Brinwood and First Love (Vampirica Book 1)

This time another two freebies, but appart from being at the time free they are as different as night and day. Brinwood is a rather brutal short story of a cult taking over a town in America. It feels post-apocaliptic in it's kill or be killed dark mood. Vampirica however is firmly in YA territory with a sweet and innocent romantic story line. Brinwood I gave 5 stars, mainly because I loved the ending. First Love (Vampirica Book 1) I gave 4 stars. It was well written, but frankly this genre has been done to death and it didn't surprise or blew me away.
Just click on the pictures to take you to Amazon;)

Brinwood by R.K.Gold
When Casper hears of his brother’s death, he is determined to return to Brinwood to save his mother and sister. He was banned from Brinwood by a religious cult that has taken over this town, and he knows his return will put him in mortal danger.

This is a great post- apocalyptic novella. It is only 77 pages but as I picked this up on a free download I didn’t mind it being short, it has everything it needs; a beginning, a cracking ending and plenty of action in the middle. It was well written and the writer managed to draw a convincing universe and some believable characters I cared for. Recommended.
 

First Love (Vampirica Book 1) by Aria Sparke

A young girl and her mother move to the town of Wicklow after her father’s death.  As she struggles with High school, her rapidly falling to bits mother and her own sadness, she finds that running is the only thing keeping her sane. One night whilst out for a run, she thinks she sees a woman being assaulted.  A very attractive boy; Flynn, comes to her aid and convinces her otherwise. Slowly Lily will discover that nothing seems as it appears in gloomy and rainy Wicklow and that she is surrounded by dangerous creatures that don’t like the light.

This is an entertaining paranormal young adult read. It will appeal to the fans of the twilight series and YA paranormal romance. It is a well written, exciting story that kept me entertained from start to finish. It is another different take on the vampire genre and a good introduction to the series.

Oric and the Alchemist's Key (The Oric Trilogy Book 1) by Lesley Wilson

This week I read a book I would have enjoyed enormously as a child. Actually I still enjoyed it as an adult, but it is definitely aimed at the younger end of the YA market. As a child I enjoyed any adventure set in historical times and it is still one of my preferred genres. I hope to review some more historic romance and non-fiction in the coming weeks. I gave this 5 stars.

Oric and the Alchemist's key on Amazon

This is a great younger adult read. The author uses a rich vocabulary to really bring the characters to life. You can almost smell the medieval peasants and the hovels they crawled out of. Bawdy wenches, fearsome shrews and an evil moneylender all add to this rich medieval tapestry. Oric is a great character; eager to learn and discover the world around him, he is quite fearless unless he finds himself in front of a pretty girl. I enjoyed this adventure as it went at a good pace and was peppered with humour and wit. Some of the words might be a little challenging for the younger reader but I think the tense and exciting story line will keep them hooked and reading on. (And today's ‘yoof’ could certainly do with adding a few more words to their vocabulary, so well done Ms Wilson for not dumbing down.) Great start to a promising series.

Dusk: Book 1 (Warrior series)

The following book I would still class as young adult, it contains no swearing but the romance is a little bit steamy without going into any explicit detail. I gave it four star as I liked the story, but thought the pace could be a bit quicker and scene descriptions a little sharper.

Dusk by Melanie P Smith on Amazon.com

When Alex Deveraux loses both her mother and father in a short space of time, she thinks her world has come crashing down. What she doesn’t know is that her family has tried to protect her from an even more dangerous world. She meets a whole host of people she didn’t even know that existed. What I liked most about this book (besides the action and romance!) is that the author has set this fantasy novel in a modern setting. I often get distracted when I read fantasy as the alternative universes some writers set their stories in can be very complex and bewildering. (Maybe you can tell that I wasn’t a big fan of the hobbit!) I could understand Alex as a woman. She not only has to deal with the loss of her father, but also the stress of organising the perfect funeral and making sure his company remains a successful one. Alex is a strong female lead, independent, successful as a business woman, but also vulnerable and complex.  Alex’s romance with Dimitri takes centre stage and even though it is lovely and pure, I could have maybe done with a bit more action and a quicker pace. (The fighting kind, I’m a big fan of clean fantasy) I also would like to know more of both her parents’ history, but that might be for another book. There are still a few blanks to be filled in and the fight with the vampires is far from over. Great start to a series.

 

Protecting William (Litmus book 2) by Kayla Howarth

A writer never stops, not even on holiday in Milan. Hope this fine Italian city will inspire me to write, however the weather is not very inspiring and the grey and wet day is more suitable for curling up with a good book. Talking of good books, just finished Protecting William, which is the second book in the Litmus series. (I reviewed Losing Nuka a few months ago) I liked this one a lot and gave it five stars.

Protecting William by Kayla Howarth on amazon.com

Of all the illegal fight joints, William had to walk into Litmus.  It’s not how either Nuka or William had hoped to see each other again after four years. What started out as a sneaky lad’s night out has consequences no one could have foreseen. So starts the next instalment in the exciting Litmus series. I was hooked from the first page and grew to like the main character, William, Nuka’s younger brother, very much. He is one of these good guys, but without being smug or annoying by being a holier than thou saint. If you’ve not read the institute series I would recommend you do, as the same characters feature in the Litmus series and it is nice to see them have grown up in the books. The book is narrated in the first person so we see the world through William’s eyes. It’s always a hoot to be part of somebodies thoughts and insecurities, especially if they are the opposite of the actions he takes. Great work again Kayla, I loved protecting William. (And I’m glad you went easier on him than Nuka, I guess you have a soft spot for him too.) Look forwards to reading saving Illyana which came out a few months ago.