Once Taken by Blake Pierce

May 19, 2016July 18, 2016Leave a comment

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Hellllllo readers, hope you’re well and ready for another review for yours truly. I’m really into crime books at the moment – I’ve really gone off funny or romance books so there could be a few of these coming your way. Anyway, I read this book a little while back but I just hadn’t quite got round to writing a review and posting for you. I found this author just by searching on Amazon, finding her first book and buying it – WHICH NEVER HAPPENS, and I decided to buy the second book – so enjoy.

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Women are being murdered in upstate New York, their bodies found mysteriously hanging in chains. With the FBI called in, given the bizarre nature of the murders—and the lack of any clues—there is only one agent they can turn to: Special Agent Riley Paige.

Riley, reeling from her last case, is reluctant to take on a new one, since she is still convinced a former serial killer is out there, stalking her. She knows, though, that her ability to enter a serial killer’s mind and her obsessive nature is what will be needed to crack this case, and she just can’t refuse—even if it will push her over the edge.

Riley’s search takes her deep into a killer’s deluded mind as it leads her to orphanages, mental hospitals, prisons, all in an effort to understand the depth of his psychosis. Realizing she is up against a true psychopath, she knows time is short before he strikes again. But with her own job on the line and her own family a target, and with her fragile psyche collapsing, it may all be too much for her—and too late.

So, as like the first book ( YOU CAN READ MY REVIEW HERE.) this book follows the exciting life of Riley as she struggles to pull herself together at the end of the first book. She finds a number of pebbles in her bed which she is 99.9% sure have been left by the serial killer that tried to take her life. But, there’s a new case to be solved; bodies are mysteriously appearing wrapped in chains and hung up for all to see. Riley must try to put the past behind her whilst solving the case and keeping one eye open at all times.

So, what did I think? I actually really enjoyed this book and although part of me preferred the story (in terms of the murders) during the first book, I found the use of the chains and the interesting character of the killer exciting to read about. It’s odd with crime books because you kind of get into the head of the killer and this author does it incredibly well. Riley has this almost second sense when it comes to reading a crime scene, and although throughout we get a little look at the what the killer is thinking and the motives, we do get to follow Riley and see how she manages to piece everything together.

Once again I thought the numerous secondary plot-lines were really well interlinked. Using a past crime from Riley’s life that we haven’t really got to experience (it happens before the first book) means we’re constantly on edge trying to piece together what has happened. I thought using Riley’s daughter a little more was really intriguing and I like the play-off between the two in their relationship as mother and daughter. The writing as before is really punchy, it moves quickly but not so fast that you’re gabbling to keep up. Instead it builds and builds until we reach the exciting climax.

The only slight wobble I had was at the end – no spoilers, but it was a little well tied up this time and I’m interested to see how the third is integrated into the story-line. It has been a little while since I read this so there might have been more of a link to the next but it doesn’t stick in my mind. Overall I think I enjoyed the first book more, I think it was creepier and I always struggle a little if we get too much from the killer’s point of view which I find we do here. I think to really amp up the excitement it needs to be kept more of a secret. Either way, I still would give this a solid 3*’s and can’t wait to read the next.

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A Darker Shade of Sorcery by William Collins

April 18, 20163 Comments

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Heeeellllo readers, hope you’re well – I’m sorry I’ve been a little bit quieter recently. We’ve had some really heartbreaking news recently (my family,) and it’s been a bit of a shock to be honest with you. It came after just not feeling like myself and then to suddenly get hit by a really devastating piece of news was just, horrible. So, I’ve been a little quiet. Give me a week or so, and hopefully all will be a little better.

The lonely and grieving Evan Umbra is the newest Venator to enter Veneseron, the school for demon hunters.

A Venator is a wizard, a spy and a demon hunter rolled into one. They’re taught how to wield their sorcery and enchanted weaponry by orcs, elfpires and aliens alike. Their missions range from battling monsters and saving countless lives in the multiple worlds, to the more peculiar, like wrangling killer unicorns and calming down drunken yetis.

But it soon becomes apparent that Evan is more than just a Venator. Everyone wants to kill or capture him, from demons to Dark-Venators and even people he’s supposed to be able to trust.

Evan reckons he probably won’t survive his first year at Veneseron.

So, the blurb for this book was really really long so I cut it down and now I’m going to re-write this so that might be a little silly but you know me. The book follows the life of Evan, who grows up with his Gran, up to her death. His life now is plagued by a number of bullies and a number of terrifying nightmares. There is also a girl named Brooke; who has always struggled with her family – neither have ever felt particularly close to their homes and it’s because they have magic within them. Brought to Veneseron, ( a little like Harry was brought to Hogwarts,) they learn how to use their magic to save the innocent, but it’s not going to be easy.

So what did I think? Firstly, this book was really FULL ON. You’re immediately thrown straight into the action. If I’m honest because it was so full on I did struggle a little to kind of sink into the book but as I pushed through I found myself unable to put it down if I’m honest. It gains a bit of a rhythm. So don’t stop – once the additional characters start flooding in it all flows again. All of the main characters are really well written with gorgeous character profiling. There are a hell of a lot of characters so I won’t go into each, but they have full-bodied profiles and brilliantly built-up throughout (especially Evan who I really adored.)

There are also a hella number of exciting demons and different shape-shifters and they are so unique. With different body-parts and different powers and qualities each was incredibly original and just part of the fun. It really added a dark edge to the book. The writing is also really brilliantly done; it’s a mix between, action, magic and full on demon fighting. I’ve seen the book being described as like Harry Potter; I get the comparison but this is a lot more gutsy. It doesn’t hold back and because of that we get a full-on in your face whistle stop ride and loved it. Every minute of it, although this author definitely owes me some sleep!

The only slight wobble I would suggest is that I found when we first made it into the world, there wasn’t a lot of time spent creating the world and that it would have helped to place the reader in the new environment. There’s a number of really intense scenes quite soon after we enter the new world and that would be the perfect time to throw in a bit more description about the landscape, but that’s a minor wobble.

So what did I think? I always say this but I don’t like fantasy books that much only a few hold my attention and this one did. From the beginning I loved the writing style – it’s very descriptive and doesn’t gloss over things. I did think a more extensive description of the world could have been included but that’s really only because everything else was so spot on. This author is one to keep an eye on, because I’m expecting big things.

Linkkkkks

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I came to find a girl by Jaq Hazell

April 11, 2016July 18, 20161 Comment

Heeeelllloo readers, hope you’re well! Not quite sure what happened with my scheduling today – all the quote and image posts have kinda clumped together which is a bit annoying! I haven’t been reading as much this month so if there is a little bit of a drop off with reviews I apologise, I just need a bit of time to read a hella lot of books and then get back in but we’ll see – for now a book I was supposed to read/review FOREVER AGO. So, with masssssive apologies, for the length of time it’s been with me, the review.

“I was happy to hear Flood was dead. I wasn’t as happy as I thought I’d be, but I was happy all the same.”

A complex game of cat and mouse in the seedy streets of Nottingham ends in death. Young artist Mia Jackson is compelled to watch the posthumous video diaries of Jack Flood – controversial bad boy of the London art world and convicted serial killer. Can Mia allow Drake Gallery to show Aftermath, in their retrospective of his work? Muse or victim, why was she allowed to survive?

So, did I enjoy this? Erm, yes. Yes I did. You know that feeling when you read a lot of thriller type books you can get a little bogged down and they feel a little tired; well not this one – books like this are the reason why thriller’s are forever in my top genre’s for reading. The book follows the compelling story following the disappearances of a number of girls in and around Mia’s life. Our main character, an art student in her final year of university and living in Nottingham, needs to focus on her ‘finale’ but something scary is going on. When her close friend Jenny also goes missing and with a certain Jack Flood in the picture, who keeps appearing in and out of her life Mia must ask- is he the reason for the missing girls? How is this all linked to her? Where have the girls gone? You’ll have to read to find out.

So onto the nitty-gritty – the writing is stunning. It has such a wide lens for observations inside the story line so you constantly feel drawn into the narrative, you’re almost in the mind of Mia. A description that I’ve seen mentioned a number of times, describes this perfectly;

“Boys with shaved heads and sharp suits stood in a Reservoir Dogs group while a Jesus lookalike in an artfully torn T-shirt popped something in his mouth.”

It just flows beautifully. In terms of the dialogue it feels real – there’s no rambled passages, everything is realistic; clipped dialogue of real people. Additionally much of the story is told through the lens of a camera that is used to record a documentary film. At first it feels a little stilted and difficult to read but as I progressed through the book it felt more and more natural. It’s a brilliant way to cover a lot of ground quickly, but in a way that makes the story still feel grounded and yet somehow more exciting. I don’t want to spoil anything because you HAVE to read this – but Jack holds his character throughout, and making him a main character of the book definitely helped keep my attention. I hated him, don’t get me wrong, but I LOVED reading about him.

I loved the mystery that was woven throughout the story and as I came to the end I felt almost as though the book came to natural end rather than a massive explosive ending and for once that worked in a thriller book. Mia, is also beautifully written and many of the secondary characters are woven in and create a real world of the book. I don’t want to spoil you getting to meet Mia if that makes sense, but she makes a number of beautiful and brilliant observations;

“It’s a supermarket world and we are merely stock items pre-stamped: Best Before, Display Until, Sell By, Use By – only we don’t know the exact date.”

There’s so much more to this book than meets the eye.

So did I enjoy? Yes, yes and yes again. A book that is full of dark and light and all the shades of the palette. It’s an earthy book full of mystery beautiful characters and a real gem. One to add to your tbr now. Yes, NOW.

Linnnksssss

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Bloodline by Mark Billingham

April 9, 2016March 31, 20162 Comments

Hellllo readers – SUPER INTERESTING BOOK TODAY. I read a book by Mark Billingham called Buried and it’s the first book in ages that has made me really angry. I thought it was going to be amazing and it was just rubbish, really rubbish. Any, spoke to my sister a weekend or so ago and told her how annoyed I was and she told me I had read the crap book she had by him and to read this one. AND? Well, it was FANTASTIC and I’m going to tell you why.

It seems like a straightforward domestic murder until a bloodstained sliver of X-ray is found clutched in the dead woman’s fist – and it quickly becomes clear that this case is anything but ordinary.

Thorne discovers that the victim’s mother had herself been murdered fifteen years before by infamous serial killer Raymond Garvey. The hunt to catch Garvey was one of the biggest in the history of the Met, and ended with seven women dead.

When more bodies and more fragments of X-ray are discovered, Thorne has a macabre jigsaw to piece together until the horrifying picture finally emerges. A killer is targeting the children of Raymond Garvey’s victims.

Thorne must move quickly to protect those still on the murderer’s list, but nothing and nobody are what they seem. Not when Thorne is dealing with one of the most twisted killers he has ever hunted…

A chilling, relentlessly paced thriller, Bloodline is the most gripping Tom Thorne novel yet.

So, I’m not going to go into too much detail about the blurb because it’s all there – it’s a very extensive blurb actually and I don’t want to give away any more plot spoilers. The book throws us straight into the action; Debbie and her challenged son Jason are about to jump from a bridge in front of a train. Then we’re whipped away, back to the death a young woman who is found with a piece of plastic found in her hand. DCI Thorne needs to find the motive behind the murder. At this point Thorne and his girlfriend Louise find out some really horrible news – the author really works around this and uses it within the plot to create subplots that integrate with the murder investigation really well.

The writing is really exciting; the crime ^ as explained the blurb annoyingly, is really exciting. The murders come thick and fast and Thorne has to try and place them together, their time of death and why it’s all happening. There are twists and turns, there’s a red herring or two, it’s fast paced and exciting and it’s just great. Later on we get to see into the mind of the murder, which I normally dislike. I kind of like to feel like I’m only in the mind of the detective so you’re fully engaged in the plot from the detective POV but it worked. It was just enough. I loved that Hendricks was back; a little wobble I wish we got to learn more about him, the heavily tattooed and pierced pathologist is a really big part of the story and I just wish I got to know more about him.

As always Tom Thorne is the disallusioned detective you just can’t help but love – he has this hard exterior and yet as he has to deal with the stresses and emotional pain of the situation he and Louise are in, it means he’s constantly evolving and changing and although we never get a description as such of him, we create Thorne in our own minds making him a lot more personal and helping us interact with him. Additionally unlike Buried although there were lots of characters, they were written and had enough characteristics to distinguish between them.

So, the big question – what did I think? I loveddd this book, it had everything I wanted from a crime thriller – in contrast to Buried, the murder was really well constructed; it was integrated throughout, the murdered was constantly involved. One of the major wobbles with Buried was when I got to the end I didn’t know who the murderer was! Here I was so engaged I didn’t want to put this down, and immediately after picked up another Billingham book. Overall, this is much better than Buried and I can’t wait to read more!

Linnnks

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Baggage by S.G. Redling

March 24, 2016March 22, 20162 Comments

Helllllllo readers, hope you’re well. I’ve got some superrrr exciting books for you this week – the first thing I need to do is apologise because I was asked to read and review this book forever ago and I read it and then the review kind of got stashed in my ‘must-post-on-the-internet’ pile. But here we are, on the internet and with a super brilliant review (hopefully) sooooo, enjoy.

Over the years, terrible things keep happening to Anna Ray on February 17. First, there was the childhood trauma she’s never been able to speak about. Then, to her horror, her husband killed himself on that date.

A year later and a thousand miles away, Anna tries to find solace in the fresh start of a new job in a new place. She takes comfort in her outspoken cousin Jeannie, the confidant and best friend who’s there whenever she needs help. On the day of the dreaded anniversary, Anna and Jeannie hit the town, planning to ease the pain with an alcohol-induced stupor and then sleep…

When Anna awakes the next morning, she thinks she can put one more February 17 behind her, but fate is about to intervene in the form of two gruesome murders with eerie similarities to her violent past. This time, however, she won’t be an abandoned daughter or a grieving widow. This time, she’ll be a suspect.

So the book follows the life of Anna Shuler Rayler who is a 29 year old school counselor who when she goes to work on February 18th finds that the school she works at is surrounded by police, detectives, and the whole college is covered in crime tape. Finding that a colleague of her’s has been brutally murdered, Ellis Trachtenberg, just the day before. A day of hell for Anna that she thought would forever be forgotten and yet now, a year later she is rising to the top of a suspect list. As it becomes more and more apparent that Anna needs to find out what happened and clear her name her past that she has worked hard to keep locked away is coming close to being revealed to all.

So what did I think? I thought that the characters were really well built; I kept swapping between Anna and Jeannie and how I felt about both of them. At times I really struggled with Anna and then I would swap back to Jeannie and it definitely kept me completely consumed with the plot and what was going to happen. I thought the writing was a little slow to start off with, but after a chapter or so it definitely started to move forward – the writing had real suspense, the swapping from past to present worked incredibly well and I thought the big showdown towards the end (#nospoilers) was reallllly great. I thought the author was also brilliant at creating a really descriptive landscape to hold the book together.

I really liked the continuous swapping between the crime and also what was happening in terms of the life of Anna; we see her struggling to contain her past and using drink as a way of coping and this leads to a really interesting understanding of the main character. The author works had to contain all of these sub-plots together at once and overall I think it worked really well. There is an interesting concept worked in around some letters – I think this could have been developed more – I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone but it did leave me wanting more in terms of their involvement in the book.

The only wobbles were that I thought that there were a lot of unnecessary details and when a book is kind of short it took away from the rest of the plot-line and made the movement of the book a little sluggish. I thought more suspects could have been easily incorporated to make it a little more exciting and add a little more suspense. I also found, and don’t hate me, that being inside the head of Anna for a little while became a little tiresome; she is an addict, she does exhibit a typical addict behavior but over time it does become a little tiring. The only final wobble was a cliffhanger ending – I just wish more of the loose ends had been tied up but that’s a smaller issue for me.

Overall I would definitely recommend this – I think if you’re a reader that likes thriller books that have a family feel to them and mix that into the suspense this will be brilliant read for you and also, if you like thrillers that have NO ROMANCE, this will definitely be one for you. A solid read with a few wobbles but a book I really enjoyed.

Linnnnnks

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The One You Love by Emma Holden

March 12, 2016March 12, 20165 Comments

Helllllllo readers, it’s another day, another dip into Lizzo’s Amazon history, which sounds a little odd. I’ve read so many books and yet I have reviewed so few of them. Not completely sure how I’ve missed so many but I’m getting round to then. This is a book I read in 2013 which is a long time ago but I really remember this one. It was one that I couldn’t finish when reading and that’s maybe why I chose not to. But I’m pretty sure of my final outcome so lets give it a go.

Days before their wedding, during their last separate nights of hard-partying singledom, Emma Holden’s fiance has gone missing. Not only has Dan disappeared without a trace, his brother is found beaten and left for dead, and may not wake up from a coma. Without any evidence, suspicion for the attempted murder falls on Dan – but Emma refuses to believe his guilt.

When crime scene photos get splashed across the pages of London tabloids, Emma knows that someone is following her. Watching her. It is an old, familiar feeling, though no less terrifying. A long-hidden family secret seems to unite Emma’s troubled past with her dangerous present. As time runs out her trust in her family, her friends — and Dan — faces an ultimate test.

So, as the blurb suggests the book follows the complete nightmare that happens to Emma Holden. One night her fiancé disappears, and all that is left is the battered and bruised body of his brother in their London apartment. To add to the horror she is now being stalked and is under the gaze of someone who is watching her every move. Emma must uncover the truth not only to find out what happened to her finance but also clear his name as to the attack of his brother (Richard.)

So how did this turn into a DNF at the time for me? Well, it’s just a bit confusing really. It looks like we’re in for a really exciting thriller/who dunnit. Well it just feels a little non-committal. Firstly the main characters are really tiring; Emma is so confusing, waspish and deluded to be completely honest with you. Her finance goes missing and our little Emma doesn’t contact any of her family or his family – for a minute you would be forgiven thinking Emma did it if she wasn’t so dim-witted. At times she flouts the law a number of times (not that the police notice,) and she constantly makes silly comments and she very rarely visits her fiance’s poor brother.

There were so many characters that did so many things I didn’t expect them too; very rarely the police stepped in, other than to clear up the mess Emma was making. Richard (the brother,) bless him, came very close to being killed in the hospital due to no-one seemingly noticing a complete stranger walking over to a potential murder victim and just you know bend completely over him – no one even noticed. The police, the nurses, no ID required – WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS BOOKISH WORLD.

In terms of the writing the author kept repeating and repeated what had happened as though the reader had simultaneously forgotten the last page they had read, or maybe it was for Emma’s lack of brain, seeing as she seemed to have forgotten her fiancés brother was desperately ill in hospital. It’s also very bitty – for example at one point Emma is in a rowdy pub and her phone rings; she thinks the conversation won’t be heard so she goes outside and then repeats this to the person on the end of the line of the phone; you can understand how frustrating that is. Allllll the way through.

The ending parts (which I read through before reviewing) are also equally odd; there were so many things to be said, so many people to reconcile and yet there was none of it; nothing was really said. There was so much potential to make the ending really warm and engaging but instead it fell completely flat. It was such a shame as well because there was space there to bring the book together and make the reader feel more engaged at the end but it was missed.

There were also lots of odd parts in the book that made little sense; at one point a character seems to talk to himself, one chapter makes no sense at all, the police tale reasoned an alibi safe from a woman that suffers from dementia and used her as a viable witness. The version I read was littered with mistakes, errors, spelling wobbles. These have since apparently been wiped out but at the time of reading this only added to the confusion.

I’ve gone on long enough; this book really struggled. I think there’s potentially a really good book here based on the really basic plot-line but for everything else, this really doesn’t work at all.

Liiiiiinnnkkks

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Once Gone by Blake Pierce

February 4, 2016February 4, 20162 Comments

Helllllllo readers, hope you’re well and all happy bunnies. I’m on day 5 of dry February which feels pretty damn awesome still although tomorrow could be a struggle after the week I’ve had. However, today, it’s still Thursday but I’ve got a fantastic book to tell you about. Without further Lizzo warbling, onto the review.

Women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige.

Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing.

Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined.

I’m going to do something a little less Lizzy and going to go straight into the review because I think the blurb gives enough away already. The first thing I have to mention is this book was free, and I know what you’re thinking free books are normally a little bit watery. This is full on whack – immediately we are thrown into the action; there’s barely time to take a breath and we’re in the horrifying atmosphere, tied up with a young woman who is terrified for her life. From here we’re taking on a rip-rolling adventure, with red-herrings, murders, terrifying back-stories and intriguing characters.

In terms of the characters we follow the story of Riley and her partner in the FBI Bill. Riley is struggling with her past and a terrifying event that happened on her last case. Currently taking leave from the force she is pulled back to her job needed for her intense ability to put herself in the shoes of the murderer. Her past story is fed into the tale to add intrigue and interest and I did wonder whether I was reading the second book in the series (I wasn’t I must add.) Bill is her lovable partner who has a lot of respect for Riley and constantly supports her. Both help to give the tale depth.

In terms of plot it does move quickly and I have seen a number of reviews that have commented it moves too fast. For me, I don’t think it does although I think an extra 150-200 page wouldn’t have hurt I’m not sure that it wouldn’t have reaaaaly added anything and could have been a little bit of over-waffling so I’m not complaining. The writing is really excellent; it builds suspense and mystery and also weaves in a number of sub-plots that are well-written and add to the drama. The writing is gutsy, full of intrigue and exciting elements. It honestly drew me and kept me there.

The only wobbles come towards the end which I will try to explain without spoiling the plot. We see the backstory of the main character and how it affects her and yet she follows the complete same actions knowing how dangerous it is. I did actually take a minute to stop and say to myself ‘girl – what are you doing’ because it felt like exactly the same actions all over again. Additionally there are parts that feel a little over the top and we do spend a lot of time in the main characters mind for me it worked but only just. It’s a little bit dense.

However the ending is superb and will 100% be tuning in to the next book, if it’s half as good as this one, this reader will be a happy bunny.

Linnnnnks

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The Lafayette Campaign: a Tale of Deception and Elections by Andrew Updegrove

January 28, 2016January 18, 2016Leave a comment

Heeeeelooooo readers, I’ve recently been getting back into my reading after a couple of months struggle and I forgot how much fun reading could be? I know that sounds a little odd but it’s just been something I haven’t felt like doing. I’ve also found myself reaching for books I would never normally read – science fiction if I’m honest and it’s been really eye-opening. Without further delay onto a super exciting tale by Andy Updegrove.

America is rushing headlong into another election year, but something is wrong – the polls don’t match reality. It’s up to cybersecurity super sleuth Frank Adversego to find the Black Hats who are trying to hack the presidential election, and stop them before they do.

The action begins when a nameless government agency recruits Adversego to find out who’s manipulating the polls, but he soon learns that the voting results are at risk as well. From then on, it’s a race against time to see who will stop who as the presidential election – and Adversego’s life – hang in the balance.

In this latest Frank Adversego thriller, you’ll meet a scheming Native American casino manager, a scrum of presidential candidates too incredible to be believed anywhere outside of a real American election, a former Secretary of Defense who will stop at nothing, and an attractive French hitchhiker that Adversego rescues in the middle of a desert, and soon wishes he hadn’t. The Lafayette Campaign provides a satirical take on American politics and our infatuation with technology that will make readers pause and wonder: could this really happen?

As the blurb suggests the book follows on from the previous tale and we’re straight back into the giddy, exciting, science-fiction but relatable feel that Andy gave him during our first book. From the blurb you can see that the plot line follows the terrible doings of a nameless government agency who decides to recruit Frank to find out who really is interfering and manipulating the polls and what can be done to stop them. As he delves further in his finds that the voting results are also at risk and everything must be done to stop this from happening before the results of the Presidential Election. Will Frank be able to solve the mystery? All will be revealed.

Did I enjoy reading this? Yes – HELL YES. As like in the first book Updegrove really manages to weave in an old-school American vibe and then manages to bring it completely up-to-date with a gritty, thriller style feel. It’s done so well – and even better than in the first book and helps to cement Frank’s character – he’s really beginning to become a protagonist I really want to follow and keep reading over and over again.

As with the first book there are look of technical passages that did lead at time to me getting a little confused. They’re written well it’s just with me having limited knowledge I did get the feeling of being overwhelmed but I thought the author dealt with this really well. The slightly old-fashioned narrative style mixed with the very up-to-date jargon allows for an intriguing mash-up of qualities if that makes sense. On one hand we have the contemporary technology and on the other we have the use of democratic voting which works realllllly well together.

In terms of the writing style I loved the mix of dialogue and then gritty tale telling – in thrillers, especially ones that revolve around technology it can get a little bogged down in the telling of the tale but here the mix is brilliant. There are lots of twists and turns to keep up with, which kept me intrigue and for me kept me on track with everything that was going on around me. Once again, as with the previous book it definitely has a feel of threat for the future and to act as a warning. Throughout it is a terrifying tale which only added to the action inside the plot-line. The idea that we’re in a time currently where this could happen.

Frank as always is brilliant – he’s such a strong willed, character who although keeps himself to himself has such a warmth. I liked that the author added a little romance for our main protagonist to add another side-story and to create a little side-plot which I thought was brilliant. It helped to make the main character feel a little more human

Overall I definitely enjoyed this book – it had so much more to it, it appealed in so many more ways and it made me fall for Frank so much more. Cannot wait to see what happens next.

Linnnnks

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Death Wish (Ceruleans #1) by Megan Tayte

January 21, 2016January 21, 2016Leave a comment

Helllllo readers, it’s Thursday I’m still going strong with the reviews from 2015! I’m going to write a really in-depth post about my current reading slump and how I’m constantly trying to ignore it by catching up with all the books I’ve read but are yet to get written up and posted about! If anyone has any really simple tips for helping with difficulties picking up a book then please comment below and help me. For now onto the review of a lovely fantasy tale.

IN SEARCH OF THE MEANING OF DEATH, SHE’LL FIND THE MEANING OF LIFE.

The Ceruleans: mere mortals infused with power over life and death. Five books; one question: If the might of the heavens were in your hands, would you be sinner or saint?

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Blake is haunted by death. Her estranged sister has made the ultimate dramatic exit. Running away from school, joining a surfing fraternity, partying hard: that sounds like Sienna. But suicide? It makes no sense.

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Scarlett comes to an isolated English cove with grand plans to uncover the truth. Alone. But she hasn’t reckoned on meeting two boys who are determined to help her. Luke: the blue-eyed surfer who’ll see the real Scarlett, who’ll challenge her, who’ll save her. And Jude: the elusive drifter with a knack for turning up whenever Scarlett’s in need.

As Scarlett’s quest for the truth unravels, so too does her grip on reality as she’s always known it. Because there’s something strange going on in this little cove. A dead magpie circles the skies. A dead deer watches from the undergrowth. Hands glow with light. Warmth. Power.

As the blurb suggests the book follows the story of Scarlett Blake who has recently lost her sister to suicide. Confused by the sudden turn of events she returns to the last place her sister was seen to try and piece together what really happened. Once there she starts to realise that all is not quite as it appears and that there are secrets surrounding the suicide that need to be explained – it just might be that Scarlett is the only one that can truly find out the truth, oh as well as the help provided by Luke: the blue-eyed surfer and Jude: the elusive drifter.

With the premise done onto the actual review – I thought Scarlett was really well written; her strength after the death of her sister and her constant want to find strength and not believe in what she’s being told was both exciting and helped to add pace to the tale. At times she does struggle with her self-esteem and she does have a few moments where she struggles deeply with her emotions and does make rash decisions which are understandable in the situation. Both Luke and Jude are great additions to the story adding intrigue and mystery with their contrasting personalities plus there is a theme of romance for you love-lovers.

The writing style is beautiful and lyrical and definitely spins the reader on an adventure, I did feel myself sucked wholly into the book in a way that I couldn’t put it down despite having little wobbles with Scarlett. The writing style also helps to create relatable and realistic characters. In terms of the plot I liked how original it was – it was unlike a lot of paranormal stories I have read before and I liked the continuing mystery not only surrounding the supposed suicide but also surrounding Scarlett and her own story. One wobble from this is that we don’t find out what is happening till very late in the story and this potentially opens more questions that it answers making it an unfulfilled read in some ways.

The only additional wobble was the ending and it seems that I’m not the only one – the use of the cliffhanger for me is a struggle because when we go to pick up the next book, unless it’s straight there, we lose something. Hints to the next tale may have worked better but that’s just me. However overall this is a brilliant read – it’s a difficult book to really review because I don’t want to spoil the twists and turns but overall good quality writing, a brilliant story that sucks you in and brilliant twist! Well worth a read.

Linkkks

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