Hello book lovers and welcome to another Owl Post :)
Hopefully the owls brought you some great books too!
In many ways life is a story and you are the author. Each and every day you write another paragraph, another page, another chapter. The story, the plot….even the ending, are all up to you and often when you first set out, you yourself have no clue where you’re going to end up....
Monday, September 17, 2018
Owl Post #218
Hopefully the owls brought you some great books too!
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Book Shelf: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.
Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.
The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
Kerri Maniscalco’s debut novel Stalking Jack the Ripper is an absolutely sensational novel that introduces readers to a powerfully told adventure rich in history and featuring a strong willed protagonist, electric chemistry and a murder mystery you will be dying to get to the bottom of.
There’s a killer stalking the streets of Whitechapel, London and seventeen year old Audrey Rose Wadsworth is determined to get to the bottom of it! As the daughter of a lord, Audrey Rose leads a life of privilege but it’s not the social teas and silk finery that she longs for; it’s the stolen moments alongside her Uncle in his laboratory studying forensic medicine. When her Uncle is brought in to offer assistance in a series of gruesome murders being carried out in London, Audrey Rose finds herself drawn into the mystery surrounding the violent deaths and begins to wonder if the killer is closer to home than she wishes possible…..
It’s no secret that Stalking Jack the Ripper has been a wildly enjoyed novel since its release and having finally gotten around to reading Kerri Maniscalco’s debut myself, I can certainly see why. Stalking Jack the Ripper was simply superb! This novel captured my imagination from the opening chapter and I was thoroughly entranced by this vivid and wonderfully depicted world of 19th century London as Maniscalo weaves together the history of infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper with her own harrowing storyline.
Kerri Maniscalo brings heroine Audrey Rose and the world she inhabits to life with precise and often grisly attention to detail. I found myself immersed in Audrey Rose’s world and felt that Maniscalo did a fantastic job with the setting and atmosphere within the story. Detailed but authentic and realistic descriptions of corpses and the brutality shown by Jack the Ripper heightens the senses and offers a really enthralling ambience to the novel. It’s impossible not to become lost in the scene and the events currently taking place.
Protagonist Audrey Rose was someone who I really enjoyed following. Living in a day where women of her class were expected to be shy and demure, she was curious and inquisitive. I felt that Audrey Rose was intelligent and determined and I loved that she took an initiative and dared to be more than what societies opinion of her was. Her determination and attitude really appealed to me and I thoroughly enjoyed joining her on her journey to help her Uncle determined who was Jack the Ripper.
Amidst the mystery and unease of the killings, author Kerri Maniscalo also manages to include just the perfect enough amount of romantic entanglement within the story in the form of Thomas Creswell, a student of Audrey Rose’s Uncle and someone who managed to get under our heroines skin. Thomas really was charming in his arrogant way and the banter and flirtations exchanged between Audrey Rose and he made for some fabulous reading. The chemistry is undeniable and as their relationship continues to build I can only imagine where Maniscalo plans to take them together.
Racing towards a shocking ending, Stalking Jack the Ripper was a delectable and addictive novel. Kerri Maniscalo seems to hit every nail on the head and as this novel comes to an end, I'm ready to begin Audrey Rose and Thomas's next story, Hunting Count Dracula straight away! Fantastic reading!
Rating:
Source: Purchased by me
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 5th 2017
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: I LOVED this and am about to jump straight into the sequel!
Friday, September 14, 2018
Blog Tour: Seventh Born by Monica Sanz- Teasers & Giveaway
Yesterday I posted my 4 star review of Seventh Born and today I have some teasers and a giveaway to share. I highly enjoyed this novel and cannot wait for more!
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Abandoned as a child, Sera dreams of becoming an inspector and finding her family. To do that, she must be referred into the Advanced Studies Program at the Aetherium’s Witchling Academy. Her birth order, quick temper, and tendency to set things on fire, however, have left her an outcast with failing marks…and just what Professor Nikolai Barrington is looking for.
The tall, brooding, yet exceedingly handsome young professor makes her a proposition: become his assistant and he’ll give her the referral she needs. Sera is quickly thrust into a world where witches are being kidnapped, bodies are raised from the dead, and someone is burning seventhborns alive. As Sera and Barrington grow ever closer, she’ll discover that some secrets are best left buried…and fire isn’t the only thing that makes a witch burn.
Purchase:
Visit Monica:
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Book Shelf: Seventh Born (The Witchling Academy #1) by Monica Sanz
Abandoned as a child, Sera dreams of becoming an inspector and finding her family. To do that, she must be referred into the Advanced Studies Program at the Aetherium’s Witchling Academy. Her birth order, quick temper, and tendency to set things on fire, however, have left her an outcast with failing marks…and just what Professor Nikolai Barrington is looking for.
The tall, brooding, yet exceedingly handsome young professor makes her a proposition: become his assistant and he’ll give her the referral she needs. Sera is quickly thrust into a world where witches are being kidnapped, bodies are raised from the dead, and someone is burning seventhborns alive. As Sera and Barrington grow ever closer, she’ll discover that some secrets are best left buried…and fire isn’t the only thing that makes a witch burn.
More info on Goodreads......
Review:
Seventh Born by Monica Sanz is a well written and highly enjoyable novel that will bewitch readers with its tangible characters, murder mystery and haunting ambiance.
Eighteen year old witch Serephina Dovetail is an outcast amongst her people. As the seventh daughter born and the cause of her mother’s death at her birth, Sera is used to being seeing as cursed. She been called an abomination, ostracised and treated with cruelty but as a student of the Aetherium Witchling Academy, Sera is determined to get into the Advanced Studies Program and become an inspector. Yet to do so, she needs a referral and given how people perceive her, Sera is sure no one will take a chance on her. Until she is approached by Professor Nikolai Barrington, a young, handsome but brooding teacher at the Aetherium Witchling Academy who approaches Sera with a proposition; he will give Sera the referral she so desperately craves in exchange for her assistance on a case he is working on. Faced with no other options, Sera agrees but as she and Professor Barrington delve into the case of murdered seventh born women, painful memories of her past begin to resurface and soon Sera will have to accept that the monsters that haunt her may not be as dead and buried as she thought….
I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Seventh Born. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting when I began this novel but whatever it was Seventh Born definitely exceeded my expectations. Beginning the novel, I was immediately entranced by this magical world of mystery and discovery that was set in a Victorian-era-esq world. Though author Monica Sanz never mentions the specific time period in which the story is set, her use of language and propriety paints a clear picture of what society is like when Seventh Born takes place.
Mixing elements of mystery, magic and danger, I really liked the world Monia Sanz has created within Seventh Born. I found the concept of seventh born witches to be intriguing and feel Sanz went into the perfect amount of detail to describe the persecution and treatment they had experienced throughout the years. I do feel like we’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg where the Aetherium Witchling Academy was concerned although I did really like what I’ve seen so far.
Seventh Born is depicted through the vivid voice of protagonist Serphina “Sera” Dovetail, someone I really enjoyed following. Monica Sanz makes it clear early on in the novel that Sera has painful secrets about her past and as the novel progresses the atrocities she experienced are revealed. Sera is a scared individual, both figuratively and literally, but I do feel this actually gives her so much more substance as a character. Sera is a determined and capable young woman and I felt for her as she struggled to harness her abilities. Sera has been treated so cruelly by so many people and as a result her ability to trust are lacking. I highly enjoyed seeing her begin to come into her own though and can't see where she does.
The driving force of the storyline is the series of gruesome murders Sera and her Professor Barrington investigate and while I appreciated the way this was explored and depicted, I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge the relationship that is developing between Sera and Barrington. They are adorable! Theirs is the kind of slow burning romance that is a subtle undertone to the overall story that burns through the novel. Barrington is gruff and brooding but the soft moments of tender touches and kind gestures really make me swoon. Sera and Barrington really have such potential to soar and as things hopefully continue to heat up and develop, I for one can wait to see where their relationship progresses to.
Building to an exciting and thrilling ending that leaves me dying for more, Seventh Born was a very promising start to what I’m sure will be a wonderful series. Moncia Sanz has very much piqued by interest with this series and I cannot wait for more of Sera and Barrington. I’m already hankering to get my hands on their next tale!
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by YA Bound Book Tours and the author (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: September 4th 2018
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository
Final Thoughts: I absolutely loved this novel and can't wait for more!
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Veronica Roth Book Talk & Signing = Disappointment
Note: These are my thoughts and opinions alone. You have the right to have your own beliefs and may disagree with my thoughts if you see fit.
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As a reader and a blogger I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many amazing homegrown and international authors. I’ve traveled interstate, spent hours on trains and waited in lines until my feet felt like they would drop off. And you know what? I’ve never minded. It’s been worth it. Every. Single Time. Until now.....
On Tuesday I left work early and traveled towards the city to the Seymour Centre to see Veronica Roth, an event organized by the Sydney Writers Festival as part of their YA celebrations but despite my excitement and anticipation, I found it to be such a disappointing experience.
Veronica herself was an absolute delight to hear speak. She was animated and funny and very eloquent in her answers to the questions she was asked. I can’t fault her or the interviewer Amelia Lush kept the talk fun and enjoyable....but the experience after the Q&A was what truly left me feeling disheartened.
Having paid $20 for my ticket ($40 if you count the one for my mother who traveled with me the hour and a half on the train and who was sick as a dog) I was expecting to get my books signed. I’d logged them on the train and having seen the event was promoted by the organizers as a talk and signing afterwards I was super excited about meeting Veronica and getting my babies signed.
So in saying that, I expected there would be a line. I expected to wait. It’s the name of the game and I’ll never complain about waiting in line alongside other devoted readers to see an author. I’ve personally had some wonderful times and discussions with other fans as we excitedly waited to see our beloved author. I knew other fans would be in the same position as me and didn’t want anything more or less than them.
What disappointed me about my experience at this Seymour Centre signing was that there was an excessive number of people standing in line (for what I’m sure was HOURS) and who were told they would only be able to get ONE book signed. As I've mentioned waiting in line wasn't something I expected to be concerned about this, but I feel like this talk and signing was done very wrong and this is why.....
This was a TICKETED event, meaning SWF sold tickets and knew how many people were attending. Given the amount of people who attended, they would have known BEFOREHAND the limitations that would rise when Veronica has to sign.
I cannot commend the brave and determined fans who stood in line and dutifully waited until they were able to get their one book signed enough. Given that I still had a long train ride home and had to work the next morning I simply couldn’t stay personally which in a sense broke my heart. I was really excited to meet Veronica and as such I truly don’t feel it was fair for this event to be held the way it was.
I feel like in this instance the industry and even the publication house did fans a dishonor with this event. Instead of selling tickets to a big crowd who would then be forced to line up for their single signed book, why couldn’t a number of smaller events be held? I understand authors have time limitations and given that Veronica comes from overseas I can only imagine how much she was already scheduled to do but surely there could have been a way to avoid this occurrence.
Given that book signings are a privilege not a right, I am beyond grateful for each and every author, traditionally published or independently published who have taken the time to hold signings. Yet the disappointment I felt over this event will stay with me for some time.
Perhaps it was a money grab as I do somewhat believe it to be—perhaps it was not—but either way this Veronica Roth event was a huge disappointment for me and I feel could have been handled better from many aspects as far as I was concerned.
Though it will not stop me from attending future talks and signings in the future, I felt the need to share my thoughts with my followers and other readers about my experience. Hopefully the future events I attend with be somewhat better and not leave me so disappointed and disheartened.
Release Day: Protector of the Chosen by Janeal Falor
I'm thrilled to help author Janeal Falor celebrate the release of her latest novel, Protector of the Chosen the second installment in her Mother of the Chosen series!
I had the pleasure of reading this novel and highly reccomend the series for those who love rich fantasy novels with magic and danger.
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She's also been ripped from her husband and friends, and has no idea if they're still alive. Regardless, she must fight for herself and her child. Like her, the other women and children who are part of the same prison train will do anything to keep their families safe. Including sell out their fellow prisoners.
The High King still searches for the one destined to kill him. With everyone around her looking for the chosen, Adriella and her baby's chances of survival grow slimmer every day.
Purchase on Amazon!
Check out book one:
Visit Janeal:
I want to congratulate Janeal on her latest release and urge readers to check out this series. It is definitely worth reading and I myself can't wait for more!
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Book Shelf: Protector of the Chosen (Mother of the Chosen #2) by Janeal Falor
She's also been ripped from her husband and friends, and has no idea if they're still alive. Regardless, she must fight for herself and her child. Like her, the other women and children who are part of the same prison train will do anything to keep their families safe. Including sell out their fellow prisoners.
The High King still searches for the one destined to kill him. With everyone around her looking for the chosen, Adriella and her baby's chances of survival grow slimmer every day.
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
Protector of the Chosen is the second novel in Janeal Falor's Mother of the Chosen series and picks up where the first novel left off, once again drawing readers into a world of danger and magic.
Adriella finally has her baby right where she wants her; in her arms, but the circumstances surrounding this aren't exactly how Adriella planned. Shortly after her daughters birth, Adriella found herself captured, shackled and chained to other imprisoned women and children. Caring for a newborn is hard enough, but these circumstances make it near impossible. Adriella's best hope is to escape, but with the lives of her husband and her friends uncertain, Adriella must find the strength to do it herself. Protecting her child is the most important thing, but with the High King determined to find the chosen child, Adriella and her baby's chances of survival are far from secure.
After the thrilling ending of Mother of the Chosen, I was excited to once more join Adriella, Richart and their friends in their quest to protect Adriella's baby. Protector of the Chosen picks up right where Mother of the Chosen concluded with Adriella a prisoner of the zasin soldiers.
Protector of the Chosen was a fast paced novel with a packed storyline that sees our beloved characters facing a new band of dangers as they fight to keep Adriella's daughter from the hands of the High King who will stop at nothing to kill the destined chosen one and all the children who would potentially be this individual. I have to say, I very much enjoy the storyline Janeal Falor has woven together, with elements of romance, action, family and friendship important themes throughout the story.
The world within the series has been very intriguing so far and I never know what we're going to discover next. Dragons, elves, orcs, unique magical creatures all weave themselves into the storyline with determined and loving mother Adriella making friends in unexpected places.
Janeal Falor continues to write Adriella as the strong protagonist who is genuine and kindhearted. Adreilla's sole focus has become protecting her baby but it's also nice to see her want to help those effected by the High King as well. It makes for interesting reading as she looks to help others.
Protector of the Chosen comes to a very satisfying close, but still leaves me excited to see more of the series when Janeal Falor releases the next installment. Deftly written and paced, Protector of the Chosen is another enjoyable read!
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by author (Thank you Janeal!)
Publisher: Published by author
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: September 12th 2018
Purchase: Amazon
Final Thoughts: Another great read; I'm ready for more!
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