Berserker (Berserker #1) by Emmy Laybourne (Review)

       Hanne is a Berserker. She goes into violent killing rages that cannot be stopped whenever the people she loves are threatened. And as much as she wants to protect them, she hates the killing, she hates being a killer. When things go off the rails, she and her family must flee to search for her uncle, her only hope to learn how to control her "gift". Along the way she and her siblings flee to the wild west and meet a handsome and honourable cowboy that will help them flee in their mad dash to safety.
       I surprisingly got really into this story. It took a moment to get into it, but all things considered, I became invested in Hanne and her siblings fairly quickly. I also liked that the world was structured around a key set of rules and myths, and actually held to them... (for the most part). They follow the rules enough at least that I was successfully able to find my bearings in the universe and experience it as if its mythology was actually moderately realistic. This story was definitely character driven and that felt like a major strength of its story telling. The readers are really led to feel a lot for these characters and to feel their pains and triumphs. The characters were also very dynamic, from the passive big (in stature) brother, to the snippy and selfish younger sister. These characters were more real then what you would find in some contemporary literature, and for that reason as well as many others, I give Berserker the rating of FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett (Review)

      In a world of money and prestige, Greer is the odd one out. She is not a rich socialite, she is an average middle class girl that is in the world of STAGS (a prestigious school stuck in the midivil times) on a special scholarship. Although elitist and snooty, the school seemed pretty normal, at least until a strange invite arrives to go "Huntin', Shootin', Fishing'" with the Medievals (the richest and most powerful of the school). From there things start falling apart. Who will survive the weekend? What are they really hunting, shooting and fishing?

      Not as exciting as I thought it would be. If I'm honest, I assumed that there would be more action and insane twists in this story then there actually was. With the synopsis hinting at human hunting and a giant hunger-games level drama story, I was pretty underwhelmed. I thought that the build up was too slow for that much of an underwhelming reveal. For human killers, the killers really don't seem that committed to getting things done and done right. They seemed to just settle for just scaring their victims... their victims they had been intending to MURDER! It made no sense. Anyway, didn't love it, but it was okay all things considered so I give it the rating of THREE AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

The Empress (The Diabolic #2) by S.J. Kincaid (Review)

    The second instalment in the Diabolic series, the Empress takes off from where Diabolic leaves off. Tyrus has ascended to the throne and he and Diabolic have many more problems in there way. They need to get the Excess and the Grandiloquy on their side if they are to have even a hope of changing the galaxy and stopping malignant space. Through all of this, they have to fight to survive and guard their backs from traitors and back stabbers who would wish to dethrone them.
      I liked the Empress, but it was a bit too dark for me to like. Unlike the gradual hopefulness you find in the previous novel, Diabolic, the Empress takes all that and shatters all your hope. Everything you dreamed up in the first book, nope say good-bye to those things. This books just slowly crushes all your dreams. I'm really hoping that the next instalment takes things back to a hopeful instalment, because presently my heart and head hurts from reading this instalment. That aside, the novel was engaging and really caught my attention. I'm not really sure what the message of the series is aiming to be, I guess I'll have to wait until the last instalment to figure that out. Ultimately, its not bad, and I for the most part enjoyed it. I give it the rating of FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Blood and Sand by C. V. Wyk (Review)

       An epic gender bent historical story, Blood and Sand takes the famous figure of Spartacus and asks the question, what if this epic gladiator was a woman? Exciting and heart pounding, Blood and Sand is incredible immersive and well writing. Fascinating from the beginning to the end, it is definitely a page turner that had me addicted and bingeing from the get-go. Attia (a.k.a Spartacus) is a warrior princess captured into slavery of the Romans. Given as a prize to a hunky gladiator, Xanthus. Together they will fight to survive and maybe, just maybe, fight for freedom and revenge.

       I loved Blood and Sand. I truly desperately hope that there is a second novel in the works, but as of right now, there doesn't seem to be one (which kills me on the inside). The narrative voice was strong and clear from the first paragraph and it didn't seem to take a while to get into the story like most other novels do. Mari is a great protagonist to be hooked onto. She narrates its just the right amount of detail to shape the world, but with enough vagueness to allow the readers minds to add some flourish of their own. The world of Blood and Sand is one of brutality, but it still manages to contain heart warming moments of compassion. Now, if there is never a sequel, there is actually a problem with the novel. Loose plot strings. There were A LOT of things left unanswered and unresolved, but I'm going to be hopeful that Blood and Sand will not be a stand alone story. Ultimately, I loved reading Blood and Sand and give it the rating of FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Pacifica by Kristen Simmons (Review)

      In a post-apocolyptic world, nature is lashing out. Humanity has had to change to survive, but with people, somethings never truly change. Marin is a pirate in this new world. She is a cut throat, sailing and dangerous buccaneer, and she also has been trapped away from her people on land with the land lovers; then one day, and opportunity arrived. Ross is the son of the President, prestigious and powerful. He needs Marin to help him find and save his friend, and in the process they both get sucked into the drama and danger of the elusive and mysterious island paradise: Pacifica.

      I really enjoyed Pacifica. It was intense, dramatic and contained many elements of mystery and real life concerns. Based in a world post extreme climate change, Pacifica takes a look at classism and poverty. It looks at what people do when they are desperate for food and to survive as well as how the actions of those in the past can critically effect the now. I found Mari was a very redeemable pirate and Ross a very redeemable spoiled brat. There was wonderful amounts of character development in the novel as well as plenty of intriguing plot twists. Overall, my only complaint is towards how the end of the novel was almost too perfectly and smoothly cleaned and wrapped up. But, even with that, it doesn't stop me from giving Pacifica the rating of FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Glow (Peril #2) by Joss Stirling (Review)

      Returning into the world of the Perilous, we get thrown back into the story with Kel and Mari as they take on the world with an attempt to end the hatred and killing between their people. Mari is the heir to the thrown of her people, being the last full blooded one of her kind. Because of her genes, because she can see the rainbow light of Peril, many want to force her to be royalty, or want her absolutely dead. They have a lot to deal with if they want to not only get peace, but survive in the first place.
      I think Glow definitely works as a sequel, mainly because it expanded the world and problems being dealt with. I really thought the story picked up at the end and got really exciting. I’m interested to see what the end of the series will hold. I also can’t say I saw the major plot twists comming, and it was a huge surprise to see how (*mini spoiler alert*) quickly the romantic leads were separated at the start of the story. It was a little jarring if I’m honest, since I was just re-aclimating to the story, characters and world. As for the way things ended, can’t say I saw that coming at all.  The book also had fairly good character development. I liked Kel and Mari, but I really took a liking to the side characters like the young perilous boy, the bodyguard/driver, Big Ben and the tech-punk best friend. I also liked Theo, but felt for the most part that I didn’t need much narrative from him to get a little bored, since for the most part he does drive the plot along much. All in all, I enjoyed Glow and give it the rating of FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!

*Beta-Copy Review*

Cover Reveal: A Study In Shifters by Majanka Verstraete!

A Study In Shifters
by Majanka Verstraete
(The Adventures of Marisol Holmes, #1)
Publication date: June 26th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Marisol Holmes may be the great-great-great granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes, but it’s hard to live up to the family name when only one mistake can spell your downfall. After trusting the wrong guy in a case gone totally wrong, Marisol convinces the Conclave, an underground organization of detectives solving supernatural cases, to give her a last chance to prove her worth, and maybe even heal her broken heart
After all, as a half-blood jaguar shifter, Marisol is uniquely qualified to solve this murder—and every scrap of evidence points toward the culprit being a fellow jaguar shifter. But is one of her own people involved, or is this all a ploy to kick Marisol’s mother off the shifter throne?
Then Marisol discovers her best friend, Roan, is missing, and maybe the killer’s next target. The stakes just got higher than political intrigue. Just when things couldn’t get worse, Marisol’s ex-boyfriend-turned-nemesis, Mannix, starts leaving sinister clues for her. Marisol fears this case might be far more personal than she could’ve imagined.
It’s time for Marisol to prove her worth, or her people could fall into chaos while her best friend loses his life.

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Author Bio:
Author Majanka Verstraete has written more than twenty unique works of fiction. A native of Belgium, Majanka’s novels explore the true nature of monsters: the good, the bad, and just about every species in between. Her young adult books include the acclaimed Mirrorland (YA Dark Fantasy) and Angel of Death (YA Paranormal) series of novels. At MHB, Majanka is currently developing a new YA shifter series with a fresh take on fierce female detectives called THE ADVENTURES OF MARISOL HOLMES.
When she’s not writing, Majanka is probably playing World of Warcraft or catching up with the dozens of TV series she’s addicted to.
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