Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Cursed by Fire by Danielle Annett - Review



Book Blast & Review for Cursed by Fire
Release Date: January 28th, 2015

Blurb:

It has been six years since the Awakening and peace in Spokane, Washington is still tenuous at best. The vampires and shifters are all vying for control of the city and the humans seem to be the ones suffering the consequences, or so it seems.

Aria Naveed has spent the last two years of her life fighting to make the many wrongs of the world right, but soon finds out that the humans aren’t as weak as they appear and may be a more terrifying foe than any of the other races combined.

When a stranger rolls into town with trouble on his heels, Aria finds herself trapped in the middle of a battle that could cost her more than she has bargained for as a fight for justice turns into an unexpected fight for her life.


Behind the scenes look at how Cursed by Fire’s cover came to be:



Giveaway:

Print copy of Cursed by Fire and 3 e-copies


About Danielle Annett

Danielle Annett is a reader, writer, photographer, and the blogger behind Coffee 










My review:

I need to preface this by stating that Danielle is my cousin (the daughter of a first cousin), and I have known her since she was a baby. However, this book is in my favorite genre, and I have given the review my honest opinion despite the fact that she is extended family.

I really enjoyed reading this début novel by author Danielle Annett. It is in a genre I normally enjoy and Danielle did not disappoint.


I'm struggling with how to write this review without giving anything away from the plot. But I will try.

The book's appearance:
I think the cover is beautiful. And the interior formatting is well-done, and there are some nice accents on the pages as well. This is the kind of cover that, if I saw this book in the book store, would definitely draw my attention.

The editing/proofreading:
There were a few grammatical mistakes, which, as an editor, I couldn't help but notice, however, there weren't enough of them to pull me, as a reader, out of the story, and thus not enough to affect my rating of the book. Most readers probably won't even notice them.

The story:
I had trouble really sinking into the story in the beginning. That might just be because I have been ill with a really bad head cold though, so it took me longer to focus on what I was reading. Despite my head cold, a little ways into the book, I was fully immersed in the world Danielle created in this novel.

I love the interactions between Aria and the different men in the story, and I like the action that started to come much more quickly as the story went along. There were some great twists and unexpected events in the story which helped to keep the story from being too clichéd.

There were moments when emotions were pulled from me as I read the story and, by the time I finished the novel, I was sorry to come to the end. I really, really hope that the second in this series won't take too long to write. I wish I could read it right now!




Goodreads:

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Book Blast for "Confronting the Demon" by Ciara Ballintyne plus Review


Confronting the Demon

The gates to hell are thrown wide when Alloran is betrayed by his best friend, Ladanyon, and framed for forbidden magic. He is hunted by the guards and the wizards both, tormented by the gruesome murder of his friends and loved ones, and crippled by fear for the living. Now Alloran    must face his demons, or damn the woman he loves.

Including bonus short story A Magical Melody

When a lethal spell is stolen from a locked and warded room, Avram must hunt down the thief before the song of power buries a city of innocents beneath a thousand tons of ice.

Book Information

Confronting the Demon by Ciara Ballintyne
Date of Publication – 1 October 2013
ISBN-13: 978-0-9923466-0-7 (print)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9923466-1-4 (ebook)

Where to buy:
Kindle book on Amazon
Print book on Amazon

My Review of the Book 

Alloran is wrongly accused of a terrible crime and being stalked by a former friend who has been driven insane through the use of dark magic and influenced by jealousy. Can Alloran clear his name, save the woman he loves and keep the city safe? (You'll have to read the book to find out!)

I absolutely loved the book. It is in my favorite genre and the pace is quick. You learn enough about Alloran from the very first page to start rooting for him, and, as the bodies start turning up, the suspense heats up along with them.

My only complaint is that it's too short! I read it in about an hour (I'm a fairly fast reader though), and I was sad when it ended because I didn't want to leave the world Ciara Ballintyne had created. I will definitely be reading any other books written by her in the future!




About Ciara Ballintyne


Ciara Ballintyne was born in 1981 in Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, one masochistic cat, and one cat with a god complex. She holds degrees in law and accounting, and has been a practising financial services lawyer since 2004. She is both an idealist and a cynic.
She started reading epic fantasy at the age of nine, when she kidnapped Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings from her father. Another two years passed before she began her first attempts at the craft of writing. Confronting the Demon is her debut book.
She enjoys horse-riding, and speculation about taking over the world. If she could choose to be anything it would be a dragon, but instead she shares more in common with Dr. Gregory House of House. M.D.

Ciara Ballintyne's social media links:

INDIEVENGEANCE DAY EVENT

Ciara Ballintyne will be signing copies of "Confronting the Demon" at the IndieVengeance Day Book Signing in Dallas, Saturday, October 12, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (CDT). Register for free here if you’re interested to come along - http://www.indievengeanceday.eventbrite.com/.