ANGEL FIRE - L.A. WEATHERLY - REVIEW

Book: Angel Fire

Author: L.A. Weatherly

Publisher. Usborne

ISBN: 9781409522010

Rating: A+

Only Willow has the power to defeat the malevolent Church of Angels - and they will stop at nothing to destroy her. However, Willow is not alone. She is with Alex, a trained Angel Killer - and her one true love. Together, they must train a new generation of Angel Killers. But as a half-angel, Willow can't help feeling like an outcast, even with Alex by her side. So when a handsome stranger with a tortured past arrives at the AK camp, Willow finds herself inextricably drawn to him.

Amazing. Beautiful. Fantastic. Thrilling. Gorgeous. Brilliant. Honestly, I could go on and on with more words to describe this book but you get the idea right. This book passed the standards; it was miles better than Angel and gave us everything we wanted. A story filled with fiery passion, shocking twists, a love made in heaven and Angels.

The first book was so frikkin amazing, entertaining, refreshing and unique, so I looked at this book and said, how on earth can you beat Angel, but clearly the answer is: ‘With FIRE’ because this book heated me up. It was definitely a Roller Coaster ride of a Thriller with a riddle-ingly unique plot and fantabulous sequel to its previous book.

The plot actually follows both Willow and Alex and Seb (a new shocker for you to discover) switching between 1^st person for willow and 3^rd for Alex and Seb. There is another chance to destroy the angels and they seize it firmly but throughout their journey there is deceit, love feuds, battles and certain type of Rapture.

The writing, as usual was firmly and most definitely stunning, with vivid description, so crisp and sharp in my mind, and emotions so strong and rich I felt them myself. L.A. Weatherly’s writing is most definitely unique and mixed with perfectly paced movement and the right amount of description entwined with a whimsical musical prose sprinkled with magic. It was most certainly wonderful to read and I could not, put it down, not once. It kept me up to all hours, engrossed, and now I think I may have Angel Burn. I just can’t get the book out of my head.

The plot was bloody brilliant. I fused everything you could want. A burning desire, a triangle of love, a supernatural twist and a happy ending. You will not be able to put this book down. The plot was truly magical, though, so unique and special. Beautiful and sparkling yet it will keep your pulse pounding and you heart racing. Obviously a lot of thought has gone into the plot, and it has been constructed carefully and precisely so one chapter will leave you clueless and a few chapters later it will all slide together and you’ll be like ‘Ohhh! That’s clever’. I’m most definitely certain that the wonderful, amazing, fandabidosi plot/story accounts for the 709 pages of pure bliss, that burned their way into my mind.

The characters in this are all so unique and special, and I don’t get the vibe that L.A. Weatherly is trying to make the characters to much of this or too much of that. The characters aren’t forced. They just are, and that’s what makes them so special. There is no perfect brooding boy with a secret or some incredibly ugly or clumsy girl. Everyone is the same, on one side or another, each side with the same goal. All of the characters extremely well built up. Those who are new, well you find out pretty much everything, and those you already know, you find out more, some things that you never even expected. They are all so different in their own unique way and I have come to care for them as my own friends in my mind, whilst reading the novel, feeling sad with them or feeling happy with them, or feeling petrified with them as they jump of a building hoping for something that sort of isn’t there to land them to safety.

My favourite character is in fact a couple that didn’t really happen but I would love to see it happen in Angel Fever, but that couple is Willow and Seb. In book 1 Alex was the guy for Willow but then Seb came along and it just seems so right for the two of them. Like Alex is no longer meant to be. Also they seem better for each other as the book has taken on a new tone, which is more understanding and more mature. Almost as if the characters have grown up and moved on from the stages of first love, and are now in a serious relationship.

Overall the book cannot be summed up into any phrase, word or even amount of words because the novel is too fantastic to fully understand until you have read it but I will end this review with two words: Truly Wonderful. 

SWEETLY - JACKSON PEARCE - REVIEW

Book: Sweetly

Author: Jackson Pearce

Publisher: Hodder Chhildrens

ISBN: 9781444900590

Rating: A+

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch-like monster in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too. When their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out as teens, they stumble upon a sleepy Southern town and are invited to stay with Sophia Kelly at her sweet shop. Sophia moulds candied magic: coveted treats that inspire confidence, bravery, and passion. Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel finally start to forget their haunted past - until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel, who gives Gretchen a reason to fear Sophia: girls have been vanishing at Sophia's annual chocolate festival, taken by the insatiable 'witch' of Gretchen's nightmares. Can Gretchen save herself, the girls of Live Oak, and Sophia? Of one thing, Gretchen is certain: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

I read sisters red by Jackson Pearce last summer and instantly fell in love with the magical world that she had created. It was so brilliantly fantastic that when I heard about Sweetly I got it as quick as I could.

I loved how Jackson Pearce used the basis of Red Riding Hood to create a beautiful tale and when I heard that Sweetly was a Mix of Hansel and Gretel with her unique magical world I was both thrilled that she was following her theme of fairy tales and to see what she had in store.

I adore Jackson Pearce’s writing. It’s so descriptive and rich and what better way to put that to full use than with a chocolate shop. The writing was so full and luxurious, and most definitely a pleasure to read. The prose is truly full of sparkle.

The plot was so totally unique just as Sisters Red. It was obviously thought out in detail and was not easy to plan as it was a nice complex plot, though extremely easy to follow throughout the whole of the amazing novel.

The characters are all special to themselves in various ways and all built up well so you feel for them very closely and understand them as your friends. I know I felt very close to the characters, and you automatically felt certain feeling for certain characters. My favourite would have to be Sophia. She was so sweet and innocent and she just wanted to save her sister and she would do anything for that.

I think if you break the story away there is a core moral, and it is: Love your family because if they go you’ll regret every bad thing you did. The book had many significant and great moments but my favourite was incredibly sad and made me ache inside. It was when Sophia was shot because she sacrificed herself to join her sister.

Overall the book was a wonderful beautiful tale filled with magic that will warm your heart. It may have sad bits but it is truly a wonderful novel and I honestly loved every letter down to the last word. It is really beautiful.

HADES - ALEXANDRA ADORNETTO - REVIEW

Book: Hades

Author: Alexandra Adornetto

Publisher: ATOM

ISBN: 9781907410772

Rating: B

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier’s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well. 

Now, for the record I absolutely adored the first book in this series so I was ultra quick to grab this one and I felt it was good but not as good as the first one. The book is jam packed with action, adventure and beauty i just felt no enough happened for the amount of pages I read, but that aside it was fantastic. It love books with excess description, because it really makes you feel closer to where you are and what’s going on and this book nailed on the head.

The plot to this book was actually very surprising. There were a lot of things I wasn’t expecting, but it was nice because it kept on my feet the whole time, waiting to see what happened. The chapter always had something new, or something different to keep you fully engaged in the book and waiting for the next move.

The writing was beautiful as the first book if not more whimsical and musical. It has like a magical flow to it and it’s is just such a pleasure to read. Always wonderful and positive, destroying any negativity and it just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This is one of those books that is lovely to curl up with in the evening.

The character are all so perfect and I  loved that. So many authors try so hard to get the characters imperfect and have some sort of flaw, that to read a book with an all perfect cast is like a breath of fresh air in the YA genre. We learnt a lot about the characters from the first book but they jut keep growing, as we learn more about them. I think that

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book and some very interesting surprises such as {spoiler} Molly becomes a part of the angel crew along with Xavier. In fact there are tones of fantastic shocks but i don’t want to let on too much.

I would have to say my favourite moment was when Beth managed to create life in the underworld. It was pretty amazing and i could picture it so vividly. Of course, because she did it she ended up getting herself a death sentance, but you know.

I have to say, this was not as good as the first book but it had a lot to live up to. I can say that it was a beautiful novel, sent from the heavens above, and I can not wait for the third book in the series.

THE GODDESS TEST - AIMEE CARTER - REVIEW

Book: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Mira Ink

ISBN: 9781848450400

Rating: A+

"It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall. Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests. Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. If she fails..."

The Goddess Test was one of these books that I had heard so much about from blogs around the world, but when I went to buy it I found that at the time it was only available in the USA so when I got an email regarding a blog tour for the UK release I was absolutely thrilled. So I read through the book in little less than a day and it didn’t disappoint me! Not once, the fantastic book sucked me to its depths of the pages and when the end came I was and still am desperate for Goddess Interrupted.

Now one of the striking things about this book is the story line. It’s just so brilliant. The only word to use I suppose is Unique... and a load of other complimentary words. It just has such a simple, yet so different story line, and I suppose it what I needed for my Greek fix. The plot follows, Kate Winters who has moved back to Eden in the wake of her mother’s last days, only to find that she can save her by making a deal with a mysterious boy. And then... she is sucked into a magical Greek world. The plot is based on the original myth of Hades and Persephone but it has a unique, modern, and magical twist I suppose that gives it all the sparkle.

The writing was brilliant as well. The first person worked well, and was good because Carter managed to work other people’s feeling into the prose as well. That’s other thing. It had a magical prose. There was no forced reading of the type because one I had started it flowed smoothly through the full way.

The characters were so incredibly formed, and so definitely not what they seemed, as you find out at the end of the book and I have to admit the ending was incredibly surprising and was most definitely my favourite part of the book, filled with shock, suspense and surprise. The character were all described into so much detail that you became friends with them. Even the ones who turn out to be enemies. My favourite character would have to be Henry though, mainly because he was so incredibly awesome but when you studied him in detail he was really nice. He cared about everyone but himself, doing all he could to make others happy unless of course the deserved to go and spend time with all the people they brutally murdered.

Overall though I really did Love the Goddess Test. It’s is a beautifully written book, a tale of love, and an anciently old myth sparkling with a magical twist.

SEQUENCE BLOG TOUR: Q&A WITH ADRIAN DAWSON

What was your inspiration?

The original inspiration for ‘Sequence’ became the phrase which best describes the

follow-up: ‘[Sequoia]’ – If you could travel back in time, knowing that you could not

change one single event, just how far would you go? I wanted to write a time travel

novel in which the science was accurate, the ramifications were believable and the

end result seemingly pointless but ultimately shocking. I also wanted to create a

scenario where people could travel back in time, could never return and could not

change one single event in history. Why somebody might even bother intrigued me

and I think that readers will find the reasons very surprising indeed.

How long did it take to write?

The planning of ‘Sequence’ took a couple of years, in amongst other writing.

Because nothing about history – actual history or the fictional history of my

characters – could be altered in any way, the novel became an extremely complex

puzzle with diverse threads which needed to work together. I also wanted two of the

stories to cross paths not only at the end, but also at a very specific point in time

mid-way through the novel. Getting two sets of events timed to perfection took a lot

of planning. I also had to take all existing theories of places like “Rennes-le-Chateau”

and completely rewrite my version of them, which meant creating puzzles even more

complex than those already in existence. I used paintings I found on the internet,

composed my own Latin texts and created a series of complex clues.

Approximately how many words is it?

It’s 158,997 words long. Exactly. Though I must point out that not all words are

unique and I have chosen to repeat certain words – words such as ‘the’ – at various

points throughout the novel.

Who is your favourite character?

I needed a background character, whom I called ‘Tina’. She was autistic and

mute and started life simply as a means to an end. By the time the novel was fully

plotted Tina was the lynchpin to everything that was, is and will ever be. She has a

devastating event thrust upon her toward the end of the novel and we discover that

her inability to communicate with others is a result of her being so far ahead of the

average person that the rest of us are, in effect, ants. We make no attempt to talk

to ants, so why should Tina make any effort to talk to us? She is so phenomenally

astute, whilst oozing the quiet confidence of somebody like Andy Dufresne, and that

makes for an amazing character.

Are any of the characters based on people you know?

Not at all. Some are named after people I know, but not based on them in any

way. I think more about who would play the role in the film version when I’m trying

to find a character’s voice, mannerisms and modus operandi. For example, the

two main characters in the present timeline are LAPD Detective Nick Lambert and

archaeologist Sarah Fiddes... when I wrote them, their characters, their nuances,

I "saw" Robin Williams and Natalie Portman.

When did you realize you wanted to write?

I really don’t know. I’ve always written and, as a creative by day and musician in

my spare time I’ve always been a ‘blank piece of paper’ kind of guy. Give me a

blank sheet of paper and I will fill it with something – a story, a song, a design or an

illustration. I’ve done that for as long as I can remember.

How do you feel about the amazing response to your book?

Vindicated. I had so many publishers rejecting ‘Codex’ because they felt it was

like Dan Brown - despite it being accepted by the UK’s largest literary agent in

1999 (four years before ‘The Da Vinci Code’ appeared) - that I worried that I might

be seen as little more than a Dan Brown clone. The fact that people can find

similarities on a very basic level but accept that in many ways my work is completely

different, is what I’ve been saying for years. If you like ‘The Da Vinci Code’, you will

enjoy ‘Codex’ but it’s not ‘The Da Vinci Code’. To quote one very well respected

reviewer: “…the market targeted here is clearly the straightforward one colonised by

Dan Brown, but in actual fact, Adrian Dawson is a better writer (if anything, closer in

style to Michael Crichton).” I can live with that.

What is/are your favourite book/s?

‘Hannibal’ by Thomas Harris for its poetic prose, ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank

Redemption’ (from the ‘Different Seasons’ collection) by Stephen King and pretty

much anything by Philip K. Dick. So, all similar genres then…?

And finally, the book is a phenomenon, so will there be a film?

The last report I received from my publisher indicated that a couple of film

companies are currently looking into ‘Sequence’, but we’ll have to see what

happens. There are no firm offers yet but if they come, and Robin Williams is

available to play Nick Lambert (with Robin in ‘Insomnia’ mode) then… yes, please.

SEQUENCE REVIEW

SEQUENCE BLOG TOUR: SEQUENCE REVIEW

Book: Sequence
Author: Adrian Dawson
Publisher: Last Passage
ISBN: 9780956577016
Rating: A+

"A naked male, dead in an alley with bullets that make no sense. Fingerprints burned away, tattoos completely removed and a note, written in 13th Century Latin secreted about his person, along with the name and room number of an autistic psychiatric patient. Of all the possible avenues, the last road LAPD detective Nick Lambert wanted was the long drive to Oakdene to interview the girl. It gets much worse when he discovers 
that as well as being autistic, the girl is also mute. But when an off-hand comment from the nurse piques Nick’s attention, he can’t help but follow the lead. What he finds will slowly turn his entire world - his entire existence - upside down. Nick suddenly finds himself at the heart of a centuries old struggle to find - and hide - the kind of valuable information that mankind should never, ever be allowed to possess. It is only when Nick realises that he was a key player in the game long before it started that he will discover the true importance of those around him. Nick has inadvertently stumbled into the most important human being who ever lived. One who will not only change the world once, but will do it over and over again. He will discover many things about the girl... What she has to hide is the most important thing of all."

I have been pondering over writing this review for a couple of days now because I want
to get it so perfect. I want express how amazing I though this book was and how much I
loved it without putting too much repetition or stuff like that in this revieww, so I found a
word to describe this book: Phenomenal. It’s one of the many words you could describe
this marvellous, stupendously, fantastic book with.

Now you see this book blew of my feet. This is an action packed, fast paced thriller filled
with mystery and lore. It’s an amazing novel and for a 500 page book an incredibly fast
read, and honestly I read it in two days, because I couldn’t stop. I even stayed up until
12 O’clock at night reading it.

No this book has way to much in it to place brief of what happened, but it has a lot of
time travel and it is set in the future a lot. I suppose a good way to put it is that it had
everything you want in a book and every good quality an epic novel should have. This
novel was absolutely stunning!

Now from the first chapter I was in the book. I have to admit, it was a bit slow getting
into it but from about chapter five I was very much so sucked into the book and all its
amazingness. The description is all so vivid and perfect, making every part so real and
so there.

Now this book was definitely a step away from my usual Genre of book, but I am so
glad I had the opportunity to read this because I loved it so much, and to miss this book
is to miss a super book of brilliant possibilities.

Now the plot... well it was one heck of a plot, and it takes a while to get your head
around, because there is quite a bit of time travel involved. There is so much crammed
into this book. It has romance, action, lies, mystery, time travel, and it also has an
aspect of every genre on the market including dystopian, sci-fi, religious, fantasy and
lore.

The writing was really nice to read actually. When I first started to read it, I had some
trouble adjusting to the style of writing, but I soon found that it was incredibly enjoyable,
from the smooth prose and description to the quirky, cuss filled dialogue. I admit the
dialogue was actually very fun.

Now this is a very complex book and can get quite complicated because there are so
many numbers involved, and so much time travel, but don’t let that put you off because
once you get your head around it, it’s one hell of a thrill ride. In two words it would have
to be: Bloody Brilliant!

The characters are all so well built up and so strong in sense of emotion, that you feel
so close to them. What I’m trying to say is that they get so well built in your mind they
become, in reality, your friends. Their foundations are all strong and there a fair few
surprises with the characters, some obvious and some not. As for my favourites, they
would have to be Josef Klein, and Alison Bond. Klein comes across so

bad and dominion-ic and at heart he’s still the goody, and Alison for the fact she
is such an amazing person.

I suppose in a way, at the end it’s really Heart-warming, and it has such a lovely ending
it makes it worth the whole book. It is a terribly beautiful story, and I can tell you now
that the Sequence of number has dictated that I absolutely, irrevocably, unconditionally
love this book.

AFTER OBSESSION - CARRIE JONES & STEVE WEDEL - REVIEW

Book: After Obsession

Authors: Carrie Jones & Steve Wedel

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN: 9781408818275

Rating: A+

"Aimee and Alan have unusual pasts and secrets they prefer to keep hidden. Aimee's deceased mother struggled with mental illness and hallucinations, and Aimee thinks it could be hereditary. After all, she sees a shadowy river man where there isn't one. And then there was that time she and her best friend Courtney tried to conjure a spirit with a Ouija board ...Alan is Courtney's cousin. His family moved to Maine when Courtney's father went missing. It's not just Alan's dark good looks that make him attractive. He is also totally in touch with a kind of spiritual mysticism from his Native American heritage. And it's not long before Aimee has broken up with her boyfriend ...But it's not Aimee or Alan who is truly haunted - it's Courtney. In a desperate plea to find her father, Courtney invites a demonic presence into her life. Together, Aimee and Alan must exorcise the ghost, before it devours Courtney - and everything around her."

Now I’ve read and love every single one of Carrie Jones’s books in the Need series so far and loved every single one of them, so when I heard about After Obsession I just couldn't wait to get it! One thing I have noticed about Carrie Jones though, is that she it amazingly unique. All her books and ideas are totally unique.

Now this book is so amazing, because Carrie Jones has written it in such a way that I can I read it before bed and not slap it down, pull the covers over my head and stay to frightened to get out and go to the toilet. I mean I’ve always loved Carrie’s writing, being some musical and light, and I think Steve Wedel’s writing in this novel created the perfect contrast with a edgier, boyish tone to it.

The storyline itself was interesting. It’s generally the main character that is being haunted, or whatnot, yet in this book it was the main characters who were on the other end of the haunted, or in this case possessed. The storyline was really good, and for a short book it had a lot crammed into it!

All the characters were so close to you in the book, along with the River Man who wanted to tear to pieces when you weren’t completely scared of him, but I have to admit my favorite was Aimee. She was just awesome, smart, funny, and typically pretty, and she also instantly reminded me of Ariana Grande.

This book is definitely one of a kind, filled with romance and horrowr and pair that works as well as Aimee and Alan and I really, really, enjoyed this!