Tag: YA

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Alex Siegel @GraySpear – Seams in Reality & Cracks in Reality – Blitz & #Giveaway #yafiction

Young Adult Fantasy / Thriller
Date Published: Sept 26, 2014 & December 25 2014

 

SEAMS IN REALITY is the first book in the Seams in Reality Series.
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As a freshman in a suburban college near Chicago, Andrew leads a mundane life until he meets a professor named Tonya. She is secretly a master sorcerer, and she invites him into a conspiracy of magic. Only those few who possess exceptional talent may join. A resourceful young woman named Charley has the same supernatural gift. She accompanies Andrew on his journey into a dark profession, and romance quickly blooms between the young apprentices. When Andrew meets Blake, a sorcerer who knew his grandfather, Andrew becomes embroiled in a game of lies and treachery. Blake’s thirst for power leaves a trail of casualties, and in the end, only Andrew can stop him.

 

CRACKS IN REALITY is the second book in the Seams in Reality Series.
photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.pngThe Vault is a fortress in the desert protected by the United States Army, and it contains the most dangerous, forbidden secrets of sorcery. Blake, master sorcerer and fugitive from justice, has a plan for robbing the place. He will create a tangled web of lies to trick the Army into delivering the treasure into his hands. He intends to use the stolen knowledge to destroy his enemies and become the most powerful sorcerer on Earth.
Two apprentices are on a mission to kill Blake. Andrew is a war mage, a genius at psychic combat. Charley is a young woman who commands physical sorcery. Their instructor, Tonya, will turn the two teenagers into warriors capable of defeating Blake, if they can endure the extreme mental and physical tests.
Tonya’s training is just the beginning for Andrew and Charley. They must discover Blake’s hidden objectives, and they don’t have much time. A government agency called the Bureau of Physical Investigation has the same assignment, but the agents are unprepared for the dangers they will face. Other surprising threats await the apprentices as they pursue their enemy along a trail of bloodshed.
About the Author

Alex Siegel grew up a math and computer geek. At the age of twenty-five, he received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell. He continues to make a good living as a software developer in Chicago. In his late twenties, he took up creative writing as a serious pastime with the intention of eventually making it his career. This goal has been elusive, but failure is not an option. In 2001, his wife gave birth to triplet boys. People often ask him how he still finds time to write. In 2009, he began the Gray Spear Society series, and he hopes it will be his key to literary fame.
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Giveaway
$10 Amazon Gift Card
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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Review: Legend

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu

I give this book a 4.

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This dystopian YA tale is centered around two young prodigies, June from the privileged side of the Republic and Day, a rogue in the sea of Rebels.  I actually enjoyed this story (on audio) even though I found so many little things about it that seemed cliché. However, clichés and all, I can’t seem to be disinterested in a fight the system story that shows just how treacherous Big Brother can really be.

So now, let me explain what I loved about the story and tell you just why I didn’t give it a 5. The whole fight the system theme is right up my alley, but I don’t understand why the main characters had to both be fifteen. I get that appealing to young audience is where the money is these days, but what is it about the age fifteen that’s so special…and prodigies or not, some of the stuff these kids do is just a little ridiculous.

Then there are the themes of rich vs poor and the discovery of government secrets and lies. I’ve read too many books and seen too many movies to allow the “mystery” of this story be a surprise. I figured out what was going on way too early, but I still enjoyed how it was revealed in the end. Like many stories of its kind, in this reality, there’s good reason the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.

World building is very important in this story, though it’s hard to picture everything all at once. It’s one of those stories that describes the surroundings and give you background, but you can only see as far as the horizon until the end. Most of the significance of the Republic, from a geographical point, isn’t clear until about halfway through the story. All in all, though, I liked what was done and appreciate the lack information up front.

Then there is the ever-present notion of romance that’s sure to ensue in some capacity. This particular romance makes me think of a mash-up between Romeo and Juliet, The Hunger Games, and The Matrix. If I try to explain what I mean here, I’ll give too much away. I’m glad to say that the story doesn’t spend more time here than necessary, but then again we are talking about fifteen-year-olds.

The last thing about this story that both attracted and repelling me a bit, was the sense that the whole story was about a struggle between the kids and the adults, even though it wasn’t supposed to be. Some of the things that occurred seemed to focus too much on the fact that the main characters were teenagers, making their age an important factor. It seems to me that if this story tells of the struggle between The Republic and the Rebellion, the age of the soldiers wouldn’t be so important as their actions.

Also, the story is told from the alternating povs of both June and Day. I was expecting this to somehow greatly enhance the story, but I don’t think it made any difference, for better or worse. It was nice and not too difficult to follow.

I’d recommend this book to fans of YA and or dystopian fiction with the mention of some violence and some subtle gore.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Review: Seraphina

Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman

I give this book a 4, almost a 4 and 1/2.

At the very core of this tale of fantasy are the ideas of warfare and the use of espionage, but before you get to all that, you meet Seraphina Dombegh. In this world of Goredd, humans and dragons (in human forms) live side by side, but not necessarily amicably and Seraphina is caught in the middle of these two peoples, just trying to keep the peace.

There is so much I could say about this story to hype it up, but I’ll keep it short and simple.

1. I really enjoy the world building of this book and the background story. This new take and twist on the dragons’ tale is refreshing, but I do wish there had been more time spent with the dragons overall.

2. The way this book handles issues of politics and social etiquette is very matter of fact. There is a sense of realism that takes you out of the fantasy and lets you see the underline meanings and how these things can relate to your life.

3. Seraphina is a wonderful and relatable character. She can be whiny at times, but that only makes her seem more real, especially in times when she’s not whining, but fighting and taking charge. Seraphina represents the insecurities of humanity (or should I say, of sentient beings). We never see ourselves as others do and we tend to be more critical of ourselves than is necessary, and that’s what Seraphina does. However, she does actually have a very good reason for being self-conscious, but through it all, she continues to fight.

4. There are many sub plots to this story that sometimes outshine the happenings of the overall plot, but it all works together in the end. The subtle sense of romance is down played quite a bit, in a realistic manner since the characters are on the verge of war. There are stories of loss, revenge, honor, and discovery within the pages of this book and they all mesh quite well together.

The only other thing that slightly soured my reading experience was the flashback technique of sharing someone else’s experiences and memories. That was a little hard to read, but since everything was ultimately explained, it didn’t take too much away from the story.

If you like dragons and have an open mind, you should enjoy this story.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords