Thinblade (Sovereign of the Seven Isles #1)

Title: Thinblade
Author: David Wells
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Kindle eBook
Rating: hmm 3.5 out of 5 paws


While out hunting Darius is shot and kill with a poison arrow.  While Alexander and his family mourn the lose of the heir they discover an ancient evil has came back into the world.  Alexander is now marked as the protector of the realm, and the one who could defeat this evil.  He travels to the mountain city of Glen Morillian and discovers before he can claim his throne he must find the Thinblade. Seven were forged to help protect royal bloodlines from evil forces. But the Thinblade was lost to years ago and no one knows where it is hidden.  Alexander begins his quest looking for the Thinblade and gaining alliances all the while fighting against the powers of a necromancer. 

I had this book on my kindle for quite a while from bookbub and it took me some time before I picked it out of the hundreds of books on there.  I almost forgot about it!  I like the idea of this novel: ancient evil has come back and young princling must learn to wield a special sword to defeat him among other things.  There is a lot that happens in this book from various battles to Alexander learning so much about himself.  It is a great beginning to a series.  I am looking forward to getting the other books and finding out what happens next. Lets start by talking about the cover.  Just look at it house gorgeous is it?  No wonder it caught my eye, I want to go there!!


Okay now to the story, it was evenly paced, some parts were slower than others but it seemed to keep an consistent pace throughout the novel.  There was a lot of telling rather than showing, but for me it seemed to work.  Everything was described in great detail, down to the food.  While this may become a little burdensome, it really drew me into the story.  It made me feel like I was there and could almost smell the feast that was happening.  There is some depth to the world that we don't get to see yet, but I am sure we will see in upcoming novels.  Some things we learn as characters learn them and I absolutely love it.  It makes feel like I am sitting beside Alexander listening to stories being told.  It is definitely a TELLING story, and I wonder if that will change once we have all the information we need and get into the heart of the epic tale.


The magic is a bit interesting in this in that mages aren't born with this innate talent (well some are) but develop it through trial and fasting.  The more talented you are the more specialized your magic is which is rather interesting.  I would have liked to have seen more of this throughout the story.  I also like the alchemy aspect of this with the potions and herb usage.  I like that Alexander appears to be rather powerful, but at this point he is too powerful for one who hasn't trained in his magic.


I would recommend it for those who like novels along the lines of Dragonlance.

The Hollow Crown

Title: The Hollow Crown
Author: Jeff Wheeler
Genre:  Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


While celebrating the wedding of the new king, Tryneowy's mother discloses a vision she had had of an upcoming war, one that may devastate the kingdom.  She had grown up learning of military and political strategy.  In her heart, she knows she is to protect the country as a knight rather than a Wizr.  Tyrneowy struggles to find her own destiny within this world she studies her mother's traditions and secretly trains with the general.  An evil force now threatens the future and the kingdom.  Trynne hopes she has what it takes to help protect the kingdom, but does she have what the kingdom needs, or will she fall short?

I have not read the beginning of the series, as I received a copy of this novel from Netgally and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.  But I do not think one needs to read the series in order, thought it would be beneficial as you will understand the kingdom and key players, and the magic that is used.  The story has a lot of background in it, a lot of build up to the climax and conclusion, which is very much important in the end.  The characters are beyond complex and filled with depth.  From the very beginning of the story, your heart aches for Tryneowy.


The way Wheeler describes things and builds his characters, it is easy to understand them and the motives behind every action and spoken word.  He has given each one such personality, it felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book, I could almost see this being made into a movie and acted out.  I would love to see how Hollywood would depict the magic he creates.  I liked the idea of the main character going against what is expected of her and following her dream regardless of how she will be viewed or what her parents think, though I believe her father approved as he gave her permission to train with the sword.


There aren't many lose ends other than those one would expect to carry over into the next novel.  I am excited to see what else Jeff Wheeler has in store for his readers, and I now have to go back to read the other books in this series.  If they are anything like this book, I will be hooked on yet another series!  I would recommend this book and potentially series to anyone who enjoys reading a good fantasy novel.  Anyone who loves to get lost in another realm and wish to never come back, then this is the book for you!  Great novel, great writing, new fan!

Woodcutter

A man known as The Woodcutter stumbles upon a maiden's dead body, with no trace of foul play, nor who could have caused her tragic fate.  The only thing left behind were her glass slippers.  The Woodcutter seeks to find her killer before other maidens suffer the same fate.  The Woodcutter is not your average man, he is the keeper of peace between the kingdoms of man and the realm of the faerie.  He searches the realms for clues to the mysterious events happening around the kingdoms and the forest, along with three axes blessed by the River God, he begins to find clues to lead to the truth.  Shortly into his search he discovers information that is troubling: one of Odin's hellhounds has escaped, a nefarious mansion appears and disappears and princes and princesses along with it, pixie dust being turned into a drug ring, and more young woman proceed to go missing without a trace.  The Woodcutter must find the truth to all of these before it is too late, as task proven more difficult with an evil queen lurking in the shadows intent on stopping his every effort.  Will he be able to stop the queen before she destroys the kingdoms and the fae or will it be too late?

I love fairy tales.  Everything about them brings me back to my childhood.  I love reading retellings and other author's takes on the different stories.  When I picked this book up I expected it to be along the lines of the woodcutter in Snow White or Red Riding Hood, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be something completely different.  I love the idea of a mysterious protected of the realms that no one knows his name, his name never gets revealed and leaves the read in as much a mystery as the characters.  It almost makes you as frustrated as the queen in not knowing his name.  That adds an air of mystery around this character, and at the same time the reader knowing he cannot bear children but must wait until the fates bring a child to him and his wife makes your heart break especially after he comes across young children.  You can almost feel the fatherly desire in his heart.

Danley creates a world where the characters come to life, without specifically referring to the characters by name or tale, readers can get an idea of who is supposed to be who based off minor descriptions such as the glass slippers left behind when the maiden was killed.  Readers get the idea that someone harmed Cinderella without specifically being told.  It was also interesting that Danley incorporated some mythology in the tale with the use of Odin and the hellhounds.  That was a great touch though I wanted more from that storyline, it almost takes a backseat to the other events of the tale. This was a great story, one that I finished in a few short days.

I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy fairy tales, fantasy, young adult, and a good story.  As for a rating I will give this a 5 out of 5, pick it up today.  You won't regret adding this to your book shelf.

Heritage: S.M Boyce

Heritage is the third book in Boyce's Grimoire Saga.  It picks up with Kara in turning to learn how to control her Isen power enough to lead the other vagabonds.  Braeden is working to learn the inner workings of his kingdom to help the other Bloods plan an attack and finally defeat his father. Braeden has to learn how to gain the trust of the other bloods.  Kara has to learn how she can learn the vagabonds and how to sway the other bloods to her mission.  As part of her training, Kara visits the home of her grandfather, a notorious Isen who killed millions of people.  She had thought she'd known all about him until she took a trip through his memories and discovered the truth about him and herself.  This helps her accept her powers and learn to control them.  Now she sends her vagabonds back to their kingdoms and campaigns for the assistance of the other bloods to join her cause for peace.  Will Kara be successful?

After reading the previous two novels in the saga and loving them, I found this one to be lacking a certain..opf.  I love the idea of Kara being an Isen, it adds a deeper quality to her character and a twist in the story.  I have a feeling there is more to this surprise in the next novels.  There was a lot of re-cap from the other novels, and while having a recap can help remind readers of what happened previously, it started to take away from the story.  It started to feel like the momentum of the series started to slow down in the beginning of the novel, but once Kara revealed her powers the story picked back up. I was sucked back into the story, eager to know what will happen next. 

It almost felt like that story didn't progress much until about the last 75% of the novel.  There was a lot of build up to what will happen towards the end.  A lot was predictable, but then again Boyce tells the reader things will happen.  It does push the story along a little bit, but I think this book is intended to focus more on Kara learning her identity, who she truly is and her place within the world.    Throughout the other two books, Kara didn't feel connected to the people she was fighting to save, and now she does as well as change the viewpoint of Isens.  It is something that was needed to give Kara that connection to everyone and everything to really fight for unity.

I did enjoy this story, it was different from the previous ones in that it had a different air to it.  While it was slower and had a different feel to the story, it was one that is needed for the series.  It does deviate a little bit, but it is a necessary deviation.  I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading the next one.  I do suggest not only thing book but also the series.  I give this novel a 3 out 5 rating.  S.M Boyce is doing a great job at developing a story and world.

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Fathomless is the third book in Pearce's Fairytale Retelling series, and probably my favorite thus far.  In this novel we meet Celia and Lo.  Celia is one part of a set of triplets with unique qualities, they have special powers.  Celia's power is that she can see someone's past, something she doesn't find as exciting as her sisters' powers of seeing the present and future.  Lo is a mermaid, or ocean girl, trying to remember who see previously was and why she wants to become human.  The two cross paths when together they rescue a boy who had fallen into the ocean.  When Celia touches Lo, she sees a past full of screaming.  Lo continues to come to see Celia after learning her true name and the two work together to discover more about Lo's mysterious past.  But soon the two girls are competing for the affection of the boy they saved: Jude.  According to the ocean girls, Lo could get her life as a human back if she can get a human to love her and then she must kill him and steal his soul.  Lo quickly discovers the things she hears about her future are not what they appear to be, and that there is someone who has more sinister plans for the girls of the ocean.

Fathomless seemed to have a little more action and build up to it as Celia tries to help Lo, and hold a relationship with Jude, and become someone separate from her sisters.  Much like Sweetly, Fathomless plays on elements from the previous two novels.  Things we learn about in Sweetly play a major role in this novel, and there is a hint at a connection to Sisters Red.  The continuation of the story in this manner is very interesting and keeps me intrigued at where Pearce is going to take the series, will they all somehow come to a close together in a final book?  I love his descriptions of the ocean girls as having skin tinted blue or green showing they are something different from humans.

This one isn't as slow to develop as the previous two were.  It takes us through the eyes of Celia and Lo which makes for double the action until their story lines become one. It is definitely not the sweet little mermaid tale we remember for Disney as Lo kills a young boy within the first few moments of the story, and then another ocean girls tries to kill Jude.  The character I think developed the most was Lo as she develops back into Naidia and fits for her humanity.  The end is completely surprising and not what I was expecting.  Pearce has developed a way of connecting with her readers and keeps them wanting more from her work.  I know I do!

I give Fathomless a 4.5 out of 5 stars.  The pace of the story is still a little slow going but it doesn't take away from the overall feeling of the story.  It still progresses nicely and keeps the readers wanting more, I look forward to picking up Cold Spell next.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah Maas

Crown of Midnight is the second novel in Sarah Maas' Throne of Glass series.  The book picks up after Celeana has been named the King's Champion, and she defeated the evil within the castle only to discover something more sinister is happening.  This book opens with her carrying out one of the King's orders.  All this time Celeana has been giving her marks an option to  fake their death and leave or she kills them.  When she is given an order to kill a former associate, she decides to try and gather more information about a rebel uprising.  While looking for secrets and answers Celeana stumbles upon another passageway leading to a big iron door.  Throughout the book, she discovers a throng of secrets being held from her, even from those who are the closest to her: Crown Prince Dorian, Princess Nehemia, and Captain of the Guard Chaol.  Who can she trust, if anyone?  What lies underneath the castle?  What kind of secrets is the King himself keeping?

There are no words to describe this novel, it was so engrossing I actually stayed up until 2 A.M reading the book because I couldn't wait to see what happens to Celeana and her friends.  Crown of Midnight is chalk full of secrets including Celeana's own secrets.  We get a lot more information in this novel, but there are still a number of questions left open for the next novel.  The end was surprising and left readers craving more, Maas expertly closes one story and opens the door for the next installment.  She completely blows fans away with the ending of this novel.  Everything in the novel feels like it happens naturally and isn't forced.  Everything unravels perfectly until the perfect cliffhanger ending.

The beginning of the book starts out slow and appears to be about political agendas, but as the book progresses into the story line, it picks up the pace.  I admit I was one of the girls that was hoping for something to happen between Chaol and Celeana, but who knows what the future will hold for these two.  There is nothing predictable about this book, there are so many twists and turns you would think you are on a country road in West Virginia.   There is not one moment when you are not on the edge of your seat waiting for what will happen next.  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. 

Some books that show a political side tend to make it difficult to read or understand, but not the Throne of Glass series, Maas makes it interesting as she weaves it into the story of magic and what happened to magic of the land.  I cannot begin to recommend this book enough.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and cannot wait to move on to the next one Heir of Fire. I give this novel a 5 out of 5 star rating.  Excellent.

Let There Be Dragons by Kim Cormack

Let There Be Dragons is the third book in Kim Cormack's Children of Ankh series.  Let me say that if you have not started this series yet, or if you need a good series to begin this is it.  Let There Be Dragons picks up right where Enlightenment leaves off.  Kayn has survived the Testing with her clan, but she has come out a different person, she is now a Dragon like Lexy, and Zach is her Handler.  She and Zach need to learn their new roles as they take on jobs and new tasks.  All the while Kayn needs to learn her new Conduit abilities as well.  Let There Be Dragons is full of everything that makes a nothing beyond fantastic, there is action (demon battles), romance (Lexy and Gray, Kayn and Frost, Zach and....).  It is a series that needs to be read, demands to be read.

Kim starts the ball rolling in Sweet Sleep when we are introduced to Clan Ankh, Kayn and Kevin.  Readers grow to love everyone in the story and BAM, Kim throws in a twist.  Enlightenment, we watch Kayn grow with her clan and learn to deal with the loss of Kevin and gain the strength needed to survive the test, the BAM again more twists.  She keeps this momentum in Let There Be Dragons, now we see Kayn in a new, more dangerous role.  Kim has a talent for building up the tension and creating a tone throughout the novel that makes readers want to stop time and just read.  Once I got to the end I seriously wanted to scream because I didn't want it to end.  Kim leaves her readers desperately craving more as Kayn craves energy and hot sauce.

This volume of the series also gives us a bit of a steamy scene between Kayn and Frost, as scene that would put traditional romance novels to shame!  As she builds the general tension between characters and action, she also builds the sexual tension between the two.  While the characters are already well develop throughout the series thus far, Kim finds ways to develop them even more and adds new depth and meaning to them in each installment.  I don't think I have read a series that had such complex and multi-layered characters.  I cannot wait for more from Kim, I am excited to see what she has in store for Clan Ankh, and wonder if maybe there are other versions of the story in the works.  How great would it be if we could have a series that focuses on Kevin, or even Clan Trinity?  hint hint Kim!

Seriously, if you haven't read Sweet Sleep yet, do it.  Begin the journey with the Children of Ankh, I promise you will not be disappointed.  The series just keeps getting better.  This would be a series I could definitely see as a movie franchise.

The Awakening By Andi O'Connor

Awakening by Andi O'Connor is the second novel in the Dragonath series.  It picks up where the previous novel leaves off as the fellowship enter into war with their enemies, and possibly themselves.

Darrak and his companions face more challenges in their fight against those who wish use Halla magic to destroy not only Dragonath, but also Earth.  An ancient enemy from the past has been resurrected from the death without a passing thought to the consequences.  Mionee faces a consequences of her decision to join forces with Niemel as well as the things she has set in motion.  The companions are joined with new allies in the wolf who helped them in the past as well as a dragon who could help turn the tide of the war.  The fellowship faces challenges they never imagined facing such as betrayal, and treason.  Darrak slowly learns what it means to accept his destiny as the heir to the throne, but can he handle the responsibility that comes a long with it?  Will the kingdom be able to fight of the enemy advances with little resources they have?  Will dragons come to the aid of the heir or will the remain hidden?

Andi has done it again!  In her second novel, she continues with the action, suspense and twists she creates in the first novel.  The themes of betrayal, trust and relationship continue to be important in Awakening as they were in The Lost Heir.  In this novel the betrayl seemed to hit harder than in the previous novel, probably because as the characters didn't expect the betrayal, neither does the reader.  It was something that takes readers completely off guard.  I gasped when I read certain parts of the book, and may have audibly uttered "NO."  Andi O'Connor has the talent to bring her characters to life and create a world that feels beyond realistic.

I was happy to see the characters continue to grow stronger, but also continue to recognize their faults and short-comings.  It is refreshing to see characters display faults and learning how to turn those faults into strengths within a group such as this.  Darrak is one of the characters I think who grew the most in this novel.  He comes to accept his role and the heir, but struggles with the responsibility.  At this point we see him learning to lean on someone other than himself for strength and guidance.  While relationships with one another whether romantic or not are an important part of the story, it was nice to see the story did not rely soley on that aspect of the plot.  It was simply a supporting element to develop the characters in a different way.

Something I would have liked to seen more use out of though was the dragon as well as the wolf.  I expected more from Wistera.  The aid of dragons appear to be a important element to the story, but we didn't have too much of a background for them other than the short history lesson Andrillian gives us in the beginning, maybe we will see more dragon action in another installment.  While the story is largely about Darrak and him taking his rightful place, this installment was also largely about Mionee.  We see the torment and horrors she endures from her husband and soon Niemel.  We see her become even more remorseful and regretful of her previous greed.  There is still the question of what caused her desire for power?

As with Lost Heir it was difficult to put this novel down in order to sleep or actual be productive.  The world Andi creates in Dragonath is so easy to get lost in.  I don't say this often about books...but I would love to see this made into a movie, I would love to see her characters come to life.  She has the talent to contend with some of the fantasy "best-sellers."   Without a doubt I give this novel a 5 out of 5.  Andi has swiftly become one of my favorite authors, and believe me that is not an easy task!  If you haven't read my review of Lost Heir, do so and then read both novels.

Sweet Sleep

Title:  Sweet Sleep (Children of Ankh series book 1) by Kim Cormack.
Media source: Kindle
Rating 4.5 out of 5

 

Recommendation:  I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys fantasy novels.

 

Sweet Sleep is a young adult fantasy novel about a young girl who losses her entire family in one night.  When she recovers she finds out there is something special about her and her childhood best friend.  She struggles through accepting who she is and what her life will become.

Kayn and her twin sister couldn't be more different.  

 

Chloe has a way with boys almost magnetism,  whereas Kayn is virtually invisible except to her best friend Kevin.  Kayn and Kevin spend a large amount of time together and on one particular night Kayn begins feeling strange.   After having dinner with Kevin's family  she arrives home to something horrific.   She manages to run from the house only to pursued by the same man who slaughtered her family.   She is found severely injured. After months in a coma she awakens, and learns she is special.  Her and her sister are connected in more ways than one and supernatural clans will be looking for her. 

 

The clan Ankh has claimed Kayn as well as Kevin, who discovered he is a  powerful psychic. Members of the clan try to train Kevin and Kayn quickly for an oncoming battle for Kayn's life.  Along the way the groups discover many secrets; many increase the value of Kayn and Kevin's existences.  What will the future hold for these two young people?   Will they make it to Enlightenment and remain true to who they are?

 

This is an outstanding novel,  I didn't want to put it down.  Correction:  I couldn't put it down.  This is a longer novel, roughly 500 pages, but every one of those pages are needed.  Kim builds the story up in a way I haven't seen in  a long time.  She builds the back story  of Kayn and Kevin thus building the bond the have together as well as with Chloe.   I would have like a little more story on Chloe.   She was a big part of Kayn, but we don't know much about her personality and what else made her the darker one.  Readers get a small glimpse into not only Ankh but the other clans, I am sure the other novels will continue with the story of Ankh.

 

Kayn is an incredible character,   I wanted to see more of her fighting and using skills she has, but I am sure that will come in more novels.  I enjoyed the companionship built through the group of Ankh members as they train with Kayn and Kevin.  Readers see them bonding and becoming Kayn's family.    We see Kayn becoming stronger as well as the clan relying on each other for strength.   Where one was weak another was strong, portraying the importance of teamwork and working together.  I also enjoyed the idea of using crystals for healing and protection.   I hope to see more of that in other novels.  

 

I have a lot of high hopes for upcoming novels,  I cannot wait to begin reading Enlightenment, the second book in the series.  This is definitely a series that needs to be read.

Ever Shade

Title: Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1) by Alexia Purdy
Media Source: Ebook: Nook

Rating: 3 out of 5

Recommendations: I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys young adult, and fantasy tales.

Every now and then I find a book on Bookbub that sparks my interest. This novel was one of them.  The cover I found to be pretty and drew me into wanting to know what the story was about, the cover did it's job.  After reading the synopsis, I decided to give it a shot and see what the story held.

Ever Shade is a fantasy novel revolving around a teenage girl named Shade.  She discovers she is not completely human, but part faerie, and the one faerie prophecies have spoken about.  Shade is thrown into a quest to obtain water from a magical fountain in order to help the Seelie faerie court fight against the Unseelie faerie court.  Will Shade be up for the task?  Can she handle everything thrown at her throughout the journey across the realm?

Shade is plagued with voices whispering in her head.  If she ignores them, they get ever more persistent.  On this day they are ever vigilant that she enter a creepy abandoned warehouse building. She finds her way in and follow the directions of the voice only to find herself the witness of a battle between a woman and a man.  To add to the creep factor, the man fights with lightening and the woman a sonic blast.  Shade is frozen in place as the woman flies out the window.  What is going on?  After she is discovered and she explains the voices brought her there.  Without a second thought the man (Jack) tells her to follow him to the "oracle."  She goes along with him through the forest as he explains there are faeries.  Once she is among the faerie court, she finds out that she is the one the prophecy speaks about.  The one who could help save them from war with another faerie court.
Shade and an entourage of faerie warriors embark on a quest through the lands to obtain water from a magic fountain.  Along the way Shade and her friends are thrown into trial after trial, attack after attack including an attack from another faerie race.  The result of the attack is Shade is bonded to another faerie: Dylan a warrior who took the punishment of his brother.  Meaning he must forever be at her side until the land decides the debt is paid. Shade must find the power and courage within to accomplish her goal.

Overall this was a well written story, but there were some things that seemed a little too far fetched.  I mean a young woman meeting a guy for the very first time and willingly follows him into the unknown without a second thoughts.  The adult in me yelled at her to be more cautious, but the young woman in me told the adult to hush and read the book.  So, I locked the adult woman away and just enjoyed the novel without being nitpicky.  That being said...wow. The idea of different species of faeries was interesting especially the Teleens who were comprised of electricity or fire.  It was unique from some of the other faeries seen in other novels.  There were some things that didn't make sense such as the faerie realm being able to make their own light and things such as that, but there were outlets in some of the rooms.  It seemed convenient that whenever Shade needed something it was magically there.

Slowly Shade develops from the scared girl to one with a little courage.  She still has fears, but she overcomes them with her friends and her own learning of the realm.   She goes from hating the outdoors to beginning to enjoy it.  Although again, any time she had to do anything outdoorsy, she suddenly has the ability to do so because of some event in her childhood like scouts or camping with her family.  I think those elements would have been better if she struggled with learning how to pitch a tent or tie a good knot.  Through this journey Shade is supposed to be learning magic and how to fight, but oddly no one thinks to show her any of this except the one occasion she learns to make a wytch stone and when Dylan starts to teach her sword fighting, but not enough to defend herself in an attack, and they were attacked an awful lot.

While there were elements that made readers questions things, it was a great story.  The plot, dialog, and descriptions help make up for all those things.  Characters develop as the story progresses, while Dylan began hating Shade, they soon grow to like each other, maybe a little more than friends.  There were some things that seemed closely related to other fairy tales such as the man made of bark Shade meets.  He shins a woman who curses him to look hideous until he is kissed by a "queen to be."  Sound familiar?  I enjoyed the character interaction and communications.  There was a great deal of elements relating to accepting one another and being tolerant of one's differences.

Overall the story was an interesting read, I was so engrossed in the story I couldn't put it down.  Some things were hard to overlook, but there were plenty of things to make up for it.  Check out Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1)  if you enjoy a good fantasy novel.

Planet Urth

Title: Planet Urth by Jennifer and Christopher Martucci
Media Source: e-book: Nook
Rating 3 out of 5 stars

Recommendation:  I would recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a post apocalyptic stories and stories of survival.

Planet Urth is a novel written by Jennifer and Christopher Martucci.  It is a post apocalyptic novel that takes place on Earth after a biological war.  The plants, animals, and humans have mutated into something hideous.  Avery and her younger sister June have survived for 6 years on their own.  When a herd of Urthmen and Lurkers threaten their safety, the girls need to decide the next steps they must take in order to survive.

Avery watched as the Urthmen killed her mother.  Avery, her sister June and their father managed to escape the mutated humans only to spend the next several years surviving in the woods. Their father passed away leaving Avery to care for her sister and ensure no harm comes to them.  One day while out hunting for food, Avery comes across another family of humans.  Her hopes rise, but as she heads back to her cave, she was attacked by a couple of Urthmen, gets tangled in a mysterious creature's web, and chased by the Lurkers (creatures that hunt at night, making sundown a dangerous time of day).  The Lurkers have discovered the girls' hiding spot and mark it in order to return.  As Avery returns to warn the family of humans they are attacked by the Urthmen.  No where in the woods is safe anymore and the group now must find another place to hide, hopefully a place with more humans.

The premise for the book is a great idea, but the execution of it is lacking.  The idea of a teenage girl trying to survive in a world unfamiliar to them.  Avery is a strong character with natural flaws that come with being a teenage girl.  There isn't much development with Avery, and very little with June other than her trying to hunt big enough game to feed both her and Avery.  This book has a lot of backstory and emotions throughout it.    The climax of the story happens to close to the end for there to be any satisfaction for the readers.  It sets the stage for the novels that come next in the series, and I do hope they get better in the progression of the story.   It is very slow moving and focuses a great deal on descriptions, and minute details.  In a story where the only humans are Avery and her sister, it seems there won't be much to the story, and as the story progresses the reader continues to feel that way.  That is until Avery stumbles across the other humans, the Urthman and the Lurkers.  Personally, there should have been more suspense earlier in the novel such as something happening with the Lurkers or something.  There needed to be more meat to the story.

Devil's Grasp

Title: The Devil's Grasp by Chris Pisano and Brian Koscienski
Media: Print; Paperback
Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Long ago an evil wizard enchanted 5 gemstone, granting them different powers to call forth and control various demons.  This wizard is defeated during battle and the gems hidden across the earth so no one can use their powers again.  Presently the kingdom of Albathia is in danger of war from Tsinel.  The king sends his oldest son on a quest to find these gems in order to use their powers to defeat the invading army.  As the prince hunts for the gems so is a group of thieves, a band of wizards and an unlikely group consisting of a troll, hobgoblin, orc and a satyr.  Each group have no inclination of the turmoil
and hardships they will face while on this quest.

This is the third book that I have read by these two and I have to say it is one of my favorites.  There is a lot of action, surprise and even a little bit of romance.  The authors created characters readers get attached and want to see more of.  It starts off with a bard telling two of the groups about the stones and selling them maps to the stone and thus the adventure begins.  One of my favorite parts involved a cave of mirrors that if touched one gets sucked into the mirror, it is a creepy image but an amazing way to describe a trap for the stone.  These two do a phenomenal job at weaving their tale together.  There are some characters I wanted more of such the dragon and rabbit who guarded the Spirit Stone, such an unlikely pair, but make for a little bit of comic relief in their parts they are in.   There are some questions left unanswered, but those could be answered in another book possibly?

Something I thought was a nice touch was the wizards didn't have limitless power.  In some other fantasy novels wizards and magic users seem to have unending power, where-as in this novel they needed added elements to complete their spells.  If they didn't have those ingredients then the spell could not be cast.  This is just one element of the novel that sets it apart from other fantasy novels.  It also had a Dragonlance Saga feel to it, I am not sure why.  There is a lot that happens in this novel, a lot that should happen in this novel.

When the story ends one cannot help but wonder, "is this truly the end?"

Recommendation:  This needs to be added to any fantasy lover's shelf.  It is a great novel with fantastic writing.  I cannot wait for more from this team.