Tuesday 30 June 2015

Review: The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen.



The Invasion of the Tearling - Erika Johansen

 The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen.

My Rating:


I received a free copy of The Invasion of the Tearling from the publisher in return for an honest review.

There was a lot I liked in book two and a lot I disliked. As before the author does a wonderful job of characterization, each character was strong and stood out as an individual with more of their back story and motives being revealed. What I didn't like was how quickly Kelsea changed in part two. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing her grow bolder, more confident and a little darker in nature. What I didn't like was how her character went from being the average sweet naive girl next-door to a stunning beauty with a mean streak trying to fight it's way out. The way it was done didn't sit right with me, she loses a lot of weight, becomes more ruthless and now all of a sudden she's seen as more attractive? That's giving the wrong message.

Book one in the Tearling trilogy left me rather confused about the time period the story was set in. Even though the story line takes place in the future, the world the author created was medieval and there wasn't much of an explanation of the how and why everything had changed so much. Book two explains the reasons behind this change and gives us a glance into both the past and the present(future). I enjoyed both the stories from the different timelines despite them being so different from each other but the time hopping did get a little bit much at times. The author seemed to switch at the most tense moments of the plot line or just as I was getting back into the swing of the era the story was in. It got rather frustrating at times, especially when it happened during an important part of the plot, the temptation to skim quickly to get back to where it picked up again was hard to resist at times.

Despite the above I still enjoyed the book. I enjoy the writing style of this author and the rich characters and worlds that she creates. The plot held my attention and it answered a lot of the questions that I had from book one. I'm looking forwards to the final book in the trilogy.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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Saturday 27 June 2015

Review: In a Dark, Dark Wood by Helen Ruth Elizabeth Ware



In a Dark, Dark Wood - Helen Ruth Elizabeth Ware

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Helen Ruth Elizabeth Ware

My Rating:


I received a free copy of In a Dark, Dark Wood from the publisher in return for an honest review.

"Someone's getting married. Someone's getting murdered.
In a dark, dark wood...
Nora hasn't seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.
There was a dark, dark house...
Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her?
And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room...
But something goes wrong. Very wrong.
And in the dark, dark room....
Some things can’t stay secret for ever."

Sounds good right? Creepy, mysterious, thrilling and full of suspense? It wasn't. I was really looking forwards to this one, it sounded like it would be right up my street. I was expecting a dark tale, a thrilling page turner but I was disappointed.

The plot was predictable and dare I say it, laughable. There was none of the suspense, mystery, chills and thrills that the blurb hints at. It was like watching a lame teenage movie with the usual predictable cast: insecure girl, insecure girls outspoken friend, mean girl, mean girls duff and of course the token gay male BFF. The dialogue was petty, shallow and repetitive and certainly not what you would expect from characters that are all in their late 20's.

The characters were all very one-dimensional and acted more like immature whiny teenagers rather than the grown women they were meant to be. I found them annoying and disliked each and every one of them. As for the MC Nora, ugh! Get a grip woman. 10 years, get over it. Nora's story was so cliché and unbelievable. I just wanted to shake her and tell her get a grip.

Not one I would recommend.



Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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Tuesday 23 June 2015

Review: We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk



We Are Monsters - Brian Kirk

 We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk

 My Rating:

I received a free copy of We Are Monsters from the publisher in return for an honest review.

We Are Monsters is cleverly told, it's multi layered and paints a very dark picture of all the different aspects of mental illness: from the patients themselves, to the doctors treating them and the methods used. It's psychologically complex and really delves into the horror of the human mind. The book opens your eyes to the complexity and treatment of those with a mental illness and delivers a hefty dose of reality throughout it's pages. Although that reality may not always be what it seems.

There were times that I felt a little lost and wasn't quite sure what was happening but all was revealed as the story unravelled. The author had thrown me into the same turmoil as the characters and I had to find my footing along with them.

The characterization in this novel is what really stood out for me, it's extremely well done. The characters felt real, each individual character so well developed that I feel I got to know them as a person instead of just characters in a book.

We Are Monsters is a book I would definitely recommend, although if your squeamish about needles, be prepared!


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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Monday 22 June 2015

Review: Car Nex: Trailer Park by Shaun Hupp, Terry M. West.



Car Nex: Trailer Park (The Car Nex Story Series Book 4) - Shaun Hupp, Terry M. West

 Review:  Car Nex: Trailer Park by Shaun Hupp,  Terry M. West.

 My Rating:

I received a free copy of Car Nex: Trailer Park from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this instalment in the Car Nex series, it was full of the carnage and violence that I have come to love about the Car Nex. I have to say that so far this one is my favourite, the author drew me in effortlessly and I was easily swept up in the atmosphere and fear in the pages. At just 58 pages it's a quick read but there is so much in those 58 pages, the way it's written makes it feel like a whole book is condensed into a novella without the feeling of something being left out or lacking.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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Wednesday 17 June 2015

Review: Thirteen Days of Midnight by Leo R. Hunt



Thirteen Days of Midnight - Leo R. Hunt
 Thirteen Days of Midnight by Leo R. Hunt

My Rating:

I received a free copy of Thirteen Days of Midnight from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Luke's father dies and leaves him a strange book. The book won't open and Luke thinks nothing more of it, that is until strange things start happening and ghosts start turning up unannounced. Luke learns that his father was a necromancer and along with the book he has left him his Host: a group of 8 spirits that Luke is expected to keep under control. Having left Luke when he was a young boy, Luke knows nothing of necromancy and with the ghosts threatening to mutiny he has to learn how to control them before they gain their freedom on Halloween night.

Thirteen Days of Midnight was a fun read. The characters were a great mix and were well developed. The plot and dialogue was a lot of fun, the story is both quirky and creepy while not being overly scary and would make a great introduction to the horror/paranormal genre for younger readers. The pace was consistent and the writing style created a vivid picture of the story. The author writes in a way that makes every scene easily pictured in the minds eye and it really brings the story to life.

Keeping in mind that this is a young adult book it won't be for everyone, but on a huge positive note there was no love triangle, although there was a love interest it was a very very small part of the story, no eye rolling teenage angst and no overly bad language.

The review copy I was provided with had a lot of problems with missing letters, I had to mentally fill them in while reading which was really frustrating at first. I got an email saying the problem had been fixed the same exact day I finished the book, go figure! Those of you who know me know that usually I would give up on a book with problems like this but the fact that I persisted with this one reflects how much the author drew me into the story and the visual world he created.



Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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Review: Mother of Demons by Maynard Sims



Mother of Demons (Department 18) - Maynard Sims

 Mother of Demons by Maynard Sims

 My Rating:

I received a free copy of Mother of Demons from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Alice Logan has gone missing, and Harry Bailey and Department 18 have been called to help find her. The main suspect is Anton Markos, a satanic cult leader who has a predilection for young women like Alice. Members of Markos’s cult start turning up dead—shredded by what seems to be a wild animal. Is there a madman within the cult? Or is it something far more horrible?

Can Department 18 discover the impossible truth and end the spree of murder, insanity and carnage? Or will they become the prey?

I flew through Mother of Demons in one night, I couldn't put it down. I haven't read any of the other Department 18 books but I will definitely be picking them up after having read this one.

The characters were very appealing and believable and the plot had me hooked right from the start. I really enjoyed the idea of a department that investigates the supernatural elements of a crime. Although it's not a new or unique idea, it's executed very well in this book and stands out over any other books I have read that touch on the same idea. The pacing was consistent and the writing style really stood out for me, it made the unbelievable seem real and drew me into the story.

Mother of Demons is only the second book by Maynard Sims that I have read and I have to say that I am becoming a fan already and I'm looking forwards to picking up many more.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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Monday 8 June 2015

Review: Car Nex: Storm by: Terry M. West, Kerry E. B. Black



Car Nex: Storm (The Car Nex Story Series Book 3) - Kerry E. B. Black, Terry M. West

 Car Nex: Storm by: Terry M. West, Kerry E. B. Black

 My Rating:

I received a free copy of Car Nex: Storm (The Car Nex Story Series Book 3) in return for an honest review.

I didn't enjoy this journey into the Car Nex series as much as I have the others. Unlike the other stories I have read in this series, Storm doesn't stand on it's own in the way the others have. In order for this story to make sense you will have to have read some of the other stories in the series, which I hope most will have done by the time they pick Storm up. However, on it's own it feels like it's just part of a story instead of a complete story written around the Car Nex theme.

There is also a distinct lack of the trademark violence and carnage that I have come to associate the Car Nex with. In fact the demon itself only makes a very brief appearance which I feel really let this one down.



Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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Friday 5 June 2015

Review: Car Nex: The Mighty and the Merciless by Terry M. West, Joseph Ramshaw



Car Nex: The Mighty and the Merciless - Joseph Ramshaw, Terry M. West

 Car Nex: The Mighty and the Merciless by Terry M. West, Joseph Ramshaw

 My Rating:

I received a free copy of Car Nex: The Mighty and the Merciless in return for an honest review.

Car Nex: The Mighty and the Merciless was a wild and humorous read, it felt like all my favourite superhero movies and characters had been written into one story. It's full of fun characters, wit, sarcasm and some rather colourful language. Packed full of action from start to finish the pace never lets up till the very end. Brax reminded me very much of Leeroy Jenkins, I kept picturing him yelling this as he barrelled into action lol.

A fun read!

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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Thursday 4 June 2015

Review: The Doorway by Alan Spencer



The Doorway - Alan Spencer

 The Doorway by Alan Spencer

My Rating:


I received a free copy of The Doorway from the publisher in return for an honest review.

This is one for my DNF pile. I have been trying to read it now for two weeks and every time I pick it up I just find myself reading one or two pages before getting irritated. The premise is an interesting idea but it's not executed well at all.

The author has a habit of overusing names. Almost every piece of dialogue has a name in it. Even when Morty is in a room alone with his daughter, still each line of dialogue has the name of whom the character is addressing. I don't know about anyone else but when I am talking to my Dad I don't use his name (yes his name, not "Dad") in almost every sentence of conversation and visa versa. Just to give you an idea of how often this occurs... in just 200'ish pages, the name Morty appears 787 times. Now add to that the names of every other character in the story being used just as often and you get the idea.

The dialogue is very unnatural, the author is telling me what his characters are saying, rather than me hearing the characters themselves saying it and it's very off-putting. I find myself not caring what happens to the characters because they don't feel real. The manner in which the author is telling the story is in effect distancing me from the characters themselves. They just feel like names on a page repeated far too often.

Without giving spoilers, the doorway itself is a great idea but the sheer amount of people who disappear through this doorway in such a short time is just ridiculous and I found myself shaking my head at the pure unbelievableness of it all.

The story has potential but it's just not holding my attention. The writing needs a lot of work in order to allow the reader to experience the story and dialogue rather than it being told, and something really has to be done about the overuse of names.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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