Chronicles of Steele: Raven by Pauline Creeden (Review)

    This is one of my first times reading a steampunk novel, and I must say, it was a good first impression. In the Chronicles of Steele: Raven, the reader follows the cutting edge life of the reaper (assassin) Raven in a steampunk world where people ride mechanical horses and wear heat seeking goggles with their corsets and dresses. Reapers live by a code of life for a life. For every life they take, they must save a life in return to keep the balance. Raven only has to save one more life to restore the balance. One more life then she can settle down and get married to the mans she loves. Little did she know that her newest job was going to be far more then she bargained for.
    This action packed story was riveting and enrapturing.  Raven is in her own category, and is a step above ninjas.  I definitely recommend the Chronicles of Steele: Raven to all action lovers!  I give it the rating of FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!
 

Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1) by Mary Weber (Review)

    Danger, power, love, war... pretty much everything your need to make an epic novel. Storm Siren is like a Christmas gift to me, being a perfect read for the time after the family has passed out and I want to stay awake and eat more turkey... and read. Duh. I was sucked into Nym's trials and tribulations, as she faced the demons in her and around her. Mary Weber masterfully hooks a reader and drags them into a world of war and elementals... and love. Nym is an elemental, an anomaly, the only female elemental ever, and the last known elemental in the kingdom (the other were hunted into extinction).
    Now, I know some will love, and others will hate this connection.... but Nym really reminds me alot of Elsa from Frozen. With power over storms, they both tend to make big dangerous storms when emotional. They both struggle with self control, and they both learn control and love at the same time.
    I most definitely recommend Storm Siren to all (definitely to Frozen fans, without a doubt)  and I rate storm siren FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!

*Advanced Reader Copy Review*

I Remember You by Cathleen Davitt Bell (Review)

     It hurts me deep inside to read and review a bad book, but if I don't you guys might end up wasting your time, which is something I aim to prevent. So, what are my thoughts on I Remember You... I believe I can adequately compare this book to the color grey. Boring, dull, and slightly depressing.

   Yowza, I Remember You is a very long and discombobulated story that was chock full of unnecessary extra details that had no true impact whatsoever to the plot or character development. In addition, the plot development was weak and that prevents the reader from connecting and understanding the primary characters, Lucas and Juliet. Do I recommend this book? No I definitely do not. Please preserve your time, and do not spend it on I Remember You. I honestly give I Remember You the rating of two stars.

(Advance Readers Copy Review)

Christmas Countdown: Merry Christmas!!

Have a Very Merry Christmas!!

Legacy Code (Legacy Code #1) by Autumn Kalquist 

(Giveaway)

Space is a brutal home.
Three hundred years ago, the Earth died, and the last humans fled. Beaten. Broken in more ways than one. Their descendants carry the Legacy Code—mangled genes that force them to abort half their unborn children.
When Era and Dritan Corinth get placements on the safest ship in the fleet and win a chance to have a child, they feel lucky. Until the day Era's supposed to find out if her baby has the Defect, and the ship suffers a hull breach.
An investigation uncovers new threats. Dangerous secrets. Lies. Treason.
Era begins to question everything she’s been taught about the fleet, their search for a new Earth, and the Defect. But the answers she seeks were never meant to be found...
Legacy Code is a suspenseful, dark post-apocalyptic read that has earned five star reviews from fans of books like Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Rising, and has been compared favorably to Wool, 1984, and the new Battlestar Galactica.

Giveaway dates: Oct 12 - Jan 10, 2015

1 copy available,

Countries available: US, CA, and GB

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/107093-legacy-code

Christmas Countdown: Christmas Eve!

Defect: Part One, Part Two, Part Three by Autumn Kalquist 

(Giveaway)

       I never asked them to make me this way. The corporation that gave me superimmunity called me Protected. But then the truth came out, and I lost my freedom.
       I’m a genetic experiment gone wrong. Damaged.
Broken.
Defective.
      Now the Corporate Coalition hunts me and those like me, and I’ve stayed hidden off-grid for eight years. But I can’t hide forever. Something else is happening, something worse than every mistake made before. And if I have to fight to survive…I’ll fight ‘til I die. The Corporate Coalition will never take me alive.

Giveaway dates: Oct 12 - Jan 10, 2015

1 copy available,

Countries available: US, CA, and GB

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/110005-defect-part-three

Christmas Countdown: Day Twelve!

Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner

(Giveaway)

   

   A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death.
   The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.
    Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.
     For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.

Giveaway dates: Nov 24 - Dec 25, 2014

1 copy available, 

Countries available: US and CA

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/117013-ice-massacre

Christmas Countdown: Day Eleven!

Renaria - Into the Adyton (Renaria, #1) by J.L. Wilson 

(Giveaway)

     A small memento, a universal power... It’s the year 2126, post-World War V. Leda, age seventeen, bounds through the lush forested region of the Desintor Foothills as a regal, bow-wielding, High-Elf Scout. That is, when she’s logged into her favorite MMO game: Renaria.
     One crisp fall afternoon, an unseasonal storm fractures the sky of Trinton, New Texas with splinters of emerald lightning and otherworldly songs. Oddly, no one sees the storm except her brother and their guild mate Travis.
      She brushes off the event as a fluke, but she can’t seem to get the song out of her mind. Suddenly, a new quest appears in her game directing her to the blue sand dunes of the Sinare Desert to meet Caleb, a legendary Elf Diviner.
      Now she has a choice: Ignore the quest and turn off the game, or dive in and risk everything for a shot at an adventure.

Giveaway dates: Nov 17 - Dec 26, 2014

1 copy available, 

Countries available: US, CA, and GB

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/114750-renaria---into-the-adyton

Christmas Countdown: Day Ten!

Chase the Dark (Steel & Stone #1) by Annette Marie

(Giveaway)

     Piper Griffiths wants one thing in life: To become a Consul, a keeper of the peace between humans and daemons. There are precisely three obstacles in her way.
     The first is Lyre. Incubus. Hotter than hell and with a wicked streak to match. His greatest mission in life is to get Piper into bed and otherwise annoy the crap out of her. The second is Ash. Draconian. Powerful. Dangerous. He knows too much and reveals nothing. Also, disturbingly attractive — and scary. Did she mention scary?
     The third is the Sahar Stone. Top secret magical weapon of mass destruction. Previously hidden in her Consulate until thieves broke in, went on a murder spree, and disappeared with the weapon.
     And they left Piper to take the fall for their crimes.
     Now she’s on the run, her dreams of becoming a Consul shattered and every daemon in the city gunning to kill her. She’s dead on her own, but there’s no one she can trust — no one except two entirely untrustworthy daemons... See problems one and two.

Giveaway dates: Dec 03 - Dec 26, 2014

3 copies available, 

Countries available: US and CA

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/117515-chase-the-dark

Christmas Countdown: Day Nine!

Boys Don't Knit (Boys Don't Knit #1) by T.S. Easton

(Giveaway)

    Knitting is a man’s game.
    After an incident regarding a crossing guard and a bottle of Martini & Rossi (and his bonehead friends), 17-year-old worrier Ben Fletcher must develop his sense of social alignment, take up a hobby, and do some community service to avoid any further probation.
     He takes a knitting class (it was that or his father’s mechanic class) under the impression that it's taught by the hot teacher all the boys like. Turns out, it’s not. Perfect.
     Regardless, he sticks with it and comes to find that he’s a natural knitter, maybe even great. It even helps ease his anxiety and worrying. The only challenge now is to keep it hidden from his friends, his crush, and his soccer-obsessed father. What a tangled web Ben has weaved . . . or knitted.

Giveaway dates: Dec 04 - Dec 25, 2014

10 copies available,

Countries available: US and CA

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/109507-boys-don-t-knit

Christmas Countdown: Day Eight!

The Telepath Chronicles by Autumn Kalquist, Elle Casey and Peter Cawdron 

(Giveaway)

    In THE TELEPATH CHRONICLES, fourteen of today's top sci-fi writers share stories of the uncanny and unexpected.
   Telepathy. Just a far-fetched bit of science fiction “hocus pocus.” But is it? With today’s giant leaps forward in technology and biotechnology, with people constantly surrounded by sophisticated yet invisible communication networks, and with a rapidly increasing understanding of the brain’s inner workings . . . is it so hard to imagine that we might be able to develop direct mind-to-mind communication?
   Or might it not be the case that evolution alone, in the right circumstances—if not on this planet, then on others—could give rise to creatures with telepathic abilities?
    This collection of fourteen stories explores the ramifications of a future where telepathy is real. From that first glorious moment of discovery, to the subsequent jealousies and class divisions, to the dangers of weaponization and the blessings of medical miracles, The Telepath Chronicles promises to take you inside the creative minds of some of today’s top science fiction authors.

Giveaway dates: Sep 28 - Dec 27, 2014

1 copy available, 

Countries available: US, CA, GB, and many others

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/109500-the-telepath-chronicles

Christmas countdown: Day Seven!

Breaker (Ondine Quartet #4) by Emma Raveling

(Giveaway)

   War. Prophecy. Freedom.

   She fought for herself.

   She fought for friendship and love.

    Now, Kendra Irisavie fights for the survival of her world.

War rages on, leaving no one untouched. Destruction rips through elemental communities and terror flourishes in its wake. Suspicion soars, order fractures, and loyalties crumble despite Kendra’s desperate attempts to protect everyone she holds dear.

    When an organized Aquidae army launches a series of merciless assaults, Kendra and her friends set out to end the bloodshed once and for all. With the fate of elementals hanging in balance, the Shadow and sondaleur hunt each other down in a brutal match of cunning and will.

      Kendra has trained for this her entire life. But in a ravaged world where trust is scarce and no life is sacred, she soon realizes her battle may be against an invincible enemy and that her darkest days lie ahead.

      Twists and turns shape her harrowing odyssey, leading to a stunning climax that challenges everything she believes in.

     Torn between destiny and autonomy, Kendra must finally decide whether the cost of freedom is too high.

     Heartbreaking decisions, turbulent alliances, and shattering revelations collide in Breaker, the explosive conclusion to the Ondine Quartet.

Giveaway dates: Oct 14 - Jan 06, 2015

1 copy available, 

Countries available: US, CA, AU and GB

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/111959-breaker

Christmas Countdown: Day Six!

Silvern (Gilded #2) by Christina Farley

(Giveaway)

    Jae Hwa Lee has destroyed Haemosu, the dangerous demi-god that held her ancestors captive, and now she’s ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Then the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. Jae escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it.
    But Kud is stronger and more devious than Haemosu ever was. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

Giveaway dates: Oct 23 - Jan 04, 2015

1 copy available, 

Countries available: US and CA

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/113090-silvern

Christmas Countdown: Day Five!

The Assassin's Blade: The Throne of Glass Novellas (Throne of Glass 0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

(Giveaway) 

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes--and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches--and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling--and deadly--world.Included in this volume: "The Assassin and the Pirate Lord""The Assassin and the Healer""The Assassin and the Desert""The Assassin and the Underworld""The Assassin and the Empire"

Giveaway dates: Dec 05 - Mar 03, 2015

5 copies available,

Countries available: US and CA

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/104984-the-assassin-s-blade-the-throne-of-glass-novellas

I have already reviewed this book, and you can check that out here:

 http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot.ca/2014/09/the-assassins-blade-by-sarah-j-maas.html

Christmas Countdown: Day Four!

If Only We by Jessica Sankiewicz 

(Giveaway)

    They say all it takes is one wrong move and you lose the game. One false step and you’re trapped. One slip-up in your choice of words and you ruin a friendship forever. That is what they say. They say I lost.
    I do not believe them.
    At the end of the summer after graduation, Adrienne wonders what happened to cause her life to be in ruins. She isn’t getting along with her mom, her stepsister isn’t talking to her, and, to top it off, the boy she’s been in love with doesn’t want anything to do with her. She believes the turning point was a choice she made at graduation. When she wakes up the next day, she has been transported back three months to that moment, the one where everything started to fall apart.
    Adrienne realizes she has been given a second chance—and this time she doesn’t want to mess anything up. Reliving the entire summer, though, turns out to be a lot harder than she thought. As the same days and weeks go by, she starts to see how simple decisions can make a huge impact on the world around her. Despite knowing some of what lies ahead, there are some things she didn’t anticipate. She thought she knew what mistake led her to where she ended up the first time. She was wrong and by the time summer is over, she discovers what was really at stake.

Giveaway dates: Oct 26 - Dec 31, 2014

1 copy available, 

Countries available: US, CA, AU and GB

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/113402-if-only-we

Christmas Countdown: Day Two!

Angel in Training by C.L. Coffey 

(Giveaway) 

    After a night out turns fatal, a misunderstanding with the Archangel Michael presents Angel with a chance at Eternal Life: the opportunity to earn her wings and one day become an archangel herself.
   Angel is given the task of protecting her charge, trainee detective, Joshua Walsh. There's no denying the attraction between Angel and Joshua, only Michael has pretty strict rules: no drinking, no drugs, and certainly no relationships with humans. Thankfully, she's got other things to deal with, like trying to convince Joshua New Orleans has a serial killer who is preying on other angel potentials like herself.
   Angel must quickly learn that when keeping someone safe, doing the right thing is not always the easiest, especially when you've got an archangel looking over your shoulder.

Giveaway dates: Dec 01 - Jan 31, 2015

10 copies available, 

Winners will also receive mailable selection of goodies

 Countries available: US, CA, AU, GB... etc

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/116969-angel-in-training

Christmas Countdown: Day One!

To celebrate the Christmas season, I will be highlighting one Goodreads.com Young-Adult giveaway that you simply must enter, every day t'ill Christmas. Here is the Day One giveaway: 

The Determining (The Determining, #1) by Rebecca Grous (Giveaway)

       Charlotte Grey had anticipated her Determining for years, the day when a computer program would read the microchip in her wrist and decide her future. But when the results point her toward the life she'd worked so hard to avoid, she becomes painfully aware of how flawed the system is.
      Before all her chances of happiness are ripped away, Charlotte seizes the opportunity to free herself. But her rebellion has dire consequences. In the midst of fighting for the life she believes will make her happy, she discovers that she's a hotter commodity than she ever could have imagined. With her abusive father, a sadistic suitor, and a political rebel after her, asserting her independence might have been the most dangerous thing she could have done.

Giveaway dates: Nov 04 - Dec 31, 2014

3 copies available

Countries available: US, CA, AU, and GB 

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/114492-the-determining

Enlightening Bloom (Bloom Daniels #2) by Michelle Turner (Review)

    I loved the first installment of the Bloom Daniels series, Reviving Bloom (Link to review below). In this second installment, mated to their true mate, Bloom and her best friend Bonnie face a new set of problems and villains. I feel that this novel is just a short story giving the readers of Reviving Bloom fulfillment. In that aspect it succeeded, giving the reader the closure of all the characters that they crave. This is the final book in the Bloom Daniels series, but Michelle Turner has announced that she will be eventually releasing more stories from the Bloom Daniels universe, although no dates have been set. Although I wish that Enlightening Bloom had been a longer read, for its length I very much loved it and it had me crying, laughing, and sitting on the edge of my seat. I totally recommend it and its series! I give Enlightening  Bloom FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!

Link to review of Reviving Bloom: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot.ca/2014/06/reviving-bloom-by-michelle-turner-review.html

Charming by Krystal Wade (Review)

     In this new Young Adult Contemporary Suspense Thriller, Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine is sucked into a deadly plan of a mysterious psychopathy who seems to see and know her every move. Her life just goes from bad to worse. Going from being beaten by her abusive alcoholic father regularly, to having everyone in her life being in grave perilous danger, including her father and sister. In this terrifying suspenseful mystery, love blooms between Haley and the drop dead gorgeous Chris Charming. Charming is a re-write of Cinderella, with a dark twist. I found I could not set this books down for a second, aching to find out what would happen next. This story is not in anyway for the feint of heart, with its graphic and violent content. For those who can stand that content, I most definitely recommend Charming! I give Charming the rating of four out of five stars!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Anomaly (Schrodinger's Consortium #1) by Tonya Kuper (Review)

   I must admit, Anomaly definitely has interesting concept. This is definitely the first time I have ever read a book where people can pop things in and out of reality with the use of their eyes. I believe with this ability there were so many opportunities for crazy plot twists and mind boggling awesomesause. Unfortunately, these plentiful opportunists were completely ignored and cast aside. To top it, there was little to no foreshadowing to build tension. Now, on the flip-side, Anomaly has some pretty steamy romance, and good romance can go a long way for improving a story. In addition, Josie was an ideal strong and smart lead character. A reader, especially a nerdy reader, would love her and all of her references. The constant Star Wars, Star Trek and Avengers references spoke to the soul of the nerd inside me. Even though the story did not reach it's potential, it definitely was not terrible in the least. I do recommend this book to nerdy romance lovers wanting a quick read. I give Tonya’s book Anomaly the rating of three and a half stars!

Thunder (Stone Braide Chronicles #1) by Bonnie S. Calhoun (Review)

   That was boring. After the first few chapters of Thunder, the story became very boring and erratic. The odd switches in perspective was not distinguished well, and felt like fillers. They seemed to take away the mystery away more then anything. The romantic relationship in this story was so badly developed, it was fetus. In too many ways the story-line was all over the place, and many things were left as a loose end by the conclusion of the story. For example: what the heck happened to the father?? He seemed so terrible and dangerous, and then he suddenly just dropped out of the story, never to be mentioned again. This is just one of many things that occurred  in Thunder that ruined the experience. Now, the one thing that was the saving grace of Thunder was those first three or four interesting chapters. They prevented the rating from going down to a one star. I give Thunder the rating of two out of five stars.