"B" A - Z CHALLENGE

A to Z Team [2015]

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Jeremy @ Hollywood Nuts
Nicole Ayers @ The Madlab Post
Author Stephen Tremp
Heather M. Gardner
AJ Lauer
Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian
Matthew MacNish @ The QQQE
Zalka Csenge Virág @ The Multicolored Diary
S. L. Hennessy @ Pensuasion
C. Lee McKenzie @ The Write Game
Joy Campbell @ The Character Depot
Susan Gourley @ Susan Says
John Holton @The Sound of One Hand Typing
Lisa Buie-Collard, Author

Become (Desolation #1)

by Ali Cross

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

REVIEW:

Become, by Ali Cross is the first book in the Desolation series, in which good and bad continue the struggle. Desolation the MC in this fantasy is both demon and angel and struggles with her own battle between the two.

Her father, Loki, the Lord of Darkness, sends her to Earth to turn lost souls towards his domain, but the goodness in Desolation prevails as she is tormented by her own demons and a lost past she has forgotten.

The push by Loki's forces to turn Desolation towards darkness will bring power to his evil kingdom, but Desolation finds friendship and love while battling to find her own pathway to her future.

 Ali Cross has written a very entertaining story in which the ancient gods play a major part in the future of not only Desolation, but that of mankind. 

Bound

(The Nevermore Trilogy #2)

by Shannon Mayer 

 

They were promised weight loss, the cure for Cancer, Parkinson’s Disease and infertility; they were promised hope.

The side effects were anything but hopeful.

Mara faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles and adversities as she works feverishly to free Sebastian from the holds which bind him. Her refusal to abandon him, and his refusal to let her slip away, keep them fighting to be reunited. Fears escalate and dangers destroy their beliefs, but they cling to their love and find strength in each other even when separated. Mara and Sebastian manage to face each act of violence, each tragedy, and terrifying sight with a strength which won’t bend to any confrontation.

REVIEW: 

Although I have not read book one in this series, I found Bound an intriguing story and after finishing will look into purchasing book two to read and learn how Sebastian and Mara become entangled in the predicament they are subjected to in Book One.

Shannon Mayer has taken the Zombie theme and made her own story, using 'love' to overcome all things.

The love the two MC's, Mara and Sebastian share, keeps their existence intact as the rest of the world falls apart from the result of the Nevermore drug.

A simple, interesting read and one I would recommend to all zombie enthusiasts out there in the world.

Beyond the Edge

by M. Pax

Some truths are better left unfound.

For two years Craze’s dear friend, Lepsi, has been missing. The murmurings of a haunted spaceship might be a message and may mean his old pal isn’t dead. The possibility spurs Craze and Captain Talos to travel to uncharted worlds, searching. Out there, in an unfamiliar region of the galaxy beyond the Backworlds, they stumble upon a terrible truth.

Meanwhile, Rainly remains on Pardeep Station as acting planetlord, dealing with the discovery of her lover’s dark and brutal past. Alone and questioning her judgment, her introspection unlocks more than heartache. Latent protocols in her cybernetics activate, forcing her to face a sinister secret of her own.

In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendents to survive in a harsh universe. This is the fourth book in the science fiction series, The Backworlds. A space opera adventure.

REVIEW:

The Backworlds, by M. Pax is the first book in this series. Craze the MC is kicked out of his home by his own father, who takes a new wife. The wife being Craze's girlfriend...

To make Craze's existence more complicated, he is then further back stabbed by his father and banished from his home world as a criminal to venture forth deeper into the back worlds, where his new life begins.
 
Craze is a delightful mix of simplicity and strength, who some how escapes his misfortunes to gain profit.

This sci-fi adventure by M. Pax is a delightful read, full of interesting characters, humour and adventure mixed with strange characters and planets to tempt the readers imagination.

M. Pax is a talented sci-fi writer and I am sure readers will enjoy this series.

Branded (Fall of Angels #1)

by Keary Taylor

Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.

REVIEW:

This deep, twisted story by Keary Taylor is about a girl named Jessica. Her life is quiet and unremarkable, but when she sleeps she seems to live a second life, one of torment, where she stand before the Council of Angels as one of the condemned and experiences their last trial of life. As a different person each time, she begins to wonder what is real and what is not.

Her life brightens when she meets Alex, but then Cole moves into the house next door and she becomes entranced with his darkness.

Torn between the two, she finds her dreams may be more than what they seem and her torments of the night might be real.

Branded is a very different story about the battle of good and evil, entwined with the biblical tale of the damned and I would like to congratulate Keary Taylor on her accomplishment.

Blood and Guitars (Blood And Guitars #1)

by Heather Jensen 

When Aurora meets Trey, a famous singer and musician, she’s only hoping to get her fill of human blood for the week. The last thing Aurora expects is for Trey to make her feel alive for the first time since she was, well, alive. It begins with a casual painting lesson at her art studio, The Waking Moon, and quickly turns into a forbidden romance. Aurora is forced to hide her true identity from Trey, while keeping her relationship with the human a secret from other vampires in her Brood. Trey’s band is recording a new album and with Aurora as his muse, Trey is writing songs like never before. After being hired by their record label to paint the cover of the new album, Aurora has a legitimate reason for spending so much time with Trey and his band mates. Aurora can’t deny the unexpected connection she has with Trey, which is fueled by glimpses into his emotions every time they share a kiss. Caught between two worlds, Aurora must attend celebrity award shows and vampire rituals, find time to feed, and protect Trey from the dangers of the night, all while preserving her secrets.

REVIEW: 

Blood and Guitars, by Heather Jensen is an interesting vampire novel set in Florida and centers around a female vampire named Aurora Evins, who is an artist and owns her own art gallery.

She meets up with a stranger in a small music bar, named Carlie's, at the time she doesn't realize he is the lead singer of her favourite band, Catalyst.

Trey Decker, keeping his identity a secret suffers from writers block needs a change in his life. When he meets Aurora, he is instantly attracted and discovers she is the woman of his dreams. (literally).

Aurora's life is anything but complicated in their worlds and life becomes difficult for them both, when their relationship becomes serious. 

With a modern twist on the vampire tale, this story by Heather Jensen, is an enjoyable read with lots of hidden mystery and romance. Containing a few 'bad guys' and some tense moments, where the couple have their fate in the hands of jealous Catalyst fans and vampires. 

If you are a vampire fan, Blood and Guitars is well worth the read.

Beyond Earth (Book #1)

by Arlene Lagos 

 

Hidden in the fabric of our own galaxy are five planets, anchored to Earth and thriving with life. Each one unlocks a secret to many destinies that bring seven brave warriors together to fight the ultimate evil set to destroy their existence.

Life for Adaminia was ordinary…and she hated ordinary. She always felt she was meant to do more. That opportunity presents itself when she follows a strange sound, gets sucked up into a wind tunnel, and spit out onto a hidden planet. Here she meets Joanie who reveals to her the truth about her real parents, the five hidden planets anchored to Earth, the murdered leaders, the missing heirs, and the role she will play in saving all mankind from extinction.


REVIEW: 

 Although Beyond Earth has an interesting storyline, I found this book by Arlene Lagos difficult to read. The Kindle formatting is poor, with sentences breaking short throughout the book.

It is a simple story about a girl named Adriaminia, who has been hidden on Earth for her own protection. When her foster parents are killed in a care accident she begins to learn the truth. Unbeknown to her, she is a vital part in the destiny of seven warriors to save mankind and five other planets anchored to Earth.

Beyond Earth is written for a young audience and is quite appealing.

Beyond Planets (Book, #2)

by Arlene Lagos

As the brave warriors continue their search for the heir to the throne of Ardor, a few become infected by the darkness and they begin to battle each other. They question not only their journey, but also where each person’s loyalties lie. With growing tensions and mounting questions, they have to cure the planet, crown the king and fight off the darkness before they are consumed by it.

 REVIEW:

Beyond Planets is the second book in this series by Arlene Lagos and continues the story where the first book finishes. 

The warriors take refuge in a monastery, but the battle they have undertaken to save the five planets, still continues.

Adraminia wakes from a deep sleep, to find herself pregnant and being held prisoner by The Guardian, the possible father of her unborn child??

This installment seems a little disjointed and the story is complicated. Once again the formatting needs work.