Madly (Madly series book 1) by M. Leighton

     Madly by M. Leighton
          Kindle Edition: $0.00
          Print Edition: N/A
          Length: approx. 53 pages
          Reading Level: Adult
          Madly on Amazon (opens in a new window)

And now for something completely different... Mermaids! And the cover shows it rather nicely without totally giving it away. I like this cover, aside from the title font. I like the sketch-like way it's done, but I wish there were more colors. It seems almost abrupt going from the silver to green. But it's still pretty.

Madly is a princess. Literally. She's heir to the throne of Atlas, her underwater home. But for now, Madly, her friend Jersey, her soon-to-be fiancee Aidan, and Jersey's older brother Jackson (along with several others, I'm sure) are attending school on dry land in the coastal town of Slumber, where descendants of fairy tales come to live. Everything is normal, until the Lore escape. Suddenly everything that matters, all of Atlas, all of the world is threatened. And it's up to Madly to save it.

This novella serves to introduce readers to the world of Madly and provide a base for the subsequent novels, of which there are two for now. The print version of book 2 includes this first novella, which, realistically, is how it could've been all along. But I understand doing it this way, because it entices people to continue to buy the books. So, it is what it is.

Now, there really isn't any "adult" content in this first novella. That's saved for the next two. But because this is the first in a series...

The writing is good. Not great. It's good, and it increases throughout the story. By the next two books it is ramped up to "great" status. If anything, it took Leighton awhile to hit her stride here. But the way she writes is so casual and engaging, you find yourself wrapped up in the narration.

I haven't really made my mind up on Madly as a character, other than I hate her name. There isn't much character development in this one for anybody, so I'll reserve judgement until my next post.

Madly serves its purpose. It sets the stage for the next two, and gets the exposition out of the way. And since it's free, it's a great way to decide if you're interested at all in the series. But I know I was, at the end of this novella.

It's free, so you really have no excuse. And besides-mermaids!

-Kayla

The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams

     The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams
          Kindle Edition: $7.99
          Print Edition: $7.99
          Length: 320 pages
          Reading Level: Adult
          The Shadow Reader on Amazon (opens in a new window)

And now we foray into the realm of Urban Fantasy. A relatively new genre that shows a lot of promise. This is a great book to get started with. I would also like to make it known that I'm fairly sure prices have changed since I purchased books. Just saying.

The first time I saw the cover for this book was actually when I was finding the image for this entry. It's...fine, I guess. It remind's me a lot of Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series, which is fitting since Aguirre condones this novel. There's nothing inherently wrong with the cover at all. It's colorful, and accurately represents McKenzie. It even seems to show the setting of one of the first scenes, which is helpful. But it's forgettable, as far as covers go. When I think of memorable book covers, I think of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twilight, and, yes, Under the Never Sky. I don't think of this one.

McKenzie Lewis is a college student, desperate to finish her undergrad. But it's a little difficult to get your degree when you're constantly being called away by the Fae to take part in their civil war. For ten years McKenzie has helped the King in his pursuit of the rebels that would take his thrown. For ten years she's been in love with the King's sword-master Kyol. But when a leader of the rebels, Aren, the Butcher of Brykeld kidnaps her, she learns the hard way that there are two sides to every war.

I gave this one the rating of "Adult" not because it's porn-tastic, but because the language is a little bit coarser than what one would usually find in YA fiction. And the sex scenes are a little more graphic than what YA usually has. But it isn't something that you'd be ashamed to have someone read over your shoulder a la Fifty Shades of Grey. Of course, if you're on a kindle, it's a bit easier to be discreet.

I really like McKenzie as a character. She's sarcastic. strong, and confused. Her whole world gets rattled, and her indecision is completely believable, because while she tries to logically weigh her choices, her heart interferes. Like it always does. The biggest problem I have with McKenzie is actually her relationship with Kyol. There's nothing shown that indicates why she loves him. In fact, much of what we see is her being rejected by him because "relations" between Fae and humans are strictly forbidden. And she loves this about him. Now, I can understand that she loves his honor, but come ON, girl! He'd rather keep his job than his so-called love. I can't help but think there's a problem with that.

The story is told through McKenzie's eyes, so it's a typical first-person perspective. Which is all well and good, but it's a little odd when she goes out of her way to explain aspects of the Fae, like chaos lusters and what shadow reading really is. I mean, I'm grateful for the explanation for sure. But because of the nature of first person perspective, it seems a little forced at times.

My favorite character, though, is Aren. He is clearly complex, as shown by the way that McKenzie doesn't understand him at all. He's supposed to be a bad guy, but the more we are shown of him, the more McKenzie sees of him, the less convinced we are of that. And thus, McKenzie's world gets even more convoluted than it already was.

This book has everything Urban Fantasy should. It's sexy, there's action, there's humor, and there are characters who you want to believe in. The Fae aren't so otherworldly that you feel like you're in full-on Tolkien land, but they are foreign enough to know you aren't in Kansas anymore. It's the perfect balance. And much like Under the Never Sky, it has sequels but functions as stand alone. So go onto the frontier of the internet, and pick it up. You'll have a good time.

-Kayla

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

     Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
          Kindle Edition: $7.59
          Print Edition: $9.99 (paperback) $9.88 (hardcover)
          Length: 389 pages
          Reading Level: older YA
          Under the Never Sky on Amazon (opens in a new window)

After struggling through the Guardian trilogy, I decided that I needed to "spoil" myself and read a clean manuscript; one published through traditional, major channels. So I picked this one. This review will probably be short and sweet, but hey, it happens.

Words cannot express how much I love the cover of this book. It is stunning. The girl is clearly meant to represent Aria, the lead female, and having her be alone on the cover is very telling of her trials as a character. And the colors are representative of the way Earth now looks, with the Aether sky churning above. The title is noticeable, so it grabs your attention when it's on a shelf (as it has done to me every time I walk past it at Target) and Rossi's name is large enough that you can decipher who wrote it. Based on the cover alone, I want to see this as a movie.

Some of you may know that I'm a gamer...in that I'm really bad at most video games and I prefer watching people play games so I can become more fully immersed in the story and the action without any risks. One of my favorite game franchises to watch is "Fallout," and, in particular, "Fallout 3." I think it is my love for this game that drew me to Under the Never Sky.

After an event called the Unity, Earth has been scorched. Most of humankind fled into partially underground structures called Domes or Pods. The rest were left to try and survive. Thousands of years later, Aria finds herself thrown into and torn between two worlds. Thanks to the dweller, Perry is too. Together the two of them set out in a fight for survival that neither of them anticipated.

Does anyone remember the first time they read something like The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter and you were left to try and decipher words you'd never encountered, and you were pretty sure half of them were made up? Yeah, that happens here. Much of it is slang, and through context it's easy to figure out what the intended meaning is. Even better, the nature of the slang is drastically different between Aria and Perry. It's a small detail, one that irritates some people. I, however, love it. Having a unique vocabulary like that adds to the immersive nature of the story, and makes everything seem more real.

Unlike many contemporary YA novels, this is told through a switching omniscient third person point of view. Chapters alternate between Perry and Aria, and the switches are indicated each time. It is a nice touch that adds an element of situational irony, because as a reader you are privy to both character's thoughts. The fact that it sets Rossi's story apart from most other YA novels doesn't hurt, either.

Unfortunately, like most YA romance novels, the romance develops unnaturally fast between characters. It doesn't seem forced, per se, because I actually believe that Perry and Aria care for each other deeply. I just have a problem with it happening over the course of ten days or so. The two of them have undeniable chemistry, but the timeline should have been stretched out a little, maybe by a month. That's all it would take for me to accept their love.

The world that Rossi develops is fascinating. The differences between Dwellers and Outsiders, and the way they live, is so noticeable, they are clearly two different worlds. Even better is the amazing transformation Aria goes through, going from near-android status to a "modern" human. The timeline is clearly set ages ahead of ours, and the world of the Outsiders like Perry shows this even more comprehensively than the Pods. Because of science. Humans like Perry have evolved (yes, evolved) to have a dominant sense, like Sight, Smell (Scires), or Hearing (Auds). Not all of them have this, because evolution is slow, but the Marked humans are making concentrated efforts to perpetuate the senses. The strong survive. It also adds a nice bit of sci-fi to this dystopia, but hey, science!

The biggest gripe I have with the novel, even more than the speedy romance, is Perry's name. His full name is Peregrine, which is cool, and fitting. But the nickname just grates on me. It's just not a sexy name. Never mind the fact that it makes me think of Dr. Cox from "Scrubs." This might just be me, but it was bothersome all the way through.

If you're into dystopian romance, and don't mind that it's young adult (meaning lots of sexual tension that is only briefly resolved before they go back to ramping up tension) I can almost guarantee you will enjoy this book. Aria isn't a typical obnoxious female, and Perry isn't without faults. Which makes them real...ish. This story shows a lot of promise, and there's a companion novella that came out in October, along with a sequel that is due out in January. The best part? It doesn't even need the sequels. I look forward to them, don't get me wrong, but it could stand alone if need be, which is something every book should strive for in some way. So read it, and send a word my way to tell me what you think. Because I think you'll like it.

-Kayla

Reckoning (Guardian Trilogy book 3) by Laury Falter

     Reckoning by Laury Falter
          Kindle Edition: $9.99
          Print Edition: $9.99
          Length: approx. 321 pages
          Reading Level: YA
          Reckoning on Amazon (opens in a new window)

And here we are. The final book in the Guardian Trilogy. Best book of the trilogy, best cover of the trilogy. The font is consistent with the previous book, which is nice. Falter's name is yet again too small, but so it goes. The image, though, is the best. It's the perfect foreshadowing for what the novel contains. The scythes bring to mind death, and the way that they are crossed also looks like wings. It works beautifully.

After the events of the last few chapters of Eternity, Maggie remembers everything. And now she knows that everything she loves is at risk, so she sets out on her own, hunting the Fallen. The hunted becomes the hunter. But her actions bring about consequences she never intended. By trying to save Alterums everywhere, Maggie may have just started a civil war.

Comparatively speaking, I flew through this book. I recognized while I was reading it, even. And it was such a relief. The plot actually progresses. We, as readers, gain more insight into characters, and we get to leave New Orleans. New characters are introduced yet again, and they have real, legitimate purpose and development. Campion was great, but he was a little one-note. Best yet, we finally understand what the gift Maggie brought back to Earth when she fell truly is.

We also finally get to resolve some of the sexual tension. Kind of. Maggie and Eran finally do the deed. And the first time I read it, I found it incredibly sexy. I mean, they have sex in the air. That's pretty damn cool. Unfortunately, upon rereading it, it's an even darker "fade to black" than the honeymoon in Twilight. I wish I didn't have to reference that series so much, but there are so many parallels it's hard not to.

Since this is the best book of the series, it makes sense that this is the best writing as well. It's more polished than ever before, and is therefore the easiest to read. The biggest problem is with key inconsistencies...and with one key consistency.

Alterums and Fallen have wings. Five letters. Wings. And yet, nearly every time they are mentioned, Falter refers to them as "appendages." While this is technically true, and was probably initially meant to be an example of artistic license, it just gets irritating. Referencing the wings as such a few times is fine. But when I can count on one hand the number of times the word "wings" us used in a 300+ page novel? That's a problem, and it seems like Falter is trying way too hard.

As for the inconsistency. Remember way back in the first book when Eran mentioned his special skill is the ability to manipulate any metal? Apparently it's only good for opening Maggie's door for late night rendezvous. Because Eran gets into more than one scrape with someone who uses metal weapons and booby traps. And he gets hurt by them. Doesn't really seem like much of a gift if he can't use it in a fight. They even go so far as to lock Eran in a stone prison cell so that he can't break out. And yet, this skill that our fearsome hero has, is essentially useless. This irritated me more than anything else in the series, because so many problems could have been avoided if it were used the way it should have been. His gift becomes one of convenience for Falter to employ whenever it makes things easy, and to forget about when there is supposed to be tension or danger.

These problems are large, in the grand scheme of the book. They're distracting. But they are not insurmountable. The rest of the plot does a pretty good job of keeping the reader from caring too much. Truly. Getting to visit the past lives of the Fallen were some of the best moments of the series, even better than revisiting Maggie and Eran's past lives. And the end is really, truly, a happy ending, and yet the reader still understands that it isn't over forever, simply by the nature of human beings. It ties everything up in a little bow, but one that isn't too neat.

-Kayla

Eternity (Guardian Trilogy book 2) by Laury Falter

     Eternity by Laury Falter
          Kindle Edition: $8.99
          Print Edition: $9.99
          Length: 311 pages
          Eternity on Amazon (opens in a new window)

Apparently, here marks the first not-bargain entry. I wish I had an explanation for the six dollar difference between the first and second books, but I don't. However, as this is part of a series, I'm reluctant to "count" it. Now, onto the blog.

I don't really get the cover for this one. The font changes, which makes it seem like it's not even part of the same series. Falter's name is again too small for my liking. But the biggest point of confusion for me is the triqueta. It's an Irish trinity symbol, generally used to represent the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). So, in the holiness aspect, I guess it makes sense. Kind of. But these books don't really focus on any aspect of the trinity, just angels. The TV show "Charmed" also used the symbol to represent the three sisters, or something like that. I don't know, I've never watched the show. I was more of a "Buffy" girl myself. Like the first book's cover, I applaud the simplicity, but I don't think it's as effective as it could be.

The cats are out of the proverbial bag. Ezra, Rufus, and Felix are Alterums. Eran has fallen back to Earth to protect Maggie. Unfortunately, Maggie is still a reborn, with no knowledge of her past, so she still has a distinct disadvantage. But with the arrival of a new Biochem teacher, Maggie is regaining a bit of her past, whether she is conscious of it or not.

If the first book took me a long time to finish, this one took an eternity. Ha! See what I did there? But seriously, 90% of this book is just a vehicle to get to the last chapter or two. It's almost entirely exposition. Falter tries to introduce some romantic tension, as well. Eran's focus is on protecting Maggie, not bedding her. Maggie isn't such a fan of that choice. That is, in all honesty, the driving plot line in this novel. Even when a "new" guardian angel, Campion, is introduced, Eran is going on nightly missions, and Maggie starts training to be a fighter again, it's all undermined by what is clearly supposed to be sexual tension.

It's too bad I didn't feel tense.

Seriously, though, except for the last little bit, it's all very "wash, rinse, repeat." Maggie goes to school with Eran. Fallen show up, there's some glowering. Maggie visits the dead, and (most interestingly) visits her own past lives. Maggie trains to be more badass. Maggie pines over Eran, Eran resists her feminine wiles. (Again, a la Twilight.) Sure, things change a little bit, and the explorations into Maggie's past lives are some of the best parts, but it's more than a little tedious at times.

The writing did improve, overall, in terms of skill. There was one line in particular that I highlighted because it was so beautiful. Unfortunately it was only one line. Maybe I'm just more inclined to notice "bad" things than good, because I feel like that's what I'm always commenting on. Some of it is really simple, too, and could have been fixed by a proofreader. Like, for example, inconsistent spelling when referencing the Camaro. A cursory Google search could have eliminated that. And, a minor irritation that's not necessarily a result of poor writing-the butler's name. I'll let you guess.

If you guessed that the old British butler was named "Alfred" then congratulations! You win a corner of the internet. Now, I understand that this may have been meant to reference Batman, in which case, awesome. But it's such a generic butler name that I doubt that's the case. Why not "Winston" or something else that's kind of stuffy but not "Alfred?"

The formatting improved rather drastically this time around. There are even some seemingly arbitrary chapters marked for easy navigation. It's not great, but it's a start. Random blank pages are few and far between, which is refreshing.

Overall, I'd say that Eternity is largely on par with Fallen. It's better in some ways, the same or worse in others. If you enjoyed the first one, then I'm sure that even the price tag can't keep you away. It's a means to an end, sure, but the end is worth it. The last in the series, Reckoning, is definitely the best of the series. So I'll see you there.

-Kayla

Fallen (Guardian Trilogy, Book 1) by Laury Falter

 
     Fallen by Laury Falter
          Kindle Edition: $2.99
          Print Edition: $9.99
          Length: 274 pages
          Reading Level: YA
          Fallen on Amazon (opens in a new window)

Whew. Happy Halloween and Thanksgiving and all those other holidays I've missed. Sorry about the absence, I've been moving and not with Internet and other such things. I also just finished the third book in this series yesterday. Maybe the day before, at the earliest. I know, it's unheard of. I can sometimes put down multiple books in a day. But for some reason, this second read through of Falter's series took ages. I even had to use the "notes" function on my Kindle. I'll get to that, though. First, as with the other entries, I want to briefly discuss the cover.

It's simple. And that's not a bad thing. Its simplicity is something to be admired, especially after reading the book. The feather is symbolic of everything that lies within, and even the graduated colors (grey and white) are important. My biggest gripe is that Falter's name is too small. As an author, call me crazy, but you want people to recognize your name, and then seek you out. There's really not much more than can be said about it, so my final opinion is that it is...effective.

Maggie Tanner moves. A lot. As an orphan who lives with her photojournalist Aunt, she's constantly traveling. Until she's dumped in the Big Easy, New Orleans, to live with her Aunt's friend Ezra while on an extended assignment. And for the first time, Maggie feels like she's at home. In the home of (American) Voodoo, she no longer sticks out because of her special gift. Maggie can speak to the dead every time she goes to sleep. And then things start to get weird.

So, here we have another Fallen Angel story. This one is significantly less theological than previously reviewed books. It's more...spiritual, I suppose. There's very little talk of God or Hell or Satan. It's pretty much just good versus evil, with wings. There is a Heaven, but it's more of an idea than anything concrete. Sort of. It's hard to explain, really. However, there are really no redeeming qualities to the "evil" angels like there are in After Eden. Everything in Fallen is very black and white, cut and dried. The good guys are good, the bad guys are bad. There is literally only one exception to this rule, and I can't even really talk about it because it's meant to be a surprise.

The aforementioned spirituality stems from an almost-Buddhist universe, in which people are nearly constantly reincarnated. It's an interesting look at the idea of previous lives and soul mates, kind of how I imagine Cloud Atlas to be. This provides a great excuse for the insta-love between Maggie and Eran. They know they're supposed to be together, not through any logical means, but through spiritual ones. The romance, sadly, is all but nonexistent. At least, I feel that it's severely lacking.

Falter tries to make Eran the dashing savior romance novel lead, complete with a British accent, but I don't feel that we, as an audience, are ever really shown his swoon-worthiness. We're just told that he's supposed to be swoon worthy and we have to accept that at face value. It's a bit disappointing, because there is definitely a lot of potential. It's even more disappointing that she (Falter) seems to depend on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight cliches. For example, while they are kissing or hugging or whatever, Maggie stops breathing and nearly passes out (or does pass out completely, in other scenes) and Eran has to forcibly remind her to inhale. This happened several times in Twilight and it was ridiculous every time.

As for the bad guys- well, they just aren't scary. Maggie’s life is repeatedly in danger, and luckily her guardian angel is there, but it just never feels like there was actually a risk. When I read a book, I want to dread meeting the villain(s). I want my skin to crawl, and I want to be concerned that the hero or heroine isn’t going to walk away with just a story to tell over drinks-they’ll be lucky if they walk away at all. Falter is definitely trying, but with the Fallen being one-note, direct threat on Maggie’s life installations, they feel like they are put there because she’s totally in danger, guys!

The writing, overall, isn't what I'd call sloppy, but it definitely could use a spit shine. There's several issues with commas, apostrophes, plurals, and homophones. I found them distracting, and paired with some just plain poor word choices, this is a noticeably "indie" novel, in that it clearly didn't have an editor (or ten) poring over it. Falter also made some choices that I would question, because when I was in writing classes, we were told to avoid exclamation points at all costs. And capital letters. And repeated letters (i.e., “noooooooooooooooooooooo!”) To me, these make the story appear amateur, even when the idea is good. Some descriptions of character's physicality seemed incredibly contrived, such as Maggie describing herself as having too large of eyes. Since when are large eyes an undesirable feature on a female? Isn't that what the mascara industry is all about? Falter also made the creative choice to use written dialects for every character but Eran, so Rufus, who is Irish, has his dialog written as such. There is also a cajun-accented character whose dialect is nearly unreadable. But this is a personal gripe for me; because I absolutely hate reading written dialects. 

Another Indie Red Flag is the formatting. Or rather, lack thereof. There is no navigating chapters in this book, everything must be done page by page. This isn’t necessarily the be all end all of bad formatting though. It’s really just a minor inconvenience to Kindle readers. The bigger problem is the way things appear on the page. There are blank pages between chapters. Sometimes it’s only one, sometimes it’s more. A couple chapters start halfway down the page, which is just irritating to look at. By themselves, these wouldn’t be issues, but everything combined just interrupts the natural flow of the story.

The first time I read this book, I couldn’t get enough. I finished the trilogy in about a day and a half. I read it through entire classes, late into the night, basically I had my nose buried in my kindle whenever I had a spare moment. This time, I was unable to become absorbed by the story like I once was. I even became irritated. What were previously minor inconveniences were suddenly huge problems, and I would put the book away after ten or so pages. It was a truly alarming experience, especially when I realized that it took me two months to complete a series. It didn’t even take me that long to re read all seven Harry Potter books. I was even more unnerved by the fact that when I was deciding to choose this book for the next blog entry, I was excited. I remembered liking the series and I couldn’t wait to get started. I remembered really connecting with Maggie and lusting after Eran. This time, I was just annoyed by them. I found much of their actions forced and contrived. I didn’t believe in them, or the so-called sexual tension.

Now, I realize that this has been an overwhelmingly negative review. But I still don’t hate the books. The first read through had me totally enraptured. I think that this could still happen for many people, particularly those who have an affinity for the fallen angel genre. But, unlike some novels, there seems to be, for now, very little reread value. So give it a shot, but don’t expect to go for it twice.

-Kayla

Beloved Purgatory (Fallen Angels, Book 2) by Katherine Pine

     Beloved Purgatory by Katherine Pine
          Kindle Edition: $2.99
          Paperback Edition: Not Available
          Length: approx. 315 pages
          Reading Level: older YA
          Beloved Purgatory on Amazon (opens in a new window)

More cover talk. I really enjoy the change in color scheme from one book to the next. In my mind, the green of the first book represents Oz's importance to Devi, what he can offer, etc. The purple featured on the cover of this book seems to indicate the increased importance of Forneus, especially by the end of the book. It really makes me wonder what the cover of book three will be, when it's released. I'm thinking possibly white or blue, something to indicate Camael? We'll have to wait and see. Allegedly, book 3 is due out this year, so I'm watching Amazon closely.

Beloved Purgatory picks up right where After Eden left off. And I mean RIGHT where it left off. They're still in the car after Devi's encounter with Onoskelis, heading back home. Devi thinks she knows Oz's biggest secret-that she is destined to kill him. She's wrong. And when Forneus taunts her with the promise of not only freeing her father's spirit, but finding Kai, what will she do to protect all that she loves? In book 2, we learn what it truly means for Devi to be without a spirit- and it's more than anyone bargained for.

The second book in the series maintains the momentum of the first, and as more is revealed, more questions arise. Forneus becomes more than just a literal handsome devil-we learn why he truly wanted Devi to stay away from Azazel. It's not just because he doesn't want Oz to die. He really, truly cares for his friend. Both Forneus and Camael become more prominent characters, and each becomes more interesting in his own unique way.

There still isn't technically a love triangle, but there's an interesting dilemma between Devi and Camael that weighs on her relationship with Oz. She has no love for the angel, but his light, the light of Heaven, calls to her in a way she cannot refuse, and each time she falls into it, she feels like she's betrayed Oz, whom she truly loves.

With everything that happens in this book, everything that happened in book one almost feels like exposition. This seems to be where Pine truly wanted to be with her story. She wanted to show that heaven and hell are more than just good and bad. There is no black and white. Forneus is a devil, yes, but is he truly evil? Camael is an Angel, but is he fully good? And Devi is caught between the two, with only Oz on her side. But with his own secrets, she can't be sure. Heaven and hell are in a tug of war for Devi's soul, and in this book we finally find out why. And it's nothing Devi or Oz could've imagined.

Along with all the heavy stuff, there's the added fun of more shape-shifting Oz, Halloween, and pancake shenanigans.

Devi's mom goes from mostly-absentee to almost completely absentee, which should be problematic, but I just couldn't bring myself to care. There is just SO MUCH going on, that the plot flies by.

And yet, it took me over a week to finish this book. I'm not entirely sure why, because I do love it more than the first one. Maybe it's because of the Internet, which is a cruel, distracting mistress. I don't know. So, my reading of book 2 was a little fragmented, which is making this review pretty hard to write. Between that, and the fact that the last thing I want to do is spoil any of the fun, I can only speak in vague terms.

If you read book 1, I highly doubt you'll skip book two. But if your feelings on After Eden were a little ambivalent, I really recommend giving book two a shot. It has all the best parts of the first one, and few of the lackluster parts. And the ending of this one even feels like an ending! Which is probably why we're still waiting on the third installment-it wasn't written yet.

Book 2 will make you eager for more, and then you'll be stuck in the waiting game, just like me.

-Kayla
   

After Eden (Fallen Angels, Book 1) by Katherine Pine

     After Eden by Katherine Pine
          Kindle Edition: $0.99
          Paperback Edition: Not Available
          Length: approx. 319 pages
          Reading Level: older YA
          After Eden on Amazon (opens in a new window)

Let's talk about the cover for a sec. I can't decide how I feel about it. On the one hand, it's beautiful; simple and clean, no frills. On the other, it also seems...amateur? I'm not sure that's the word I'm looking for, but there's something about it that indicates it's not from a major publisher. Thoughts?

Devi knows something that most humans don't. Angels are real. She knows this, because six years ago, she watched one take away her twin brother. Every day, she's haunted by the heavenly glow that took Kai away, and the memory that she didn't do anything to save the person she loves most. Still, despite knowing about Angels, she never dreamed that there were demons, too. Until she meets one, and everything she thought she knew is turned upside down.

After Eden is the debut from author Katherine Pine. As of right now, she has two books published, the other one being the sequel, which I will review in the next post. In the blurb, I describe this as an older YA reading level. Near the end, the story does get rather violent, which certainly lends itself to the rating. But, as Devi is a fan of romance novels, there is a LOT of innuendo. Some is more blatant than others, but the innuendo and sexuality is usually in reference to the romance novels, not between Devi and her love interest, Oz. This book was one of the first in a slew of "theological romance" (as I have dubbed them) novels that I've purchased. There seems to be a trend in indie novels right now to write about Angels, Fallen Angels, etc. Mainstream novels still seem to be firmly entrenched in the dystopia/sci-fi realm, which is fine by me. Maybe the indie trend is a harbinger of what is to come? Anyway...

This is one of those books that I totally forgot I even had until I went back through my Kindle history. So, because I forgot it even existed, naturally I forgot how much I enjoyed it. I absolutely FLEW through it. I started reading it right after I wrote the review for Eden and I nearly finished it that night. But then I stopped, because, y'know, sleep is important. So I finished it within the next day or two. Yes, it's short, fine. But it's also a gripping read, one that keeps the pages turning. And the quotability, oh my! While Eden was quotable in a philosophical way, After Eden is quotable because it's just funny. Yeah, it waxes philosophical sometimes, because of all the theology that's thrown at the reader, but Oz is just funny. Again, yay for Kindle pre-highlighting the best quotes for me.

Unlike many other books where a central part of the plot is romance, there is no triangle to be had here. It's just Devi and Oz, only having eyes for each other. If there's a third wheel, it's Oz's precocious cat, Princess. No, really. Unfortunately, this novel, like so many other supernatural romances, has one of my pet peeves: the characters fall madly in love in no time flat. I mean, I get it. There are supernatural forces at work. Great. But I don't buy it. The only time I buy short-term LOVE is in Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, because she gives explicit (and I do mean explicit) reasoning for it.So, in this book, when Oz and Devi are hopelessly devoted after hours, much less days, it kind of makes me question things. This isn't to say, however, that the relationship is without its issues. Trust me when I say that there are PLENTY of issues for Devi and Oz to contend with, and they just pile up as the story moves on.

The writing, in terms of descriptions especially, is beautiful. Everything in the story, from the town to the characters, are described in breathtaking detail. Even better: not once is Oz referred to as an Adonis. I also applaud Ms. Pine on the cultural diversity that is apparent in the story. Devi is part Indian (from India; not Native American) and so we actually have an explanation for her black hair, other than the author thinks it makes the heroine mysterious. Devi's best friend, Kim, is Asian, so readers are given a head start in imagining her features. And Oz is...well, he's otherworldly. I especially love the descriptions of his eyes, because they are varied and interesting and give a great picture. My favorite is the use of "malachite" because it is so incredibly apt.

At times the characters (namely Devi) are believable, and yet other times they seem almost schizophrenic. While I understand that there is a LOT happening in their lives, what with life-or-death, end-of-the-world scenarios happening, the mood swings are insane. One minute, Oz and Devi are bantering, sharing sexy innuendo, whatever, and the next, one of them is crying or distant or pissed. Reasons are given, yes, but they don't always seem justified to me. That's not to say they are NEVER justified, but sometimes it seems to be out of left field. I wouldn't say, however, that the characters, Devi included, are dynamic. But they aren't necessarily static, either. Maybe the transformation will be more apparent by the end of the series, but right now, everyone seems to be carrying on more or less the same way they always have. There are enough small variations, however, to keep them from falling flat.

Stories about Fallen Angels are tricky. Or, really, any story that is in any way theological in nature. There is a LOT of background that needs to be given. Genesis, the Fall, Heaven, Hell, Life, the Universe, and Everything. It's a lot of information. And, at times, this story does fall into the trap of getting preachy. I'm sure it's not intentional, but it happens. But After Eden has an ace up its sleeve with Oz. He is so human, but yet so otherworldly. And hearing his story, it doesn't go overboard with the whole "God is Good" thing. In fact, there is definitely some resentment. As a reader, I totally empathized with Oz. We are always told that "life isn't fair," but it's never been more true than in the case of Pine's demons. And what a departure from standard-fare demons they are! These aren't necessarily disfigured beasts; in fact, they're quite tragic, even before their curse is revealed. These guys (and girls) just can't catch a break.

Like many YA novels, this one is told from a first person point of view. Devi is an interesting narrator, because, as a reader, I feel that I picked up on a lot of things that she missed. Which kind of creates a situational irony, where you're just begging for Devi to get it already.

The grammar is pretty solid, with only a few issues here and there, like homophones and wayward apostrophes. They become a little more numerous near the end of the story, which I find interesting and makes me wonder if she was just rushing or something wacky. The formatting of the story is fine, with no memorable issues. And, something I truly appreciated from an indie novel, the chapters were navigable on Kindle, meaning I could skip from one chapter to the next without having to page through if necessary.

I really enjoy most aspects of this book. Oz is a totally swoon-worthy romantic lead, and yet so tragic. Devi is an interesting narrator. And the other characters, the ones I can't reveal... They offer major transformations for the other characters in a hugely important way. The pacing is steady, and I never feel torn between wanting more main plot vs. romantic plot. My hands-down biggest issue with the book is the end. It feels unfinished. Yes, there is a sequel, but the way it happens almost feels as though books one and two were written in one fell swoop, and Pine decided that this was the most convenient place to split the two. So, there is no real resolution, the book just kind of...ends.

For 99 cents, this book is definitely worth a buy, and, of course, a read. It needs a bit of housekeeping before it could become a "big house" published book, but it is still enjoyable. It's witty, a little sexy, there's suspense, and an ethereal quality that makes it something...new. So go for it. After Eden, read After Eden.



(see what I did there?)


Happy reading!

-Kayla

Eden by Keary Taylor

     Eden by Keary Taylor
          Kindle Edition: $3.99
          Paperback Edition: $13.00 (new)
          Length: 422 pages
          Reading Level: YA
          Eden on Amazon (opens in a new window)

Before I delve into the land of synopsis and review, take a moment to look at that cover. LOOK AT IT. Isn't it terrible and beautiful, like Galadriel when she goes all bonkers when she was offered the Ring? (Yes, yes it is.) This is really exceptional cover art for an "indie" book, I must say.

The world has ended. Or, it might as well have. When a cure for pretty much everything goes horribly awry, humans are transformed into the Cybernetic fallen with nothing more than a single touch. In Eden, 30-some survivors live in fear of the fallen. Eve is one of these survivors-found when she was a young teen, naked, bloody, but unharmed. Now she is one of the main guardians of the group. Eve has always felt a little distanced from everyone else, but she's always attributed it to her lack of memories from before the Fall. Post apocalyptic life is all she's ever known. But things start to change when refugees make their way to Eden.


Eden is Keary Taylor's first book (to the best of my knowledge) outside her Fall of Angels series, which I will be reviewing at a later date. It's pretty firmly YA, with the more adult elements coming from violence rather than sensuality, though there is a major romance plot/subplot. When I bought this book, I was on a huge dystopia kick, and it did not disappoint.

Have you ever re-read a book and had a completely different experience with it? Noticing new things, altered feelings about events, etc? This book is a great example of that for me. When I finished it the first time, for example, I thought Eve made the wrong decision regarding the Epic Love Triangle (to be discussed later). This time around, I actually saw and cataloged all the hints to why she made the decision she did, and I was happier for it. I love it when books have a high re-readability. And great quotes. There are certainly some good ones in this story, and yay for Kindle, because it pre-highlights the popular ones!

So, the Epic Love Triangle. Holy crap, you guys. Edward and Jacob have NOTHING on West and Avian. Gun to my head, I wouldn't know who to pick. Considering the refugees show up relatively early in the book, the Epic Love Triangle develops slowly but steadily. Even, dare I say it, naturally. Each man has his perks and drawbacks, and Eve feels something for both of them, but the feelings are different. Which, let's face it, is totally true to life. Some reviewers on Amazon feel that the Epic Love Triangle is a little overblown. Or a lot overblown. Now, while I see where they are coming from, I have to disagree. The reasoning becomes clearer at the end of the book, when all things are said and done. Or, at least, the reasoning makes more sense after the Big Reveal. (Trust me, these capital letters are completely necessary.) And hey, most YA stories have a love triangle (epic or not) because if there's a romance element, it's generally more interesting to have complications of some sort.

Eve starts off kind of obnoxious, I'll admit. I mean, she's not whiny like some other female protagonists, like one whose book I've already mentioned in a roundabout way, but she's just... different. Again, this makes sense after the Big Reveal, but for the first portion of the book, at least until the refugees show up if not longer, she's really hard to relate to. Like I said before, she's distanced from humanity, and you can really feel the disparity in the early parts of the book. But oh, God, is she a dynamic character.(Quick English Lit lesson- dynamic characters develop, change somehow. Static characters are constant, never changing. Usually it's secondary characters that are static, but not always [i.e., the aforementioned not-mentioned book]) The Eve from the beginning of the novel is so vastly different from the Eve in the final moments, they're hardly recognizable as the same person. The other major characters, and Epic Love Triangle members, West and Avian, are also dynamic, though the transformation isn't quite as noticeable than Eve's. There are some great secondary characters, too, like Sarah, who isn't there enough for my taste. I liked her a lot, for how little she was there.

When I first told my fiancee about this book, he completely dismissed it because of the premise. Viral pandemic? Sure, no problem. Cybernetic infection? No way. But here's the thing- it's fiction. Taylor wasn't trying to get to science-y with it, throwing facts in left and right to later disregard them (a la Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Write in the comments if you'd like an explanation). She wanted to give a new twist on an old, familiar theme. Never mind the fact that a timeline isn't fully established, so we, as readers, have no way of knowing exactly how far in the future these events are. So, yeah. It's a little far fetched that after a single touch people become homicidal robots. It's very Borg-esque. But it's not the how, or even the why of the infection that matters. It's how the people deal with the aftermath. It's not the cybernetic condition that is compelling, it's the human one.

As far as the mechanics of the story goes... Except for one chapter near the end, the entire novel is from Eve's perspective. Which is kind of great, after the Big Reveal. (There's so much more I could say about so many of these topics, but I don't want to spoil anything. Maybe if I get readers here, I could do a book club or Q&A or something. I dunno.) The chapter that isn't Eve is from an omniscient third person, and gives interesting insights into other characters. I would like to read a version of this book from those perspectives, too.

The grammar and formatting is solid, only a handful of errors throughout the manuscript. Most of them seemed to come at the end, which is probably in part from Taylor's excitement to finish the novel. I imagine I'll have the same problem when I get to that point in mine.

I'm a huge fan of this book. The characters and the plot are interesting, and it's nice to read something with no supernatural influence. I won't call this a quick read, though it isn't complicated. 422 pages is, after all, nothing to sneeze at. But if you get as immersed in stories as I do, it will feel much quicker than it is. I'm hoping that it's only a matter of time until this story gets picked up by a major publisher, like HarperCollins or an equivalent. I truly feel this book is worthy of widespread reading.

So, please, read this book. I hope you love it. I really do. I hope it makes you think, makes you wonder, "What would I do? How would I survive? Could I be anything like Eve?" If it does, I'm glad. If not, I'd like to hear your opinion. I'm always eager to debate.

It's only 4 bucks, so really, you have no excuse.

Read, and enjoy.

-Kayla

Destined by Jessie Harrell

   

     Destined by Jessie Harrell
          Kindle Edition: $2.99
          Paperback Edition: $9.99 (new)
          Length: 370 pages
          Reading Level: YA
          Destined on Amazon (opens in a new window)


The long and short of it: Psyche is chosen by Aphrodite to be her ceremonial daughter, as Helen of Troy once was. To avoid previous mistakes (cough, Helen, cough) Aphrodite arranges a marriage between her "daughter" Psyche and her son, Eros (known as Cupid in Roman myth). Naturally, they hate each other. Psyche refuses the marriage, as does Eros. Aphrodite is insulted, and leaves Psyche to her own devices. She then tells Eros that, for the slight, he is to use his arrows to make Psyche fall in love with someone wretched. He has a much harder time with his task than he thought he was, as he manages to rationalize each potential terrible husband away. Eventually he makes a decision, and approaches Psyche, where he finds her sobbing on a bench after being passed over for marriage in favor of her sister. He whispers her name to his arrow, preparing to shoot, and then he scratches himself with the tip, thus cursing himself.

What follows is the turbulent story of how they try to get their "happily ever after," all the while evading Aphrodite, suitors, jealous sisters, and numerous other obstacles.


Destined is a YA romance-type debut novel by author Jessie Harrell. It's a bit different from most things I'll be reviewing on the blog, so I figured it would be a good introduction to everything. In this novel, the reader is given a modern re-imagining of the Greek tale of Eros and Psyche. Eros and Psyche on Wikipedia (opens in a new window)

Unlike many other Greek re-tellings or re-imaginings or anything else, Harrell attempts to keep the subject matter current, yet true to its roots by keeping the timeline the same, but updating the language style. So, while the characters are, in fact, living in Ancient Greece, the language is like that of any other modern novel. This can be either a blessing or curse, depending on personal opinion. It adds an element of depth and intrigue to the story, however, there is also the risk of the reader losing immersion in the story by some anachronistic phrases.

For the record, I love Greek mythology. I'm a nerd, and I feel that our life could be much more entertaining, if not interesting, if we still gave credence to these beliefs. So I went into this story, strangely enough NOT knowing the source material, but accepting this story as a reasonable telling of events.

As with any other reboot, re-telling, re-imagining, whatever you want to call it, there are bound to be discrepancies between the original source. And there are. Most of them can be easily ignored, such as the number of sisters, the nature of curses, etc. I did not find these to be problematic, largely because, again, I was unfamiliar with the source text. I did, however, have a problem with the mix of Greek and Roman names for various deities. They are all fairly solidly Greek, but I was confused when the goddess Ceres was mentioned. This is because Ceres is the Roman name. Had Harrell used the Greek variation, Demeter, I would have been more familiar. This seems such a small thing, but as someone who is familiar with much Greco-Roman mythology, it is a point of contention. For me, anyway.

The manuscript itself is very clean, with few grammatical errors. The dialog is...interesting. At times it seems typical of a mythology-styled novel. It isn't chock full of "thy" or "thou" or any of that craziness, but the grammar is very proper, and contractions are few and far between. Other times, though, particularly with Psyche and her friend Alexa, the dialog is strikingly modern. As mentioned earlier, while I applaud the attempt of Harrell to inject something contemporary into an old tale, when juxtaposed with the proper, borderline archaic language, it can be a little jarring.

The narration style is interesting, as it switches between first and third person with regularity. When the narrative follows Psyche, it is in a first person perspective, so the modern dialog  fits in rather seamlessly. Conversely, when Eros is the "narrator" the tone becomes that of a limited omniscient third person. Each chapter is prefaced by the name of the character being followed, and they switch as frequently as every other chapter. This difference in narrative style is extremely helpful in the event that one overlooks the chapter heading, as it offers a distinct difference. I, of course, would never skip such a thing. (cough)

Overall, Destined is a quick, fun, quirky read that can be, dare I say it, educational and informative, given the appearances of multiple deities. While I don't see this novel being on the NY Times bestsellers list anytime soon, it is still a valiant debut by Harrell. There is clearly a wealth of talent here, and I look forward to reading future works by this author.

If you like Greek mythology at all, in any way shape or form, give this book a read, and think about how interesting our lives could be if we attributed a different deity to each aspect of daily life.

-Kayla

An Open Note to Authors

I read. A lot. More than is strictly necessary, to be honest.

And you know what I'm noticing? There's a scary new trend in describing the lead male character: The Adonis.

So here's what I have to say to authors:

Stop. Just, stop. Unless your story is based in Greek mythology, and Adonis is actually a character, stop comparing your characters to him. I don't care if you are writing a YA dystopia novel with a romance twist, or a full blown romance novel with all the interlocking parts. Stop it. There is a whole world of adjectives out there.

Put down the Doritos. Pull up the OED website. Use the thesaurus. There you go.

I understand that your lead male is definitely the most beautiful man to ever grace the Earth. No, really. Him and every other male lead. But it's cool, it's your story, do what you want. Except for call him an Adonis.

Greek God is tolerable, but barely. Why not make your male lead not necessarily the most attractive dude ever, but just plain old attractive? Or nothing special to the general populous, but the most breathtaking creature to his romantic counterpart?

There are SO MANY WORDS out there. Beautiful words that roll off the tongue (or the brain) like honey. So use them. They're getting lonely.

Adonis is starting to look a little haggard.

-Kayla (a writer)

Chapter One, of sorts

Welcome!

A little background info is needed, don't you think?

I'm a recent graduate from Northern Michigan University, nestled in Michigan's picturesque Upper Peninsula. I got my Bachelor of Science in Writing, with a minor in Psychology. Writing is my passion, closely followed by reading.

My reading habit is absurd, and has only grown more extreme since I justified using student loan money to buy an Amazon Kindle. I love it, and I've spent more money than I'd care to admit on books.

So, in an effort to curb my budget, I've started trying to gravitate toward books that are five dollars or less. Just because a book is self published certainly doesn't mean that it is not worth your time. In fact, there are some "budget books" that are more worth a read than some put out by more well-known, major publishers.

Which brings us to this blog. Here, I will help you, the readers, navigate the murky waters of the Amazon Underbelly. I will offer reviews of each book I read, provided it is under $5. I may splurge once in awhile, but don't worry, you'll be forewarned. Each book review will be prefaced by the price, both print and Kindle edition, but my price cap is based on the digital price. No printing materials=lower prices, after all. I will also indicate genre and reading level, so you can decide whether or not the review is worth your time. Editing issues will be addressed, but only if they really, REALLY bother me. I'm not, after all, going to make much of a difference if I dissect someone's work page by page and completely disregard it due to a wayward comma.

And I take suggestions! So if you have a book you love, let me know, and hopefully I won't destroy it.

So stay tuned! I'll have to reach back through my Kindle History, and catch up on many of the things I've already read. But don't worry, if you write it, I will come.

-Kayla