Tag Archives: paranormal

Book Review: I Am the Alpha by AJ Downey and Ryan Kells

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I Am the Alpha by AJ Downey and Ryan Kells

A Paranormal/Action/Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (08/04/15)

Summary:

Chloe never knew that her father, a stern accountant who is continuously disappointed in his daughter and her life choices, is none other than the Hangman, the deadliest Wolf-Kind hunter of his generation. Chloe just wants to make her own choices in life, but all control is taken from her when William kidnaps her. She puts up a fight at every turn, but eventually finds out why she was chosen. When she learns that her father killed William’s father and Alpha of the Pack, her feelings towards William as a kidnapper soften. When he is gentle and cares for her well-being, Chloe begins to see things from his perspective and to see him for the strong protector type he really is.

Keywords:

Wolf-Kind, Kidnapped, Hunters, Alphas, Twins, Murder, Harsh Laws, Violence, Fleeing, Fighting, Change, Seattle, Healing, Pack, Bitten, Mate, Stubborn

 

My Review:

I couldn’t put this book down. AJ Downey’s books are so tense and exciting that it is hard to stop reading them. I’m eagerly awaiting the second and third books in this series.

There were parts, granted, that delved into the annoying tropes of paranormal/romance books, but I almost didn’t care because I was so enthralled with what was going on and how the characters were interacting. I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

AJ Downey and Ryan Kells delve upon the surface of something fascinating: discrimination and pure hatred of wolf-kind/hybrid. This is a concept that makes the easy-read paranormal/romance into a deeper book.

“As reviled as he was, I was my father’s daughter in some of the more important ways. The ones that really counted. Having a backbone was one of those ways. I was also my mother’s daughter. Even though she’d died when I was young, she’d taught me understanding. To look beyond the surface. Past the color of people’s skin, past their clothes or where they lived or how they were raised.” (Kindle locations 3777-3781).

Downey and Kells also go just deep enough into Pack politics and the biological particulars to build a world that I’m interested in. I’m not usually interested in paranormal, though Downey has shown me the better side of romance novels, but I Am the Alpha has more going on than most novels.

Chloe has the right amount of stubbornness and she continuously, at first, fights back even against an insurmountable foe as William. She has spit and fire within her and doesn’t give up until she has completely exhausted all possibilities for escape. Toward the end of the novel, though, she gets even stronger and more stubborn in her convictions. William is a good balance between gentle, sympathetic man to jerk captor wolf-kind. He is the character I most liked.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on August 4th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

A.J. Downey’s Blog

Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review: Burn (Salem’s Revenge) (Volume 3) by David Estes

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Brew (Salem’s Revenge) (Volume 1) by David Estes

A YA Fantasy/Paranormal Novel published by Amazon Digital Services (01/26/2015)

 

Summary:

Now knowing the secret of Martin Carter, Laney decides to try to see if she can do something about his curse because she loves Rhett Carter. She and Bil Nez are captured though and it will take all of their combined efforts to find a way out of their predicament. On the other side is Rhett, who is desperately trying to keep the peace between the magic born and humans before the all-out battle he knows will happen in three days’ time.

Keywords:

Witches, Warlocks, Wizards, Paranormal, World Domination, Power Struggle, End of Humanity, Death, Violence, Evil, Hero, Challengers, Revenge, Hunting, Killing, Grudges

 

My Review:

I didn’t think the chapters from the POV of Hex or Grogg were necessary. Grogg reminded me of Lord of the Rings’ Gollum in many ways. Grogg also reminded me of Perry in the Dweller Saga, whose function in the story I also did not get.

This third and final book in the trilogy was super exciting and full of action in the all-out final battle while still leaving the story open as a world to play in for further books.

What I loved the most about David Estes’ writing is the characters. He sums them up and their relationships with each other himself in this book, “Laney Harris, the Master of Witty Comebacks and Love of my Life, Tillman Huckle, the Surprisingly Brave Gamer and Weapons Seller, Hex, the Wonderdog (and so much more!), Grogg, the Master-less Mud Troll, Floss, the Pierced Non-Witch-Hunter, Trish, The Breaker of Curses and Bringer of Hope, Rain Carter, The Prodigal Daughter, Martin Carter, My Dad, and yes, even Bil-freaking-Nez, who hasn’t had a blackout in months, and the Reaper, who’s not such a bad guy after all.”
Estes is able to build an entire world and an entire cast of characters without losing any understanding of who is who and what is what. He layered the story and the characters perfectly throughout the books so that I knew each and every one.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services 01/26/2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Goodreads

David Estes’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: Boil (Salem’s Revenge) (Volume 2) by David Estes

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Brew (Salem’s Revenge) (Volume 1) by David Estes

A YA Fantasy/Paranormal Novel published by Amazon Digital Services (10/01/2014)

Summary:

“You can’t make yourself a hero,” I say. “You have to be born one. And sometimes the least likely heroes are the ones this world needs the most.” (Kindle Locations 4972-4973).

Rhett, after joining the side of the witch hunters, is bent on revenge. He thinks he now knows who is who and what is what in this battle between human born and magic born. There are three warring factions and Rhett is seeking out the New American Government to fight on their side for the humans. Laney is supportive until Rhett wants to use Trish, Laney’s sister, to help them. When they go their separate ways, it will take magic and their feelings for one another to bring them back together. Rhett’s anger has pushed him this far, but will it be too much? Will it cloud his judgement in the moment when he needs clarity, or will it prompt him forward past the point of bravery?

Keywords:

Witches, Warlocks, Wizards, Paranormal, World Domination, Power Struggle, End of Humanity, Death, Violence, Evil, Hero, Challengers, Revenge, Hunting, Killing, Grudges

 

My Review:

Second books in series with romance always seem to see the potential partners separated for one reason or another and Boil is no exception. Laney and Rhett have their differences, but so far it hadn’t kept them apart, but when Rhett wants to use Trish in his plan, that’s the last straw for Laney.

I like how Laney sticks by her convictions. So does Rhett, but in a world where it’s difficult to tell who’s on what side and where allegiances lie, convictions can only get you so far.

The brooding/boiling romance that was hinted at in book one is on fire in book two! David Estes writes such great budding/building romances in books. They aren’t just one and done or love at first sight. They are built on the stuff all great relationships are built on and Estes builds them up slow and steady to get a real heartbreaking relationship.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services 10/01/2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Goodreads

David Estes’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: Brew (Salem’s Revenge) (Volume 1) by David Estes

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Brew (Salem’s Revenge) (Volume 1) by David Estes

A YA Fantasy/Paranormal Novel published by Amazon Digital Services (10/01/2014)

 

Summary:

“Let me teach you how to fight witches,” (Kindle Location 655).
What if the Salem Witch Trials actually did capture and kill witches? What if, many many years later more witches were discovered and hunted and killed? What if the witches banded together to wipe out all of humanity? Cue Salem’s Revenge and David Estes’ series about witches. Brew begins with Rhett Carter, your slightly off average black football playing book lover with a soft spot for others and a penchant to avoid violence. Add in his best friend who’s gay, Xavier and Beth the girl Rhett loves. When their world falls apart at the beginning of the Revenge, Rhett will do anything to find his two best friends, even learn to hunt and kill witches from his neighbor.

 

Keywords:

Witches, Warlocks, Wizards, Paranormal, World Domination, Power Struggle, End of Humanity, Death, Violence, Evil, Hero, Challengers, Revenge, Hunting, Killing, Grudges

 

My Review:

I don’t read books about witches. I stopped reading books about wizards when I was in high school but I had confidence in David Estes that he could write a book that I would love. I was right. Estes has a knack for building a story that anyone would love, even if the parts aren’t normally what you want to read. Witches. Sure. Wizards. Certainly. The main part of the story is the main character’s journey, how Rhett Carter exists and survives in this world of chaos and paranormal. His story is written well and his relationships with his friends, so briefly shown in the beginning, and the developing relationships between Rhett and Laney and Rhett and his new dog Hex are what brings the reader into the story and makes the story alive.

The first book in the Salem’s Revenge series sets up the main characters and the goal: to save themselves and humanity in the fight between witch gangs to end humans. Brew, the first in the series has an awesome end of the book battle that answers and raises questions to be answered with the continuation and conclusion of the series.

This book is told from Rhett’s point of view, but the reader gets a real good feel for Laney and many of the other characters. I loved all of the characters and felt that their strengths and their weakness brought them to life.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services 10/01/2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

David Estes’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

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The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

A Fantasy/Paranormal Novel published by Kerr-Ann Dempster (08/07/2014)

 

Summary:

“Just because something doesn’t last forever doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.” (Kindle Locations 2038-2039).

Aubrey Shaw will fulfill the prophecy. She will be sacrificed on the 12th day of the 12th month and all the Aramithian souls will be forgiven. There is just one problem. Aubrey doesn’t want to die. They thought she would be an easy target as a Dud with no special skills, but as it turns out she’s been gifted as a Jumper and by switching bodies she’s managed to evade capture for a while. However, her predictability is guessed by her previous crush and best friend Joshua, who is now tasked with finding and turning her in to her heartless sister Morgan and the other hunters.

 

Keywords:

Paranormal, Myth, Sacrifice, Souls, Switching Bodies, Living, Friendship, Trust, Loyalty, Love, Lust, Scars, Revenge, Death, Violence, Murder, Fire, Invisibility, Fog Manipulation

 

My Review:

This book was fast paced with quite a bit of action. It will keep you engaged and interested and hold your attention throughout.

Let’s talk paranormal. I am not one to seek out a book marketed as “paranormal” as I’m tired of the paranormal tropes and I prefer more realistic fiction. The Reluctant Sacrifice, though paranormal, was not a run of the mill story. It was a paranormal world full of different abilities, not your usual vampires or werewolves or witches. Dempster gives us something not completely unusual, but not wholly stereotypical of the genre. She gives us enough uniqueness to keep the reader guessing and enough commonality to give the reader something to relate to. Aubrey is an almost normal girl in an almost normal world.

My favorite part about Dempster’s writing is her dialogue and the witty banter she writes, as well as the relationships between the main characters. The back and forth dialogue between Tessa and Aubrey was so much fun to read.

This novel was published by Kerr-Ann Dempster 08/07/2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Kerr-Ann Dempster’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: Beneath Scarlett Valley: Book 1 (Volume 1) by Kerr-Ann Dempster

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Beneath Scarlett Valley: Book 1 (Volume 1) by Kerr-Ann Dempster

A YA Fantasy/Romance Novel published by Ink City Books  (08/08/2014)

Summary:

“You’re not a monster,” Vicky said. “You certainly won’t earn the MVP of life award, but you’re not a lost cause.” (p. 231).

Cassidy and Harper move back to their hometown of Scarlett. It has been years and years since they’ve been gone. Cassidy is 117. They are both Furors, half human half something else and if they can’t find The Source and immortality they will Fade and be consumed by their inner fire. Cassidy is ready for death until she meets a boy in Scarlett. Will she still be able to choose the Fade or has Sebastian changed her mind about trying to live forever and spending at least a few years with the mortal boy?

Keywords:

Paranormal, Seers, Furors, Ghouls, Immortality, Power, Choices, Sisters, Time, Death, Fading Away, Promises, Searching, High School, Instalove, Crush, Rage, Killing, Heat, Dark Past

My Review:

Dempster’s premise is paranormal, but it is a different twist. The immortal ones (the two main characters searching for immortality) are female and there aren’t any conventional witches or werewolves in the story. The girls are Furors, which is a slightly different take on the usual paranormal. Most of Dumpster’s characters are otherworldly and she has built her own universe in Scarlett Valley.

Cassidy is content to help her sister Harper find the Source and let Death and the Fade consume her over time. Instead of letting life slowly take hold of her, she is involved in the local high school, falls for the local award winning swimmer boy for SVHS and takes midnight walks with the neighbor. She can’t seem to take herself out of life and is swept up into the world of a 17 year old. She even falls hard for Sebastian. It is instalove and she is 117 and he is 17. Why does she like him? Why hasn’t her heart matured? How is being a giddy teenager acceptable and adequate for someone who has lived many, many more years than everyone else around her? If you can forget she’s lived several lifetimes, you may enjoy the soft romance that develops between Cass and Sebastian.

The relationship between Cassidy and Harper was the most interesting in the whole book. Out of all the characters, their dynamic was the most intriguing. They fought but they were there for each other. How do you keep on living with someone for all those years! How amazing. And yet, Cassidy was willing to leave her sister behind, to die without her and leave Harper to live forever on her own.

To be 117, you have a different view of the world and your death and I liked how Dempster showed Cassidy’s interesting viewpoint and thoughts about her own impending death.

This novel was published by Ink City Books 08/08/2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 3.75

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Kerr-Ann Dempster’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: Silent Circle (Volume 1) by Cassandra Larsen

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Silent Circle (Volume 1) by Cassandra Larsen

A YA Fantasy/Paranormal Novel published by Cassandra Larsen (08/21/2014)

 

Summary:

“We can‘t change what we are, but we can practice to get more control over what we do.” (Page 126)

Emerson is your average teenage girl. She’s got a hot boyfriend. She has a few good friends. She goes to the local high school, dressing like everyone else, partying like everyone else. On her seventeenth birthday, however, everything changes when she gains her powers. Em can’t believe that she’s a witch, but after some of her awesome abilities are revealed, she realizes there’s something going on that even her mother never told her about. That’s because her mom died when she was fourteen, before she had a chance to explain to Em who she really was. Em’s life is further complicated when her boyfriend Sebastian catches her with the local quiet boy Caiden, but hey, it’s not what you think!

 

Keywords:

Witches, Spells, Rivalry, Friendship, Loyalty, Mistakes, Teenage Drinking, Parties, Gossip, Secrets, Revenge, Death, Teen Drama, Strength, Running from Problems, Teen Issues,

 

My Review:

I like how Em is portrayed as a very normal and down to earth teen girl, albeit with her own troubles and chips on her shoulder, but those make her interesting and mysterious. Em is part of her own ‘it’ crowd but not the most popular. She’s not the model student or the model popular. She’s interesting but not really different from the norm. She fits in, until her 17th birthday when everything changes.

Larsen keeps up the intrigue throughout the book, hinting and foreshadowing that greater things are afoot and will be revealed in time. Em has just found out she’s a witch and less than a week later is having to make choices she’d never thought she’d have to make and letting people help her when she’s decided that she is self-sufficient and independent. It’s difficult for her to learn to accept the help and community of being a part of something.

I like how Em already has a boyfriend and the entire book is not a sappy falling in love romance. It’s about Em and how she has to fight to figure out what she believes in and figure out what is the truth and how she fits into this new world of witches and powers beyond belief.

The teens are realistic to a fault. You grow to love them while at the same time despising them for acting like teenagers! Rowdy drinking, bad decisions, and forgetting how they affect other people. Definitely teenage behavior. They are snarky and sarcastic and blow up in anger over little things, but they will also surprise you with their fortitude and their willingness to try. Em may have anger issues, but she is motivated to learn to control herself. That is a character trait that is really one to look up to, how many of us can say that?

The hint of a relationship between Em and Caiden, like all the gossip wants to point out, is just barely there and I hope it develops more in book two, but alas we also like Sebastian and don’t want to see him drop off! I’m interested to see how Larsen will develop the relationships and romance in the second book.

This novel was published by Cassandra Larsen 08/21/2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review: P.A.W.S. by Debbie Manber Kupfer

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P.A.W.S. by Debbie Manber Kupfer

A YA Paranormal Novel published by Rocking Horse Publishing (06/25/13)

 

Summary:

“You never know how strong you really are until you are tested.” (Page 263).

Miri Katz is barely keeping her head above water. She is clumsy and nerdy. She has made no friends at her school and is made fun of by the cool kids almost daily. She is an average girl, maybe even below average because she has no special talents. She is failing math. But then everything changes when, in a moment of panic, the amulet her omama gave her transforms her into a cat. Now everyone wants Miri, but not to be her friend.

 

Keywords:

Animagi, Shapeshifters, Werewolves, Animagi, Revenge, Loyalty, World Domination, Special Powers, Friendship

 

My Review:

I almost put this book down. It started off with a historical fiction spin which was really exciting, but then quickly turned into something else entirely that was barely keeping my attention. The writing was a bit stilted and the main character Miri was much too pathetic to like or relate to when we first met her. “Miri did very little other than read fantasy novels and write in her notebooks. In her classes she was a mediocre student at best, plus she was clumsy and socially awkward.” (Page 65).

But I kept reading. There was something about the story that just wouldn’t let me go. And then the story got so much better. The author sucked me into the clutter of Miri’s life and the deepening intrigue of the multiple subplots that eventually merged into the main story. The author had woven a complicated plot that was not at first visible.

Normally I don’t pick up and read paranormal fantasy, but I liked the story and the characters of P.A.W.S. In a world where there are shape shifters, werewolves, and animagi, Kupfer has done a great job sorting through the possibilities of what life would be like in this kind of environment. There are rules and boundaries that make these abilities much more interesting. Kupfer is great at world building.

The essential story Kupfer tells is the one that hooked me. In the beginning I thought it was about a girl trying to find her place in the world (coming of age) and it was, at least to begin with. Then Kupfer adds in complication after complication and the depth of the plot was what held my attention raptly to the end.
If you want a young adult version of Interview with a Vampire, then P.A.W.S. is your book.

This novel was published by Rocking Horse Publishing June 25th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Debbie Manber Kupfer’s Website

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Book Review: Deny the Moon (Wolfblooded Book 1) by Melissa A Graham

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Deny the Moon (Wolfblooded Book 1) by Melissa A Graham

A Paranormal Drama Novel published by Melissa A. Graham (11/28/14)

 

Summary:

 Harley “Harls” Rayne is just an average girl in an average town in an average family, except for the fact that her parents favor her younger daughter Lorelei. This favoritism spurs Harley to run off with the bad boy biker to become his bike b***h (aka the person who rides behind him on his Harley). But Frank isn’t all that she thought he was and his violent behavior and a culminating incident becomes the final straw for her to steal his bike and run away again. She thinks she’s safe with her new life and new job and new friends, until it all comes crashing down around her once more.

 

Keywords:

 Bikers, gang, packs, werewolves, female protagonist, strippers, abusive relationships

 

My Review:

I went through a sequence of liking and disliking this book. At first I loved it, there was tension from the very first page and the characters were very real. The story was alive from paragraph one and the inciting incident went off without a hitch. Harley turned her life upside down. Then I started to get bogged down in grammatical errors and the gruesome violence that the author described. I was not prepared for the horrific violence, but kudos to the author for bringing out such a strong emotional reaction in me, it is a telltale sign of a good writer, just not what I was expecting in a paranormal young adult story. I was further disgusted by the behavior of Frank and the relationship between Harley and Frank. It was an abusive relationship described in a way to make my toes curl and my hair stand on end, but was interlaced with these extremely steamy descriptions. Graham was putting me through emotional loops, with ups and downs and extremes in between. Be warned fair readers of the violence, abuse, and foul language in this book. Graham depicts the not-so-nice aspects of relationships and the gruesome results of foul play, but she does it in a hypnotizing way that makes you turn the pages with shaking fingers.

I despised Frank so much he made my stomach curdle. He is cold-blooded and cold-shoulders and the definition of the opposite of a gentleman. But he has a soft spot for Harley and it’s hard to hate him too much because he has that undeniably redeeming quality of wanting to protect her (from everybody but himself at least). He is domineering and possessive with a pack-like animalistic quality. He is raw and as Harley sees him: extremely and ruggedly attractive.

Harley is also a hard character to like. She put herself into the bad situation. Don’t girls know that the bad boys are usually bad news? Her most redeeming moments are when she is being protective of her best friend Liz. Harley surprised me with her gumption and ability to leave the situation when it crossed the line. When at first I didn’t like her because she couldn’t take action and kept staying in the abusive relationship, she showed her true strength when she up and left and started over with a confidence not many women would have after her experiences.

This book pushes the boundaries of paranormal with its down to earth grittiness and would appeal to those who enjoy a gritty paranormal story with violence, werewolves, or a female protagonist.

This novel was published by Melissa A. Graham November 28th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.25

 

Links for more information:

Melissa A Graham’s Website

Goodreads Profile

Twitter

Book Review: Haylee Awakened Seed: an illustrated, paranormal, adventure (Haylee and the Traveler’s Stone Book 1) by Lisa Redfern

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Haylee Awakened Seed: an illustrated, paranormal, adventure (Haylee and the Traveler’s Stone Book 1) by Lisa Redfern

An Illustrated/Paranormal/Adventure published by Little Mountain Publishing (07/21/2014)

 

Summary:

 On the eve of Haylee’s 18th birthday, something inside of her changes. She is plagued with an insatiable hunger, a sudden blossoming of womanly beauty, profuse bleeding and a migraine so powerfully painful that it causes her to pass out. She awakens in the hospital with worried nurse and father looking on. After convincing them she is alright, the beginnings of another migraine spur her to steal some clothes and run for isolation, where hunger overcomes her once again and she eventually passes out. The next day, she is home again, convincing her father yet again that she is alright. She begins her new life as a ugly duckling turned swan 18-year old beauty at her high school with a hidden secret.

 

Keywords:

 Paranormal, Animal Kindred, High School, Teen Drama, Awakening

 

My Review:

Haylee is special, but we don’t know what she is turning into, what her secret is. We know that she is changing, but we don’t know much about her before the event, except for several short memories of brief moments in her life that were significant. The author does a very good job of setting up Haylee’s backstory in these briefest of moments even while keeping most of Haylee’s secrets to reveal later on. I don’t know what Haylee’s favorite color or tv show is, but I want to.

Haylee’s ability from early childhood and her newfound secret from the awakening are not described in much detail. Haylee herself seems mostly unaware that her abilities are not normal, only that she is different from the other children because they treat her that way. Even during the change Haylee doesn’t find it at all disturbing, either her voracious hunger or her unusual newfound strength. She has almost no reaction to her predicament or from passing out or bleeding profusely. Does Haylee know something the reader does not?

This was a short quick read that flowed easily up through the abrupt ending that acts as a subtle cliffhanger. There are many questions to answer in Haylee’s continued awakening and adventure.

This novel was published by Little Mountain Publishing 07/21/2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 3.50

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23155386-haylee-awakened-seed

Website: https://lisaredfern.wordpress.com/