Escape from Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth Review

Hey readers! Happy Sunday! Ethan here with another review for you guys. I caught this novel from a review request last month and I randomly selected it as my most recent read. I'm a little backlogged on reviews right now, but I couldn't wait another moment to share my thoughts on this one with you all! This time on the chopping block? Escape from Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and our author:

Everyone in Arnn - a small farming town with more legends than residents - knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees.

After losing her parents in a horrific terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria and her older brother escape New York City to Arnn. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope, when she should be afraid.

Perhaps the witch can reunite her with her lost parents. Awakening the witch, however, brings more than salvation from mourning, for Honoria discovers a past of missing children and broken promises.

To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness.

How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?

          

Purchase a SIGNED copy from the author here.

Jordan Elizabeth

Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, writes down her nightmares in order to live her dreams. With an eclectic job history behind her, she is now diving into the world of author. It happens to be her most favorite one yet. When she’s not creating art or searching for lost history in the woods, she’s updating her blog. Jordan is the president of the Utica Writers Club. She roams Central New York, but she loves to travel.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

*****

My Thoughts:

In the world of young adult literature, paranormal reigns supreme. I will never run out of paranormal options with the way the industry is cranking out novels in this genre, but in many cases, they're really lacking something. It's getting to the point where I need another genre to tie it to, something to make each read unique. One of my absolute favorites is YA-horror. It's often overlooked as it's probably the smallest of the YA sub-genres. Not many authors can pull it off successfully. There's such a stigma around writing anything in the horror genre that most authors stray away from it altogether. Thankfully for me, Jordan Elizabeth is not one of those authors.

Escape from Witchwood Hollow is neither marketed nor categorized as a horror novel, but I'm here to tell you that it was among the most terrifying YA-horror novels I have ever devoured. What a trip! The entire novel had a very Shyamalan-ian feel to it that really kept me reeling from the first chapter to the final sentence. This is not a read for the faint of heart, Elizabeth really pulls out all the stops to make this novel jaw-dropping. When I say horror, I don't mean blood and gore either, Elizabeth does a phenomenal job at keeping the horror aspect of this novel on the mental plane (for the most part). It will leave your brain on a track it won't be able to get off. Seriously mind-blowing at times, with a twist I really didn't see coming!

The plot of Escape was one of the more unique that I have seen in a YA novel. I am a huge stickler for historical novels so I absolutely fell in love with Elizabeth's decision to follow three characters throughout various time periods (1600s, 1800s, and 2001). That was a great literary device. Tying the story into current events (the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001) was a great idea that really grounded the story with an emotional anchor. Truly creative thinking on the part of Elizabeth. The historical aspects of the novel was spot on for American history and really helped to set the tone for the various chapters of the novel. The eventual ways in while the various storylines tie together really was groundbreaking for me. The execution was so seamless, only an author with the storytelling ability of Elizabeth could successfully pull it off.

This was a really quick read (just shy of 200 pages) so I really think the one thing Elizabeth missed out on was character development. While we learn a lot about the characters, we really don't dive too far into their minds and psyche in this story. It worked well for the story, but I would have liked to see the story expanded to allow for more character development. In the end, it really doesn't matter because Elizabeth is able to formulate a successful ending while wrapping up every loose end at once. There are far too many characters involved in this novel to critique them all, but for the most part I liked every one. There was one character I really didn't like and don't really understand the purpose of, but in the end it didn't bother me enough to change my thoughts on the story.

The settings in Escape were great. Arnn is written to perfection. I've never lived the city life so I'm very familiar with small-towns like Arnn. In fact, my hometown even has local legends like Arnn as well! The city of Arnn is so creatively reflected throughout the various timelines that I was very impressed. The physicality and timeless features of the city and the pertinent locations featured in the story were really a nice touch.

In true horror fashion, Elizabeth touches on some hard hitting themes to tell her story. Glimpses into the topics of death, guilt, survival, love, abandonment, family, and redemption are all present in this story that will really appeal to readers cross-genre. If this novel doesn't leave you reflecting on your own mortality, you've read it wrong. Major kudos to Elizabeth for touching on such hard-hitting topics without weighing down her story. 

In the end, I was beyond impressed with Escape. I could hardly put it down. I can say without hesitation that this is one of the best YA paranormal-horror novels that I have ever read. I am so excited be grant Escape from Witchwood Hollow a well-earned 5-star review. This is an excellent read for the autumn season (particularly around Halloween) that is sure to be a hit with fans of YA, horror, paranormal, and historic fiction. I highly recommend this read to anyone looking to add something a little different to their TBR lists this season! 

*****

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Escape from Witchwood Hollow. As you can see, this was definitely a read I thoroughly enjoyed. I will be keeping a close eye on Elizabeth and her future releases. Be sure to add this one to your TBR! Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, Happy Reading.

-Ethan

The World Without a Future Box Set Bonus Content Reveal

Today we are revealing details of the bonus content from THE WORLD WITHOUT END Series Box Set by Nazarea Andrews. This set will be released tomorrow - Sunday, August 23rd. It contains each novel from the series and some amazing extras you won't want to miss.

 

BOOK BLURB:

The complete set of The World Without End series, with exclusive bonus content.

The World Without a Future--Book 1 Nurrin has spent her entire life in a world with zombies, behind the dubious safety of Haven walls. But when her Haven falls, she manages to escape with her boyfriend, brother and her brother's partner. Finn O'Malley wants nothing more than to leave his past behind. But on the run in zombie nfested lands, he's forced to work with Nurrin to find the medicine that might save her boyfriend. The Havens are falling, and in the end, everything ends in blood. The Horde Without End It was supposed to be over. But the stakes are even higher and there is no one to trust but Finn. They're following breadcrumbs, and Finn's past is catching up with them. And time is running out--the zombies aren't the only dangerous thing in the world. In the end, there is only blood--blood that is spilled, and blood that is shared. The Future Without Hope Everything has changed. The Order has their hands in every dark corner of the Haven. With enemies on every side, and the horde bringing down the Havens, the question isn't who will survive. It's how far are they willing to go? In the end, only one thing will matter... The Ruin of the World The thrilling conclusion to The World Without End series. In the East, working for the Order, everything will change in one last battle. 

It all ends in blood Box Set Contents The World Without A Future The Horde Without End The Future Without Hope The Ruin of the World Dinner in the Haven--Short Story The Road Less Traveled--Short Story The Girl Who Fought the East--Short Story Reclaiming the West--Novella Exclusive look at The Blood Scion

Note from Nazarea Andrews:

I think it’s no secret that one of my favorite things is zombies. I love them, and going back to my little zombie infested apocalypse was so much fun. I knew almost from the first book that at the end I wanted to release a box set. And I wanted to tell stories that I didn’t get to in the novels. Finn said—repeatedly—that only one thing mattered. Keeping Ren safe. For him, that was the goal, that was the entire story. And that’s the story I told—Finn and Ren’s and when they found their happily ever after (or for now, considering the world), that’s where it ended. But that left a lot of really wide open stories, right? And this was my chance to share some of those stories. Here’s a little taste of what you’ll get in the box set. 

Dinner in the Haven—set before The World Without a Future, join Ren, Finn and Collin for a typical evening. Get to see a snapshot of life before the zombies brought down the walls and everything between Finn and Ren changed. The Road Less Traveled—We know what happened to Finn and Ren when they left to find medicine. But what caused Collin and Dustin to leave the safety of the Hole, and how did they end up traveling with a priest? Find out what Collin was doing and why. 

The Girl Who Fought The East—Of all the things from Finn’s past, Kelsey Buchman might be the most enigmatic. For the first time, go back to the War of the East and see Finn, when he still had his best friend, and that rarest of things—hope. 

Reclaiming The West—There were three stories that didn’t get tied neatly into a bow when I end The Ruin of The World. And this tells a little bit more—what happened in the Holdout, and what happened to Holly, Lori, Sylvia and Omar. 

Sneak Peek at The Blood Scion—my next series is so much fun. I adored Ren and Finn, but getting to know the world and characters in this one—it’s been a blast! Get a glimpse of the lore behind the Scion, and read the first three chapters of The Blood Scion.

 

CLICK HERE TO ADD THE BOX SET TO GOODREADS.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. AUTHOR LINKS:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Street Team

The World Without End by Nazarea Andrews Teaser Tour

Today we are revealing teasers from THE WORLD WITHOUT END Series Box Set by Nazarea Andrews. This set will be released on Sunday, August 23rd. It contains each novel from the series and some amazing extras.
 

BOOK BLURB:
The complete set of The World Without End series, with exclusive bonus content.

The World Without a Future--Book 1 Nurrin has spent her entire life in a world with zombies, behind the dubious safety of Haven walls. But when her Haven falls, she manages to escape with her boyfriend, brother and her brother's partner. Finn O'Malley wants nothing more than to leave his past behind. But on the run in zombie nfested lands, he's forced to work with Nurrin to find the medicine that might save her boyfriend. The Havens are falling, and in the end, everything ends in blood. 

The Horde Without End It was supposed to be over. But the stakes are even higher and there is no one to trust but Finn. They're following breadcrumbs, and Finn's past is catching up with them. And time is running out--the zombies aren't the only dangerous thing in the world. In the end, there is only blood--blood that is spilled, and blood that is shared. 

The Future Without Hope Everything has changed. The Order has their hands in every dark corner of the Haven. With enemies on every side, and the horde bringing down the Havens, the question isn't who will survive. It's how far are they willing to go? In the end, only one thing will matter... 

The Ruin of the World The thrilling conclusion to The World Without End series. In the East, working for the Order, everything will change in one last battle. 

It all ends in blood Box Set Contents The World Without A Future The Horde Without End The Future Without Hope The Ruin of the World Dinner in the Haven--Short Story The Road Less Traveled--Short Story The Girl Who Fought the East--Short Story Reclaiming the West--Novella Exclusive look at The Blood Scion

TEASERS FROM EACH BOOK IN THE SERIES

 

CLICK HERE TO ADD THE BOX SET TO GOODREADS.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. AUTHOR LINKS:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Street Team

From the Wreckage (From the Wreckage #1) by Michele G. Miller Review

Holy smokes readers. Ethan here coming at ya again for my fifth review in two days. This review will finally catch me up and I'll start my week over with a clean slate tomorrow (tomorrow starts my work week, random right?). Thank goodness, I never thought I'd catch up. Anywho. Tonight's review comes at ya with a lot of feels. I'm warning you guys, I haven't caught this many feels in a long time. The entire novel was just-- okay, let me save something for the review. This time on the chopping block? From the Wreckage by Michele G. Miller. Here's a bit about the novel and our author before we get to my thoughts:

“In a matter of minutes on a Friday night, I lost my school, my identity, the security of my first love, the personality of my sweet fearless brother, my best friend, my town, everything as I knew it. Everything changed.”

"Minutes - that’s all it takes to change your entire life. How do you deal with that?”

For high school senior Jules Blacklin surviving the storm is only the beginning. Faced with the new reality of her life, she must find a way to rise From The Wreckage and answer the question - how do you get back to normal, when everything that was normal is gone?

Book One FREE on All Platforms!

          

Michele G. Miller

I write fairytale love for everyday life! My writing is eclectic ranging from YA Historical Fantasy, Coming of Age Drama and New Adult Suspense, but the one thing they all have in common is ROMANCE. I love LOVE.

Personal tidbits:I'm a married mom of three. Grew up in Maine and Alabama (Roll Tide) but moved to the Carolina blue skies in 2002 (NC) and love it here!
I'm a fool for good dialogues and great lyrics!

I love football, chocolate and hiking in the mountains! I also love social media and can be found daily perusing Twitter or Facebook.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

*****

My Thoughts:

You guys who read my reviews know several things about me. I real a lot of YA. A whole lot of it, I also read a lot of contemporary romance, even though I'm not a huge romance fan. That, specifically, being said, it takes a whole lot for me to read a contemporary romance book and find it worthy of praise. That doesn't even take the fact that it's a YA novel into consideration at all. In my experience, YA contemporary isn't been... the greatest of reading experiences. The stories are often bogged down with teenage angst and the authors are near always out of touch with contemporary teenage reality. Then I met Michele G. Miller.

I'll start this out with a disclaimer. I picked this book up for free online several months ago and read the first third or so. For some reason I had to stop and I forgot all about it until I recently met Michele in person and she, yet again, piqued my interest. After picking up this story (a second time) from the very beginning, I wasn't able to set it down. Seriously folks. Words can't even describe how this story made me feel. 

Can you imagine a life in which a tornado could change your entire life? Friends, family, your home in mortal peril? I can. I was born and bred right in the midst of Tornado Alley. Year-round I watch the skies for storms, always on edge when a big one comes. I've survived several, and even been caught outside during one. Tornadoes are no joke. In fact, anyone who has been through one can tell you they're one of the downright scariest things imaginable. Never before would I have imagined an author could so perfectly capture the presence, the feel, the emotional plight of the storm. When From the Wreckage fell into my hands, I knew I was holding a piece of literary greatness.

The plot for Wreckage was probably one of the most unique I have ever seen in a YA contemporary novel. I don't even have a work to compare it to as it is so unique. Wreckage follows the story of Jules (as told through flashbacks) as she lives through a tornado that tore her town apart and nearly stole her life. Throughout the story, Miller mixes in the deepest of heartbreaking emotion to emulate the mental journey that not only Jules, but her entire community must undergo to pull through such a devastating time. Broken hearts and newfound love follow Jules and her friends as they learn the true meaning of live, friendship, and life. 

Sound deep enough for you? Folks, I won't lie to you here. I've said this before: I'm not an emotional reader. I'm just not. I don't often find myself with tears at the hand of a novel. Miller broke me in a way I haven't been broken in a very long time. This novel cut me to the core and I felt every one of these emotions like a knife to the heart. I found myself tearing up to the point of having to set the book down on three different occasions. Kudos to you Miller, you opened the floodgates. Gah. Miller really hits home with the plots and the themes I've described here, creating a novel that is sure to pull at the heartstrings of all readers, across genres.

The setting for Wreckage was written to perfect. Tyler, Texas (though not the Tyler, Texas) is small-town America. I saw so much of my hometown in its' characters, description, and eventual destruction. The close-knit community setting was captured in a way that tells me that Miller truly has experienced that life for herself, as nobody who hasn't could have written such. 

While there are several notable characters in Wreckage, I'll focus on the main three: Jules, Stuart, and West. Jules was an incredibly written character on a number of levels. Unlike other YA heroines who are trying to prove themselves or acting in very non-teenage girl ways, Miller knocked it out of the park with Jules' character, capturing the heightened emotions, the mindset, and the maturity a teenager would have. It was truly touching. Per Stuart, Miller really threw me for a loop, I was really waiting for the ball to drop and for us to uncover a deep, dark secret, but the truth was Stuart really was all that we see on the surface. West, on the other hand, really hit me hard. His character really had such a transformation and incredible development throughout this first installment of the series that he quickly became my favorite part. I have a thing for well-written male-YA characters. I suppose having been one myself, it irks me when authors get it wrong.

Everything about Wreckage screamed perfection. Let this review be a warning for you all, if you aren't equip to handle extreme feels and an absolutely incredible novel that will leave you breathless until the very last page, this story probably isn't for you. Who am I kidding, add this to your TBR today! With beautifully crafted words, Michele takes the darkest of moments in the hardest of times and brings hope and love to a story desperate for salvation. Kudos to you Michele G. Miller, you've written a masterpiece that's truly fit for my bookshelf. 

After reading my glowing review, it should come as no surprise that I am granting From the Wreckage by Michele G. Miller a near-perfect 5-star review. I cannot say enough incredible things about this first installment to the series. I am anxious to read the remainder of this series with the hopes I enjoy them just as much! A highly recommended read for all readers of YA (this one is mature-YA) and up. 

*****

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of From the Wreckage by Michele G. Miller. As you can see from my 5-star review above, this was definitely the read for me, and then some! I could not get enough. Michele is an amazing author and an incredible person all the way around. I've had the great honor of meeting her TWICE now and each time was a genuine pleasure. I have collected FIVE of Michele's novels and will be reviewing them each here on the blog in the coming months. Add this one to your TBR, it's not to be missed!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

The World Without End by Nazarea Andrews Box Set Cover Reveal

Today we are revealing the cover for THE WORLD WITHOUT END Series Box Set by Nazarea Andrews. This set will be released on Sunday, August 23rd. It contains each novel from the series and some amazing extras. 

BOOK BLURB:
The complete set of The World Without End series, with exclusive bonus content.

The World Without a Future--Book 1 Nurrin has spent her entire life in a world with zombies, behind the dubious safety of Haven walls. But when her Haven falls, she manages to escape with her boyfriend, brother and her brother's partner. Finn O'Malley wants nothing more than to leave his past behind. But on the run in zombie nfested lands, he's forced to work with Nurrin to find the medicine that might save her boyfriend. The Havens are falling, and in the end, everything ends in blood. The Horde Without End It was supposed to be over. But the stakes are even higher and there is no one to trust but Finn. They're following breadcrumbs, and Finn's past is catching up with them. And time is running out--the zombies aren't the only dangerous thing in the world. In the end, there is only blood--blood that is spilled, and blood that is shared. The Future Without Hope Everything has changed. The Order has their hands in every dark corner of the Haven. With enemies on every side, and the horde bringing down the Havens, the question isn't who will survive. It's how far are they willing to go? In the end, only one thing will matter... The Ruin of the World The thrilling conclusion to The World Without End series. In the East, working for the Order, everything will change in one last battle.

It all ends in blood Box Set Contents:

The World Without A Future 

The Horde Without End 

The Future Without Hope 

The Ruin of the World 

Dinner in the Haven--Short Story 

The Road Less Traveled--Short Story 

The Girl Who Fought the East--Short Story 

Reclaiming the West--Novella 

Exclusive look at The Blood Scion

 

CLICK HERE TO ADD THE BOX SET TO GOODREADS.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Street Team

Crushed (The Witch Game Novels #1) by Kasi Blake Review

Hey readers, Ethan here with another review for you guys. This time I'm sharing my thoughts on an amazing novel from my Clean Teen Publishing family. A new-Young Adult paranormal that really took me by surprise. On the chopping block today? Crushed by Kasi Blake. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and our author:

The Noah girls have beauty, powers, and brains.They use all three to play their games.
They blow the dust,
the boys are crushed,
and no one is ever the same.

Each year the Noah girls play a secret game— Crushed. The rules are simple.

1. Use wisdom to pick your target. The boy can't be too weak or too strong-willed.
2. Blow the enchanted dust into your target's face to enchant (Crush) him.
3. Give verbal commands and assign them tasks to perform throughout the year. The more tasks completed, the stronger the witch's power grows.
4. At the end of the year, the witch with the most power wins cold, hard cash.

As if being a witch in high school isn't complicated enough, Kristen picks the wrong boy to Crush. Zack is tall, handsome, and a little scary. Her Crush spell isn't working on him like it has with the others. In fact, he is behaving the opposite of every other boy she's Crushed, hating her instead of adoring her. Something is definitely wrong. After someone attempts to kill her, Kristen realizes there is more at risk than a few hundred dollars. She may be betting with her life.

          

Kasi Blake

Born and raised in California, I fell in love with writing while reading The Outsiders. Then I fell in love with Stephen King's writing style. I enjoy reading many types of books, but YA Paranormal is my favorite. I used to write for Harlequin under a different name. So that's my background. Exciting, no?

I have seven books out now: Vampires Rule, Werewolves Rule,Shifters Rule, Crushed, Witch Hunt, Bait, and my only adult novel, a romantic suspense called Pandora's Box.

 

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

*****

My Thoughts:

Read after read, I find myself struggling to keep interest. Genres are becoming far too repetitive and unique spins and original ideas are few and far between. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of all things paranormal and that witchcraft is pretty much at the top of my interests. While the idea of a YA witchcraft novel is definitely not unheard of (I mean, they're everywhere), Kasi Blake stood up in the crowd and took a stand for originality and really blew it out of the ballpark.

Before I start raving, allow me to get my one negative aspect out of the way. I haven't read any of Kasi's works prior to this, though they've all been thrown at me with glowing recommendations. I don't know if her other stories are similar in style to Crushed, but I'll go ahead and say this anyway. This story was the near the cleanest YA witchcraft story I've read. This is by no means a bad thing, I have just come to expect more cursing and adult situations from my YA reads and this one really shocked me. There was a whole lot of potential to juice up the adult content, but it never came to fruition. The novel stand on its' own as an amazing read, but just a heads up to anyone looks for a mature YA novel, you wont find it here. This story is appropriate for all YA readers.

The plot for Crushed was pretty awesome. It's an extremely quick-paced and easy read that's sure to keep you interested page after page. Blake's unique spin on the YA witchcraft trope will definitely leave you satisfied. The idea of the Crushed game between the sisters was both well-written and intriguing. I would have loved to see more of this in the novel. The story was definitely suspenseful at points and I can honestly say there were several times that I didn't know who was good and who was evil. I wish more YA novels weren't so transparent. Blake clearly has a knack for leaving her readers reeling for more. 

The characters in Crushed really gave me a lot to think about. On the negative end, they're very unrelatable for someone like me: a male reader born and bred in the Midwest. Surrounded by riches, more than a little spoiled, and slightly entitled, these characters were all tragically flawed in the greatest of ways. These characters weren't written in the sense to make them likable (for me), but the story Blake was able to craft from that was incredible. The character truly read like as though they were from in an MTV/CW series which will resonate great with audiences of those mediums. Specifically speaking, Zach was my favorite character. I don't know if it was the mysterious about him or just the fact that he didn't act like a teenager that made him stand out. I really appreciated his character. Now believablilty? I found some fault with the idea than an 18 year old in high school managing an estate, buying land, and caring for a mentally challenged sister, but Blake made it work. As for the Noah girls? They were all very different, much like teenage girls are, which was refreshing to read, but again, like Zach, I found some of their specifics to be a bit questionable as well. If you can take the story for what is was at surface level, you will have no problem enjoying the tale that Blake has elegantly crafted. While some of these specifics didn't sit extremely well with me, I still found the overall story to be immensely enjoyable!

The setting for Crushed was a rather interesting one that I didn't really understand for a while. The story takes place in California, where the rich live like kings and the regular peeps aren't given a second of attention. All of the characters in this story come from money and is evident in each home that's described and each sports car, motorcycle, or mode of transportation displayed. Blake does a phenomenal job with these descriptions, leading me to picture Crushed much like an MTV original series. It could happen people. The sprawling countrysides and beautiful sandy beaches were described as though I were there to witness them myself. The world of Crushed is one I definitely wish I could have entered.

The paranormal element in Crushed took an interesting turn. While witchcraft has been beaten over the head, Blake found a way to make hers definitely stand out. While our characters are witches, they don't come from a family of witches (just a grandmother) which really left me with more questions, but I digress. The idea of dark magic being the means by which a witch can acquire power was such a fun twist on the lore. I also loved the idea of accusing witches to make them lose their powers. That was one awesomely unique twist Blake caught me with! I can't say I necessarily liked how Blake ended the novel (in the magical sense), but I definitely see why it happened the way it did. 

All-in-all, I am so excited to be granting Crushed by Kasi Blake a well-deserved 4-star review. While it wasn't quite everything I was looking for in a YA paranormal witchcraft story, it set the bar high for originality and plot which earns Kasi Blake major points in my book. I hear that book two is just as incredible as this one so I cannot wait to check it out. I highly recommend Crushed to any fans of YA, paranormal, or good a clean teenage romance. Tie in all those categories and you've got a story you'll be proud to have grace your shelves. Don't delay, add this one to your TBR today! 

*****

Alright readers, there you have it, my thoughts on Crushed by Kasi Blake. I cannot wait to see more from this author and this series. Sound like the read for you? Add it to your TBR today! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Eye of the Moonrat (The Bowl of Souls #1) by Trevor H. Cooley Review

Hey Readers, Ethan here on this Wednesday afternoon to bring you one of many reviews to catch up on my days off! For this read, I was fortunate enough to briefly meet the author at UtopYA back in June and was so excited to meet another male author. While this type of read isn't my 'norm', I still took the plunge and am glad I did! On the chopping block this time? Eye of the Moonrat by Trevor H. Cooley. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and our author:

Justan was raised on the outskirts of the Dremaldrian Battle Academy. He watched his father ascend the ranks within the academy to become one of the most respected warriors in the kingdom. The only thing he has ever wanted is to become an academy student and follow the path of his father. Unfortunately, only the best can enter the academy and Justan is a horrible fighter. Everyone tells him that he is more suited to scholarly work than swordplay. In desperation he hurls himself into training, eager to overcome the doubters and walk into the academy triumphant, unaware that secretive powers plot to disrupt his plans.

Meanwhile, an evil wizard of immense power is using magic to twist the bodies of the creatures of the land and transform them into monsters. With these creatures and the peoples of the wilds, he is building an army . . .

Ogres and dragons, warriors and wizards are destined to clash, their fates guided by The Bowl of Souls.

          

Trevor H. Cooley


I was born in South Carolina and have lived all around the United States. Utah, New Mexico, Michigan and Tennessee.

I started reading novels in second grade and my love of Fantasy started with Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series. I couldn't get enough, continued with David Eddings, Tolkein, Robert Jordan. All I wanted was to become a published writer.

The characters and concepts that eventually became the Bowl of Souls series started in my teens. I wrote short stories, kept notebooks full of ideas, and generally dreamed about my world constantly. There were several attempts at starting a novel over the years.

Not long after I was married, my wife told me to stop talking about the story and write it down. Here I am, many years and rewrites and submissions and rejection letters later taking the plunge into self publishing.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

*****

My Thoughts:

Ogres? Wizards? Dragons? Rats? Ethan are you sure you're okay? Rest assured friends, this is Ethan and I am definitely not ill. As you guys well know, Ethan here is not a fan of high fantasy. I don't do ogres, I only recently became a fan of dragons, and any rodent that isn't my guinea pig and I are probably not going to be pals. But have you met Trevor Cooley? While I'm not here to say that I'm now the biggest fantasy fan on the planet, I am here to say with authors like Cooley, I may need to change my outlook on the genre!

In true One Guy's Guide to Good Reads fashion, let me get a few negatives out of the way first.

First off, this was a huge novel. This novel was nearly 400 pages, which is just fine, but I really think a whole lot of it could have been condensed. This is my biggest problem with this genre is that a lot of this are described to the point of overkill and the stories end up being phonebooks. It works out well for fans of the genre, but for casual readers such as myself it can be a little daunting to see those numbers.

Second, while in the end I enjoyed the story immensely, it took a long time for me to get there. The biggest reason it's taken me two months to get this novel finished and reviews is because it was rather difficult for me to wrap my mind around and to get into. As I stated before, it's a lot to take in. This is the very first novel in a long series (with each book being massive as well) so there was quite a lot of groundwork to lay (which Cooley did a fantastic job at). It is definitely a conflicting issue, but while in the end it worked out, it took a lot for me to get 'into' this tale. 

While I did mention that the story took a while for me to get into, the plot really hit the mark. The story picks up right from the beginning and hits the ground running. While there were several scenes that could have been condensed, overall, the plot line was fast-paced and complete. There were few plot holes and most all side plots were wrapped up to completion in this first installment, while leaving many questions to be answered in the remainder of this series. I can only imagine Cooley had one heck of a time laying out the intricate plotline to this series. Major kudos to him!

Guys. I can't even hardly speak about the characters in this novel. Why? There are SO many, I couldn't even begin to break it down. From Justan to Squirrel, Fist, Tamboor, magical creatures, and so many more, how is one to wrap their mind around it? I know I sure couldn't. One of the great parts about the story was that regardless of how many characters were involved, Cooley really did a fantastic job in keeping true to the fantasy-style of writing and devoting more attention to the plot and the setting and letting the characters speak for themselves. It's a bold move in writing, but when you have a cast of dozens, it's often the greatest course of action which Cooley chose to perfection. While the character development for our main cast was great, it really left me thinking about the development of the supporting cast. While the supporting cast doesn't get near the attention of the main one, the characters are still well-rounded and definitely worth a closer glance as everyone is not who they immediately appear to be!

In the end I found myself genuinely impressed by Cooley's imaginative and unique storytelling ability. Moonrat is clearly a work of passion as is evident on each and every page of this tome. Cooley has released several stories as of now and I am sure each are a unique and impressive as Moonrat. The ending of the story definitely leaves the reader wanting more so any fans of fantasy will be thrilled to know there is an entire Cooley-Literary World waiting for them out there. 

This all being said, I am granting Eye of the Moonrat by Trevor H. Cooley a well-deserved 4-star review. While fantasy is never going to take the top stop on my genre shelf, this was a great addition to my summer readathon regardless! I highly recommend this read to all fans of high-fantasy and to readers of YA and up. Add this one to your TBR today!

*****

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Eye of the Moonrat by Travor H. Cooley. If you're looking for a new fantasy series to satisfy your bookish mind, look no farther, this is the read for you! Thanks so much for stopping by. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan