Review: Defy by Sara B. Larson

Defy by Sara B. Larson

Series: Defy #1

Publication date: January 7th, 2014

Pages: 336

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army. Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Available at:

Review:

I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have found myself on a debut author kick recently and am trying to branch out and get to know different authors' writing styles. There are so many different facets to them and there are good and bad writers (a lot more of the latter when you attach the word 'debut' to their title). Sara B. Larson is a name I heard a lot about after her book Defy came out. I had gotten the e-book for review but with how large my pile is it seemed to have escaped my review schedule. Of course, I had to rectify this and the medieval fantasy vibe of the book intrigued me to no end.

Alexa, the female protagonist of the story, has had a raw deal her whole life. She has had to pretend to be a boy in order to escape an evil dictator of a king's breeding houses. In these breeding houses girls who have matured enough to procreate are used and abused by the king's soldiers in hopes of creating more and more troops for his army. Alexa's twin brother, upon watching their parents burn to death, decides in a flash to make Alexa into Alex, his mirror image by cutting her long hair and putting her in boys clothing.

Alexa, determined to survive adapts quickly. She even exceeds expectations by becoming one of the best swordsmen of the Prince's royal guard. Her duty is to protect the haughty Prince Damian from harm, however, when an attack is made on the Prince's life, Alexa risks exposing herself to protect her honor and her charge. It is only after she, another guard, Rylan, and Prince Damian are captured that she learns that Rylan's affections may not be as brotherly as she first thought and the Prince's fleeting softening may not simply be because of a trying situation. She finds herself caught in the middle of two men she longs to trust but fears she never will. Can Alex protect herself from discovery, free herself and her men, and find a way to help her kingdom thrive?

Alexa is a wonder of a woman. I could not imagine having to watch every move I make or every word I say to remove all feminine quality from them. I couldn't fathom having to live a lie for years just to avoid being raped and tormented my entire existence. Alex is a crazy strong heroine who I found incredibly likable. There were a few characters that I was supposed to like that I just couldn't. One was namely Damian. He just struck me as a weasel of a man with nothing but manipulation in his personality. Rylan seemed the more true at heart and the better match for Alexa as she navigated the tough waters of her capture and internal strife.

The love triangle hurts me a little. It truly does. If I were a guy and I was feeling a little something-something for my boss or soldier buddy beside me, I'd be a little skeeved. I'd start to wonder if I may be a little gay. Nothing really wrong with that, but... I'd question it, oh, I'd question it. In this book... not so much with the questioning. Odd. To avoid spoilers I will just tell you that you will find out in the book WHY that is and it just leads to further disappointment really. If the book had lacked the romantic aspects of the story, it would have been a fundamentally greater book.

Defy is a classic gender-bender bred and nurtured in a medieval world full of evil sorcerers, ruthless kings, and the pursuit of freedom and honor.

Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Series: Red Rising Trilogy #1

Publication date: January 28th, 2014

Pages: 382

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

"I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow--and Reds like him--are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

Available at:

Review:

I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes one just gets in the mood for a little science fiction with a lack of all the mushy romance hindrances. That is the mood I was in when I decided to pick up Red Rising from my embarrassingly large pile of review books. I was intrigued by the blurb across the cover that compared the book to the Hunger Games and Game of Thrones. Both book series have found a special place in my heart and I needed to see if Pierce Brown's debut novel would find a home among these great works of literature.

In the world created by Brown, humanity has become divided. There is a hierarchy between the people who now inhabit Mars. They are known by colors. All Darrow knows is his home as a Red miner. He has a dream of being the best Helldiver, reckless driller of the boiling mines, he can be and winning favor from his superiors the Golds. It is only when his stubborn wife tries to teach him to pull his head from the sand and look around at the injustice they suffer in their world that Darrow starts to wonder if there is more than just his little slice of Mars he calls home.

Soon Darrow realizes he and his people have been lied to all their lives. There is much, much more to their world than what they are shown. The Golds must be taken down in order for the Reds to escape their binds of slavery. It is only when Darrow meets the Sons of Ares that he is given a chance to play a vital role in the shift of society. Darrow is transformed and implanted into the Gold's world as a spy. He is meant to get through the Institute, the Gold's school, and find a place in their political structure so he can find a way to bring about an end to the power hungry color in charge.

What Darrow didn't know was that the enemies he thought were enemies may actually turn out to be the best of friends he could ask for while others live up to their color's reputation to bring about nothing but pain and pride. Darrow must find a way to make it through the Institute without being killed while also being mindful to keep up the facade he has adorned. Will Darrow abandon the color of his birth for the color of new allies?

I have to admit, all the information that went about in the book sometimes left me scratching my head. I had to flip back a few pages and figure out what the "bloodydamn" was going on. I thoroughly enjoyed the book though. It does seem to have that Hunger Games vibe to it with Darrow fighting against "the man" while also in a game of survival. However, where it differs is in the intricacies of the writing. There is strategy within these pages that was exceedingly light in the book it's compared to.

I have never had a book fill me with such rage as this one did. I could literally feel the anger and resentment Darrow felt leap off the pages and sock me in the stomach. I wanted him to succeed, I wanted him to murder and maim, and I wanted him to find peace in the end. Darrow crawled under my skin and remains there even after I finished the last page and set the book aside. Not many books can manage that feat. Especially not from a debut author.

Red Rising will have you bouncing in your seat and howling for blood, vengeance, love, and glory.

Review: Defining Destiny by Deanna Chase

Defining Destiny by Deanna Chase

Series: Defining Destiny #1

Publication date: February 16th, 2014

Pages: 300

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

When destiny fails...

Singer-songwriter Lucy Moore thought her life was perfect. At just twenty-one, she's already met her soul mate and together they've landed a recording contract. But when her father dies and the love her life betrays her in more ways than one, she returns home to pick up the pieces. On the shores of Mendocino, California, Lucy has some decisions to make. Should she start a solo career? Or should she leave it all behind for some semblance of normalcy in the quiet town she grew up in? And what about Seth, the tortured artist who always seems to be there when she needs him?

Seth Keenan has demons of his own. Eighteen months ago, he was involved in a horrific accident that he never talks about. His career as an accomplished oil-plant artist has been abandoned, replaced by the buzz of his tattoo gun. And women--well, he never sticks around for longer than a few hours of pleasure... until he meets Lucy. After one evening of listening to her seductive voice, he's pulled under. But what about the vow he made to never get close to anyone again?

In a world where everyone has one true soul mate, can these two find love in the arms of each other?

Available at:

Review:

I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have recently been finding myself dancing between contemporary romance and contemporary reads (young adult, new adult, or... adult adult). This was an acquired read that I found interesting. I have noticed an influx in musical contemporary romance novels. Rocker romance is being the new fad. I had to check it out and this seemed a good book to dip my toe into that particular pool of popularity.

Lucy is reeling. She has just lost her father, has a mother who is way too involved in her personal life, a career that has lost all it's appeal, and a soul mate who lies to get his way and cheats. She needs a break from it all. She needs to get away and be by herself so she can remember what she loves about singing. She returns home after catching her soul mate in a compromising position with some groupies after a show and starts to pick up the pieces of her life. She reconnects with her best friend who begs Lucy to sing at her birthday party. It is there that she meets exotic and dangerously handsome, Seth.

Seth is known around town as the guy who lost his soul mate tragically and also as the small town's lady's man. Seth jumps from bed to bed not staying with a woman longer than one night of passion. He doesn't see the point. He doesn't want anyone else. He has really never had a woman catch his interest, until he meets Lucy. Not only is she beautiful, but she's quick witted and a fantastic singer. He is bewitched by her from the beginning. He starts to let his guard down more and more around the girl, despite knowing she already has a soul mate and that what they have is just a passing attraction that will burn out once she gets back to Caden.

Seth and Lucy struggle with their devastating pasts and their overwhelming future. In a world where you are destined to be with the other half of your soul, can two people still manage to make it work?

I liked Seth a little more than Lucy. Seth seemed to have a hard time with his past and coming to grips with everything but he made a really strong effort. Lucy was clearly not as strong and flip-flopped back and forth. In some ways this made the story more realistic. One expects the woman to be more emotionally driven while the man is determined and headstrong. I liked their chemistry together. They meshed well and I found myself rooting for them.

This book does not read like a typical contemporary romance. This is an entirely new world created where soul mates are common knowledge and everyone has one eventually. Once a person finds their soul mate they are destined to be with that person for the rest of their lives. It has a slightly dystopian-like feel to it without it being a strong change that it can fall into that genre. At first I didn't realize it was supposed to be a new world way of thinking. I just thought the main characters were being cheesy when they kept talking about soul mates. But it was a worldwide accepted concept in the book. That makes a difference. Trust me.

Defining Destiny is unlike any book I have read before. It combines an element of fantasy with the classic contemporary genre to make something completely new and fresh. Deanna Chase did a fabulous job combining two uncomplimentary writing styles into a dynamic story of love, loss, and following one's heart.

Review: Trinity Stones by L.G. O'Connor

Trinity Stones by L.G. O'Connor

Series: The Angelorum Twelve Chronicles #1

Publication date: April 22nd, 2014

Pages: 366

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

Anxiety-ridden New York investment banker, Cara Collins, has little to smile about on her twenty-seventh birthday between a hostile work environment and her impossible romantic situation with her longtime friend and first love, Dr. Kai Solomon. But before the day ends, she learns she has inherited $50 million--a windfall that must remain secret or risk the lives of those close to her.

As Cara unravels the truth surrounding her inheritance, she makes a startling discovery: angels walk among the living, and they're getting ready to engage in a battle that will determine the future of the human race. In the midst of these revelations, she meets mysterious and sophisticated Simon Young, who offers her the promise of romance for the first time since Kai--but when Kai and his daughter are kidnapped by dark forces, Cara must choose: accept her place in a 2,000-year-old prophecy foretold in the Trinity Stones as the First of the Twelve who will lead the final battle between good and evil... or risk losing everything she holds dear.

Available at:

Review:

I received a physical copy from the author in exchange for an honest review and participation in a blog tour.

I had never read anything by L.G. O'Connor and when presented with the review book options for future tours I selected Trinity Stones simply due to it's paranormal aspects. I had no clue if I would like it or not but the synopsis was intriguing. I decided to give it a shot and see how it went.

Cara is just your regular, everyday investment banker with a bit of an anxiety issue. She is in love with her married ex-boyfriend and can't seem to find meaning or happiness in her life. She was okay with the way her life had turned out and accepted the normality of it. That was until learned she was part of a trinity of angels and their messengers. Her world was turned upside down with a large inheritance and the discovery of angels and demons actually existing. She is destined to be the person who tips the scales between good and evil. One of twelve at least. While navigating the treacherous waters of her new world, she meets a man who seems almost too good to be true. Since her break up with her ex, Kai, she has not even entertained the idea of finding love, but in Simon she just might be able to.

Kai is a genetic scientist attempted to sequence a cure for some sort of abnormality presented to him anonymously through his work. He has taken over after his predecessor was killed, but he is starting to see that maybe his mentor was not simply killed but murdered. As he starts digging into the research left behind things just don't seem to be adding up. Kai seems to have a vital role in this tipping point in Cara's new world as well. For some reason dark forces are determined to keep Kai working at finding the cure they so desperately want. They are even willing to resort to kidnapping his daughter if it keeps him on the straight and narrow.

Cara and Kai always felt connected, but now they may discover they have more in common than just a past love. Add to that the desperation to free Kai's daughter from evil and Cara's new love interest and it makes for a very interesting world. Can good triumph over evil or will Cara and Kai fail miserably?

I have to admit, some of the scientific talk in the story was a bit over my head. O'Connor creates a very detailed world and if not careful, things can be overlooked and forgotten that are vital to the story. The trinity stones were also another area I found myself confused over. What exactly are they and how do they predict future events?

There was a major saving grace though and that was the love connection between Cara and Simon. I loved Simon so much. Cara was okay. She seemed to take everything rather easily where normal people would have freaked out several times over the course of the book. Simon seemed to be the most emotionally volatile of the pairing even though he wasn't supposed to be so emotionally driven.

Overall, the book was fairly good.