River Of Time Series | Book Banter | Ashley Nikole

Hey guys! So, as you have seen, my blog has been pretty full of the 'River Of Time' series books by Lisa T. Bergren. I'm in the middle of doing a re-read of the series, and safe to say, I've fallen in love again. 

If you love the series like I do, feel free to give my seriously long book banter video, a watch. If you've never read the series, it probably won't make a lot of sense to you, but I'd imagine would be amusing to watch my...intense feels on the series, lol. 

I hope you enjoy. 

See ya next time! 

Read the full review's for...
Book 1- Waterfall
Book 2- Cascade
Book 3- Torrent
Book 4- Bourne & Tributary 
Book 5- Deluge

Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren (Review by Ashley Nikole)

Torrent picks up after Cascade, when the Betarrini ladies flee battle & return to their time, hoping they can somehow surf the waves of time, in just such an order that they can retrieve their father, before his death, and bring him back to medieval Italy with them. The stakes are higher when they return, their enemies willing to go to even greater lengths to imprison or kill the She-Wolves of Siena. So...Torrent is a little bit of a lot of crazy, but I love it. So, without further ado, let's get into the specifics. 

PLOT: 

Boom. It just keeps on going. The first 5 chapters are, again- kinda just catching up with Marcello, Luca & the ongoing political boundaries & tensions between Firenze & Siena. Not at all boring, just not as suspenseful & action packed. It's a short buildup period, but once it leaves that zone- it's all guns- er- swords- blazing. This is one of those books that you just want to read through in one sitting. The plot flows well, is chalk full of surprising twists & edge of your seat moments. Bergren is a plot genius. Simple as that. 

SEXUAL CONTENT:

Plenty of kisses between Marcello & Gabi. Some short, some longer and quite passionate. Desire. Attraction. Falling even deeper in love- that kinda stuff. 

Rodolfo & Gabi kiss twice. 

Paratore caresses the curve of a kitchen maid's bottom, knowing she cannot move to defend herself as she is standing over a ledge, with a rope around her neck. He later pushes her over the edge. 

When Gabi is ***SPOILERS*** taken to Roma to marry Rodolfo under duress as a captive, he assures her he will be the most gentle of husbands. Mention is made several times that their marriage would be witnessed & enforced by four Grandi elders, making sure it is consummated. 

Again, more ***SPOILERS*** the night before Gabi & Marcello marry, they get in a rather heated kissing match. Marcello says he needs to leave, to keep Gabi's purity for their wedding night. Gabi puts the idea out there, that nobody would know if they were together before getting married, but they decide they want to abstain for one more day, so they can come into the marriage "untarnished". 

When they do get married and head off for the bridal chamber, Marcello begins untying the back of Gabi's dress. He slips it off her shoulder and kisses her. The scene fades before we see anymore than them kissing. 

Yes, I know it's a book and we don't "see" it, like in a movie...but let's be honest, to a reader, their mind is the screen where the words come to life & it becomes every bit like a movie. 

When they wake in the night, Gabi asks if they had time for being together at that moment (there was a battle approaching) , to which Marcello replied, 

"'Time enough" He said, tossing off his shirt and joining me under the warm covers. "First love," he growled, "then war." 

"First love, always love," I said, welcoming him back into my arms." 

So as you can see, nothing got explicit. Of course, everyone knows what's going on- even the next morning when Gabi walks across the room and sees her wedding gown in a puddle on the floor where they'd left it the night before- we get the idea, but we aren't shown in detail what happens. 

VIOLENCE: 

Battle type stuff. People getting shot, stabbed, slashed, pushed off ledges- some with ropes around their necks- hanging. For one person who was thrown over the wall with a rope around their neck, the rope jerks and twitches a few times, then it stills. 

Fortino is imprisoned in...I think it's Firenze- forgive me if the city is wrong- and has suffered over a year of torture and imprisonment. He is nearly dead when Marcello meets with him, his body riddled with infection & internal bleeding. His eye was taken during his captivity, which we don't witness firsthand, but we see the aftermath of Fortino's body- broken, bruised and dying. 

CONCLUSION:

Basically, this book took my metaphorical heart, tore it out, stomped on it, filled it with hope and love, drowned it, brought it back to life and then smashed it again. It was wonderful. And horrible. These books- especially Torrent, are chalk full of LIFE. That includes sacrifice, so much heart wrenchingly beautiful sacrifice, and love, and yes, sometimes death. But honestly, I love these books because they are all encompassing. They make you feel not just one or two feels- no, they make you feel ALL THE FREAKIN' FEELS! Valour, bravery, loss, standing up to the lions of injustice. Ah...so many things. 

Oh, and can we just- Chapter 20 for a minute? Guys...chapter 20. aslkjfkljsadfoiweorisdf. Oh. My. Goodness. 

Okay, fangirl out- but honestly these books are just so fine. They is fine. 

5 Stars, and I'd recommend this book for ages 16-17 +. Things get a lot more intense in this book, so readers beware :)

Read the full review's for...
Book 1- Waterfall
Book 2- Cascade
Book 4- Bourne & Tributary
Book 5- Deluge 

Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren (Review by Ashley Nikole)

Book 2 in the River Of Time series, Cascade starts where Waterfall (read review for that one HERE) left off. Gabi & Lia return to the 21st century, find their mother, and re-return to medieval Italy. 

PLOT:

It took a little longer to get going, as the first 10 ish chapters were comprised of a lot of catching up on the times once the girls return to Italy, and discovering all the new political intricacies, who's in power, who's trapped in a dungeon etc. etc. It picks up around chapter 13 & grooves on at a nice clip after that point. But have no fear, the first 10 chapters aren't boring in the least- just not...how shall I say it- as nail biting as the rest. 

SEXUAL CONTENT:

Plenty of kissing (not the peck on the cheek kind ;), references to a man being eager for his wedding bed, references made to wenches warming the beds of various guys, ect.

A soldier rips the front of Gabi's shirt open (she's dressed in dude clothes at the time), leaving her thin shirt and bound chest exposed. He makes mention to reminding her what it is "to be created female", insinuating rape, but nothing occurs on that front.

A man sneaks up on Gabi when she's just finished dressing after a bath, her clothes clinging to her- there's an attraction. She thought he was gay before, but in that moment, she decided he wasn't.

When Luca is sick- SPOILERS: a small strain of the plague goes round in this book. Luca catches it, and when Lia is washing his face and arms with vinegar and hot water, he mentions that in some cultures, vinegar is considered an aphrodisiac- to which Lia replies that in her culture, it is the smell of stinky old women, or something like that. When Marcello & Gabi are escaping bands of soldiers coming after them, they hide between some boulders. Marcello leans/lays on top of Gabi, kissing her- and she thinks he's trying to make a move on her when she's compromised- but he quickly whispers that guards were coming, and he didn't want them to be discovered. 

VIOLENCE:

Battle type stuff, swords being plunged into dudes, arrows hitting them in the neck, face etc. Gabi orders the cutting off of a traitor's ears. She closes her eyes, but hears the discarded ears hit the floor, the sound of the knife cutting them off, blood spattering...maybe screaming- can't remember. Men die in combat. There is talk of people- traitors- both men and women, being hanged. General roughhousing overall & some crazy mobs of people throwing fruit & stones. While this hasn't covered the entire amount/type of violence within the pages of Cascade,  I'm sure you've gotten an idea. 

CONCLUSION:

Cascade is the beginning of a great, terrible and gloriously heart wrenching experience. For some reason, while Waterfall is book 1, this is the one where things start to get intense. The stakes are higher. More heartstrings are tangled. Your heart basically get's taken on a mini-rollarcoaster that will go absolutely bananas in book 3, Torrent. And by banana's, I mean- I think I need to do a GIF post about how a reader feels, going through the River Of Time series- cause guys, you will get hit, and hit hard with the feels. Torrent only gets bigger & crazier. 

I'd recommend this book for 15-16 + again, it's all dependent on each person. 

I'll be back shortly with a review for Torrent. Stay tuned- have you read Cascade? What were your favourite parts?

Read the full reviews for...

Book 1- Waterfall

Book 3- Torrent

Book 4 - Bourne & Tributary 

Book 5- Deluge

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren (Review by Ashley Nikole)

Hands down, I LOVED this book. I read it for the first time, early 2015, and the time came for me to read the glory again. Now that I've finished reading it the second, or maybe third time, I thought I'd add a bit more to this review & make it a tad more in depth.

PLOT: 

It drew me in immediately after the time travel took place, which is about halfway through the first chapter. I found it hard to get through the prologue and first half of the chapter, quite honestly- but I stuck to it, knowing the time travel had to happen SOME time...well it did & pretty much the story got its groove on and nothing lagged after that point. It took a chapter & a bit of initial dedication to some backstory. After the beginning, there was one thing or another that always kept the plot in motion. Suspense, danger, intrigue or romance were tastefully woven throughout the plot, making it a keeper in my books. Also, the men were emotionally present (props L. Bergren) & proved to be everything a knight 'in shining armour' is supposed to be. 
Some would call a lot of stuff in this book idealistic, but then again, people like that should not be reading fiction in general :S

SEXUAL CONTENT:

The romance was sweet & passionate without really going overboard. There are several kissing scenes, none very long. Gabi is, as a 17 year-old from the 21st century, a little boy crazy- especially given the fact that boys don't pay her any attention the 2000's. In Medieval Italy, that's another story entirely. So, with that being said, there is plenty of falling in love type content. This is a Young Adult, Medieval Romance- not just Young Adult, Medieval. 

A near rape occurs...after fighting & losing against a group of soldiers, the girl's dress is pinned to the ground, her bound hands pinned above her head and her captor begins untying his trousers, but they get interrupted. 

VIOLENCE: 

A medieval book, with knights, in a country that is semi-at-war, is full of fighting & people getting hurt as a result. Someone is slashed with a sword, they almost bleed out and die, but another character sews them up- we don't see that part firsthand, however. 

Soldiers are stabbed, (blood gushes as a result sometimes) sliced, shot with arrows- some soldiers from the opposite side are caught (after burning a man's house to the ground with his wife and child inside, then killing the man) spreadeagled on the ground, and their information extractor shoots one or both men, in the leg with multiple arrows. They scream. 

A woman is trapped in a dungeon, with threats- explained threats of how her captors plan on torturing her. Someone is poisoned. 

CONCLUSION:

The emotional connections between characters really brought them to life & off the page, and had me finishing this book in a day. 

I would recommend this book to teens 15-16+.

5 Stars
Read Waterfall? Share your thoughts below! 

Read the full review's for...

Book 2- Cascade

Book 3- Torrent

Book 4- Bourne & Tributary 

Book 5- Deluge 

The Heart Of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson (Review by Ashley Nikole)

Book 2 in 'The Remnant Chronicles', The Heart Of Betrayal, picks up right where Kiss Of Deception left off. The intricately woven suspense, ample danger and sparks of romance, had me devouring this book in no time flat. 

PLOT: 

As I mentioned above, it began where book 1 left off, and it never lagged for a moment. There were always nuggets of information being shared, little by little, or dangerous suspenseful moments where it was near impossible to put this one down once I began. The plot was masterminded, and while I knew it was complex in book 1, I was able to more fully comprehend and appreciate how intricate it really was. As the dots were connecting, there were so many "aha!" lightbulb moments. I personally love those. 

CHARACTERS: 

In book 2, they become more vibrant and complex than in book 1. These characters really did jump off the page, and didn't feel even for a moment like they were any less real than if they were standing in the room with me. 

I have come by few authors who create such lifelike paper people, and Pearson did so, quite superbly in this series. 

SEXUAL CONTENT:

Plenty of kisses, all fairly descriptive. Rafe & Lia kiss, hold each other, etc. Lia shoves her hands up Rafe's shirt, feeling & caressing his back. Nothing becomes overly steamy, but it is clear their relationship is physical & passionate, even fuelled by the desperation of their situation. 

Lia & Kaden kiss a few times. 

Lia & the Komizar kiss several times. 

There is mentions made to Lia sleeping with Kaden, and the Komizar, but nothing happens in that department. 

LANGUAGE: 

Several uses of da**it, as*, bi**, bast***. If there are more, they've slipped my memory. 

VIOLENCE: 

Definitely more graphic than book 1. 

There are beheadings- more than one. The Komizar beheads a man after becoming enraged he didn't follow his orders expressly, spraying Lia's horse with the blood. Later, the Komizar stabs a child in the chest, killing her, for Lia's disobedience to him. 

We read of plenty of heads impaled on spikes for example of punishment in Venda, rotting and vultures eating at them. 

We happen upon some children with stubbed fingers (the end of a finger is taken as punishment for stealing food). 

Lia stabs a man and kills him. Several people receive sword, arrow & knife wounds. 

Blood & death are fairly common topics within the pages of this book. 

Before every meal, a tray of dried bones is passed around (each person takes one & attaches it to their belt) and a prayer like verse is said, acknowledging the sacrifice others give, to allow those present to eat. 

Regiments of other kingdoms are slaughtered while out on patrol, and the booty is brought back to Vendan's, to take part in as the spoils of war. 

I know I haven't remembered everything that took place in this book that was violent, so please forgive if I cannot give entirely full disclosure- I'm sure you've gotten an idea of the type of violence present. 

SPIRITUALITY: 

Most of the spirituality just did not float my boat, but that aside- most of the spiritual content in this book, apart from mentioning their gods a fair bit, was surrounding the gift Lia possessed and was trying to grow. The gift was of foresight, having glimpses into the future, and also of what was taking place in other kingdoms. Venda (the woman from long ago- dead- that the city was named after) appeared to Lia several times & spoke to her. 

CONCLUSION:

Guys, this book got me good. I was hooked, lost in the world of Venda & Lia's plight in attempting escape. While some of the spirituality didn't float my boat, and some of the violence was a tad gory (I just cringe at medieval type violence & punishment systems, they are barbaric and so gross my skin crawls just reading about them), this book was a total masterpiece. It had everything that makes a book come alive to me- multilayered plot, danger, passionate romance, emotionally intact characters (including the dudes), and a glorious quest to fulfill against all odds. I don't know what I'm gonna do with myself until July, when book 3, 'The Beauty Of Darkness' comes out. Arg! 

Rating: 5 Stars

Age: 17+ (again, this is roughly based- it might be too intense for certain 17 yr-olds, but certain 16 yr-olds might be ready for it. It's different for each person) 

Also, if you read this book and happen to be a big fan of Lisa T. Bergen's work, did this book feel like the River Of Time series, mixed with the her YA Dystopian series, 'Remants'? 

Read the full review for...

Book 1- The Kiss Of Deception
Book 3- The Beauty Of Darkness (Coming Summer 2016!)

Kiss Of Deception by Mary E. Pearson (Review by Ashley Nikole)

Right off, the cover caught my eye...and it was all a losing battle from there. The title had me thinking it was going to be a super dark, melodramatic YA book, but the synopsis on the back cover kept me from putting this one back on the shelf- and I am quite glad of it.

PLOT: 

I have to say, this one sucked in and utterly captivated me. It moved along at a steady pace throughout- the only time it felt slow in the least, was when Lia and Pauline first arrived at the village, neither the prince or assassin had, and we as readers, were clearly waiting for some danger & conflict to appear. Apart from that, the plot kept me hooked and reading quickly- despite its almost 500 page length. This book felt similar to Lisa T. Bergen's 'River Of Time' series, and is in my opinion, pretty much the perfect mystical land, conquests & kidnappings, gypsies & bandits, falling in love & saving the world (you know it) YA read. 

LANGUAGE:

There were some uses of he**, da**, as*, bi**, maybe a few others I've forgotten, but they are interspersed throughout. Not used heavily, but every so often. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

Lia and the fellow she falls in love with, kiss at different times and spend a night together- as a reader I assume their relationship was consummated at that point, what with them kissing a fair bit, slipping  clothing pieces off, and "tumbling in a bed of leaves". 

It didn't get explicit, so as a reader we don't know, but it's implied. 

Later on, a friend of Lia's boyfriend (it gives it away if I name him, so excuse the awkward, friend of friend of a friend business) asks if he (the boyfriend) put his baby in Lia's belly. The boyfriend replies the other fellow should speak more respectfully of Lia, but he doesn't confirm or deny the degree of their physical intimacy. 

One of the Vendans attempts raping Lia when he finds her bathing by a river. He loosens his belt (maybe takes off his pants, can't quite remember) and pulls Lia against him, more manhandling her than anything else- when someone interrupts. 

There is mention of Lia kissing both dudes at different times, them touching her back or face etc. and the sparks that fly- even just when exchanging a look- we all know the chemistry business, of which there is plenty in this book. 

Lia is described as naked a few times throughout the book, first is at the beginning, when she's laying face down on a stone table to have her wedding kavah (it's like henna, or a temporary tattoo) applied to her back along with ceremonial prayers, & oil etc. Another few times when she's bathing or jumping in a river. Gwyneth (another woman from the village) goes out berry collecting with Lia, and they both take off their shirts and are wearing only their chemise's on top. Gwyneth's is thin enough to see her breasts through, (since wearing thicker chemise's is unrealistic, given the heat there during the summer) but I'm not certain about Lia's coverage situation, haha.

There may have been other instances with sexual content, but a girl can only recall so much from a 500 page book. That's the gist of it, but any who, I'm not writing this review to put every single instance in, just enough to give you as a reader, an idea of what each content level is like. 

SPIRITUAL CONTENT: 

There was plenty of spiritual content, from holy testaments to their many gods, to chants & prayers, to priests and holy festivals with processions and the like. Each chapter began with a prophetic-like excerpt from a book of holy text, usually Morrighan or Gaudrel (different people groups or tribes). 

I didn't dig the amount of referencing to spirituality in this book, since it seemed an awful lot like an odd mishmash of religions from this world-  which I found rather confusing, directionless & annoying, but anywho. That's that. It was what it was. 

One thing I did find interesting about the spiritual content, was the gift Lia had (or didn't think she possessed, but did) which I thought was neat. There were a some metaphoric type goodies found in that area- but the rest of the spirituality just felt weird to me- and I wish it had been omitted.

CHARACTERS: 

These guys really came off the page. They were perfectly unique, and I found myself falling in love with each of them for it. Love triangles are the worst, and it was painful on multiple levels. Grr. But it was subsequently awesome I have to admit, since it wasn't happening in real life, haha. Again, and I can't really say how much I loved the characters, but they are pretty much amazing. 

I'm not sure exactly why, but up until about 3/4 of the way finished reading, I thought Kaden was the prince, and Rafe was the assassin. Where I got that, I'm not certain, but the whole way through, I was under the impression our two main guys...weren't who they were. So people, if you are reading this & haven't read the book...Rafe is the Prince, Kaden is the Assassin. Got it? Cool peas. 

CONCLUSION:

4.5 stars. I heartily enjoyed this book. The amount and difficult to peg religion was not my jam, so hence the loss of a star- but religious content aside, I really enjoyed reading this one, and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2! 

I'd recommend this book for ages 16-17+

Again, the content in this book may not be appropriate for ALL 16 year olds, and it may be appropriate for certain 15 year olds. It's different for everyone. Check with your parents if you're wondering if it's right for you.

Read the full review for...

Book 2- The Heart Of Betrayal 

Book 3- The Beauty Of Darkness (Coming Summer 2016!)

2015 - Flops & Faves

Thanks to Goodreads, I discovered how many books I'd read in 2015. 
Guess how many...*drumroll*...
70. 
BOOM! 
If you want a full list of all the books I read, you can check this link out for the deets :)
 2015 | Books | Year In Review

I'd toyed with the idea of creating a book reviewing blog for...quite some time, but this Summer I finally made the decision to do it, and in the Fall- Books She Loves was born!

With reading 70 books, I've read nearly every fiction genre I can imagine (except horror or vampires- not my jam), a good dose of YA Fiction, some Dystopian, several Historical Fiction (my first- and forever love), Fantasy, Contemporary Thrillers, & Military Suspense.
I re-read some of my favourite authors, and also discovered some rad new ones. (Um...hello Ronie Kendig & Lisa T. Bergren) I read some gems, and some...not so fabulous ones. In honour of the closing of 2015, I'll share some of the highlights from each star category.

// 5 Stars \\                            // 4 Stars \\

Waterfall                                             Fatal Exchange

by Lisa T. Bergren                                                                  by Lisa Harris 

Torrent                                                Lethal Legacy 

by Lisa T. Bergren                                                                  by Irene Hannon

Talon                                                   The Messenger 

by Ronie Kendig                                                                     by Siri Mitchell 

Maire

by Linda Windsor

// 3 Stars \\                           // 2 Stars \\

Shattered                                               Dauntless 

by Dani Pettrey                                                                  by Dina L. Sleiman

Dangerous Passage                 The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest 

by Lisa Harris                                                            by Melanie Dickerson 

The Captain's Bride                              Taken

by Lisa T. Bergren                                                        by Dee Henderson

Beyond All Dreams                              Emissary 

by Elizabeth Camden                                                   by Thomas Locke

                                                     Along Came Jones 
                                                         by Linda Windsor 

// 1 Star \\

Esther: Royal Beauty

by Angela Hunt

Petticoat Detective 

by Margaret Brownley 

Pompeii: City On Fire

by T.L. Higley 

An Uncertain Choice 

by Jody Hedlund 

It was a good reading year- and I'm so glad I've finally started a blog, to chronicle all these books! Which ones have you read?
Any recommends for 2016?

Come say hello on Instagram- @bookssheloves for my reviewing account, and @ToAshleyNikole for my lifestyle one. Well, 2015, we bid you ado. Welcome 2016. 

Taken by Dee Henderson (Review by Ashley Nikole)

Taken is Dee Henderson's newest addition to Christian Romantic Suspense Fiction. It's been several years since I've really read any of her books, and when I saw this one on the shelf of my local Chapters, I was intrigued by the synopsis & dove right in.

PLOT & CHARACTERS:

I loved the premise of this one...a woman newly having escaped an 11 year-long captivity and integrating back into society and discovering what her life in freedom looks like. I loved and identified with Matthew as a character- I wanted so badly to get to know Shannon better!- but at the same time I felt as though there was so much that could have been unearthed for both of them, that I found as a reader, I was just waiting to happen.
The pace of the plot moved pretty steadily- at times it felt like it was repeating the same thing and got a tad redundant. As things moved along, I found myself impressed with the attention to detail Henderson put into the system the Jacoby family had put in place, how intricate and secret it was.
I personally thought, given the romantic suspense genre, that there was going to be suspense and some danger, cat & mouse type stuff with her abductors trying to get her back or silencing her before she could testify about her time in captivity- but no. That was somewhat of a letdown, given that I was expecting some suspense, but to each his own.

I thought the POV coming from only one character (Matthew- our main dude) was a bit strange, and in my opinion, made the story more two-dimensional, whereas I could see it just exploding in 3D, had the POV (point of view) alternated from Matthew, to Shannon and maybe even some of the other sub-characters. Especially given the fact that when reading the novel's back cover, we are given the impression that the book is largely about Shannon- and don't get me wrong, the plot does revolve around Shannon, but it just seemed odd that we, as readers, never got into her head via a shared POV. It made her feel oddly emotionally distanced- and that for me, just collapses so many wonderful reading possibilities.

Also, adding to the 2D vs. 3D situation, I was waiting for at least one rather monumental emotional crash for Shannon, and even Matthew. Especially given the storyline and all that had happened to Shannon in her captivity, it made her feel like an emotionally unshakable & un-relatible character.  I'm not asking for a perpetually weepy MC- that would grow annoying rather swiftly- but if a character has firewalled their emotions...as a reader, it's pretty hard to connect or identify with their struggle.

VIOLENCE: 
Murders, beatings, shootings & body dumps are all spoken of as memories of Shannon's time in captivity. The circumstances are starkly grim, as you can imagine resulting from any abduction. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 
A brief kiss is about as detailed as things get.

CONCLUSION: 

This time round, I'm giving Taken a rating of 2, and recommend it for ages 17+.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, but upon finishing, I felt there was much more that could have been added or altered, to make this an explosively awesome read. Not everyone has a criteria for meaningful and deep emotion to be present, but for me...if I can't see or feel a character's heart & struggle first hand- it goes downhill from there. Sure, there was mention of someone crying, or puffy eyes, but that isn't first hand enough for me, personally. There were too many glaringly obvious plot/character issues for me to really recommend this one to my fellow readers as something I really liked.

Taken is chalk-full of intricate, crime operation type details and facts that evenly flow throughout the plot, and some truly likeable characters- despite the personal dislikes on my part. If emotional connection is not high on your list for enjoying a book, this one may get a 4 or 5 from some readers. Don't be expecting a great deal of action suspense- but more suspense concerning the release of details concerning her time in captivity.

Read Taken? What were your thoughts? Share them below! 

Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey (Review by Ashley Nikole)

Cold Shot is released February 2016!
As I read an ARC (advanced reading copy) of this one, I didn't have a physical copy to take a photo of, so please forgive the image grab off of goodreads! 

PLOT: 

Well thought out & executed. Intricate details make this read the kind where your brains need to be in fully functioning mode- not before bed or when you're not entirely committed to being focused. Pace was good & the plot flowed well- nothing choppy or out of place. I certainly did not see the ending coming how it did! The plot totally threw me for a loop. 

VIOLENCE: 

Given this being a type of suspense/murder mystery type book, violence & creepy stuff is a given. Genocides are spoken of (in past tense) and described, with their share of gory details. Characters talk about people (some close to them) that have been murdered/raped/tortured. 

Again, given this type of genre and plot, one of our MC's being a forensic anthropologist, examining human remains, how they died/were murdered, body drops etc. is a common topic. 

If that kind of stuff creeps you out- maybe give this book a pass. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

Characters fall in love. There is mention of a character (in past tense) being raped (a reference, nothing in detail), another being touched inappropriately by her abductor. Someone runs a sex tourism business with underage girls (we never see it, but it is spoken of by others).

CONCLUSION: 

Brilliant plot, filled with diverse and relatable characters, suspense and sooo many questions!! Personally for me, I found the amount and kind of bad stuff in this book weighed a little heavy on, and left me feeling kinda blah & gross. Another day it might have been entirely fine- just not the day I read it, haha. My lower rating in no way reflects bad writing on the author's part- merely my own personal preference for reading content at the particular time. 

Dani has a gift with words, plots & characters (I loved the Parker, Griff, Declan & crew). 

For those of you who like a gripping murder mystery with some awesome MC's, this book hits stores February 2016! 

Rating: 2 Stars (for my own personal enjoyment) but that aside, 5 stars for the writing, plot & amazing characters. 

Ages: 18+

Honest review given after reading an ARC from NetGalley of Cold Shot

Emissary by Thomas Locke (Review by Ashley Nikole)

Can I start off with the fact that I think this cover is phenomenal? I can't even take how beautiful & well designed it is. It was what made me pick up this book in the first place- I was like, "whoa, dat cover is- whoa"
Bravo!

First read by Thomas Locke (which is a pen name for the bestselling author Davis Bunn), and one of my first adventures into fantasy land, since I read the Lord Of The Rings- I'll say about a decade ago. 

I confess, the reason for my lack of fantasy reading is largely due to the heavy presence of witchcraft that normally accompanies the genre. 

For me, I don't feel as though a fantasy book gives a person license to go all occultic, black magic wielding, necromancy creepster on me. Perhaps I will one day write a blog post on that subject, but for now, suffice to say there is a fine line, and I don't believe fantasy fiction should be a guide in black magic 101- that people in real life try to replicate- but I shall rest my case and get back to the review at hand. 

PLOT: 

From the first page, I was drawn in & carried along with the story pretty well. There was hardly a moment of in-depth explanation (which I often find authors doing for the first three or four chapters, arg) in chapter one, instead I was plunged into the MC's life, without a big backstory- which I personally enjoyed. 

The pace was not what I would consider fast, but neither was it slow. Rather, it resembled a string of explosions and their subsequent aftermaths. So, in a sense, with all the mini explosions, the book felt at times a tad bit anticlimactic- but then again, there really wasn't a way around that, given the type of conquest-type plot. 

Also, given the fact that Emissary is book one in a trilogy, I clearly don't have the full perspective on the plot, where it begins and ends- at this point I have the foundation of book one- without the buildup or conclusion of two or three. 

Locke has a way of writing fantasy much as Tolkien would- and in a way where you feel as though the book was either written a century ago, or the author has honed their skill in which their writing & voice feels so very authentically...distant land and not contemporary. 

MAGIC:

Given that this is a fantasy book, the use of magic is a given. There are mage's, wizards and a telepathic race known as the Ashanta. With the fantasy genre, the question is not if magic will be used, it is more who uses it, how and why. If the magic is used with good intent & for the uplifting/liberation of others, it is good. If used with evil intent, it is dark- so magic is usually representing a metaphorical melting pot of good vs. evil. 

There are glowing orbs that hold energy from the currents which surge below the earth's surface, that create shifts in nature, heal, destroy or repair, etc etc. 

In mage school, students are instructed on how to weave spells & learn how to craft magic- pretty basic look at it- not in depth. 

There were some witches who attack Hyam- pretty grotesque and creepy, kinda left my skin feeling funny afterwards, ya know that kinda stuff? Yeah. 

Overall, the magic in this book didn't lead the reader down a witchcraft type dark or twisted path. Magic was a thing. It was used. There's that. 

VIOLENCE: 

This being a book with battles and the attempted conquering of a deathly foe, you can imagine Lord Of The Rings type bloodshed and the like. Battles, killing, blood, a dead army of shrieking ghosts- you get the point. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

Not much. A miniscule amount of romance between Hyam & Joelle.
The witches were sexually perverse & in your face, but for only a scene.

CONCLUSION: 
I would give this book a 2 star rating. I most certainly didn't hate it, but neither did I love it.
For me, I have to feel as though the character's hearts are not hidden or non-existent to the reader- there must be an emotional connection for me to fully enjoy the book. In Emissary, I felt there was a heavy informational download, epic battles, unique characters & looming challenges- but no real emotion. Correction- there was a scene or two I empathised with, but not many. So, while the writing was beautiful and the plot well crafted- it didn't make the cut for me,
personally.

Also, I felt as though the villain was entirely underdeveloped. I'm not a fan of the author focusing entirely on the bad guy, but honestly, I didn't know what Hyam and all the good guys were fighting against for the whole story. Some crimson orb-wielding, mystical wizard with seemingly ultimate power...but who was he? Where'd he come from? I had so many questions regarding the crimson wizard and why he was the ultimate big bad guy, but I came out pretty slim in the answers department. Then again, this is a trilogy, so I cannot go full circle and count all the eggs before they're hatched, so to speak. I look forward to having a more well rounded and educated opinion on this series, but for now, with the information at hand, these are my thoughts.

I'd recommend this book for ages 16+ (granted, not all 16 year old's are ready for the content in this book, that is loosely based on where I was as a 16 year old. Some would dig it at 15, some not even at 20- so keep in mind this is an approximately based recommend :)

I hear Emissary is under review for becoming a film! How exciting would that be?
Have you read Emissary? What were your thoughts? Share them in the comments below!