Review- When the Gods Wish to Punish by C.L. Walker

When the gods wish to punish us they answer our prayers.

Sandra wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with Dean. She wishes the world would leave them alone, that they could be together forever. Her wish is granted.

She and the residents of the thirteenth floor will get to live that wish. They will stay together, forever. Not even death will offer them escape.

Review

I received an e copy of When the Gods Wish to Punish by C.L. Walker from storycartel.com in
exchange for an honest review. 

I must start off by saying that this story is extremely graphic. There's lots of violence, blood and gore. You know how sometimes when you're watching a movie and something bad is happening, you want to look away but you can't. This is the feeling I got reading this story. Sandra only wanted to be with her teenage love Dean. She made a simple wish and got exactly what she asked. The author did a fantastic job of showing that humans can be the biggest monsters. 

4 Stars

Review- Chaos by CM Fenn

Book Description
Publication Date: May 17, 2014
The Shades in Chaos have one goal: get to Earth Realm and wreak havoc. For a select group of people called Realmwalkers, sleep is the gateway to another Realm known as Chaos.

When 17-year-old Addy is called to Chaos, she yearns to conquer her crippling fears and prove her mettle by fighting alongside her fellow Realmwalkers. While she hopes to impress their handsome leader, Sam, she’s also keenly driven by the urge to protect the ones she loves on Earth.

The Realmwalkers are baffled, however, when they encounter a powerful and seemingly invincible Shade with strange motives and a dark obsession with Addy. As they work to unravel the mystery to defeating this new threat, Addy finds herself at odds with the Walkers. Gut instinct says to put her faith in Mikhail, the black sheep of the group, but she fears losing the respect and friendship of the others.

Addy is willing to die to keep Earth safe, but the Walkers are her new family, and she’s on the verge of falling in love. With Addy coming into her own, death shouldn't be on the horizon. But when the doors of hell are ripped open, there are no guarantees.

REVIEW

I received an e copy of Chaos by CM Fenn from storycartel.com in exchange for an honest review. This is fantasy at it's finest. Vivid details, plot twists, fascinating characters, action and adventure are some of the highlights of this story. The author is a wonderful storyteller who will lead you on an emotional roller coaster. There were some laugh out loud moments and times when I actually cried. You can't help but root for the Realmwalkers. They are some kick butt characters who fight valiantly  to keep the earth safe from the Shades. I loved the emotional growth of Addy and the mystery surrounding Mikhail.

I love how the story ended. I want to read the next book because I enjoyed  the characters and want to read more of their journey. Lately, the series books that I have been reading ended with a sudden and awkward cliffhanger, that left me so frustrated that I will not bother with the next book. Chaos ended on the perfect note.

I would highly recommend this story and cannot wait for the next book!

5 STARS

TWO HEADS TWO SPIKES (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga Book 1) by Jason Paul Rice (Review)

I received a copy of Two Heads Two Spikes from storycartel.com in exchange for an honest review.

This is a perfect start to a series. I was hooked from the opening sentence. I'm not usually a fan of stories where each chapter is told by a different character. In this case, it enhanced the story. The scenes are very detailed. There are very colorful characters. Some appear good, some appear bad and some you have to question. The political aspect was enthralling. Treachery, deceit, disloyalty and murder are peppered throughout the pages. This is a fascinating story.

Pros: very detailed, intriguing characters, no lull moments
Cons: I have no complaints about this story. I just wish the second book was available now.

I would highly recommend this story and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

5 STARS

Broken Realms by D.W. Moneypenny (Review)

Fantasy is one of my genres. I found the blurb for Broken Realms fascinating
and couldn't wait to star reading. After the first couple of chapters, I lost interest
but I was determined to finish the story. There are some interesting characters
in the story, but unfortunately, the heroine was not one of them. I was 3/4 of the
way through the book before I even started to relate to her.

The author was very detailed and I was fascinated by the other realms. The repair
shop scenes at times distracted me from the overall story and slowed down the
flow. There were times when the pace picked up and I would start to get drawn in
and then there would be a filler scene that stopped the momentum. I was never able
to fully commit to the story.

pros: The story has vivid details, a great secondary cast of character and a unique plot.

cons: I didn't care for the heroine and the story was tedious at times.

Two Stars

The Hockey Saint by Howard Shapiro (Review)

I received a copy of this graphic novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.I admit, I had my doubts going into the story because I am not a hockey fan nor do I know anything about the sport. I'm very happy that I gave the story a chance. The story is centered around Jeremiah Jacobson (a successful hockey player) and Tom Leonard (a star struck fan)

I have read graphic novels before. The graphics are amazing and fits with the story really well. Jeremiah was flawed, but he was still a good person. Tom was a supportive friend. For a brief moment, I questioned Tom's loyalty to Jeremiah. The author did a wonderful job of writing about how Jeremiah's life was perceived by the world versus how he really lived.

The Hockey Saint had a great story line. I could relate to the characters and the story flowed nicely. I would recommend this story and you don't have to be a hockey fan to enjoy it.

4 STARS

Reign of Malice by Joseph Hendon (Review)

I received a copy of Reign of Malice from storycartel.com in exchange
for an unbiased review.

I read the book description and thought this would be a different type of fantasy. Kevin/Trama is a flawed and dark individual. He's a killer in every sense of the word. He kills for pleasure, he kills for revenge and he kills for the sake of killing. The story is full of violence, blood and gore. There are even quite a few typos throughout the story. Now that I got all of that out the way, I must admit that this is one of the best stories that I have read. Even with all of Trama's faults, he is a true hero.

The author created a magical world filled with colorful characters and interesting creatures. Common enemies forge friendships and find love. The story has excitement, adventure, humor and a hero that you can't help but root for, flaws and all.

I would highly recommend this story and look forward to reading the next book.

5 STARS

Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern by Selah Tay-Song

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 2012

The tale of QaiMaj begins here.

War tears apart Iskalon, a cavernous world of ice, when Dynat, the half-mad King of Chraun, marshals his powerful fire warriors.

His orders: “Make Iskalon burn forever.”

In the aftermath of war, Princess Stasia of Iskalon struggles to keep the remnants of her kingdom intact. Her only hope is a prophetic Dream that may lead to a new home for her people, until she learns of a secret heritage that gives her the power to do the impossible--draw magic from both lava and ice. Using the power of fire, Stasia might change the destiny of both Chraun and Iskalon forever in . . .

Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern
Dreams of QaiMaj Book I

My Review:

I received a copy of  Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern from storycartel.com in exchange for an honest review.

I have so many high praises for this story. I love the fantasy genre. I was engrossed from the opening sentence and never once lost interest in the tale. The life of the "Icers" and the "Flames" were so vivid and detailed that I became entranced in the two worlds. The story was full of complex characters. There were really good ones such as Glace, Lark and

Princess Stasia. Dynat "The Fire King" was the epitome of evil. Medoc was different, he was in the grey area between good and evil. I really hated for the story to end, and I will definitely read the next book.

I would highly recommend this story to any fantasy lover or anyone who is looking for an interesting read.

5 STARS