Review: Dualed by Elsie Chapman

(Review originally appeared exclusively here.)

Two of you exist. You and your Alt. Only one will survive.

Synopsis
The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Review of Elsie Chapman's "Dualed"
I had been looking forward to reading "Dualed" for several months and, to my relief, Canadian author Elsie Chapman’s debut didn’t disappoint. "Dualed" had initially grabbed my interest just by its concept, kill or be killed by your Alt, but Elsie Chapman’s words easily kept me flipping my virtual pages with her intense description, and hair raising suspense. I actually found myself pausing several times while I was reading to ask myself the same questions the daring, but reluctant, main character West Grayer was struggling with;

What would I have done if I was being hunted by myself?

How far would I have gone if my life was on the line?

Would I fight, or flee? Would I kill, or be killed?

If the Young-Adult dystopian category has caught your eye, then I say, don’t hesitate to add this book to your to-be-read pile. Elsie Chapman has written a fast paced, violent and visually rich addition to the dystopian genre, and one that readers of The Hunger Games and Divergent will enjoy. This is one reader who will definitely be watching the clock until the sequel, "Divided", hits the shelves in 2014.

Book Reviews

Review - Root Bound - Tanya Karen Gough

“Houses aren’t alive?”

That was the moment when Canadian-born author, Tanya Karen Gough, seized me as a reader. Root Bound—the first of four in her Emma and the Elementals series—is a richly described fantasy tale that all ages will enjoy.

SYNOPSIS
"How far will you go to find your way home?


Emma and her father are always on the move, travelling from place to place as her father’s work demands. Their new home, however, is different. There’s a frightening woman who lives down the hall: she bears an uncanny resemblance to a witch. A mysterious light comes from her apartment, and a small boy seems to be trapped inside.

School in this town is no happy place either, with an odd principal and a gang of girls who make tormenting Emma their special project. And strangest of all is the fact that there seem to be brownies - basement brownies, in the air vent in her bedroom.

Haunted by visions of her mother, Emma travels through the brownie burrow to the valley of Hades to visit with the goddess Ceres, following a series of clues that lead her across the sea of memory to the centre of the world.

There, on an inhospitable rock floating in a sea of steaming lava, Emma must find a way to release her mother from the sea of memory and restore magic to both the brownie burrow and the human world above.”

That said, from the outset, I easily connected with the father as he struggled to make ends meet for himself and his young daughter—the main character, Emma Sheridan. I then gladly ran along with Emma, as she got magically pulled into what turns out to be a fanciful and destiny-filled journey.

Rich in description, Ms. Gough skillfully creates a clear visual of this “Under” realm, in tandem with Emma’s humorous and sometimes tension-filled relationships with those that roam in the "Under." Weaving together an entertaining adventure filled with brownies, prophecies, and a modern take on Greek mythology, this is one reader who is looking forward to Book 2!

Root Bound is definitely for those readers who love the fantasy genre, especially fans of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as mythology. For a more contemporary comparison, fans of Suzanne Collins' first book series (yes,that Suzanne), The Underland Chronicles, will also enjoy this book.

Review originally published at Yummy Mummy Club.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Cloak Society - Jeramey Kraatz

Photo Credit: Jeramey Kraatz

Book Overview:

The Cloak Society: An elite organization of supervillains graced with extraordinary powers. Ten years ago they were defeated by the Rangers of Justice and vanished without a trace. But the villains of Cloak have been biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to resurface. And twelve-year-old Alex Knight wants to be one of them. Alex is already a junior member, and his entire universe is Cloak's underground headquarters, hidden beneath an abandoned drive-in theater in Sterling City, Texas. While other kids his age are studying math and history, Alex is mastering his telekinetic powers and learning how to break into bank vaults. His only dream is to follow in his parents' footsteps as one of the most feared supervillains in the world. Cloak is everything he believes in. But on the day of his debut mission, Alex does the unthinkable: he saves the life of a young Ranger named Kirbie. Even worse . . . she becomes his friend. And the more time he spends with her, the more Alex wonders about the world outside of Cloak—and what, exactly, he's been fighting for.

Review: 
As a child, I loved Spider-Man, but I loved Dr. Octopus too. Even as an adult, I still can not decide between the Rebellion and The Dark Side. From the beginning pages of THE CLOAK SOCIETY, I could see that author Jeramey Kraatz still hasn't decided either. 

THE CLOAK SOCIETY is a fast paced book that will leave you questioning your traditional view of the supervillain. We gladly follow along with Alex, a supervillain with telekinesis, as he prepares and does battle against The Rangers of Justice. But more importantly, we follow Alex as he battles within himself.

Is he evil?

What are the extent of his powers?

Why has the Cloak's history been so hidden from him?

This fresh take on good versus evil, or evil versus good, simply works. Who would I recommend this to? If your reader enjoys superheros, then this is a no brainer. If they have enjoyed The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins, or the Artemis Fowl series, then this book is for them too.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Where to purchase?

There are a ton of options found here at HarperCollins. But if you want to sample it first, you can head over to HarperCollins Children's, where you can download the first few chapters for free.

Book Reviews

Leigh Bardugo's "Shadow & Bone" 5/5 stars

A nation in turmoil, of which you have to choose sides.

Ugly characters, with agendas you loath. 

An isolated main character, which you impatiently hope for. 

Visual textures, that you swear you could touch. 

A darkness, that you will fear. 

A book, that you can immerse yourself in. 

What more can one ask for? 

Nothing.

In “Shadow and Bone”, the debut novel from Leigh Bardugo, the author shows us she simply gets it. We know that from the outset as Leigh quickly whisks us away from our own daily routines and we find ourselves walking in the footsteps of the anxious orphan Alina Starkov. When we are first introduced to Alina, she is settled into a secondary role in the strife that divides her nation. But soon the reader discovers, just as she does, that that is not the role in life she is destined for. Alina soon sees she has a secret that not even she believes. One so magical that when revealed, her role in the war torn nation of Ravka is one that she would have never thought possible.

A role which centers around an area of darkness in Ravka, called the Shadow Fold, that will terrorize her with its own ferocious secrets. With the haunt of darkness always looming over the reader, Leigh paces us through the book with ease. The mystery that surrounds the powers of the Grisha, and the two-faced dealings of the Darkling, are more than enough to keep you turning the pages.

Simply put, "Shadow and Bone" is a must read. 5/5 stars.
You can purchase the book at:
Amazon        Barnes & Noble         iTunes

If you would like to connect with the author, check her out on Twitter. As for those who are attending the San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, make sure to check her blog for up-to-date information on her appearances both on Saturday and Sunday.

Book Reviews

Book Review: "The False Prince"

Photo Credit -
Jennifer Nielsen

“I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me,” Eddie Vedder

The ability of music to influence is simply undeniable. Forgoing the science of it, many joyfully just lose themselves in the rhythm of song. But in the case of author Jennifer A. Nielsen, music was able to shape more then just her mood. The lyrics above, taken from Eddie Vedder’s Grammy nominated song “Guaranteed”, became an admitted inspiration for part of Jennifer’s adventurous Young Adult novel “The False Prince.” 

In “The False Prince”, we find ourselves immersed in the life of Sage, a fifteen-year old orphan who has a talent for thievery. Those talents harnessed from the desperation of his life have caused him to be directed down a path where a dangerous opportunity awaits. It is one which he would never have foreseen possible as he jumped from orphanage to orphanage. Once the opportunity, or plot as we will soon find out, is accepted by Sage we find ourselves whisked with him to a plush palace far from the hardships of his now former life.

But once there, Sage finds himself knee deep in a plot as devious as its creator, the nobleman Connor. The full plan kept close to Connor’s chest, means Sage has no idea what lengths he will go to in executing his plan to save the kingdom of Carthya from the civil war that is teetering at its gates. But as pieces of the plan are revealed, Connor tells Sage the plan includes having someone impersonate the King’s son Jaron, who was lost at sea when the ship he was aboard was attacked and sunk by a group of pirates. But Sage soon sees he is not the only one offered this opportunity, nor will it be as simple as placing the stolen crown upon his head.

To become the “False Prince” and the heir to the throne Sage, along with three others, will be  forced to train and compete amongst themselves for the right to call themselves Prince Jaron. It is soon quite obvious to Sage that they are not only competing for the role of the Prince, but also for their lives.

Set within a medieval landscape, “The False Prince” is filled with plot twists, lies, defiance and sword play which easily keeps the pages turning. The book has vivid characters like Connor, who you can not help but loathe, and some like Imogen, a mute servant girl, who you find wishing to lend her your hand in friendship. The addition of cleverly dropped hints throughout a well paced plot, “The False Prince” will have you racing to its dramatic conclusion. 

But what about the lyrics? Well, having the pleasure of seeing Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder live on countless occasions, I would hazard to guess he would be proud of his lyrical influence in the direct shaping of the central protagonist Sage. Sage, who is the narrator throughout most of “The False Prince”, is a lovable rebel whom you find yourself needing to root for. His character is weaved with strings of leadership, rebellion, vulnerability and a thieve’s wit. So if you are looking for someone to fill the void left by Harry or Percy, you have found him in Sage and “The False Prince”. If you enjoy reading YA fantasy, I highly recommend this book. 

To check out more about The Ascendance Trilogy or Jennifer Nielsen you can visit her on her Website, Twitter or on Facebook . If you can not wait to see what happens next in the Ascendance Trilogy, sadly you have no choice but to wait for the release sometime next year. But if you would like a hint, Jennifer revealed the title of Book 2 today which you can rush over and see here.

Book Reviews

Review of "Starters" by Lissa Price

Photo Credit-
Lissa Price

Being someone that is often reading multiple books at the same time, I was finding the routine a little stale. So I decided to make myself change it up. The #OneChapterADay experiment turned out to be an exciting way to forcefully create a "cliff hanger" situation each night allowing my other books to not be neglected. A word of caution as this is not for everyone, especially those who like to shake their Christmas presents.

So with the idea born, the first book I chose was the debut sci-fi dystopia "Starters" by Lissa Price. At first glance "Starters" appears to be perfect for those seeking a replacement to the Hunger Games series. But upon reading it,  you will soon see that this fast paced book deserves much more than being called a replacement.

When the book begins you find yourself in the not too distant future Los Angeles. The biological attacks of the Spore Wars have killed off everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty, leaving only the young and elderly filling the city. Our 16 year old narrator, Callie Woodlawn, takes us speeding through her life as an orphan making tough decisions of survival for her and her younger brother Tyler.

Callie finds out she is a hot commodity being an unclaimed minor, or a Starter as they are called. With this in mind, she goes to a body bank planning on getting the money that will help her take care of her brother's deteriorating health. The body bank Prime Destinations is a place where the elderly, or Enders as they are called, pay handsomely to rent the Starters bodies. But a hiccup in Callie's neurochip, which allows the Enders to take control of her body, stops her plan dead in the tracks.  The subsequent chain of events causes the reader to hold on as we rush in and around L.A. searching for answers to what is happening to her and her Ender.

I won't lie, "Starters" was difficult to put down.With little back story throughout, its pace is fast, especially through the beginning and the "I didn't see that coming." end to the book.  I will definitely put her second book "Enders", due out December 11, 2012, on my Christmas list.  But with the way that "Starters" ended, I think I will have no choice but to open that Christmas present early.

Book Reviews