Tuesday, January 16, 2018

‘Book of Souls’ (Gods of Egypt, #1) by Nadine Nightingale

4 stars

Do you remember the 1999 movie ‘The Mummy’ starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz?  The **good** movie version of the ‘The Mummy’?  Well, I do and I loved it!

‘Book of Souls’ reminds me a lot of that movie.  Narrating main character, Nisha, is the daughter of an Egyptian who thinks she hallucinates visions of Anubis, the Egyptian God of Death, each time she is nearby someone who is about to die.  Her physical proximity to tragic accidents and the dying have granted her a rather nasty reputation around town, which in turn takes a toll on her self-esteem.  Nisha tries to remain under the radar, as everyone from the most popular cheerleader in school to the town’s police chief express their dislike for her. 

Then Blaze moves to town, set on getting to know Nisha and reminding her subconscious of past lives.  It doesn’t help that his good looks are turning all the girl’s heads and that his MMA skill has half the guys wanting to learn from him.  Though Nisha is attracted to the charming London-native, she tries to keep her distance; both to detract attention from herself and to keep him safe.  After all, she believes proximity to her leads to death.  Luckily for readers, Blaze wears her down and gets close (in a clean-YA way).

Unlike most high school-based YA novels where the main character is somehow ‘different’ or ‘other,’ it was nice to see that Nisha is not a loner.  Her cousin is supportive of her, rather than her main bully, and the girls have several friends who all hang out together.  That she takes part in typical teenage banter is a nice change.

Can’t wait to read the next entry in the Gods of Egypt series!  ‘Book of Souls’ will be available on February 9th.

Perfect for fans of YA and mythology, including Lindsey Fairleigh’s ‘Echo’ series.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.  

Friday, January 12, 2018

‘An Urchin of Means’ (The Baker Street Series #1) by April White

5 stars!

Historical Fiction and Fantasy author April White has done it again!  She has created a charming and elegant fictional narrative with origins in factual history.  This time we follow Ringo Devereux, an important secondary character first introduced in the time travel series 'The Immortal Descendants,' as he associates with literary figures Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle in Victorian London.  Crimes are afoot and the authors become fascinated by Ringo’s deductive skills and ability to solve mysteries.

It was wonderful to read of Ringo and his wife Charlie in their native time period, as I have immensely enjoyed 'The Immortal Descendants’ series, but readers do not need a working knowledge of that series in order to enjoy this book.

I look forward to reading about Ringo’s next adventure in ‘The Baker Street Series’.  ‘An Urchin of Means’ is currently available for pre-order and releases on January 30, 2018.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.  

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

‘The Firethorn Crown’ (Firethorn Chronicles #1) by Lea Doué

4.5 stars

‘The Firethorn Crown’ is a re-imagining of the fairy tale ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’ and the start of a charming series of re-told fairy tales set within the same world.  It helps that there are twelve different princesses, rather than just a few; more storylines to follow and characters to meet.

This first book introduces readers to all twelve of the sisters, their parents, and several would-be suitors, and lays the foundation of the way magic and curses work in this fictional world.  The storyline here focuses mostly on the eldest sister, Lily, and the curse she stumbles into by accepting an item at the hand of a sorcerer.  As in the original tale, she and her sisters are made to dance each night until their slippers are worn through, and unable to speak about their situation.  Luckily there were several smart and observant friends nearby to help the princesses break the curse.

Not only was the writing superb, but author Lea Doué gifts us with beautiful descriptions of the castle and its grounds, the underground kingdom, and of all the princesses’ dresses.  She also added a variety of dragon species, which helped the fairy tale take on more of a fantasy feel.  Perfect YA fun!

The Firethorn Chronicles are currently available on Kindle Unlimited and frequently go on sale.