Veil leaves Earth and accepts a position as a physician at Kevarzanga-2’s FreeClinic. Her surgical skills are desperately needed on a hostile frontier world with over 200 sentient species–and her understanding of alien physiology is nothing short of miraculous. But the truth behind her expertise is a secret which, if discovered, could have disastrous consequences between human and alien relations..

Apr 13 2013

Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes is Now on Facebook!

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Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes is now on Facebook!

It’s an easier way to stay updated, but it’s also a place where I can let my hair down a bit as you get all the quirky posts and updates that aren’t big enough to sustain a blog post. Get access to:

  • Book reviews and recommendations
  • Release dates for forthcoming books
  • Important updates from popular authors
  • Fun quotes and memes – book related, of course
  • Links to other excellent book bloggers
  • Writing tips tips and links

And anything else I think my fellow book lovers will enjoy!

So stop on by at https://www.facebook.com/BookReviewsByNikiHawkes and “Like” the page to become part of this fabulous book-loving community! :)

Apr 12 2013
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Book Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

b1Title: Beautiful Disaster

Author: Jamie McGuire

Series: n/a

Genre: Fiction / Romance

Rating: 4.5 stars

The Overview: Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

The Review:

I haven’t been so enraptured in a book since I read The Night Circus two years ago. The stars really aligned for me on this one and I  found myself considering cancelling plans so I could stay home and read it (Oh, the hazards of befriending a booknerd). It was perfect: great pacing, great characters, and great plot…until about halfway through. 

I’m not a fan of senseless turmoil, and I felt the end half of the book had that in abundance. She almost would’ve done herself a service to end the book sooner and focus more one lengthening the bits at the beginning that were working so well for her. Without going into specifics, let’s suffice to say she climaxed a fantastically building conflict a bit too premature, then she introduced another conflict that I thought was a bit silly. The dark moodiness of the cover and the book’s description led me to believe that there was something really dark and twisted in this girl’s past (which ironically is not usually my cup of tea), and honestly I think that’s really what the story needed to keep going. Don’t even get me started on the profound unhealthiness of the relationships in the book. Although I guess it’s difficult to have senseless turmoil without that element.

Even though I had some gripes with the plot, I have to give the author kudos for her character creation. Her focus on physical description – particularly mannerisms and facial expressions – made for some awesome characters. Each one came across as a real person, and I haven’t seen many authors who pulled it off better. She really brought them to life for me, and that’s the main reason why I still rated the book so highly. When the plot turned, I still found the characters wildly entertaining and that was more than enough to keep my attention. Another more subtle strength to her writing was in setting. I found myself reliving my own college experience countless times throughout the book, and I imagine others will do the same. McGuire wrote without specifics, and I think it was a deliberate tactic to make the story come alive for each individual’s experiences.

Overall, I consider McGuire and exceptionally talented writer, I just wished she’d taken the basic story in a different direction. I enjoyed her writing style and characterization so much that I will definitely be picking up anything else she writes.

Recommendations: Although the novel wasn’t incredibly graphic, there were a lot of sex scenes. There was also a fair bit of language and a hint of violence. All-in-all, subject matter considered, I thought it was very tastefully done. because of this, though, I would recommend this book mostly to women who are comfortable with the romance genre but also enjoy works of fiction. I’m creating a new category for this book: a robust romance!

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like: