Review: Obsidian

Obsidian (Lux, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: Paperback
Source: Book Expo America 2012
Buy It From Amazon |  Goodreads
★★★★☆

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes.

Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

My first mistake going into Obsidian was expecting it to be the best book I've read! For this reason, it turned out to be a book that just didn't live up to the hype for me. Was it a fun, entertaining, and enjoyable read? Yes, most definitely. Was it OMG THE BEST BOOK EVER!? No, definitely not. While I really liked Obsidian, it did have its share of flaws.

I found that I didn't care for Daemon as much as I thought I would. Yes, he was hot, but he also had a severe case of the all too familiar male-jerk-syndrome. Sorry, but I just didn't fall for it this time. Why, oh why, would Katy be attracted to that? On a more positive note, him being such a jerk did lead to some fantastic interactions between the two! If there was one thing the author did especially right, it was the romance. Despite my dislike for both Katy and Daemon, I couldn't help but get sucked into their romance, snarky comments and all.

While I had multiple issues with the characters in Obsidian, it did feature a well-written, action-driven plot and an original premise. For this reason, I will definitely be checking out the next book, Onyx. Hopefully Daemon's attitude will level out enough for me to fully enjoy it!

Review: Under the Never Sky

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1) by Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Buy It From Amazon |  Goodreads
★★★★★

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Under the Never Sky is unlike any book I have read. With a mix of dystopian and sci-fi elements, it is no surprise that this has become one of my favorites!

Told from the perspectives of Aria and Perry, Under the Never Sky provides two sides to the story. Reading from both point of views was fantastic! It was so interesting seeing the interactions and knowing the motives behind them. Not only did I get to experience the great dynamic between the two main characters, but I got to see the trust between them develop as well. There was some serious tension between Aria and Perry. They, in addition to a slew of great side characters, were the highlight of this book.

The world building in Under the Never Sky was on par with that of a great fantasy book. If you are looking for a complex, original dystopian setting, this book has it. I was as intrigued with the outside, 'Death Shop,' world as I was with the dome setting. Both groups had their own views on the other. I really enjoyed seeing Aria and Perry challenge the views of each other. The differences between the two made for some great, and at times tense, interactions.

Under the Never Sky is a book that will most definitely please readers across genres. It has so much to offer! You have to check this one out, trust me. Not only is it a quick read, but it is a very satisfying one that will have you dying for the next book. Had I only known how amazing this book was, I would have picked it up the day it was released!

Mini Review: Unraveling

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Katie Schorr
Source: Audible
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Audible | Amazon | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

Unraveling is a unique sci-fi thriller that is set apart from other YA Sci-Fi novels by its original plot. The plot is so different, in fact, that I'm not going to say anything else about it except to expect the unexpected! 

This book, characters, and narration were just "meh" for me... Unfortunately, I've already forgotten most of them! Originality and good writing weren't enough to keep me hooked in Unraveling, but, to others, it may be worth checking out.

Review: Cinder

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer 
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Format: ARC
Pages: 387
Source: Won in contest 
Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
★★★★★

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl... Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Cinder is a freakin' brilliant take on the Cinderella fairytale! It was completely addicting, well paced, and featured a cast of unforgettable characters.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Cinder was a very strong character even though she was based on Cinderella. Despite her situation, she always took an active, not passive, approach to changing her life. She wasn't content with being her stepmother's doormat and I loved that about her! Being a cyborg, she was considered a lesser citizen of New Beijing, but she didn't let that hold her back. It was quite inspiring really. Her conversations with her android Iko kept things light and humorous. Though Iko wasn't human, it didn't keep her from having one of the most entertaining personalities in the bunch.

While the love story isn't too prevalent in this book, it's definitely there. I loved that fact that it was subtle and didn't overshadow the main plot. I really liked Kai! He had a really good heart. He wanted what was best for his people even if it meant sacrificing his life and his happiness. He was such an honorable guy and a true leader.

While the characters were fantastic, one aspect of the plot was extremely predictable! It wasn't exactly a small piece of the story either... Allow me to explain: When I say predictable, I don't mean something that you could predict based off of the Cinderella story. It was something completely different, but very integral to the story. I could understand predicting something from the Cinderella fairytale, but this was unrelated and pretty obvious from the beginning. Regardless, the predictability didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story! Another thing I found difficult about this book is that when it came to the setting, my imagination really had to come into play when thinking about what the city might look like. Meyer doesn't give the reader all that much description to go off of. Be prepared for a little legwork in this area!

Despite a few flaws, I easily give Cinder 5 stars. I couldn't imagine a Cinderella retelling being any more original! I've certainly set myself up for torture knowing that I need to wait until next year for the second book...

Review: Sue’s Fingerprint

Sue’s Fingerprint (Sue, #1) by Andrew D. Carlson
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: Ebook
Source: Received for review from author
Amazon | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

A gel-like substance is suddenly discovered across the country. Ted Stevens, a Director in the Department of Homeland Security, is assigned to investigate. He enlists the help of scientists at a government laboratory to analyze the ‘goo’. They discover the substance was sent to Earth and has unique properties; it can clone animals. Ted soon learns the substance can also clone humans.

Sue is the first of eleven new people cloned from the alien substance. She and the others arrive without prior knowledges (and without clothes!). They are discovered and recovered by Ted and contained on an abandoned military base. While there, the clones learn about themselves and the world around them. They also receive a message. Sue decides she must deliver it, and one morning they find she’s gone.

During the recovery of Sue, Ted learns of the clones’ message and begins to understand their true intentions. He needs to know more about the clones before making a life-changing decision, so he collects samples for DNA fingerprint testing. The fate of the new people will be decided by the results from Ted’s friends at the laboratory.

Sue’s Fingerprint was certainly not what I had expected it to be. I loved the fact that it was Earth-based Sci Fi – A genre we don’t see enough of! It was intelligent, thrilling, creative, and interesting all at once. These things helped the plot to move along quickly and maintain my attention throughout. I liked Carlson’s writing and found it to be clean and efficient. His use of short chapters made reading a breeze and provided plenty of good break points. If I had to pick out one problem, it would be that the writing lacked depth. When I say “depth” I don’t mean background to the story,  I mean emotional depth. While I enjoyed the writing, I wish there was more feeling to it!

I found the story to Sue’s Fingerprint  intriguing, but I did come away with a few qualms. While this is marketed toward a YA audience, there aren’t actually any young adults in it! None of the main characters are within the YA age range, something I found kind of strange. This certainly does not mean that YA readers shouldn’t read this! It’s just, personally, I would have liked to see at least one main character within the age range. I think that the audience for this book may need to be reconsidered.

I would also have liked to see the characters fleshed out a bit more! This goes along with the lack of emotional depth mentioned before. There’s a great story here, but it’s lacking that human element that makes us, as readers, care about the outcome!

Overall, I would recommend Sue’s Fingerprint to readers who are looking for an intelligent read. While it left me a bit dissatisfied with the characters, there is definitely a place in the Sci Fi genre for Sue’s Fingerprint.

I would like to give a special thanks to Andrew for allowing me the opportunity to read and review his book!

Review: A Beautiful Friendship

A Beautiful Friendship (Stephanie Harrington, #1) by David Weber
Publisher: Baen Books
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 361
Source: Publisher
Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

Stephanie Harrington always expected to be a forest ranger on her homeworld of Meyerdahl until her parents relocated to the frontier planet of Sphinx in the far distant Star Kingdom of Manticore. It should have been the perfect new home --- a virgin wilderness full of new species of every sort, just waiting to be discovered. But Sphinx is a far more dangerous place than ultra-civilized Meyerdahl, and Stephanie’s explorations come to a sudden halt when her parents lay down the law: no trips into the bush without adult supervision!

Yet Stephanie is a young woman determined to make discoveries, and the biggest one of all awaits her: an intelligent alien species.

The forest-dwelling treecats are small, cute, smart, and have a pronounced taste for celery. And they are also very, very deadly when they or their friends are threatened as Stephanie discovers when she comes face-to-face with Sphinx’s most lethal predator after a hang-gliding accident.

But her discoveries are only beginning, for the treecats are also telepathic and able to bond with certain humans, and Stephanie’s find --- and her first-of-its kind bond with the treecat Climbs Quickly --- land both of them in a fresh torrent of danger. Galactic-sized wealth is at stake, and Stephanie and the treecats are squarely in the path of highly-placed enemies determined to make sure the planet Sphinx remains entirely in human hands, even if that means the extermination of another thinking species.

Unfortunately for those enemies, the treecats have saved Stephanie Harrington’s life. She owes them and Stephanie is a young woman who stands by her friends.

Which means things are about to get very interesting on Sphinx.

A Beautiful Friendship is a solid YA Science Fiction novel. The story is definitely tailored toward the younger YA audience, but the reading/apprehension level is quite high for the younger YA crowd… It appears as though Weber was unsure as to what age group he wanted to target with this book. Not only was it wordy at times, but A Beautiful Friendship was also overly descriptive of certain elements. For this reason, I found myself skimming a few times as much of the description didn’t seem to add to the story. I also found there to be some issues with pacing. I would have liked to see this split up into a couple books versus having one big climax at the beginning and one at the end.

What saved this book for me was the wonderful world building. Weber managed to create a completely original, complex, and dangerous setting for A Beautiful Friendship. The humans were fairly flat characters, but the treecats were well thought out and interesting. As a reader, you get a deeper look into their minds than you do the humans.

I would recommend this for more skilled YA readers. As both a Sci-Fi and YA reader, I found this book to be a bit confusing. It doesn’t know exactly what it wants to be. Overall, it was an interesting read, but I think I’ll check out Weber’s non-YA Sci-Fi books next time.

Guest Post: Nansi Kunze

As part of the Dangerously Placed blog tour, Nansi Kunze has honored us with her digital presence here at Inklings Read! It is wonderful to have such a talented author stop by and give us some insight into her development as an author as well as some advice for aspiring authors.

Nansi’s Thoughts on becoming an author

I wasn’t one of those kids who dreams of becoming a writer one day. As a teenager, I didn’t really give my career plans much thought – to be honest, I mostly just thought about boys. But I was good at foreign languages, so I decided to become a language teacher. It was only after teaching for a couple of years that the idea of being a writer began to entice me. Once I’d started writing, though, I quickly became addicted to it. Creating my own worlds, making characters do – and be – anything I wanted: what a rush! I soon learned, however, that writing a novel and becoming a published author are two entirely different things. Of course, you can get the writing rush without anyone ever reading your work; writing purely for your own enjoyment is cool too. But if you really want to be a published author, here are some things you might want to bear in mind:

Only a complete idiot would become a novelist for the money! Most novelists only earn a few thousand dollars a year. So you’ll probably need a steady day-job to support your writing habit (I recommend plumbing – it seems to have worked well for Mario).

It usually takes years to become a published author. Just like any other profession, you have to train and practice for a long time to become any good at it. I started writing my first novel in 2000. My first published novel hit the shelves in 2008 – and many writers have to wait longer than that!

Writing a novel means spending months shut up alone with your computer. And then more months fixing up what you wrote the first time. And then more months fixing up what you wrote the second time. And then … well, you get the idea.

So, are you still interested? Then here’s my advice:

Aspiring authors are often told to ‘write what you know’. Possibly more important, though, is writing what you like. I started out trying to write for adults, and it just didn’t work, because that wasn’t really what I liked. I liked reading YA, playing video games and watching the TV shows my high school students watched … so when I began to write YA instead, it felt so much more me. Don’t limit yourself to one genre when you start writing – try a few out, and see which ones fit you.

Successful writers have to walk a fine line between overconfidence and self-doubt. If you want to be an author you have to believe in your ability and the value of what you’re writing in order to keep working at it. But you also have to accept that what you write won’t be perfect. The first novel manuscript I wrote was awful – most first novels are, though I didn’t know that at the time. It took me over a year to write, and it really hurt to hear that it wasn’t all that great! But, looking back, my readers were right. Find yourself some readers who know good writing, and whose opinion and objectivity you can trust. Only let them read your work when you’re ready to hear what they really think. If it’s bad news, go wallow in self-pity (preferably with ice cream) for a few days, and maybe start a new writing project. By the time you’re ready to take a look at your work again, you may well find that your readers’ assessment is useful to you.

Setting goals can be helpful when writing – after all, if you never finish a manuscript, you’re never going to get it published! But goals need to be flexible, too. You’ll need to do several drafts, you may get stuck at some point, and you might need time away from the manuscript – possibly months – before you can see it clearly enough to improve it. (You could also consider sending it to a professional manuscript assessment agency for another viewpoint.)

And finally, remember that you’re writing for the love of it. If you’re finding a chapter less than fun to write, chances are it’s going to be boring to read too – think about changing or removing it. If you’re finding your whole project isn’t enjoyable, put it away and start something else. Don’t despair if that happens. Being an author is totally worth the huge amount of time and effort it takes, because you get to do what you love and share your worlds with thousands of other people. Hearing that your first novel sucks? Yeah, that’s painful. But hearing that a reader you’ve never met loves your latest book? That’s priceless.

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Would you like to learn more about Nansi and her projects? Check out these links for more information:

 Author Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Buy Her Books

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Review: Dangerously Placed

Dangerously Placed by Nansi Kunze
Publisher: Random House Australia
Format: Paperback
Pages: 274
Source: NetGalley
Amazon | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

A fantastic romantic sci-fi thriller for teens featuring virtual reality, simulated environments, and just the right mix of mystery and first love

He lay on the ground, his eyes open but unseeing, his pinstriped body blinking in and out of existence like the picture on a fault television.

Alex Thaler can't wait to start her dream work experience placement at Virk, where staff from all over the world mingle in an astonishing virtual office. But when an employee is found murdered, the dream becomes a nightmare—because Alex is the prime suspect. Fortunately, Alex's friends are willing to brave shark tanks, disgusting pathology specimens, and even a nude beach in order to clear her name. Can a hippie chick, a goth girl in a lab coat, and two guys with a taste for  blowing things up really help solve the mystery before Alex becomes the next victim?

Dangerously Placed was quite a thrill ride. I was blown away by how developed and realistic Nansi’s virtual reality technologies were! They were extremely well thought out. So much that I could definitely see us using similar technologies in the future. I also enjoyed how the book was physically broken up: Each chapter takes place over one day. This made it easy to keep track of how time progressed. Sometimes, for me, it is easy to lose track of how much time has passed in novels. Unfortunately, I did find Dangerously Placed lacking in character development initially… BUT by the end the flatness I felt at first was gone and I had a chance to see the intricacies of the secondary characters.

Though this was an interesting, developed story, it did not grab me like the many sci-fi books I have read before. Perhaps the timing was off, but I just wasn’t “feeling it.” I do however feel that this book definitely has a place in the YA sci-fi genre!

Dangerously Placed finished as a strong sci-fi adventure! At 274 pages, this qualifies as a quick read. I definitely recommend this to fans of the sci-fi and adventure genres. I’m very curious to see what Nansi has in store for us next!

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I’m the last stop on the Dangerously Placed blog tour!! Cheers to an good book and some awesome bloggers. Thank you to NetGalley, Nansi Kunze, and Shara Zaval for allowing me to be part of this tour!  Don’t forget to enter my giveaway of Dangerously Placed HERE and watch out for a guest post by Nansi this Sunday!
 Goodreads | Amazon | Author Site

Review: Solid

Solid (Solid, #1) by Shelley Workinger
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: Kindle eBook 
Pages: 221
Source: Author
Buy It!? Paperback | Kindle
★★★☆☆

Teens who discover they were secretly genetically altered before birth are
brought together at a classified site where they develop
"super-abilities", while at the same time forging new friendships,
finding love and unearthing a conspiracy.

 

I was so excited to finally get around to reading this. Unfortunately, Solid just didn’t live up to my expectations…  Would I recommend it to others? Yes. I think it depends on what you’re looking for. I expected this to be an epic story, not the quick, light adventure that it was. It was a super fast read for me: slow at parts, but it was definitely entertaining.

I found this to be lacking in the plot department. I liked the characters, but felt I didn’t have enough time with them. Some parts of the story were a little unrealistic. For example: Government offices were left unlocked? What happened to security? I would think it would have to be a bit more in this sort of operation.

If you are looking for a fast, solid (no pun intended!), and entertaining read, then this is for you! I enjoyed it, but I wanted more depth. Will I still be reading the next in the series? Yes, most definitely. I’m just really hoping that Settling, book 2, will give me the depth and expansion I was looking for in Solid.

Review: Eden

Eden by Keary Taylor
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: Kindle eBook
Pages: 408
Source: Author
Buy It!? Paperback | Kindle
★★★★☆

Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She's seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn't just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve's reality.

In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.

The technology wants to spread and it won't stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.

First thing’s first: Take a look at this amazing cover! I’m happy to say that Eden is one of a few books I know of with a great story and a beautiful, informative cover.Taylor created a post-apocalyptic world where people are few and far between. What was meant to help people turned into an infection: A mechanical one that spread via touch. Think: zombie/terminator combo. Eden has a great mixture of love, technology, and post-apocalyptic elements.

The storyline of Eden is extremely intriguing, making it hard to put down. It completely gripped me from the start. I loved uncovering bits and pieces of Eve’s past. The mystery of it all had me hooked the entire time. Unfortunately, I cannot go too in depth describing the storyline without giving away spoilers. If you all have followed my reviews before, then you know I am a sucker for action! There was more than enough action in Eden to keep me satisfied. I did, however, find that the action scenes became predictable and repetitive as the story progressed. That's probably me being picky though!

There is a terrible love triangle here. I say “terrible” because it really pulled me along. It was torturous. I, like Eve, was constantly swaying back and forth trying to decide which one I liked better. Taylor made this very difficult as she created two really great male leads. While both relationships were real and developed (no “insta-love” here), I didn’t like the never-ending debate in her head. When I say "never-ending" I mean it; She must have had a debate with herself on every other page. To be honest, it took away from the story at parts. But, I can say that at the conclusion I was satisfied with her choice.

The ending was great: a real nail-biter. Taylor concluded things very well. I do think that it was left open for a possible sequel! Read Eden. Especially if you have a Kindle! It’s only 99 cents.

Review: Dragon’s Heart

Dragon’s Heart (Pit Dragon Chronicles, #4) by Jane Yolen
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format: Paperback
Pages: 391
Source: Publisher
Buy it!? Paperback | Hardcover
★★★★☆

Austar IV isn't the planet it once was, and when Jakkin and Akki finally return to the dragon nursery, their homecoming arouses mixed emotions. Together they've survived the insurmountable, and now they can weather the brutal conditions of Dark After and communicate with the dragons they love. But with this knowledge comes responsibility. What they've learned about survival could transform the planet--or, if entrusted to the wrong hands, bring about its destruction. Akki's insistence that she return to the Rokk to finish her training and begin new experiments drives a chasm between her and Jakkin. Suddenly she finds herself in the midst of a political battle that could claim her life. Only Jakkin can save her. If only he could reach her. . . .

Ahhh I’m so happy that I’ve finally received the opportunity to read/review this book! What a treat! This was the series that first sparked my interested in reading. I picked up Dragon’s Blood way back in my middle school days and I was instantly sold after the first few chapters. I fell in love with the rich world and amazing characters. I’m happy to say that all of those things I loved still remain in Dragon’s Heart.

This continues where A Sending of Dragons, book three, left off. For those who haven’t read this series yet, I will not spoil it by telling you how it ended. I will say that it was a welcome return to the beautiful setting that is Austar IV. Is it strange that it felt like I was going home, back to where it all started? Yolen, as always, does a wonderful job portraying the lush, or should I say barren, landscape that is Austar IV.

While there were quite a few tragedies in this book, it was not emotional at all for me. I felt some disconnect between myself and the secondary characters. It is probably because I didn’t revisit the first three books before jumping into this one. I found myself confused at parts, but that quickly changed as my memory of the previous books returned.

You are in for some surprises with this one! There are deaths that I didn’t see coming, connections between characters I would never have guessed in a million years, and new companions. Unfortunately, I feel as though this book was rushed and anti-climatic… I look back and, though I loved every second I spent reading this, not much actually happened over the course of the book. Most of the loose ends are tied up, but rather than having a feeling of completion, I was left wanting more. I think I was expecting Dragon’s Heart to be much more epic than it actually was. Regardless, it gets 4 stars from me for the conclusion of an amazing series that I am so sad to see end…

Review: Patient Zero

Patient Zero (Joe Ledger, #1) by Jonathan Maberry
Format: Audiobook read by Ray Porter
Source: Library
Buy It: Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
★★★★☆

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills... and there's nothing wrong with Joe Ledger's skills.  And that's both a good, and a bad thing.  It's good because he's a Baltimore detective that has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new taskforce created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can't handle. This rapid response group is called the Department of Military Sciences or the DMS for short. It's bad because his first mission is to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a dreadful bio-weapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies. The fate of the world hangs in the balance...

For those who haven’t read a book from this series, know that you are in for an action-packed, fast paced, thrill of a ride. This was my first experience with Jonathan Maberry’s writing and I have to admit… it’s pretty amazing. He writes action scenes so vividly that it was as if I was watching it happen right in front of me. Those scenes are what stood out the most to me. Maberry’s writing combined with Ray Porter’s narration took this story to an entirely new level. I’m so happy I opted for the audiobook version of this!!

It is very clear that Maberry did plenty of research on weapons, diseases, pathogens, and more to add to the consistency and authenticity of this book. It seemed so freakin’ real!  Joe Ledger’s character was so badass, sarcastic and funny. I couldn’t get enough of the guy! His personality was the perfect balance of rough and real.

This wasn’t one of those mindless “let’s kill zombies” adventures. The story was realistic and well thought out. It kept me one my toes the whole time! Oh and did I mention it has AMAZING fight scenes? Check this out if you are a fan of zombies, military, or action genre books. You most certainly will not be disappointed! If given the opportunity, I highly recommend trying this as an audiobook. Ray Porter is an excellent narrator!

Review: Unwind

Unwind (Unwind, #1) by Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Format: Audiobook
Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
Source: Purchased from Audible
Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
★★★★☆

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them.

Conner’s parents want to be rid of him because he’s a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev’s unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family’s strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can’t be harmed – but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges listeners’ ideas about life – not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.

Imagine for a second that you are a teen living in a world where at any moment your parents or guardians may choose to have you unwound. If you disobey them or become unwanted in any way, they may sign the papers and have you shipped off to a “harvest camp” where you will be prepped and then taken piece by piece. If you’re born into the right religion you may even have the privilege  of being tithed (aka unwound with an honorable connotation). Satisfying both pro-life and pro-choice advocates, the justification of unwinding is that the teens live on within the bodies of the people given their parts. Disturbing? Definitely. Unrealistic? A bit… But this story and the characters brought such life to the idea, that is quickly became real.

Unwind has a very chilling concept! I loved it. Being my first audiobook experience, it took a little getting used to. I think I adjusted to listening vs. reading pretty fast. The narrator, Luke Daniels, was great!! He must have had over 10 original voices. It was very impressive and brought another dimension to the story.

Surprisingly, this was not a very emotional book. I expected it to be, but it was more- sit-at-the-edge-of-your-seat I-must-know-what-will-happen-next addicting. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a little love story in the background that was not gushy whatsoever.

Neal Shusterman has a definite winner here! Unwind is a chilling, action-packed, nail-biting, thriller. Supposedly Neal is working on a second book in the series titled, Unwholly that is due out in September 2012. You can bet I will be trying to get my hands on an ARC of that one! It also appears that Neal is working on the script to a movie based on Unwind. I’m extremely excited for that as well! Give this book a shot, or better yet try this as an audiobook, and you will be guaranteed a thrilling ride.

Review: Starcrossed: Perigee

Title: Starcrossed: Perigee (Starcrossed, #1)
Author: Tracey Lee Campbell
Source: Author provided, Kindle edition
Release Date: May 3rd, 2011
★★★★☆

Summary
After surviving a peculiar and unsettled childhood, Lucy Doyle's relatively normal teenage existence is turned upside down with the arrival of the enigmatic, impossibly good looking Aric Brennan - her uncle's new ranch hand. Lucy's suspicion that there's something 'different' about Aric is confirmed when she learns that his uncanny ability to mind read and charm the socks off of any female isn't just an accident - he was bred for this purpose. Aric is a 'whisperer' - a genetically manipulated human hybrid created by the Innaki - an alien race involved in a sinister abduction program.

When Lucy is stalked by Aric's unearthly creators, she must put her trust in the charismatic, 'perfect' stranger, unaware he holds a chilling secret which could destroy her world forever.

Review
I am SO happy that Tracey sent me her debut novel, Starcrossed: Perigee to review. It is a really, REALLY awesome book! It has a completely original concept that made it hard to put down. I must say that this is not my typical read… but I am very happy I gave it a shot.

The book started off a bit slow for me, but that quickly changed when Lucy met Aric! He was such a captivating character on the page, I can’t imagine what he’d be like in person! I definitely give Tracey two-thumbs up for writing such a kick-ass male lead. Lucy and Aric’s relationship progresses naturally. It was borderline twilight-y at some points, but only because Lucy had not known him that long and he has the ability to charm people. Other than that, it was a great relationship to observe.

You’ll quickly realize when reading Starcrossed: Perigee that there is a whole lot more going on in the world than everyone is aware of. Aliens and vampire-type creatures? Somehow she made it all work flawlessly! She creates a chilling world where you cannot be sure of anything. And not-to-mention she was great at keeping me on my toes! This book is filled with twists and turns that I wouldn’t have seen coming in a million years. I can’t wait to see where Tracey takes this series next! I imagine the next book will be quite epic judging from where this one left off. Thanks again Tracey and I’ll be looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy!

Oh, and if you buy the Kindle Edition on Amazon, it is only $0.99!! Can’t beat it. Trust me, it’s worth the dollar!

Review: Blue Galaxy

Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

Falling in love is easy; staying alive long enough to enjoy it just might be impossible.

Javan Rhodes, the hard-drinking, disreputable captain of space freighter The Kypris, took a mission to save himself from hitting the bottom of the food chain. Transporting Sola, a beautiful young aristocrat, from Earth to an unknown destination on the outer rim of the colonies is lucrative, but also highly illegal.

As tough as it is to evade both the law and the lawless, the hardest part of the job is not falling in love with his irresistible cargo. Just as he decides that he will never be able to hand her over to the warlord she must marry, he discovers that Sola has been playing a very dangerous game—one that could not only cost them their lives, but could also affect the balance of power in an increasingly dangerous universe.

This is a tough book to review because there is only one major turn-off for me: Sola’s character. I liked everything else: the writing was great, the steamy scenes were great, and Diane Dooley is a very talented writer for sure.

Allow me to explain. When I read a romance I expect to fully vested in the characters. They are an enormous part of it for me! I loved Javan, his character was very real, but Sola… was a lying, manipulative bitch! Who wants to read a romance where one of the main characters turns out like this? Javan’s character was an idiot for even being interested in Sola after her betrayal! Something else that really got to me: There is not way this would be a happy ending... sorry. Dooley somehow manages to twist and force this into a happy ending. It didn’t make sense at all to me.

Once I started to see Sola’s true colors I was tempted to put this book down, but I pushed through hoping there would be some redeeming quality in her. She just used him to the end though. I guess Javan didn’t care… I don’t know what guy would want to be in a relationship with a girl who he can never trust again.

If you’re a fan of sci-fi romance maybe give this a shot. You might find it interesting. Like I said, the writing was great. I enjoyed everything except Sola. The only problem is that she was just a large enough part of the story to ruin it for me.

Review: Collision Course

Collision Course (8th Wing, #1) by Zoe Archer
Publisher: Carina Press 
Format: Ebook
Source: NetGalley Amazon | Goodreads
★★★★☆

Summary
Mara Skiren is a scavenger, a black-market dealer. Blackmailed into helping Commander Kell Frayne infiltrate a treacherous corner of the galaxy, Mara learns that her biggest danger is from her sexy, by-the-book partner. She’s a loner with more than a few battle scars on her heart, but something about Commander Frayne stirs up her long-buried need for an intimate connection.
 
An ace pilot for the elite Black Wraith Squadron, Kell’s mission is to rescue a lost pilot and ship. Unable to deny his attraction to the beautiful, rebellious woman, he decides bedding her would cool his ardor. But one taste is not nearly enough, and he finds himself sharing more of his real self with Mara than he has with anyone.

With deadly criminals on their heels and an increasingly dangerous assignment to complete, he’s starting to wonder…. If they survived, could he let her go? And will Mara want to stay?

First off let me say, this was a very entertaining read! You have Mara a stubborn, beautiful, in-control scavenger and you put her with Kell, a sexy, strong, 8th wing officer and you get the recipe for a a great, super-steamy romance!

The characters could not have been more likeable! Mara was the epitome of 'I don't give a shit' kick-ass while Kell was tied to his duty as an 8th wing officer. This contradiction made for some great interactions. It was fun watching each of them learn that neither was quite what the other expected. Don't judge a book by it's cover right?

The reason I give this book four stars instead of five is because it seemed to take awhile for the action to start in the book... Yeah, the sexual tension is great, but I also wanted to jump right into the adventure as well! About 1/3 of the way in the action really picked up and I was happy I waited. The romance just did not feel natural until that point.

Zoe Archer made a believable universe that left me wanting to learn more about it's inhabitants. Collision Course was a wonderful, sexy sci-fi romance packed with adventure and action. It was a very quick read (only 199 pages) and I highly recommend it! I will definitely be on the look out for the next in the series!

Review: Embedded

Embedded by Dan Abnett
Publisher: Angry Robot
Format: Ebook
Pages:416
Source: NetGalley
Amazon | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

HE'D DO ANYTHING TO GET A STORY. When journalist Lex Falk gets himself chipped into the brain of a combat soldier, he thinks he has the ultimate scoop - a report from the forbidden front line of a distant planetary war, live to the living rooms of Earth. When the soldier is killed, however, Lex has to take over the body and somehow get himself back to safety once more... broadcasting all the way.

Heart-stopping combat science fiction from the million-selling Warhammer 40,000 author.

For this book, I'm jumping straight to the review portion. I am going to be totally honest with you: I did not finish this book.

Embedded was extremely hard for me to get into. Obviously, I never really did get into it. It seemed to me that all the characters were doing was talking... and quite frankly, I was bored. Knowing that this was a military sci-fi I expected lots of action. I had not reached the point where he takes over the soldier's body, but I just couldn't take any more of it. I found myself skipping parts and, to my knowledge, not really missing anything of interest!

This book has a great rating on goodreads so I'm assuming that it does pick up later in the book. Don't not read this book because I didn't enjoy it! It just wasn't for me.

I give it 3 stars for having an interesting concept, even if I couldn't hang around to see it all play out.