Review: Tara Maya - Initiate

Title: Initiate
Author: Tara Maya
Website: http://taramayastales.blogspot.ca/
My Rating: 4 Stars

Ebook:
**Links are on author's website for a free download to this ebook in your preferred format**

Okay guys (and gals), haven't I already said that I need to stop reviewing the first book to a series? Well if I haven't, I really need to stop. At least until I succeed in finding a job because it is sheer torture to get into a good book, only to come to the end with the sweet promise of another and being unable to get it. I'll admit it, I'm a "greedy reader". I finish a book that's part of a series, and unless it sucks, I need to get my claws on the next one. I'm the same way with a good show, I'd prefer to watch an entire series in a few sittings rather than wait for a week to see a new episode. Before the warnings to not get into a certain now extremely explosive popular series due to getting it's own TV show, it's too late, I'm already sucked into that one, and yes it's slowly killing me as well. But I got off topic there, back to this gem.

Honestly, when I started this book, I had a slightly hard time getting into it. A lot could be due to the format of my ebook, it displayed weirdly on my e-reader. However it had that special something that kept me going, something that I can't quite put my finger on. I'm glad I continued though because I really enjoyed the read. It was unique. Yet another book with a magic system that I'm still not sure I quite grasp but I'm very intrigued to learn more about.

When it comes to the characters, I won't lie. They were weird. Trust me though, from me, that's a compliment! They were a really good kind of weird. A kind that makes me want to know more about these people, more about their history, and more about their future. They weren't your mundane everyday story heroes with the predictable back story and even more predictable future. They kept me guessing. The "bad guys" even had enough story to make them not so much bad. I really cannot stress enough how much I enjoy reading stories that can make you understand where both sides are coming from. One side being just pure evil is too easy in my opinion.

This book had just enough fantasy elements without overdoing it. The scenery was described well enough to be able to picture clearly. I now look out my window and imagine what it would be like to see fairies dancing in the grass. I wish I could dance with them. Not forever, mind you, just for a few minutes.

Overall I highly recommend this book, in fact, I've already told a few of my friends to check it out. I hope you, whoever should read this, will do the same. The world needs more fantasy authors who aren't afraid to dream and write things a little off the norm. 

Review: James Maxwell - Enchantress

Title: Enchantress

Author: James Maxwell

Website: http://www.jamesmaxwell.com/

My rating: 5 Stars

Kindle:

Wow. I don't even know where to begin with this one. This story is the first in a series of the Evermen Saga. It is, basically, about two children who lost their parents at an early age. We get to follow them as they grow in their own unique ways, through the laughter and tears, through the good times, and when all hope seems to be gone. Yet it is so very much more than just that.

I really enjoyed the majority of the characters in this novel. It follows a basic belief of mine that, for the most part, 'bad guys' truly believe they are doing what is best for the world, as wrong as that is sometimes. In some cases, their end goal would be better for humanity, but the steps they take to meet those goals are absolutely horrifying! This book does a really amazing job of portraying this.

The world has magic that relies on essence, with each area knowing and guarding the knowledge of a particular type of runes, required to be drawn with the essence and activated with words. Each land specializes in a different area of these runes. Personally, I was thrilled with the magic system. It's different from what I see used in a lot of other fantasy novels. I love seeing different magic systems and how the author succeeds in keeping a balance between being powerful yet still having limits.

The different lands (and people from those lands) were fascinating. The author paints a sharp picture in my mind of what these lands look like. The vivid detail had me completely drawn in, I felt like I was there, next to the character I was currently reading the viewpoint of. I really would have enjoyed reading more about the enchanting school, I could probably enjoy an entire novel on that alone!

Overall, I am extremely impressed with this novel. There were times that I wasn't so confident that my favourite characters would survive. That's fairly hard to do to me because of the unspoken law that unless they're really minor, characters just do not die in fantasy novels. Well, for the most part anyway. A few authors are known for it, but in my experience it's pretty rare.

Yet but once again, I'm left setting down my e-reader, wondering what in the world I'm going to do. It's going to take a few months before I'm able to get the sequel, and I could just cry with the want to continue on. I'll revert back to my 5-year old self and just sit in the corner and throw a tantrum for a little while until I find something shiny to occupy me! Back to being serious though, if you enjoy long fantasy novels, this book is a must! And (I know, never start a sentence with "and", sue me) at the time of writing this review, the first book is FREE!!!! What have you got to lose? Just be prepared to get sucked into the swirling vortex that all book lovers yearn to find. You have been warned.

Review: R. Moses - A Shadow of Lilies

Title: A Shadow of Lilies

Author: R. Moses

Website: http://www.eclecticcycle.com/
My Rating: 5 Stars

 

 Kindle:

 



I'll be completely honest. I chose this book to read/review next because the cover looked the best out of the few that appeared on my e-reader. I know, I know. Never judge a book by it's cover. I just pulled a big no-no. However I'm really glad I did. I was hooked from the prologue alone. The story is about a girl who literally gets hauled into Hell. I don't really want to go into much more detail because I feel most of the elements would be better to experience while reading, however I'll do my best to give a review regardless.

The characters, for the most part, are very well written. It seemed like it would have been so easy with this kind of story line to make specific characters flawless. A lot of writers are prone to giving their characters very little flaws or 'weak' flaws that will not lessen the character or his/her morals in the overall sense. This is a very big pet peeve of mine so I was extremely impressed in this regard.

I also loved the descriptions of everything. Who would have thought I'd find Hell so beautiful? I'm torn here, I'd really love to visit this place, yet I'd rather not have a run in with the Devil. Maybe I could sneak in for a quick peak and leave again? *Sigh* Such problems I have. Back to the point, everything was described nicely, yet not overdone. Just the right amount in my opinion at least.

The plot itself was enough to keep me turning through the pages. I found myself annoyed when I had to do normal things (like eat, for instance) and Heaven help the poor bugger who could plainly see with their own eyes that I was peering into my e-reader with feverish eyes and yet still dared to interrupt me, grasping me from my happy place and slamming me back into reality! The only tiny issue (that I wouldn't even call an issue) was that I felt a little bit of it was slightly too true to form. I seen a little bit to disregard this closer to the end of the book, and of course there is more to this story that I could be pleasantly surprised by.

Overall, I (obviously) loved and enjoyed this novel. The only serious let down is not being able to get the others for some time. I'm itching to read the rest of this story. The ending was enough to leave the reader satisfied yet still wanting more.

Review: Rowan Starsmith - The Little Dragons

Title: The Little Dragons

Author: Rowan Starsmith

Website: http://www.rowanstarsmith.ca/

My rating: 4 Stars

Link to a FREE download of the e-book on this page of her site:
http://www.rowanstarsmith.ca/Find_The_Little_Dragons.html

 

It's been awhile since I could write a review due to ongoing computer issues. During that time, I didn't read anything that I'd want to write a review for because I wanted it to be as fresh in my mind as possible. The first book I loaded up on my e-reader after getting my laptop running again just happened to be this one. I knew it would be a story I wouldn't want to put down.

The story is about the downfall between groups of people who used to live peacefully with dragons, using Dragon Priestesses working with their familiars, Little Dragons, to keep a peace treaty of sorts with the Great Dragons until the Kings Men took over the lands and started killing off the dragons and Dragon Priestesses. They did not succeed with killing the Great Dragons, therefore everybody has to live hiding/sleeping by day and going about their business by night when the Dragons are asleep, lest they get attacked/killed by a vengeful Dragon during the daylight hours. A group known as the Healers are seeking the knowledge that the Priestesses once held. They are also looking to find out if there are any Little Dragons still alive.

I had a strong feeling that the characters were true to themselves, with their flaws being quite believable. That said, if you are sensitive or highly insulted by LGBT relationships, this book is not for you. I, for one, sincerely appreciated reading the stories of those characters. I am straight, however I FULLY support the rights of ANYONE in love. I won't turn this review into a debate or a place to preach, I just wanted to let it be known to the author (should she read this) that the world of writers could learn a lot from her in this area.

Moving on, there were times I was extremely annoyed with specific characters, while rooting for them at the same time. I wasn't annoyed by the writing of the character, I was annoyed by the characters actions. The only part that slightly pulled me out of the story was a spelling difference of the character Liandra, sometimes spelled Leandra. This may have been addressed in the newest version of the book. My copy was downloaded a few months ago.

The world setting was not overwhelmingly descriptive, but there was enough to make me feel like I'm a part of the story. I would have loved a bit more description (This is not exactly a flaw, I just got done a major re-read of all of Robert Jordan books who is well known to be extremely descriptive, so there's a good chance I'm feeling that way because of that).

Overall there were a few twists and turns I did not see coming, a few that I did, a few that made me cry, and a few that made me jump for joy. I do feel like there could have been a few more meetings/reunions before the end, but I am satisfied with the story as a hole, and hope to see more fantasy genre novels from this author.

 

Review: David Dalglish - The Weight of Blood

Title: The Weight of Blood (Book 1 of The Half-Orcs series)

Author: David Dalglish

Website: http://ddalglish.com/wp/

My rating: 4 Stars

 

 

                                                     Kindle:              Paperback:

 

It's not often I get to read a book written in the prospective of the "dark side". In fact, I would go so far as to say that this would be the first for me. I've read plenty of dark, chilling point of views to make the reader even more sympathetic for the good side's plight, but never more than a page or two, a chapter or two at most. Not to mention that this particular view point has it's own set of morals (for some characters) and more importantly, reasons. All to often, evil works without ryhme or reason, at least nothing that makes logical sense to the reader as to why they are doing less than pure things. It's rare to gain the perspective of the plight for some on the other side. In this story we get the benefit of not only knowing some of the whys, we also get a sense of understanding. I'm well aware as I read this story that what one particular half-orc is doing isn't right, but on the other hand it is logical - for him - at the time.

My heart breaks for him as I am witness to his crimes and his own internal battles as the part of him that knows kindness pulls at what he feels he has no choice but to do. I believe he struggles with this much more than he lets on in the book, and within him I can see a willpower to overcome his battles, to rise up if you will and fight for the good. However I can see a long road leading before him. Nobody can change everything at the drop of a hat afterall.

The characters presented to us are written well, however I felt eager to know more about some of them. I am hopeful that the next book will give some insight into some of the characters that were left without much of a story yet played such a critical part in this book. I do enjoy the relationship between Harruq (one of the half-orc brothers) and Aurelia (an elf). I feel it flows really well in contrast to the relationship between the two brothers.

I wish we could have seen a little bit more of the world they reside in, but the parts that we did get to see were well described. I wish that I could live in the forest, more importantly I wish I could have one of those horses that the elves ride! The element that intrigues me the most, however, is the weapons. I love stories where weapons are more than just hunks of metal. They have a history, a history I'd love learning a lot more about.

The plot stayed intriguing enough to keep me immersed into the story. The ending in particular left me with chills, wishing I immediately had the next to turn to. Overall this is yet another tale that I really enjoyed. I gave it 4 stars simply because I felt there was a lot more that could have been said about one particular area, without giving too much away I'll just say it has to do with part of the half-orc lineage. I felt that question was answered a little too abrupt with not much afterthought afterwards. I only wish it had played a bigger role.

Another author to add to my ever growing list of works to read. If you're looking for a great story that's not all sparkles and rainbows, this is a must-read.



Review: Craig Saunders - The Outlaw King

Title: The Outlaw King (Book 1 of The Line of Kings)
Author: Craig Saunders
Website: www.craigsaundersauthor.blogspot.ca/
My rating: 4.5 Stars

 

I stumbled upon this book browsing Amazon for fantasy books one night when I found myself at the end of another amazing book. I remember clearly having that feeling of "Wow, what do I do with my life now?" that I get whenever I finish a really good book. Usually I end up half-heartedly reading a short story that doesn't live up to the sheer awesomeness the previous book was. On this particular night, however, things were not about to follow the norm.

Finding The Outlaw King, I settled in thinking it looked interesting enough but still with the dull ache resembling the loss of friend in my heart, I loaded the e-book. Immediately I was drawn in. Transported into a new world, I followed the steps of Tarn, the main character. Us, the readers, get the joy of watching him grow into adulthood, fighting to create his own destiny. I will not outline the entirety of the book as I believe that is for the reader to discover on their own.


A common worry of mine with lesser-known authors is character development and a sense of realism - such as a character staying true to themselves. I find a lot of authors fall into the trap of characters completely changing as opposed to growing, which tends to rip me out of the book. This is not an issue for me with this book. All of the main characters, and a good majority of the minor, were well fleshed out. They have their own unique ways with the exception of a few listed in the minor characters that I'm sure we have not seen the last of yet.

On the subject of characters, the banter between the main character and some of his companions throughout the story had me literally laughing out loud. Do you know how awkward it is to smuggle your e-reader to the dinner table and almost snort a piece of corn out of your nose? Not only that, but to then have your 7 year old reprimand you for reading at the dinner table? I thoroughly enjoyed many of the characters in this book.


The world setting was done very well. I'm not sure if new lands are added in later books, but for this particular book there was enough world building to tell the story it needed to tell with just the right amount of wonder for what lies beyond. The author doesn't spend ages on small details, but wherever the character was in the story, I could picture it and "be there" with ease.


The plot moved forward at a nice and steady pace, I didn't find myself getting bored or tired of any part of the story. The ending quite ramped up in pacing, which is what it should do so that's far from a complaint. During the last few chapters, I forgot my nice fresh hot coffee on the cupboard and didn't think twice about it until I settled in to write this review. No surprise, coffee is cold.

Overall, I strongly feel that this book was written by a person with a strong sense of story telling with a natural born talent. I'm grateful that I ended up with such a great book for my first review. It was a good, solid candidate for 5 stars, but there were numerous errors with spaces at weird spots in the middle of a word all through the book, which brought it down to 4. I'm not sure if it was just a computer error or what, but it wasn't enough to draw me out of the story much.


But wait, you say. It says 4.5 at the top! Yes, indeed. Not a typo folks. See, there's a little glossary that most people skip over/don't bother reading in the back. You will be missing out if you do this. Do not read it before hand, read it at the end. You will not regret it. After the turmoil of emotions raging through me at the ending of the book, this little glossary was enough to settle my heart again.


My one and only regret of getting this book lies with the fact that I will not be able to get the next ones for an undetermined amount of time. However they are high on my list of books I want, nay, need. I look forward to reading more by this particular author!

Introduction

Hello! Welcome to my brand new blog, Only Book Reviews. I have created this blog to review the books I read. It will take some time to get posts up as I will only review books that I have freshly read, not the ones I've read in the past (unless I do a re-read). I will cover any author from well-known beloved authors to authors not so well known. My favourite genre is Fantasy, however I will read just about anything. There are so many books I've read from, in my opinion, authors who aren't well known but have so much potential. One of the reasons I am starting this is to perhaps spread the word, even if I only reach a handful of people. They could in turn reach a handful more and it snowballs from there! I hope whoever stumbles upon this blog will at least find a new treasure for their shelves. Happy reading!