Krymzyn by BC Powell Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway!

Hey everyone and welcome to my tour stop on the Blow Tour for Krymzyn by BC Powell! A few months ago you guys stopped by to see the cover reveal and now I am honored to share more about this incredible read! After the cover reveal, I was approached by the author to read and review this novel for release, but before I was able to get my review posted, I was selected as a stop on this awesome tour! You guys are in for a treat because this was one great read! Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the book and our author:

Title: Krymzyn
Author: BC Powell
Genre: New Adult Fantasy, Science-Fiction
Release Date: October 4, 2014

Chase was twelve the first time he arrived in a strange land where dark, ominous clouds never move, ancient trees violently spring to life during Darkness, and people seem to live without emotion. Doctors tell him they’re hallucinations, but he knows his visits are real. She’s there-Sash-and she’s more real than anyone he’s ever known.

His visits stop but, as years pass, the memories haunt Chase. Without warning, the young man suddenly finds himself again in a world called Krymzyn. Arriving during Darkness, he’s rescued from death by the extraordinary, beautiful but terrifying young woman he first met when he was twelve.

When Chase is thrust into the war of balance against vile creatures who threaten all who live there, Sash helps him understand his purpose in Krymzyn. A dark secret from the beginning of time reveals he might be able to stay there forever. To prove he belongs in Krymzyn and be with the only woman he can ever love, Chase will have to risk his own life in the ultimate battle.

Now that you've seen the cover and the synopsis, here's a little bit about out author, BC Powell:

BC Powell

BC Powell is a fantasy author from Los Angeles, CA. His debut science fiction fantasy novel "Krymzyn" will be released October 4, 2014. "The Infinite Expanse", the second book in "The Journals of Krymzyn" series, is scheduled for publication in February, 2015.

Powell has a diverse background, having held several creative positions in the entertainment industry, including executive roles at ABC-TV and Technicolor. In recent years, he's authored several non-fiction works, primarily educational books and training programs for trading the financial markets. He dual majored in journalism and philosophy at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Writing fiction has been his lifelong passion and goal. “Krymzyn” is his first published novel and represents, in his words, “finally finding the story I want to tell with characters that are able to bring that story to life.” He's an avid reader and lists Ernest Hemingway, Frank L. Herbert, Stephen King, Jane Austen, and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. as his favorite authors.

Brad, as he prefers to go by in personal communication, lives with his longtime girlfriend, three sons from a previous marriage, and their rescue dog and cat. He enjoys hiking, ocean kayaking, spending time at Southern California beaches, movies, and reading.

Find BC Powell

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads *

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My Thoughts:

Krymzyn. Just to see it's title says a lot. Unique? Original? Captivating? All of the above? Yes. This is proving to be one of the hardest reviews I have written! I have so much to say, yet so much I CAN'T say! Does that make sense? This book was truly one of a kind! How does one describe this novel without giving away anything?! Come on people, help me here!

Okay the first thing I want to comment on is the setting. I have seen several other reviews for this book touch on this subject, and I definitely feel like I should as well. BC Powell is a debut author. Generally you can tell a debut author when you come across one; they aren't as comfortable in their writing, they are just getting starting in this world, so to speak. When I first picked up Krymzyn, I had absolutely zero idea that BC Powell was a debut author. The way he writes lead me to believe that he was a seasoned professional. Kudos to Powell for that! When it comes to the world creation, Powell did a number on me with Krymzyn! The land itself is written with such description and literary beauty that I was able to merely close my eyes and there I was. Truly a remarkable talent Powell has to give us such a vision of his literary world.

When it comes to the character development, I have much to say! Again, this is hard without giving spoilers, but here I go anyways. Chase was such an interesting character. From beginning to end we see such a change, that he is almost an entirely new person. While in Krymzyn, Chase's physical body undergoes trauma here in our world. It's really interesting to read, but it really gave us some awesome insight to the kind of life Chase was living pre-Krymzyn. His family, friends, etc. Chase was a character with many dimensions that I could really appreciate. Sash, our female MC, really raised the bar. Her relationship with Chase was one of the big drivers for this story. Their interactions were great. Sash really doesn't change as much throughout the course of the novel, but it was okay, because she really was an interesting character!

As per the plot. I am conflicted. At some points I was really wishing the story would move a bit faster, yet at other times I was hoping it didn't end soon! As with any book it had its' great moments and its' "lull" moments, but nothing that took away from my overall experience. What I think I really enjoyed the most was that even though this is intended to be the first book in a series, we still get a complete story. Oftentimes authors lure a reader in and don't actually accomplish anything in their story in an effort to make the reader want more. While I definitely believe Powell makes a great case for the reader to pick up book 2, I think it was great how this story had a complete resolution to it, in a sense. See, here we go with the spoiler alerts again. Of course you would want to continue this series, because you want all your questions answered, right? Right!

Love, sacrifice, and family are among the many themes explored by Powell in this debut novel. While I won't go so far as to say any of there were Earth shattering realizations, they were definitely notions that fit in perfect with this story. Love in particular. Be it Chase's love for life, his family, or his newfound relationship with Sash, love plays a pretty big role in this story. Love and the sacrifices you will make in order to be happy in it!

Like I said in the beginning, it is kind of hard to review this without giving too much away, but I hope I have done this great novel justice! I know that I am really pumped about the sequel and to see what else Powell has in store for Krymzyn! All-in-all, I am granting this unique and unforgettable read a 4-star review! Definitely one I am glad I picked up! Strongly recommended to any mature-YA and up reader who can appreciate a good mysterious fantasy read! You will not be disappointed!

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Our author is giving away one heck of a prize, a $100 Amazon Gift Card! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alright everyone, that is all I have for you on the topic of Krymzyn by BC Powell. What do you think? Sound like your kind of read? If so, don't miss the buy links above! As a huge fan of NA and fantasy, I was really impressed by this read. Also, it was so refreshing to read a book by a male author. I haven't had the chance to review many of them! Here's to many more awesome reads from BC Powell! Special thanks to the author and the amazing team at Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to participate! Until next time, Happy Reading!  

-Ethan