miércoles, 20 de julio de 2011

Freedom's sword, J.R. Tomlin


Name: Freedom's sword
Author: J.R. Tomlin
Series: None
Publisher:  Smashwords
Format: Pdf
Pages: 275
Website: http://jeannetomlin.blogspot.com
About the author:
Born in the US to a Scottish father and American mother, J. R. grew up in both the US and Scotland, attended university at the University of Texas at Austin and now lives in the US Pacific North West.
She writes both Scottish historical fiction and (non-Scottish) fantasy.

Where can you buy it:
Smashwords
Amazon

What goodreads says:
Before William Wallace... before Robert the Bruce... there was another Scottish hero...
In 1296, newly knighted by the King of the Scots, Andrew de Moray fights to defend his country against the forces of the ruthless invader, King Edward Longshanks of England. After a bloody defeat in battle, he is dragged in chains to an English dungeon.
Soon the young knight escapes. He returns to find Scotland under the heel of a conqueror and his betrothed sheltering in the hills of the Black Isle.
Seizing his own castle, he raises the banner of Scottish freedom. Now he must lead the north of Scotland to rebellion in hope of defeating the English army sent to crush them.
 
My opinion:
J.R. Tomlin sent me this book for a review so thank you so much.
As a student (bear in mind that wasn't that long ago) history was one of my strong points, whether it was English history (which I studied before moving to Spain), Spanish history (which I didn't enjoy that much as it was the modern part), Ancient History, Worldwide history or History of the Art, I loved the subject.
Soon after seeing the rest of my class struggle with a particular exam I decided to help them out, as myself studied the historic events as if they were stories I rewrote that particular event and passed my notes to the rest of the class, and surprising the teacher they all passed the exam :)
So although Historical Fiction isn't the genre I read most, it is one that I enjoy.
I really enjoyed this book as it took me to the battle of the Scots and the English who fought over the Kingdom of Scotland.
I loved how the author stopped to point out details of the battles or strategies for the readers who otherwise might of missed them.
The characters were interesting and in some cases surprising, and the things that happen to them are sometimes cruel and tragic, but they felt so real.
Andrew was a great man, he was everything you could imagine in a warrior fighting for his home, because even if everything seems lost he continues fighting. He's a man who is both strong and gentle, honorable and brave and he quickly gained my sympathy. Add to that that he's an actual historical figure made the book even more interesting.
Some secondary characters will surprise you in the end in a good way.
I especially liked the character of David de Moray, Andrew's uncle as he intrigued me, as a cleric who at the same time was a warrior, who was willing to fight to defend his home.
Although the battle scenes a violent and sometimes cruel I didn't feel like it was overdone, it felt like a battle scene, in which people are killed and kill.
The only thing I missed in the end was a bit more about Caitrina and her family.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I give it 4 stars.
Thank you again and see you next time.
Nathiel

martes, 19 de julio de 2011

War of the Witch, Angel Haze


Name: War of the Witch
Author: Angel Haze
Series: Legacies of Talimura
Publisher: Kindle.
Format: Ebook.
Pdf version: 182 pages.
Website: http://www.angelhaze.com/ 
About the author: Angel Haze is a Canadian author who spent her teens watching CSI, studying forensics, and delving into the criminal mind. She is an avid read of thriller, mystery, horror, and fantasy novels.
Where can you buy it:
Smashwords
What goodreads says:
Debonair, a witch from the Unspoken Lands, has meddled in the forbidden practice of magic and created an army of nightmarish proportions. When sixteen-year-old Astanyx and his two best friends return from a hunting trip to find their small town of Polca reduced to smoke and ash, they find themselves thrust into a battle for which they haven't been trained.
With the help of his comrades, including an esteemed warrior, one of the last great wizards and a princess they've sworn to protect, Astanyx must fight to unite the kingdoms of the humans, dwarves and elves. He must ask forbidden questions that no one wants to answer, questions about Talimura's dark history. As Debonair's brutal warriors lay siege to the kingdoms, Astanyx is driven to pursue a fateful quest for a blade powerful enough to defeat the malevolent witch before she destroys the three kingdoms and unleashes an unspeakable ancient evil.

My opinion:
I received this book from the author for review, thank you Angel. As the second book I've read by her I have to say I'm a big fan of her writing, she can really explain the different situations her characters find themselves in without making it boring, and she makes you feel like your in the story living the adventures the characters are. 
I loved the different characters and how they interact, from Astanyx who is brave and noble to Kane who has a hidden secret (which I suspected^^ yay for me) the Princess Luccia who is not your typical damsel in distress but is able to hold herself in a fight or the evil witch Debonair who is a wicked villain with a hidden purpose.
Another thing I enjoyed was the diffrent races that fight in the war and my heart lept everytime someone mentioned the Dragons (I love those creatures) who also play an important role in the story along with the Dragon Knights.
Other secondary characters such as Soaren, Ramza, Kapella, Elric, Crypt (who's story is amazing), Locke and many more were really interesting and I want to know more about them.  But my heart goes to Barret and what happened to him. And Kasha, I loved her character although she reminded me of a legenday character named Cassandra.
Overall I loved this book and I give it 5 stars. I hope there is a sequel to follow and perhaps a prequel explaining all about the past :)
Again thank you Angel.
See you all soon.
Nathiel

lunes, 18 de julio de 2011

La Magia Dormida, Xavier Daviu/The sleeping magic, Xavier Daviu


Name: The Sleeping Magic
Author: Xavier Daviu
Series: Lyon's Legend.
Publisher: The author
Format: Pdf
Pages: 394 pages.
About the author: 
Xavier was born 25 years ago in Mallorca (Spain) and hasn't left excepting some small holidays. He liked reading since young and as an only child, he invented stories to have fun. In 2009 he got and university degree in History and did a master to teach secondary school.
He started preparing this novel in his second year duing a conference he asisted to get more credits one of the speakers did his conference in italian and as Xavier didn't understand any of it he started writing.
Five years later and after writing, rewriting, rethinking, taking of parts and nearly rewriting most of the story, he managed to finish it and send it to publishers, but none showed any interest. After getting the domain for the web on his birthday he put some of the chapters and drawings of the characters, and finally decided to publish the whole novel on the internet.

Where can you buy it:
Well you can't but you can get it for free on the website, although it's only in Spanish so far, hopefully it will be in English soon.
Book trailer:



What goodreads says or in this case amazon: 
Lyon is your typical 14 year old boy living in a small village near a prairie. He lives with his grandma, but Lyon wants to be a merchant so he is sent to live with his maternal grandparents and his uncle Eren. At first his family is rude and horrible to him, but soon after he discovers a library hidden in the house, he is entrusted with a secret.  A secret that if discovered could be a disaster for everyone.
What I say:
When I first heard about this book I was intrigued, I mean it sounded like something I would love to read, as it's fantasy and that is one of my favorite genres. But I was unsure as a great fan of fantasy books I know that it's a genre that is difficult to write and even more to write right. But this book was amazing.
The explanations of the different scenery's made me feel like I was actually in that world. And the characters are really well made and interesting and they made me feel like I actually know them.
I loved Neree (it's where Lyon lives at the beginning of the book) and all the characters we meet there, but the real action and swooning beginnings when Lyon leaves for Mera and meets his uncle Eren, who is brave, strong, handsome, rich, nice.... (and now I sound like Ilia)
And I love the house he stays in and the library what wouldn't I give to have one of them :) And Lyon's grandparents especially his grandad are barking mad, but they are also incredibly funny.
And then Lyon meets Ilia a hot tempered girl, and her twin Brok much calmer, Niruk the one who's always joking, Serene, an intelligent 13 year old. And his two new teachers: Tarek who is very serious and Garwan a strong warrior.
Lyon is 14 and has had a sheltered life with his grandma in Neree (you will discover what happened to his parents in the book) and takes very well the fact that he is thrown into a world of secrets and discoveries.
I can't say much more without giving away the book but it's a must read if you like fantasy books, it's also got the plus that it's free.
I give it 5 stars, and hope to read the next book soon.
See you all next time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Título: La Magia Dormida
Autor: Xavier Daviu
Serie: La Leyenda de Lyon.
Editorial: El autor
Formato: Pdf
Páginas: 394 páginas.

Sobre el autor: 
Xavier nació hace 25 años en Mallorca (España) y nunca se ha ido excepto para algun viaje. Le gustaba leer desde pequeño, y como hijo unico se inventaba historias para entretenerse. En el 2009 se licencio en historia e hizo un master para enseñar en la escuela secundaria.
Empezó a preparar su novela en su segundo año de carrera durante una conferencia a la que asistió para conseguir creditos extra. Cuando uno de los ponentes dió su conferencia en italiano Xavier no se enteraba de nada asi que comenzó a escribir.
Cinco años después y despues de escribir, reescribir, repensar, borrar y rehacer de cero la mayoría de la novela, consiguió terminarla y la envió a las editoriales, que no parecían tener mucho interes.
Después de que le regalasen el dominio de su página web por su cumpleaños, subió algunos de los campitulos y dibujos de los personajes, y finalmente decidió publicar toda la novela para que la gente pudiese leerla.

Donde lo puedes comprar:
Bueno no lo puedes comprar porque esta gratuito en la página del autor.
Trailer: 

Resumen:
A simple vista Lyon es un tipico chico de 14 años que vive en una aldea pequeña cerca de una llanura. Vive con su abuela paterna pero lo que Lyon de verdad quiere es ser mercader, por lo que es enviado a vivir con sus abuelos maternos y su tío Eren. Al principio su familia es maleducada y mala con el, pero poco después de encontrar una biblioteca secreta, será revelado un secreto, un secreto que si descubierto puede ser fatal para todos.
Mi opinión:
 
La primera vez que oí hablar de este libro estaba intrigada, parecía algo que me podía gustar ya que es de uno de mis géneros favoritos: la fantasía. Pero estaba insegura ya que al ser una fan de este tipo de libros, se que es un género díficl de escribir, y más de escribirlo bien. Pero este libro fue impresionante.
Las explicaciones de los distintos lugares y escenarios me hicieron sentir como si estuviese en ese mundo. Y los personajes están muy bien hechos, son muy interesantes y me han hecho sentir como si de verdad los conociese. 

Me encantó la aldea de Neree (donde Lyon vive al principio del libro) y todos los personajes que allí conocemos (la abuela, el alcalde...) pero la verdadera acción y ensoñamiento empieza cuando Lyon se muda a Mera y conoce a sus abuelos y a su tío Eren, que es valiente, fuerte, guapo rico, bueno...(ahora empiezo a parecerme a Ilia)
Me encanta la casa de Mera y la biblioteca, que no daría por tener una como esa :) Y los abuelos particularmente el abuelo están realmente locos, pero son geniales en su locura. 

Más tarde Lyon conoce a Ilia, una chica de carácter fuerte, a su mellizo Brok que es mucho más tranquilo, a Niruk, el payaso del grupo, a Serene una chica de 13 años muy inteligente. y a sus nuevos profesores: Tarek, que es muy serio, y Garwan.
Lyon como he dicho antes tiene 14 años y ha vivido una vida protegida con su abuela en Neree (descubrimos lo que les pasa a sus padres a medida que leemos) y creo que reacciona muy bien al descubrir el secreto familiar.
No puedo decir mucho más sin contaros el libro, pero si os gusta la fantasía os recomiendo que lo leais, ademas es gratis :)

Le doy cinco estrellas. Espero con impaciencia al siguiente libro.
Hasta la próxima^^

martes, 12 de julio de 2011

The Nine Orders, Ivan J. Torres


Name: The nine orders
Author: Ivan J. Torres
Series: Peacekeeper Chronicles (Book 1)
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Format: Pdf
Pages: 122 pages.

Website: I can't find one.
About the author: Ivan J Torres was born in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico during the spring of 1979. He began his venture into writing with poetry and songwriting. In recent years, he started writing novels of which this is the fourth one and first to be published. He currently resides in Northern Virginia.
Where can you buy it:
Xlibris (The publisher)
Amazon
Book depository

What goodreads says or in this case amazon: 
One regular Halloween night like any other is abruptly disrupted by an invading force that no human has ever encountered. Millions of people murdered or taken away in just one night. What is attacking them is beyond their wildest imagination. With no clue of what is happening, Adrian finds himself in a quest for answers. Along with him is Clayton, his best friend for over 14 years.
As their journey begins, they struggle for survival against demon-like creatures. Unaware of the extent of the attack, they find themselves in the middle of a conflict of epic proportions. With humans facing extinction, could they find out the answers or are the answers beyond their human comprehension?
Able to fend off things they were never trained to in their respective fields, Adrian and Clayton will have to race against time and find their inner strength... the strength that will make them more than human.

What I say:
Thank you Ivan for sending this book for review I really enjoyed it.
So this book is action packed from the first page it is well written and interesting and doesn't let you stop until you finish it.
I love anything mythological and if it mixes the eternal battle in between angels and demons well even better.
This book does that and even more it also brings in other creatures.
 Hands up to the author because he did his research and everything made sense (when it had to anyway) I loved the descriptions and the different characters and the demons were as creepy as they are supposed to be and the angels, well they weren't the good boys as normally portrayed but warriors as I always thought them to be.
This book is dark and full of death and a bit gore so if you've got a weak stomach you might not want to eat while reading it, especially if like me you've got a very vivid imagination.
It's a must read if you like reading about angels and their stories.
I give it 4 out of 5.
See you all next time with the review of an ARC of a Spanish debut author :)

lunes, 11 de julio de 2011

Gateway, Christina Garner

Name: Gateway.
Author: Christina Garner
Series: The Gateway Series
Publisher: Kindle
Format: Kindle
Pages: Doesn't say unless I'm missing something on my kindle.
About the author: Christina Garner began writing stories at the age of six. At eighteen, her aspirations as an actor had her loading up her Buick and setting off for Hollywood. Since then she has written and directed 10 short films, including Rewind and Reminder, both of which received acclaim on the festival circuit. In 2007 she was hired to write her first feature film. Her YA Urban Fantasy novel, Gateway, is now available.
Where can you buy it:
Smashwords
Amazon
What goodreads says: 
Ember has always known she doesn't belong in this world. But when she tries to correct the mistake, she wakes to find herself in a mental institution.
She's soon drawn to Taren, the mysterious boy with hazel eyes. He's not what he seems, but what is he?
When chaos erupts, they are forced to flee the institution together, and the secret that Taren has been keeping brings Ember closer to understanding her own. And leads her to... the Gateway


What I say:
First thing is first. Christina sent me this book to review and I have to thank her I enjoyed every second of it, and didn't want to put it down to do my chores, but I was thinking about it the entire time^^^Also I have to apologise for taking so long to do the review as I've had a hectic week.
This book was amazing and breathtaking, it's really well written and a great debut for an author.
She obviously did a lot of research and new what she was speaking about.
At first I didn't see the paranormal part about the book until.... well the demons appear :) But that made it more interesting because we get to learn more about Ember before everything turns.
Taren is a great character, mysterious, protective and in need of some anger management classes sometimes, he is the hero willing to jump in a pit full of demons to save the ones he loves. He's also immensely cute. And his story is sooo twisted I loved it :)
Callie seems like a sweet girl, although sometimes she's far from that. And her and her roommates provide the humor in this story.
Kat is a great guardian, although her scene in the disco gave me a sense of Deja-Vu for some reason.
The secondary characters were also great and I loved Master Dogan and his zen things.
I hope there's more books to come so I can hear more about Ember, Taren and the rest :)
I give this book 5 stars out of 5, for the sole reason that I can't give it more.

sábado, 9 de julio de 2011

Nalia and the Potion Maker, Queenbe Monyei


Name: Nalia and the Potion Maker

Author: Queenbe Monyei
Series: Nalia
Publisher: Kindle
Format: Kindle
Pages: Doesn't say unless I'm missing something on the kindle :)

About the author: Queenbe Monyei is a Los Angeles native whose childhood shuffled between England and the US. After graduating from UCLA she taught English for a year in Turkey and subsequently earned her graduate degree in Education in England. She is the co-author of the popular blog Eat a Cheeseburger and enjoys writing fantasy novels with a hint of romance. Personally I love her name :)
Where can you buy it:
Amazon
What goodreads says: 
In the once beautiful Aetheria, a spreading evil stems in the great Land of The North. It is a world that has been ravaged by vengeance and fury.
But Nalia knows nothing of this world. She doesn’t even know that she bears one of its most coveted and sacred gifts, a gift that has killed many and forced others into hiding.
When an unusual visitor escapes from the other world to find her, he claims that her gift is vital in order to save his world. Her task won’t be easy: find the great potion maker whose memory has been stolen, if he’s even still alive.
There, Nalia meets the strong yet gentle Lyris who can heal anything with his touch. Soon she discovers that his powers run deep as he slowly begins to mend the pieces of her heart, shattered by her own tragic family and a haunting secret; a secret stemming before she was even born.
A heart wrenching tale of death, betrayal, and the dark side of unrequited love.

Book trailer:
 

What I say:
Queenbe sent me this book and I promised a review :) Thank you Queenbe.
This book had a good story, although clearly it's the authors first book and as so there are some errors, in my opinion the good stuff by far surpassed the bad.
I found many similarities in between this book and others I have read, such as the fact that a girl who supposedly is normal suddenly discovers she has magical powers. But what makes this book different to others is the fact that most of the story happens in a new world different to which Naila is used to, and also potions has a really important part in this story, which for me is a first as a lot of books mention potions but in none I have read so far actually include the potions as an important part, more as an extra.
The characters were well written and I especially liked Poto who is funny and his story is sooo good, Lyris who is so lovable and caring that you can't help just liking him. Mr. Gubs was like that grumpy grandad you always complain about but you really love? Yep just like him.
I love Nalia's power, I want to have it :) Also the story behind the secondary characters had me sitting on the edge of my seat as I read it.
The ending is a cliffhanger and I hope to read the second part soon. We have a cover for it but no release date as of yet (or none that I can find for the moment)
I give it a 4 out of 5

Thanks everyone see you next time :)

martes, 5 de julio de 2011

History of the Timelaws, Marise Ghorayeb

 
 Name: History of the Timelaws
Author: Marise Ghorayeb
Series: Yes, but has no name
Publisher: Kindle edition
Format: PDF
Pages: 209
Website: None
About the author: Marise is a 24 year old female Mechanical Engineer, with a passion for losing herself in a good story (written or filmed). Her favorites include Doctor Who, Firefly adn any book in the Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane. Currently she has published books: "History of the Timelaws" and it's prequel Sorcery in the Alleys.
Where can you buy it:
Amazon

What goodreads says: 
The classic time paradox question: If I go back in time to change the past, and succeed, then will I have ever had reason to go back in the first place? Or better yet, if I go back in time to change events, when will I start remembering the new order? Elizabeth doesn’t know the answers to these questions any more then you or I. However, she’s going to have to find those answers real fast if she wants to continue existing.

What I say:
Marise sent me this book to review and I'm glad. I really liked this book, it was challenging but also a great read, I loved the references to Doctor Who and like Elizabeth I also expected a blue police box to appear out of no where :) The book was fast paced and changes into different times where the different Elizabeth's were doing different things. At first this makes it a bit difficult to follow especially as the book is so fast paced, but after the first or second time you get used to it.
Elizabeth is a 15 year old who is the leader of the Darks of her time, Darks are one of the factions in which the earth is divided, and they can travel through Time and Space as well as having magical powers. 
On the other hand you have their "enemies" the wizards who have no defined leader.
And at last the normal humans who live in a blissful ignorance of what's happening around them.
I loved that we got introduced to people of the three different groups, and we get to know them and see a bit of their lives.
Over all, it was an enjoyable reading although I recommend that you find out a bit about time traveling before reading it.
I give it 4 out of 5.

viernes, 1 de julio de 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling




Name: The deathly Hallows
Author: J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter
Publisher: In my version Bloomsbury.
Format: Hardcover.
Pages: 607
About the author: J.K. Rowling (Joanne "Jo" Rowling) is the writer behind the best selling "Harry Potter" series. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies and been the basis for a popular series of films.

Where can you buy it:
Amazon
The Book depository (Delivers free to most countries) 

What goodreads says: 
In the seventh and final of the Harry Potter novels, Harry, Hermione, and Ron have left Hogwarts in search of Voldemort's Horcruxes even as Voldemort grows in power and gains control over the Ministry.

What I say:
Sigh, I liked this book, I really did, but when I first finished it, I felt like it was missing something and I still do, some of the deaths (yes in plural) in the end were so rushed that we don't get time to fully see them before bam something else happens that makes you think of something else.
The good thing was Snape, I always new there was something fishy going on with what happened in Half-Blood Prince, that there was some hidden message that we hadn't seen yet and that Severus Snape didn't really do what he did. Okay he did but.... he was ordered to by the same person who it affected (confusing if you haven't read the book right??) And also we get to learn some things about Albus Dumbledore, confusing at first and then angry things.
And the epilogue, well truthfully I could of done with out it, as we don't get much information about anyone really, yes we get glimpses of what would happen (kids and marriages, but nothing truly)
But, in spite of that I cry because I realize that on July the 15th, it will be the last time I do something about Harry Potter for the first time. The last time I see a film for the first time, the last time I stay up until 3 o'clock in the morning because Harry has just done something really stupid and I need to read what happens next, or the last time I cry for the first time because one of my favourite characters has died.
Also Luna and Kreacherer are amazing I can't believe they left out their parts in the films and Dobby is awsome. 
So I give this book 4 stars out of five for the reasons specified above.
Goodbye Harry Potter your story will always live as long as people remember.


Also watch out for a new website about Harry Potter created by J.K. Rowling: 
http://www.pottermore.com/