Morgan Elizabeth Huneke - Twisted Dreams

Twisted Dreams



By Morgan Elizabeth Huneke


Available on Amazon

Product Description (from Amazon)

“I, Calandra, of the Wingans, do bestow upon you, the Princess of Hanover, a gift. You have been given long life. I cannot interfere with that, but when you are sixteen years of age, you will prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into an everlasting sleep.” She stepped closer so that she could be heard only by Liesel and her parents. “Then you will at last see the truth. Be wary. Be wise. Your fate rests upon yourself.”

On her sixteenth birthday, Princess Liesel Rosanna falls victim to a sleeping curse—but wakens in another world, a prisoner of war. As the bait in a trap for her fiancé, the crown prince of Hanover, Liesel longs to escape back to the fairy tale world. The world where she is only wanting a true love’s kiss to set everything to rights.

As situations quickly grow dire, Liesel must choose which story to live, which life is real. The fate of her country rests on her decision.

About the Author (from Amazon)

Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Books have always been a big part of her life, never more so than when working at the local library. Her other interests include reading, playing the piano and violin, and politics. To learn more about Morgan and her work, visit: www.morganhuneke.com or www.morganhuneke.blogspot.com

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra E. Ardnek

When Morgan announced that she was working on a Sleeping Beauty retelling for the Rooglewood contest, I was excited. I love Morgan's writing, and I love retellings, so I was eager to see how they combined.

Unfortunately, her book didn't win ... but that meant that we got the story later, all on its own with its own brilliance. Quick disclaimer here - I did beta read the book for her, which, for me, meant that I gave it a stiff edit. So I've read the story multiple times, and in multiple versions.

And Twisted Dreams is delightfully brilliant and twisted. It starts as a traditional retelling of Sleeping Beauty - with an opening that rather reminded me of Sonora and the Long Sleep by Gail Carson Levine - but even within that opening, you quickly realize that there is something very wrong. The Catileens giving gifts are the ones who seem sinister, while the Wingan granting the curse ... seems benevolent.

Things grow even stranger when the curse comes about and Liesel wakes up in a cell in a sci-fi world, now remembering a very different past. And a fiance who's the prince of the planet/country that is at war with her captors. They're holding her for extortion.

But which is the true reality?

I loved this story, it's morals, message, and twists. I'll admit that there are a few blandish characters ... but there was Matthew, the hero's younger brother. Oh, the dear, enthusiastic boy. Read the book just for him.

The worldbuilding was brilliant. For the shortness of the story, there's a surprising amount of worldbuilding in it - and as someone who loves worldbuilding, it made me so happy.

And then the theme - Sacrificial love. I love a good story of sacrificial love.

In short, go read this lovely little story. You won't regret it.

Genre/Theme: Christian, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Fairy Tale Retelling

Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language 
Sexuality: NONE - not even hinted at.  
Other: 
Fighting, torture, characters are drugged. 

Kendra E. Ardnek - Water Princess, Fire Prince

Water Princess, Fire Prince
The Rizkaland Legends


By Kendra E. Ardnek


Available on Amazon

Product Description (from Amazon)

When the Lady Dragon does come,

Hold fast, do not fear, do not run.

Your Water Princess will fight

Fire Prince will set all to right

Each shall come from a fall

Their Union will save you all.

Despite the fact that she's on track for competing in the Olympics, and he's practically raised his younger brothers since they lost their mom in a car accident, Clara Mandras and Andrew Stevenson are pretty much normal teens. They have normal hopes, normal dreams, and they live in a normal world.

All this is torn away from them when they are thrust into another world and declared Water Princess and Fire Prince. With no experience ruling a country, meeting each other for the first time, and being expected to fight the Lady Dragon – an evil sorceress plaguing the world of Rizkaland – Clara and Andrew are underprepared and inexperienced. Unless they learn to work together despite their standing opposition, Rizkaland's hope will be lost.

What is to come will change their lives forever.

About the Author (from Amazon)

Kendra E. Ardnek has been writing her own stories since she was a toddler. She fell in love with books, drama, and fairy tales at a very young age - and has been filling notebooks with her stories for years. Joining NaNoWriMo gave her an opportunity to be a published author at 16.

She writes her own blog (knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com), homeschools, cooks, knits, and crafts when she isn't writing stories and acting them out with her younger cousins and siblings.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Tenya

This is a well-crafted story by a maturing author about young people who are snatched from reality and thrust through a portal into a fantasy world which is dependent upon them for its very survival.  The book is full of spiritual allegory and symbolism which gives the tale another facet of meaning that goes deeper than the mere plot.  Miss Ardnek has created a truly unique and fantastical realm from the topography of the land and many colors of water to the somewhat frightening and fantastic wildlife and varied people groups which inhabit this place called Klarand, an island in Rizkaland.  This world is populated by magical creatures, elves, awesome flying and talking equines, and some particularly fascinating bug children, along with one curiously illusive time traveler.

The description of the land, animals, and people unfolds piece-by-piece throughout the story which prevents one from becoming bogged down with too much descriptive narrative all at once, a fault which makes some fantasy books difficult to wade through as a reader.  The main characters are also revealed layer-upon-layer by the author which is a good writing ploy to slowly introduce the reader to the strengths and weaknesses of each while naturally peeling back the surface to demonstrate the metamorphoses necessary for the main characters to become the Legends (what histories are called in Rizkaland) for which all the inhabitants of Rizka have been anxiously awaiting.  Experiencing the changes of each character, not just the main characters, but supporting cast as well, is one of the most enjoyable parts of the story because it gives a tangible human element to the book to which a reader can intimately relate.

Clara, the Water Princess, is a confident, sporty, and athletically talented young woman who is presented as no-nonsense and even arrogant at the beginning of the book.  The Fire Prince, Andrew, on the other hand, lacks a bit of confidence particularly in physical pursuits and with girls, but he has other talents, particularly on the practical and scientific side of things.  Together, Clara and Andrew must save Klarand from the evil Lady Dragon who has ravaged the land for years.  Therein lays the problem, this togetherness matter.  The Legends speak of it taking BOTH the Water Princess and Fire Prince to defeat the dragon, and Andrew and Clara must learn to work together as one to accomplish the daunting task and win the battle which lies ahead of them.

The romance between the main characters is handled beautifully by the author with just the right push and pull to keep drawing the reader into the mix.  The deep understanding of marriage and relationship is approached maturely by this young author.  There is nothing about the romance which could be embarrassing or inappropriate for any reader, but this reviewer would only recommend the book for middle school age through adult because some of the relationship issues are a bit complicated and may need a more mature understanding.  This differs from Kendra Ardnek’s Bookania series, which I would highly recommend as family reading.

It is true that by the fourth or fifth chapter of this book, I had difficulty putting it down.  There is a lot to be said for that as I have been known to give up on books because they ‘bore’ me.   If you like fantasy and symbolism, Water Princess, Fire Prince is a going to thrill you!

And, this is only Book 1 of the Rizkaland Legends!

Genre/Theme: Portal Fantasy, Christian

Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school to
Mature TEEN - high school to college 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language 
Sexuality: MILD - descriptions of affection/desire - Handholding, hugging, kissing, discussion of holding off on more serious stuff.
Other: 
There is some fighting, characters do get injured. 

Melody Jackson - The Dragon Within

The Dragon Within



By Melody Jackson


Available on Amazon

Product Description (from Amazon)

Are dragons good...or evil? 

Kaena Armae doesn’t really care either way. No one’s seen a dragon in over twenty years, so why should she even care? 

But when she comes face to face with the shocking truth in the forest near her home, she is forced to choose sides in a feud that 
started centuries ago. 

And the real war is just beginning. 

Now, Kaena must convince opposing sides to join together to combat an ancient evil, or face the destruction of their whole world, forever. 

But what if they’re fighting the wrong enemy?

About the Author (from Amazon)

Melody Jackson lives in the unbearably hot state of Arizona, (well, at least it's a dry heat) and enjoys writing, singing, playing guitar, and, well, more writing. She lives with her crazy family, as well as a menagerie of animals, including her four siblings, cats, and one grumpy chinchilla.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I have mixed feelings about this book.

For an author's first book, it wasn't bad, In fact, I found it to be a very clever slant on dragons. The character cast was engaging, the worldbuilding delightful, and the spiritual truths well done. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat, and I had NO idea how things could possibly sort themselves out. However the characters also had a habit of falling flat, and the plot jerked uncomfortably in places, and there were formatting issues.

The book begins with a Kaena trying to catch a chicken that has run into the forest - dragon territory. When she actually runs into a dragon and finds herself able to communicate telepathically, and, when men attack and she's able to use a sword despite - as far as she can remember at least - never having picked one up in her life, she begins to question everything she thought she knew. Then the dragon gives her an egg, which hatches in her bedroom, and she then has to conceal the cute baby dragon that grows, as is typical of dragons, rather quickly. The common opinion on dragons is that they should be eradicated.

Her brother, Jarden, is of that opinion. In fact, he's working with the guy who's at the head of dragon eradication, who he thinks is his uncle. He discovers her baby dragon, and tries to get her to give it up. When she refuses, he feels he has no choice but to bring the matter to the "uncle."

With help from her father, who has also realized that she has a dragon, but is on the dragon's side, she escapes, and flies away to the house of someone who he told her would help her. While there, she discovers that her memory had been wiped as a child, and that her real parents are leaders on the dragon's side, and that she used to come here as for sword training. But even here she isn't safe and she and Toran, the son in this household, have to run again. Eventually, they end up where her parents are, and then in the middle of a war.

It was a very detailed world, and I can tell that Melody put a lot of time and effort into it, though I found a few details, such as timing, hazy. Also, one of my favorite characters, Treya, is obviously half dragon - she has a pair of blue wings - but when you meet her parents, both appear to be human. Also, I would have liked a scene where she and her half brother actually sat down and talked about their relationship once he found out about it, but it never happened.

As for the spiritual side, while I really liked how she managed the theme of how everyone has an evil nature, "the dragon within" per se, and especially Jarden's struggle. However the Sacrifice scene, while it isn't the worst allegory ever done, there was a high level of "blink and you miss it," and I think I blinked. Also, the Jesus character was a bit too fond of "bending the rules" for me to be comfortable with.

And, finally, the formatting. I don't like to bring formatting into reviews, but this one had two big issues. I read the Smashwords version, and I don't know if Kindle has the same issue, but first of all, the book is in the file twice. Literally. Part of the reason I had no idea what was going to happen next was that, I thought I wasn't yet half-way through the book when things started to tie up. And then it ended and went into character lists and such. And then the story started over. The other problem was that, in the first go-round of the story, the first line of every chapter was missing. The same didn't seem to be true of the second go-round when I skimmed over it to confirm that, yes, the book was here twice.

But all that aside, this was a very good book for a first-time author, and I enjoyed my journey through this world that Melody created. The plot was thought-provoking. And, while I went into the book hoping for a story about half-dragons (for some reason, I had that theme on my mind when I came across the book), I wasn't disappointed in the plot I found. I fully intend to read the sequel when it comes out.

Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Dragons, Adventure, Christian 

Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
Mature TEEN - high school to college 
ADULT - self-explanatory 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language 
Sexuality: NONE - not even hinted at. I think there was a kiss at the wedding at the end, but that would be as far as it went. 
Other: Lots of fighting and people dying. At one point, Teran goes to a 

Molly Evangeline - Truth

Truth
The Makilien Trilogy


By Molly Evangeline


Kindle Edition Available 




Product Description (from Amazon) 

Trapped in a village no one is allowed to leave, Makilien yearns for the answers to her questions about life and the world outside the village walls. Yet no one but her closest friend seems to understand or share her desire. Despite her family's fears and warnings of the consequences, she is determined to find answers.

The unexpected arrival of a stranger, and the knowledge he possesses, drives Makilien to drastic action. Confronted with a world she knows nothing about, she must choose carefully who to trust as both good and evil lurk in all places. As a battle looms, one in which will be determined the fate of all, she must decide whether to believe in the One who is truth or fall prey to the lies of the enemy.


About the Author (from Amazon)

Molly Evangeline is the oldest of three, all of whom are homeschool graduates. Since graduating she has actively pursued her writing career and is the author of the historical adventure series Pirates & Faith. She currently lives with her family in Wisconsin where she continues to focus on her writing and other creative endeavors.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra


I discovered Molly Evangeline going through the “people who purchased books by this author also purchased books by these authors” list on my own amazon author page. Looking at her book list, and her background, I really wanted to read her books so that I could review them.

So I added her blog to my google reader, and went about my daily life.

Then she posted on her blog a post for volunteers to read and review her books, and that she would send the volunteers a free book. I sent her an email at once volunteering to read Truth, the first book in her fantasy trilogy

And I’m glad I did!

The story is allegorical to the spiritual struggle of God’s people against the evils of the world. It begins with Makilien in her village of Reylaun. She has spent her whole life in this village, as did her parents before her, and their parents before them. In fact, one is not allowed to leave the village without the escort of the black guards that guard the city. It is claimed that this is for their safety, but Makilien has her doubts. She believes that there is more to it than the stories that are told to scare them, but she can’t get anyone else to believe her.

Cue a stranger to visit the village. He is the first stranger Makilien has ever seen, and has been instructed to not talk to anyone or stir up trouble. So, since he may have the answers she seeks, she talks to him.

He confirms that what she has been told all her life was, indeed, lies, and to meet him the next morning so that he can tell her more. Unfortunately, he’s arrested before then.

So she decides to run away and see the outside world for herself.

What she finds is world that, though it is dangerous, the danger is from the people who were supposedly keeping her safe. She meets new friends and becomes involved in a war that she had no idea even existed.

The world that Molly has painted has the magic of both Middle Earth and Narnia plus a magic all its own. The telling is slightly stiff at first, but soon I found it enchanting, the scenes playing out vividly in my head. I only had three bumps in the road from awkward wording.

I loved the Christian Allegory in this book, and how it was handled. As Makilien goes through her journey, her new friends introduce her to Elohim, about whom she has her doubts. How can she believe in something she can’t see? Later she meets Manian … who was masterfully done.

In fact, the only issues I have with the book was that Makilien seemed to lack a feminine side. Personally, the story might have been better had there been a young man in the position of main character. I got the impression from this world that, while it is allowed for women to fight, it doesn’t happen very often, since Vonawyn says that she had once had the option of fighting, and chainmail had been made for her. Now, while I don’t have anything against women fighting, I like there to be good reason, other than simply, she wanted to. I probably would not have had as great an issue if there were mentions of other women in the fight, beyond the female dragon.

Also, some of the characters seemed cookie-cutter and flat, such as Loron. This came of too many characters in too short of the book. However, there are two more books in the trilogy, so both of these issues may be resolved.

This book is definitely now on my list of favorite books. I highly recommend it, and can’t wait to read the next two books.

Genre/Theme: Christian allegory, fantasy, adventure

Reading Level:  TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity:  NONE - no offensive language, except for the mention of some of the bad guys cursing
Sexuality:  NONE - not even hinted at
Other: There is quite a bit of fighting, both with swords and bows. Enemies get burned alive by the three dragons, and Makilien gets bit twice, once by a wolf, and later by a goblin.

Kelvin O'Ralph - The Enchanted Book

The Enchanted Book

By Kelvin O'Ralph


Kindle Edition No Longer Available




Product Description (from Amazon)

Jimmy Evans has less than a year left to graduate from high school and move into his dream college, but relies on his stepfather's support to achieve his dream.

In his struggle to enter college, he comes across a special book, and a gorgeous girl. These two are linked in a way even young Jimmy doesn't know, until he finds himself in need of both of them

The Enchanted Book is a typical Cinderella story with a twist.

Cover art: Hannah Sher

Designed by Kelvin O'Ralph

About the Author (from Amazon)

Kelvin O'Ralph is a student at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. He is an avid writer and reader, who loves writing Fantasy/Romance novels. LS: The Beginning is the first book in his fantasy series 'LS'. He released the sequel early October 2011.

Kelvin is a huge admirer of Emma Watson, the Harry Potter star and hopes one day she gets to act as one of his characters. Personally, he'd love her to act the role of Lisa Morgan in this book. At least, that's how he envisioned it while writing.

Still in his teens, Kelvin has released four books on Amazon Kindle in 2011. He's working on the final book on the 'LS' series and also on a new project. Like most authors, Kelvin hopes one day his books will be transformed onto the big screen.

You can always follow Kelvin on twitter -http://twitter.com/#!/KelvinO_Ralph

Facebook - http://on.fb.me/f953Nv

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4384102.Kelvin_O_Ralph

Blogsite - http://icire.blogspot.com/

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel


This is a simple retelling of the old Cinderella tale with a distinct twist.  The hero of the story is a young man named Jimmy.  He lives with his stepfather and twin stepbrothers.  He works two jobs for his stepfather, and if he is very good and helpful and obedient, then he is allowed to go to high school.  His dream is to attend a good college, so his stepfather uses this to get Jimmy to do every sort of distasteful and mundane chore of the household.  ... You know the story.


Another twist is that the fairy godmother is a book.  A magical book that shines when it wants to talk to Jimmy.   It use to belong to his mother, but has been hidden in the basement.  Jimmy is sent to the basement and while trying to find what he is sent for in the dark, he discovers this book, rescues it out of curiosity and hides it in his room.


Once he reaches school, the most beautiful girl in the world has transferred to the high school – Michelle.  Every boy in the school is transfixed with awe.  Jimmy doesn’t stand a chance.


At only 100 pages, the action in this story keeps moving at a pretty quick pace, but still takes the time to develop the characters enough so that you are rooting for Jimmy (even if he does cry a lot and is scared to death of his stepfather) and hoping that the twins and their father lose out on their free servant.  George holds Jimmy’s future in his grubby hands with glee and threatens to shatter it with any infraction, mostly imaginary or outright lies from the twins.


Things go from bad to worse when the twins decide to have the party of all parties while their father is away, and Jimmy finds himself in the worst situation possible.  He is sure this is the end ...


What a fun little book this was to read, and while there are some minor editing issues that may irritate some people,  most young teens will completely enjoy all of the very Cinderella parts of the story enacted as a boy.  Ummm ... no ... Jimmy doesn’t ask for a ball gown, and there is no pumpkin, sorry to disappoint.


If you have any love of fairy tales or enchanted princesses (or princes), this is fun read.  Jimmy may appear a bit sissified, but he is really very honest and kind hearted.  Some may find Jimmy to be a whiner as well.   I could see this being picked up as a movie someday.


Note:

This story would likely be enjoyed best by young teen girls, and anyone who enjoys fairy tales and legends. 

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

One way to win me over as a reader is to rewrite a fairy tale in a fun, original way. My mom knows this, and, after reading it, she slipped it over to my collection on our Kindle. Intrigued by the title, and mom telling me that it was a rewriting of Cinderella, I pulled it up and began to read. For the most part, I liked it. It wasn’t the best rewriting of Cinderella, or the most original, but it wasn’t the worst rewriting or the least original, either.

In my mind, gender-swapping is not the most original twist you can give a fairy tale – I’ve done it myself. Nor is modernizing, I can probably go to the bookstore and find you a stack a foot tall of modernized fairy tales – most of them Cinderella. Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of modernizing Fairy Tales, mostly because I think better in the middle ages.

What got me for originality was the Enchanted Book. I have only read one other Cinderella retelling where “Cinderella” has an Enchanted Book, and in that one it was merely a gift from her Fairy Godmother.

In this one, the Enchanted Book was the Fairy Godmother.

Now, there were a few things I didn’t like. Not the modernizing, though – that worked for this retelling. First of all, there were a few things that didn’t make sense to me. For instance, before Jimmy is able to open the book, there is golden writing on it that says, “I open at her touch.” However, he is soon after that able to open it, and there is no “her” that touches the book as far as I could tell.

Another thing I didn’t like was Ashley. Ashley should have been a boy. It’s not that she did things that boys usually do, but she was Jimmy’s best friend, and I have issues with a boy having a girl for a best friend. I actually found myself cheering for the two of them to fall in love, rather than him fall in love with the “princess.” (In fact, the only ones that are for poor Jimmy are girls: Ashley, the “princess” and the Book)

Also, I didn’t see the cover until after I had read it, but had I seen it first, I would have expected a very different story. I’m glad I didn’t see the picture first, or I would have been very disappointed.

All in all, it was a good book, and the author did a good job – I was surprised to note in doing this that it was a teenaged young man! He did a great job and I’m sure that with more practice and refining, he can write some even better stuff as he matures.

Genre/Theme:  YA, Fairy Tale

Reading Level:  TEEN
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words  (usually from the stepfather and stepbrothers)

 Sexuality:  MILD - descriptions of affection/desire   (two brothers sleep with girlfriends, but this is not detailed outside of  seeing the girls carried upstairs and finding them under the covers in the mornings)

 Other: Bully behavior from stepfather and stepbrothers.  Left in abandoned building to die. 

James Gough - CLOAK

Cloak
by James Gough

Kindle Edition Available




Product Description (from Amazon)

Thirteen-year-old bubble boy Will Tuttle lives a boring, friendless life trapped in a sterile Brooklyn apartment, suffering from mysterious allergies no doctor can explain. Fed up with his pointless existence he breaks free of his bubble to explore New York City, not expecting to return alive. Along the way, Will discovers that his countless allergies have a single, bizarre source.

Suddenly Will is a target. When he's chased through Central Park by a cloaked assailant, a misfit team of bodyguards shows up to keep Will Tuttle alive. . . . And teach him how to blend into a society that isn’t supposed to exist.

About the Author (from Amazon)
James Gough was born in the Rockies, raised in the Dakotas, schooled in a mountain desert, trained south of the border and wooed by the Big Apple. He now lives in a forest near a great lake with three bright daughters, a brilliant wife and a dim-witted dog.

His debut novel, CLOAK, was born from a single question: Why are there so many myths, legends and stories about talking animals? It smelled like a cover-up. So he dug deeper. What he found surprised even him. Some discoveries just need to be written about.

James has been an actor, an artist, and athlete and an advertising creative. He is thrilled to add author to the list. Besides writing, he loves to teach, is obsessed with strange foods and has always been an avid people-watcher. Once, he saw a well-dressed possum in Grand Central Station; and he is willing to bet that a night guard he met in Detroit was half pit-viper, but it is hard to be sure.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

Mythology has long fascinated me, so when I saw this YA book on Pixels of Ink, I couldn’t wait to read it.

At first, I had a hard time shifting from the prologue to the chapters, they seemed to be totally unrelated, but after a few more chapters, I did find the connection. The story starts off rather slow, but if you will plow through for a chapter or two, suddenly you will find it very hard to put down. The story and the adventure were amazing, and the world so believable, by the time you were half way through, you were chuckling and wondering if some people you know were really ... under a cloak.

------------------------ Basic Plot ------------------------

Will Tuttle is a 6ft 13 year old boy. But he has never been normal. Severe allergies have confined him to a small plastic bubble sauna like room since the day he was born. He is allergic to almost everything ... except items produced before 1950. His only companion is Nurse Grundel, as his parents do a lot of traveling. Nurse Grundel is not a nice care taker, and Will takes any opportunity to escape his bubble and ride the city bus – even with the certain risk of ending up in the hospital instead of making it back home. His most disconcerting symptom of his allergies though, are the hallucinations ... some people look like .... animals.

As the story starts, Will is escaping for yet another adventure. While on the bus, a Yak man sits next to Will. Will is usually very careful about his hallucinations, but cannot help himself when he sees that the man is going to catch a horn on the bus as he exists, and yells a warning. The look on the man’s face causes Will to leave the bus and follow the yak, until he realizes that he is being chased. Panic ensues as Will tries to escape, only to wake up in the hospital.

Strange goes to stranger, as Will discovers that his new nurse is a cat, and his doctor is an owl. He has a new prescription for Will, and for the first time in his life, he can walk about like a normal boy. Dr. Noctua explains everything to Will. I’m not going to tell you, but it is absolutely a delightfully strange explaination. But danger follows Will, and he is whisked away across the country in the strangest airplane ride ever, to a secret hospital in the West. All of these animal people are Enchants. Will is the first Immune to be born in a very long time, and the first one found outside of one family (well known for their fairy tales).

Once in the hospital, Will discovers that he is still far from safe. He pretends to be a gerbil to hide from a spy. But who is the spy who wants all of the Immune’s dead? He finds a best friend in Dr. Noctua’s daughter, Margarit (Mars), a blind bat girl with purple hair. But who does he trust with all of the secrets that he is becoming entrusted with on almost an hourly basis. Then in the middle of his get acquainted with the hospital tour ... the ant people suddenly appear in front of him. The ant people have been banned since the big attack on the Immunes. But nothing is as it seems.

Will has to decide who to trust – and learn a whole new way of life. He can’t have meat (he’s a gerbil, remember?) but he craves bacon. One morning he awakes to a room full of bacon. Then Liska shows up to investigate the Builders (the ant people) sudden appearance. Just whose side is she on? Is Will safe? He seems to have enemies on every side, and the attacker from his home city has found him again.

The big question is whether Will can survive to unravel all of the mysteries, or will he be murdered as an Immune as well.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This has got to be one of the most fun books that I have read in a long time. There were a few slow spots, but sooner or later, the details worked their way into the story as being important to the plot. Just when you THINK you know who the informer is and who is to blame ... the story takes a roller coaster twist and leaves you gasping.

This book is probably fine for younger kids, especially boys, but there is quite a lot of fighting and violence. It is quite a long read, but the story reads fairly easily.

Note:
This book would probably be best enjoyed by boys and those who enjoy mythology.

Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Mythology, Modern USA
Reading Level: (by appropriateness) TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity: (by amount in text) LOW - few mildly offensive words
While I do not remember seeing any really bad words, a few may have snuck past me.
Sexuality: (by content) SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit
Other: There are parts of this book that are quite violent, and some are rather sickening, such as comments about feeding baby fly people.

Donna Varnes - The Cove

The Cove
by Donna Varnes

Paperback through Amazon





Product Description (from Amazon)
The Cove is a story within a story. Destiny Dawn, a fantasy writer, is duped into buying beach-front property contaminated by a toxic spill. The reader enters into her fantasy world full of mermaids, sand fairies and water babies, and their dilemmas, as she writes her novel. Meanwhile, Destiny's own life is becoming more and more bizarre and confusing. Why does the handsome marine biologist show up looking like one of the characters she invented? Why do the Iranians want her balding cat? And why does a black Mercedes keep following her? Does she just have an over-active imagination, or are the chemicals causing hallucinations and paranoia?

About the Author (from Amazon)
Born in Billings Montana, Donna Varnes and her husband, Ed have traveled through every state and ten countries, and consider all of the USA as "home." She and her husband of 41 years, have six children and 17 grandchildren. Donna considers their remote forty-acre homestead near Denali National Park, as her "nest." There they experienced the real Alaska by living in a small cabin, home-schooling their children, and using sled dogs in their everyday living. It was also the inspiration for several of her short-stories published in the Anchorage Daily News and Mushing Magazine. Donna earned an Associates Degree in Christian Ministries from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, as well as an AAS in Developmental Disabilities from Prince William Sound Community College in Valdez, Alaska, where she started writing The Cove. She also completed a BA in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska, Anchorage.



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

      When handed this book by my Grandfather a year or so back, I was intrigued first by the cover, and secondly by the description of it being a story within a story. I was curious as to what that meant. I soon found out. Destiny Dawn is a Fantasy author, and you get to read portions of her book, which is set in the contaminated cove in front of which Destiny has just been duped into buying a house. The story she writes obviously draws heavily on her real life – but then she starts seeing the characters from her books! Whether these are hallucinations due to the toxic water she lives next to, or whether her book characters are actually coming to life … you’re never quite sure, as the evidence goes both ways.
      As an author myself, I found myself really relating to Destiny. She suffered writer’s block – often – and was really disturbed by her characters coming to life. While it is every author’s dream (well, for many authors), how would we react if they actually did come to life? I also loved her refusal to use her real name (it’s not really Destiny Dawns!) and the fact that, on a whim, she bought a fairy costume and would wear it to write in.
      Of course, there was some romance – in Destiny’s real life. The problem is, she’s scared of him as he looks just like a sketch she did of one of her characters and the first time she sees him, he’s in a special suit to protect him from the toxic chemicals. Even after she gets over being scared of him (which takes a while) she still gets mad at him almost every day. There was practically none (romance, that is) in the book she’s writing (a fact she notes herself).
      And then, there’s the cat she finds and names My Tom, who is going bald (she knits a sweater for him as a result, another thing I liked about her) and she is convinced that the terrorists that she’s seen are after him.
      It’s not quite clear if Destiny is a Christian or not, but I assume that she is, as one of the main human characters in her story returns to Christianity after running from it so long. My problem with that, however, is with putting it with the “made-up” part of the book, it might make the readers think that that, too, was made up.
     All in all, I liked it, especially Destiny’s antics.

Note: There were some issues with the formatting of the book. Some sentences and paragraphs were bold for seemingly no reason and quotation marks were often pointing the wrong direction (and attached to the wrong word) or missing altogether, and I would have preferred the book to have been single-spaced rather than double spaced.

Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Fantasy, Christian
Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language
Sexuality: NONE – unless you count the fact that the mermaids are hinted to not wear clothing.
Other: Jake does stick Destiny with a sedative needle and takes her to the hospital against her will.

Mira Zamin - Daughter of the Sea

Daughter of the Sea
by Mira Zamin

Kindle Edition Available



Product Description (from Amazon)
Engaged against her will, Calista, a young Roman aristocrat, grapples with the annihilation of her world at the hands of her would-be husband. The violent aftermath uncovers a connection to the mythological land of Atlantis, shattering Calista’s conception of family, the gods—and herself.
Calista does not know why the sea sings in her veins—or why her parents have affianced her to the insidious Lord Avaritus. She watches, powerless, as he ruthlessly annihilates all she loves.

When Calista tries escape with the remnants of her family, a storm strikes their vessel and Calista is hurled overboard. She reemerges in Atlantis, summoned by the leaders of the undersea domain. The very fiber of her identity shudders after she learns that she is the daughter of Neptune—and not quite mortal.

Despite the manipulation of Atlantis’s leaders and the romantic temptations of a pair of smirking grey eyes, Calista must find a way to return to Portus Tarrus to rescue her family and seek revenge against the man who destroyed everything she held dear.



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel
Sometimes, I read a “description” of a book and it tells me nothing, not even enough to begin to guess at what a juicy story might be hidden in the pages I’m examining.

     Other times, the description only describes the first chapter or one sub plot, and has so little to do with the book, as to be nearly useless.
     Especially with Kindle books, I want a good description of a story before I start to read it, to know if this is a book that I would find interesting ... because I can’t leaf through a Kindle and skim the pages for snatches of a story, nor can I skip.
     But the product description above gives an excellent overview of the basic plot without giving away any spoilers or the meat of the story. Oh yes, there is so much more to this book than the description tells, but I cannot write up a basic plot any better than the one given.
     Daughter of the Sea was an amazingly easy book to get into and enjoy. Calista is a likable girl, especially in the tenderness she exhibits toward her family. Her only fault is that she has not allowed her father to find her a husband, and to her dismay, her father is enticed by a strange man to forcer her hand in marriage. Calista doesn’t trust him, and finds him repulsive, not just because of his age, but also his mannerisms and the looks he gives her when her parents are not aware.
     To complicate matters, she meets a ship captain to whom she feels an instant connection. She asks him to do a small favor for her, and they are caught talking together.
      The story is set in ancient Rome, a world power for many years, but its hold on the world is beginning to loosen. Calista’s father is an overseer in a remote area along the sea coast among the Gauls. He is very prominent there, and rules with an easy hand and a light touch. There has been no reason for blood shed in many years. The picture of Roman life was well “painted” in the early chapters. For over half of the book, I found it difficult to not pick up my Kindle to read more.
     And then the story moved to Atlantis. And there the magic nearly died. The new characters never developed any depth, the actions were choppy, and the plot became somewhat dull. It was almost as if a new author had stepped up to write. It wasn’t all bad; there were some very interesting conversations, and at least one great character. Calista had to face who she really was, and maybe the picture wasn’t all she (or the reader) hoped it would be. She has a destiny ... that she refuses to embrace it.
     After drudging on through yet another harrowing escape, the book shifts to a village in Gaul. Calista’s primary goal is to find what is left of her family, and have revenge on the man who tore her world apart. I was hopeful for a resurgence of the brilliance shown in the first part of the book, but somehow it just wasn’t as strong as the first part of the book.
     The story covers many dark topics – death, betrayal, rape, slavery, prison life, and incest. While none of these topics are dwelt on to their fullest, they are important parts in this story. How Calista and her family deal with these obstacles are the meat to this story. The first half of the book is amazing and many teens will enjoy the Atlantis and Gaul parts of the story as well.

Reflecting on the book, I think the real issue most people have with the Atlantis scenes are how much Calista changes because of what she has gone through – she begins to exhibit many unlikable traits as she allows hatred for the man who was to be her husband to warp and twist her sweet character into something almost sinister. It is so easy to be supportive and encouraging to Calista as you read, your heart pounds as she attempts to help her family escape and as she narrowly escapes horrific events time and again. But this new Calista is hard to support or encourage. While the author was clearly trying to paint a picture of a girl desperate to aid her family in the world above, what oozed out around the edges whispered “spoiled brat.” I think it is this change in Calista that douses the magic fire feeding the imagination that the first part of the story held.
     As I could find nothing about this author, nor has she included a website or blog as is so popular these days, I cannot conjecture on her age or background. The book ends fairly abruptly, so a sequel may appear in the future.
      If you read a story to be entertained, you will probably be disappointed, unless you are a fan of tragedies. But if you want to be challenged, this book does provide much fuel for thought. What would YOU do if you found yourself faced with the same or similar hardships, if everything you held dear was stolen from you and you were forced to watch others enjoying and abusing the things (and people) that you love? How far would you go to escape? How brave would you be to face the unknown and the unthinkable? Would you throw away a life of ease to return to help those that still suffer? Would you put thousands in danger for a handful of lives that you hold dear?


Genre/Theme: History, Romans, Adventure, almost Coming of Age
Reading Level: (by appropriateness) TEEN - middle school to Mature TEEN - high school to college
Profanity: (by amount in text) Rare ... but MODERATE - mild words & a few stronger expletives
Sexuality: (by content) Mostly MILD - descriptions of affection/desire (eyes, lingering touches, feeling of passion washes over) to OBVIOUS - blatant sexuality in text, but not explicit (mostly involving Avaritus’s behavior – attempted rape, descriptions are minimal)
Other:
There is a great deal of violence in this story. A usurper attacks the city and much blood shed is detailed in one chapter – it’s not horribly graphic, the “he held up his shield to defend himself, but found he was still staring at the face of his attacker, his shield missing from the stump of his arm” type descriptions. Calista kills a man.
Details of the life of imprisonment of Calista and her family, and the lewd attempts of Avaritus to secure his claim through a marriage bond, even if forced or coerced.
An explosion in Atlantis and the damage it caused.

Jamie McHenry - On Fallen Wings

On Fallen Wings
By Jamie McHenry

Paperback Edition Available




Product Description (from Amazon)
Faeries are supposed to be perfect.
Rhiannon was. Her life was. Then her betrothed disappeared.
She tried to be strong. She asked for help. There’s only so much trying and asking will do.
So, she took action.
That’s when everything fell apart.

About the Author (from Amazon author page)
When I'm not plotting tales in my head, I spend my days with my wife and five children. In sight of a large lake and snow crested mountains, the adventures unfold, both real and imagined. ON FALLEN WINGS is my first published novel. Its sequel, FROM RISING FLAMES, is coming later this year.

This biography was provided by the author or their representative

http://www.jamiemchenry.blogspot.com/

O.Scarlett Review by Rachel

Romance novels are not my cup of tea – really.  But this one was suppose to be about faeries ... and adventure as well.  I found the book as a free offer via Pixel of Ink Young Edition. 

The characters are fairly real and  conversations were good and the plot was interesting ... yet for some reason I finished the book not caring much for it.  I still can’t place my finger on what it is about the book that felt a little sour, because I can see that most would truly enjoy the book.

The faerie part really surprised me, because she isn’t a tiny creature with wings – she’s as flesh and blood as you and me.  So right off, you have to put all of your preconceived notions about faeries, pack them in a box, and forget them.  In Aisling, being a faerie is a HUGE honor and granted to only a very few of the women of the village.  It is a position filled with love, joy, and secrecy,  fiercely guarded by the members of all ages.  Rhiannon is one of the youngest.  Outside of her betrothed, Sean, it is her other great love and purpose in life.  Yet, the faeries of this story are still just as mysterious as their tiny cousins.  The author does a wonderful job of weaving the mystery surrounding this exclusive group of women.

The setting has a bit of a medieval feel to it, a remote village, Aisling, steeped in tradition and mystery.  The story opens the night before Rhiannon’s betrothal ceremony.  She and some friends have been dancing in the meadow and it is now dark, and we find that a bandit has been raiding the village.  It is no longer safe for the girls to be out alone.  The bandit continues to play an important part as he shows up time and again to complicate the plot.  The opening chapters should appeal to most teen girls who still dream of a dashing prince on a white stallion – and although the horse is a white mare, and the rider only the prince of her heart – there is a definite flavor of true love and risking everything for that love.  A love for horses is evident in the text throughout, and these animals are significant throughout the story.

The book is written in first person from Rhiannon’s viewpoint.  It is an interesting place to be, and lends itself well to the emotion of this tale – a begging of forgiveness seems to permeate much of the book – though it is very subtle for most of the book.

On their day of promise, both Rhiannon and Sean must ask the other for a token to be performed or found to satisfy a wish to prove their love for each other.  Sean’s gift is quite attainable, but Rhiannon’s gift will require Sean to leave their valley and be gone for a long time – she has asked for a rumor.  Of course, her heart is breaking as the full impact of her request impacts her heart.  Sean will be away from her, for months, and if the rumors and whispers prove to be false, she suddenly realizes that he may never return from his search.  And then, to her horror, he asks his brother to keep watch of her while he is away, a brother that she completely detests.

One of my favorite chapters involves Rhiannon’s search for Sean’s gift.  It was my favorite part, as she follows instructions to find a cave on Sean’s families land, and like any good cave, it has been used to hide things.  She takes two best friends to aid her efforts.   Her search is long and dangerous, but successful; however it is very late, and the worry about making it back out before nightfall without falling down any of the cracks in the floor of the cave’s tunnels is felt strongly.

Eventually, Sean returns with the sought after prize, and their wedding is planned for the Spring.  Everything is perfect (Remember that is what the Product Review stated, I’m not giving much away).  And...  that is when things started to go wrong.

Sean is taken and nobody seems to care to get him back other than Sean’s brother and Rhiannon.  Feelings of disdain and distrust are set aside as the pair try to rescue this man that they both love deeply.  The village elders seem to not care and will do nothing.  The other faeries are no help either.  They are on their own, and when Cael tells her what the cost of Sean’s return will be, her heart falls.  This is a price she cannot pay.  It is impossible, and yet as the days pass on, it is the only option she has ... betraying who she is or loosing her love forever.  Time is running out.  She makes her choice and the results play out.  Can she live with them?

This book is filled with raw emotion; it is not so much a story to tell a tale, as it is a look at the human heart and what causes a person to make the choices that we do in life.   Rhiannon is perfect, she has everything that she could ask for, and as a faerie, she is happy and joyful and privy to many secrets of her village.  After Sean is taken, she is pulled downward as feelings of hate, despair, and betrayal fill her mind and heart.  The journey through her thoughts and the choices that she makes are what makes the magic of this story.

This is almost a coming of age story, but even more so, it is the struggle of a human heart asked to choose between two equally evil choices, and how that choice’s results play out.  If you choose evil, can good ever come of it?

Now that I think about it, I do know why I didn’t like this book.  The feelings of despair are raw and real as you see the heart of Rhiannon and as she makes and is forced to face the consequences of her choice.  Be sure to have a tissue box handy after the book shifts over to the dark side.

Note:

This book will probably be best liked by tweens and teen or young adult girls.  While there is an element of adventure that may appeal to some boys, it is more romance and drama than adventure.  On the other hand, it is not a girly girl book either.

Genre/Theme:  Romance, Middle Ages, Magic/Faeries

Reading Level: (by appropriateness)  TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 

 Profanity: (by amount in text)  LOW - few mildly offensive words 
 Sexuality: (by content)   SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit  -  there is a swimming scene that is a bit suspect, otherwise there are kisses and dreams of marriage between characters.
Other: 
One scene describes the carnage left behind after a raid attack on the home at the edge of town.  Also a man is found dead.