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urban fantasy

Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

May 26, 2018 by Sana

SMDATSAB

ABOUT THE BOOK

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
adult urban fantasy published by Tor.com on June 13th, 2017
second book in the Wayward Children series

Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you’ve got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

Read More »

Review: A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly

May 27, 2016 by Sana

LKAMC

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly
young adult alternate history urban fantasy published by Simon & Schushter on February 2nd, 2016

Magic is powerful, dangerous and addictive – and after passage of the 18th Amendment, it is finally illegal.

It’s 1926 in Washington, DC, and while Anti-Sorcery activists have achieved the Prohibition of sorcery, the city’s magic underworld is booming. Sorcerers cast illusions to aid mobsters’ crime sprees. Smugglers funnel magic contraband in from overseas. Gangs have established secret performance venues where patrons can lose themselves in magic, and take a mind-bending, intoxicating elixir known as the sorcerer’s shine.

Joan Kendrick, a young sorcerer from Norfolk County, Virginia accepts an offer to work for DC’s most notorious crime syndicate, the Shaw Gang, when her family’s home is repossessed. Alex Danfrey, a first-year Federal Prohibition Unit trainee with a complicated past and talents of his own, becomes tapped to go undercover and infiltrate the Shaws.

Through different paths, Joan and Alex tread deep into the violent, dangerous world of criminal magic – and when their paths cross at the Shaws’ performance venue, despite their orders, and despite themselves, Joan and Alex become enchanted with one another. But when gang alliances begin to shift, the two sorcerers are forced to question their ultimate allegiances and motivations. And soon, Joan and Alex find themselves pitted against each other in a treacherous, heady game of cat-and-mouse.

Read More »

Review: Fractured Soul by Rachel McClellan Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway

January 31, 2013 by Sana

Click the banner for the tour schedule.

Title: Fractured Soul (Fractured Light, #2)
Author: Rachel McClellan
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Release Date: 12 February 2013
Pages:  336 (eARC)


Synopsis
Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot that is threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

My Rating

* * * *
The Review

Fractures Soul begins with Llona’s first day at Lucent Academy and even though there’s only a slight chance of things getting back to normal, Llona knows her life wouldn’t ever be the same. Her plan is simple: to learn more about the nature and history of Aura, hone her abilities and get out of world the Auras has chosen to live in. However, she is yet unknown to the danger that threatens to wipe out Auras and it seems that trouble has followed Llona inside the protected walls of The Lucent Academy. 
The stakes are higher especially when the ones responsible for the safety of Auras are willing to sacrifice it for personal gains. Llona has her own demons to deal with as darkness calls to her, a hunger lodged deep inside her and the smell of blood everywhere. It is no surprise when Llona plans to sneak out at night unable to get rid of her nightmares.
Llona craves destruction and her need to get rid of the energy buzzing inside of her leads her to Vykens present close to Lucent. Llona fights the blood battles despite warnings from Jackson, a Guardian. Christian also arrives but Sophia is against their relationship and makes it clear so. Despite the dangerous ground she is treading upon with him, Llona knows he means too much to her to lose him. Thus, she eventually takes Liam’s offer to help the light within her come to life again. 
Rebellious as ever, Llona has to overcome the difficulties she is faced with. Fractured Soul fits perfectly to Llona’s state in this book as she tethers on the edge of darkness. Threats are given, secrets revealed and hearts are broken as it becomes clear that something big is going on. With the help of Christian, Liam, Tessa and May, Llona sets out to fight the danger, loving the thrill it offers to a showdown and another life-changing moment in Llona’s life. 
Will she ever find salvation and come to peace with herself? Fractured Soul shows a new side of Llona, but she is consistent with her rebellious streak which is what I love about her. This is one tough nut to break. Fractured Soul is a very satisfying continuation of the series and I’m more than looking forward to how it will end. Three cheers to Rachel McClellan for crafting a yet another brilliant story.

Best Quotes:
“I imagined my skin shimmering, transforming into actual Light, My nails dug into my palms. Change! My body began to vibrate, ratting my insides until I thought I’d break into two.“
“If I could just find him, give him all of my Light to save him.“ 
About the Author
Rachel was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four children. Her love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

Rachel McClellan can be found at 
| Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Publisher |
Buy Fractured Light (Fractured Light, #1)
| Amazon | B&N |
Starting 4 February, buy the eBook of Fractured Light for only $2.99 for two weeks only!

Pre-order Fractured Soul (Fractured Light, #2)
| Amazon | B&N |

The Interview

What is the one thing writing Fractured Light series has taught you about yourself?
Honestly it taught me to be stronger and to face my problems head on. It was amazing how simply writing about a tough girl made me want to be one. No shrinks for me. I write. 🙂
What five words would you use to define Fractured Soul?
Enduring, power, loyalty, strength, and heart-breaking.
Despite being cautious about her survival it’s clear that Llona’s looking for more than just to survive. How does that shape up in Fractured Soul?
It’s one thing to survive outside forces, but I think it’s a whole other beast to survive inner torment. In Fractured Soul Llona has to do just this. In addition she wants desperately to fit in, but not at the cost of giving up what she believes in. That’s why the title of this book is so perfect for Llona.
Manipulation of light. How did you come up with the idea?
I’ve always been fascinated by light. It contains so much power and always chases away the darkness. This is an eternal truth that can never be changed. Because it is so strong, I wanted to give it to a teenage girl to see what she could do with it. I was pleased with the results.
Did you think making Llona’s hair to be so whitish blonde made her stand out more? Or is it only about being different?
I wanted there to be something in Llona’s life that not only made her stand out, but also was something she couldn’t control. Sometimes that’s how how life is–we are different and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Everyone should know that you are – ?
Really into my TV shows, but I don’t just watch them for enjoyment. I study how they are done: when the main conflict is introduced, how the characters develop, how they keep the dialogue focused on the current problem, etc. I love the shows The Walking Dead, Being Human, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, The Following, and Downton Abbey.
Lastly, what question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you answer that question
Does writing run in your family?
My mother is an excellent poet and has written some short stories. And although she’s the only writer, everyone else in my family is extremely artistic. I, however, can not draw or paint to save my life. Only create stories.
Thank you so much!

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Rachel McClellan and Cedar Fort for providing me a copy of Fractured Soul for review.

Review: Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan Blog Tour + Giveaway

August 25, 2012 by Sana

Click the banner for the tour schedule.

Title: Fractured Light (Fractured Light, #1)
Author: Rachel McClellan
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Release Date: 8 February 2012
Pages:  304 (eARC)


Synopsis
I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.
As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.
In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.

My Rating

* * * *
The Review

I have always been fascinated with conflicting concepts; happy and sad, day and night, sweet and sour, you name it. So it wasn’t surprising for me to be drawn to a book about fighting darkness with light. It always make me think about mean people trying to bring down the bright ones, to take out their lightness of being just to feed on their satisfaction. Needless to say, Vykens are exactly like that to the Auras.

Llona Reese, an Aura, is an unpredictable character; losing her parents have left her with a determination to live life and not succumb to the charms of belonging to one place. A place that could be called home. Survival is her utmost priority therefore, moving constantly from one place to another is the only option. But now things are changing ever since she and her uncle, Jake moved to Bountiful, Utah almost a year ago. A subtle friendship with May and keeping her head down most of the times is how Llona has chosen to spend her last year at high school.

I liked Llona and how she trusts her ability to defend herself and play with danger, inviting it to get closer. As Llona discovers her abilities, she finds herself wanting to make use of the Light within her. Llona is not whinny and her life is not defined by falling in love with an unlikely character and then sulking about it. Sure there is a subtle romance in the book but it is neither overbearing nor does it overshadow the main plot.

Christian’s sudden interest in Llona is strange enough to make her question it because she’s had her fill of trusting others too easily. Christian is a complex character and even though Llona knows where she really stands with him, she cannot help but be drawn to his gentleness. That being said, the overprotective nature of Christian annoyed me at times but then that’s what it really was, his nature.

The secondary characters in the book were so well-defined and well-developed that I recognized where they were coming from; that’s how sophisticated is the style of writing. Honestly, some of the parts were creepy enough that I cringed reading them especially because it was after my 4 am. I rarely get scared reading there’s-someone-lurking-in-the-dark scenes but this book made me draw back in fear. Case in point: “The last of my bravery shattered to pieces when the paint directly in front of me began to peel back as if a claw were scraping it away—on the inside of the glass.” 

Packed with intense action, unpredictable twists and an inevitable fate that brings her closer to her mother’s killer every day. The combination of whitish blonde hair, Llona’s stubbornness to use Light as a way of helping others and the normal day-to-day stuff of dealing with mean jocks, being a part of a book club and going to prom is pretty enticing. The story progressed at an uneven pace but it was easy to catch up to it. Fractured Light is Llona’s journey to embrace her true self and to become invincible from invisible. A spellbinding read you just don’t want to miss reading!

Best Quotes:
“My struggling body reminded me of a gazelle after it’s been captured by a cheetah. It always made me mad to see how easily the gazelle would give up after struggling for just a short time, as if it knew it didn’t have a chance. I didn’t think I had a chance either, but I wasn’t about to stop fighting.”
“There was a dark part of me, hidden deep within, I felt growing like the stretched shadows of night when the sun sets across the horizon. It frightened me, but I reasoned it had something to do with what I’d endured, and given enough time it would go away. I hoped.” 
About the Author
I’ve been drunk on writing ever since I traveled to Ireland and became blessed (or cursed) by a Leprechaun with a french accent and a bad attitude. Of course I did just steal his gold, but that’s another story.

I currently live in Maine and find the place terribly and hauntingly romantic. Love the forests and graveyards.

My YA urban fantasy novel FRACTURED LIGHT was just released. The sequel is tentatively planned for release in February 2013.

Rachel McClellan can be found at 
| Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Publisher |
Buy Fractured Light (Fractured Light, #1)
| Amazon | B&N |
Buy the eBook of Fractured Light for only $ 0.99 for this week only!

The Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Rachel McClellan and ATOMR for providing me a copy of Fractured Light for review.

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