Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Manga/Graphic Novel/ Video Game Novel Challenge 2013 Review



So this year since I said that I would try to get to Level 3 of the Challenge That means I need to have at least 25 books read before the end of the year. That's at least 2 books a month. (and one extra one in at least one of those 12 months)   As a change from last year I'm gonna be putting the reviews up here as I get them done and then linking them in the monthly round-up at Mother/Gamer/Writer.  I also plan to try to remember my update my Challenge page at the end of the month. Want to see what the other people in the challenge are reading this month? Click here!








When people told themselves their past with stories, explained their present with stories, foretold the future with stories...the best place by the fire was kept for...The Storyteller! Archaia and The Jim Henson Company are proud to present all-new tales of fantastic wonder and extraordinary myth, as told from the tongue of The Storyteller and his loyal canine companion!


My Review:

I grew up on Jim Henson and the stories he told.  So it was with great anticipation that I started reading The Storyteller. 

I enjoyed all the stories in them.  Some I was familiar with and some I wasn’t.  There were also some that I was familiar with the name, but were changed.  All of them were fun and interesting.  Also they really reminded me of a lot of the Jim Henson work I had seen as a kid.  So reading them brought back found memories.
To a lesser degree I enjoyed the artwork as well.  Some of it was more cartoonish than others.  Some more detailed.  It’s an anthology of different writers and artists so I can understand that every story isn’t going to be the same.  It’s just some I enjoyed the artwork more than others.


I definitely recommend picking this one up.  It’s great for all ages. There’s nothing I wouldn’t say a kid shouldn’t read.  As for adults, I think they will enjoy the stories and the artwork as well as the nostalgia that comes with them.


I was lucky enough to get a digital copy of this through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.



Winter Fire by Lizzy Ford




Winter Fire
By: Lizzy Ford


A beautiful fire witchling with a dangerous secret … A race to save the Light from permanent Darkness … A Dark threat unites with an ancient evil … If the Master of Light, Beck, has learned anything over the past few months, it’s never to trust a pretty girl – or his own judgment, the source of several messes he’s working hard to right. He saved his brother and girlfriend from Darkness but faults himself for not protecting them in the first place, like he’s sworn to. The Light is receding again, and his earth magick warns him that an ancient danger has reemerged in the hands of a beautiful, conflicted girl who’s caught between Light and Dark. Drawn to her beauty and gentle heart, Beck is astonished to learn her magick will do more than set his blood on fire. Like his twin, the Master of Dark, Beck has a counterbalance, a woman who can help him protect the Light – if she doesn’t fall to the Dark like the fire witchlings before her. Hurt too often by bullies in her own life, Morgan tries to protect those around her from similar pain. She and her brother arrive at the boarding school in the Rocky Mountains, only for Morgan to make enemies instantly with Dawn, the Dark witchling who tried to kill Summer twice. But Morgan is hiding something, a source of ancient evil, known as a soul stone, passed down through a thousand years of fire witchlings. Fire repels the coldness of the Dark, and only fire witchlings can safeguard the stone. Taking it into the middle of the source of Light awakens its powers. It finds an ally in Dawn and teaches the Dark witchling how to evade and seek her revenge upon the Masters of Light and Dark. Morgan grabs the soul stone and runs, only to entangle Summer and Biji in her desperate attempt to protect Beck. Hidden from the Masters of Light and Dark, they must find a way to escape Dawn with their lives – and souls.


My Review:

So I just finished Winter Fire, book 3 of The Witchling Series, omg, so lovin’ it!
I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy book 3 as much as books 1 and 2.  I really got attached to Summer and Decker and didn’t know if I could really get into a book that mainly focused on Beck.  Soooo glad I was wrong! 
I actually enjoyed finding out more about Beck and seeing things from his point of view.   It really changed how I saw him from the first two novels in the series.   I really liked Morgan too.  She has her own issues, just like Summer did, but she handles them in a completely different way.   Summer and Decker were still there, of course, as well as some of the other characters that I’d gotten to meet in the previous books.    I have to say that I really like how Ford reveals various details about some of the supporting characters.  I think it really helps to keep them from feeling flat and gives the story itself more flavor.

I liked this story as well. There were lots more things that got revealed about the Witching world.  For example Witchlings born to two Dark parents aren’t Light when they are born. They are stuck in a sort of magic limbo.  Don’t think this is especially fair, but it still was interesting.  I also liked finding out more about Decker and Becks family. 

I think the ending was similar to the first book, it was definitely a cliffie.  I think maybe the ending of the first book really prepared me for this one though, because I wasn’t as heartbroken for the characters as I had been for Summer and Decker.  Of course there were some seriously different points between the two so that also affected it.  (Trying not to spoil the ending too much)

  I definitely can’t wait to read the fourth book in the series.  If you are looking for a great series to start this summer I highly recommend picking up the Witchlings saga.

I LOVED the first two books in the series also! Dark Summer and Autumn Storm.  Be sure to check out my reviews for Book 1 & Book 2 to find out more!  Also I just love the covers for this series! They are all stunning but this one is especially gorgeous! 

About Lizzy

Lizzy Ford is the author of over twenty novels written for young adult and adult paranormal romance readers, to include the internationally bestselling “Rhyn Trilogy,” “Witchling Series” and the “War of Gods” series. Considered a freak of nature by her peers for the ability to write and release a commercial quality novel in under a month, Lizzy has focused on keeping her readers happy by producing brilliant, gritty romances that remind people why true love is a trial worth enduring. Lizzy’s books can be found on every major ereader library, to include: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Sony and Smashwords. She lives in southern Arizona with her husband, three dogs and a cat.

Connect with Lizzy!

Monday, June 24, 2013

NOMAD by J.L. Bryan Cover Reveal!

J.L. Bryan is one of my favorite authors! I love Jenny Pox and The Paranormals Series and The  Songs of Magic Series. So I'm really happy that I get to reveal the cover of his newest book NOMAD!





NOMAD by JL Bryan
Expected publication: July 26th 2013


They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.




About J.L. Bryan:

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, dogs Violet and Tiger Lily, and cats Shadow and Sue. 




This cover looks amazing & I can't wait to read it!

*Cover by PhatPuppy Art ( http://phatpuppyart.com/
 
 )*