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Thursday, July 31, 2014

Drowned by Nicola Reilly [Book Review, Excerpt & Giveaway]

Title: DROWNED Author: Nichola Reilly Release Date: June 24, 2014 Pages: 304 Find it: Amazon || Goodreads Genre: Fiction | YA | Fantasy

Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival. Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever. Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters. 
I write things on the sand so I won't forget them. Things I like. Darkness. Dreams. Clam. Buck Kettlefish. Things I want. A warm dry place. A long night of sound sleep. I watch the waves come and erase the words from the shore. Erased from existence. From possibility. It's almost as if the waves are taunting me. For thousands of tides I am sure people thought about how and when the world would end. Maybe they wondered whether it would happen while they were alive, or if their children, grandchildren, or maybe even their great-greatgreat-great-grandchildren would be the unlucky ones to be there when the world crashed down around them. But I don't have to wonder. I know it is going to happen soon, and maybe in my lifetime. Every morning I wonder if I will see the sunset. Every breeze is like death breathing down my back. The sun burns like fire among black smokelike clouds on the horizon, making my eyes squint and burn. High tide is approaching, the waves slowly coming closer. With every breath, every heartbeat, they rise a little more. Soon almost everything will be underwater. I stand and shake the sand out of my mat, then roll it up and affix it to my knapsack. I've gotten pretty good at doing all these things one-handed. My clothes are wet, and my lips taste like salt. I'm not sure why I'm yawning because I had a pretty good spell of sleep. Nearly half a tide. Half a tide where, at least in my mind, I was somewhere warm and dry, somewhere that didn't smell like crap or rotting fish. I plod along with the others, away from the steadily rising waters. It's chilly but at least my tunic is only slightly damp; it doesn't stick to my skin. Nothing is ever dry here. It's either sopping wet or damp, and damp is a blessing. It's time once again for formation. We all know the tides. We must, or we'd pay for our ignorance with our lives. It's time for all of us, all 496 of us, to trudge to the platform that stands maybe sixty of my feet above the ground, at the center of the island. At least, at last total, there were 496 of us. I don't like to count because our numbers are constantly falling. We all know this, which is probably why nobody looks at or speaks to anyone else. Better not to get too familiar. When someone disappears, we all assume the worst. Because the worst is usual. The only person who does look at me is Mutter. His face is dark and leathery, and his beard is scraggly and foul, greenish-gray, filled with old, dead things. He has his own scribbler scars, but at least he has all his limbs. He is useful. He sneers at me, disgusted. "Waste of space," he hisses as I find my spot on the platform. "Scribbler Bait." I wipe away the sand with my bare foot. The number two is scratched there. Number two is my spot, for now. It's near the dry center of the circular formation, where things are safer. There are 496 circles arranged around it, spiraling out from the center. The circles are small; there's barely enough room to stand. There used to be thousands of circles, one for every person on the island. But the only thing constant about the island we call Tides is change. Children get the central spots. When I reach my sixteenth Soft Season, when I am an adult, I will be given a new spot based on the importance of the job I am given. Mutter is right, though. I don't have any special skills, and my deformity makes it difficult for me to pull in the nets or do the things fishermen do. I'd barely make a good scavenger, the lowest of the low. People call them Scribbler Bait. "I saw a scribbler on the platform last night," Xilia whispers to no one in particular. She is a scavenger, too, and quite mad. But many of those who occupy spaces on the outer edge of the formation are crazy, because they brush with death every time the tide comes in. And nobody can deny that the scribblers have been getting braver. That's not the name we always had for them. When I was young they were called spearfish, because they'd often spear fishermen as they brought in the nets. But then they started coming onto the sand when the tides receded, sunning themselves. They'll attack us on land, ripping through our flesh with their spear-shaped noses, then feasting on our blood. They're getting smarter, too, because after a while they began burrowing under the sand, hiding from us, and springing out whenever a human came too close. They make long, winding paths in the sand with their sinewy black bodies—like scribbles, my father had said. My father started calling them scribblers, and everyone followed him, as they usually did. I've never seen a scribbler on the platform before. The thought makes me shudder. The platform, however small and inadequate, is our safety. But I know our safety is eroding. It has always been so. A thousand tides ago, the platform was twice the size it is now at high tide. There was room for twice as many people. Now we are under five hundred. I know this because there are fewer than five hundred spaces. The largest number that's still visible, though it is nearly half eaten by the tides, is 496. At least, that was the number the last time I had the energy to look. I sigh and throw my things down on my spot. The spot is so comfortable and familiar to me that I feel as if the imprint on the stone conforms perfectly to my feet. Sweat drips from my chin. My eyes sting from the glare reflecting off the white concrete. Little Fern, who is seven, comes hopscotching up to space number one, scrawny as a sprig of seaweed, two white-blond braids framing her sweet smile. She has a little stick in her hand, something she's never without. When she steps next to me, she touches the stick to my elbow. "Your wish is granted," she says with great flourish. If only. If only the stories I told her about fairies were true. There are so many things to wish for. I was space number one until Fern turned five, when we all moved over a space to make room for her. Before then, she occupied the same spot as her mother, who was a fisherman before she died many tides ago. They used to give mothers spaces in the center of the formation when they had children, but then things became so dire that some women had babies just to get a better spot. I was told Tiam's mother had, and my mother had, though I can't remember ever squeezing next to her on her spot. Two babies in a season was a virtual baby boom. So they put an end to that practice after I was born. Now nobody has children. It just means more people. And there are already too many people. After all, when a baby is born, it just means that when that child turns five, we'll all have to move one space to the left. The person at the very end of the spiral is out of luck. Space is something people have been known to kill for. I'm grateful for Fern, though. She is the only one who still smiles at me. As for the others, we are not friends. We do not trust or like anyone, even our own family members—if we have any of them left, and most of us don't. We all know what is coming, and we've all lost enough to know that caring for another person doesn't make things easier. Which means I have a big problem. "Hey, Coe." Just like part of the formation washes away in every tide, part of me is lost every time I hear his voice. "Hi, Tiam," I say, staring at the sandy ground. Looking up at him, at those liquid sapphire eyes, will just make the pain worse. Besides, I already have every inch of his face memorized. Him? If I hadn't been required to assume the space next to him for the past ten thousand tides, if there weren't slightly under five hundred of us, I doubt he'd know my name. Fern waves her wand some more, granting wishes to the air. I wonder how obvious it is that most of the wishes I have in my head involve Tiam. It's not that I want to wish about him. It just happens. Tiam drops his stuff in space number three. For as long as I can remember, he has been beside me. When I was young he used to hold my hand to keep me from being scared. He is never scared. I move as far away from him as I possibly can, which isn't far enough. The spaces are only maybe two of my feet in diameter, so now that we are older, we rub shoulders. Even though I try to wash up every day in a tide pool, I know he can smell me. I have the luck of having the job that makes me reek a hundred times worse than the normal, forgettable stench that most of us carry. Mine seems to bury itself deep under my skin. No matter how much I bathe, it never completely goes away. If he does smell me, though, he never lets on. In twenty tides or so he will reach adulthood, and I'm sure he will have a good spot in the formation. A spot for the most valuable people. He is smart enough to be a medic, strong enough to be a builder, brave enough to be an explorer. He is everything I am not. Tiam always comes to the formation at the last moment. I think it's his way of laughing at nature, while the rest of us cower before it. He says, to no one in particular, "So, what is the news?" I know that isn't directed at me. I spend most of my free time alone, so I don't ever hear any news. But formation is the time to catch up on the latest gossip. Burbur, in space four, who is one of the most respected royal servants, says that she heard the king coughing in his sleep while making her normal rounds in the palace. Tiam raises an eyebrow, and everyone murmurs, "Ah, really?" Finn, a fisherman, whispers that the food brought in during this morning's harvest was "pitiful," and people shake their heads and say, "Is that so?" This goes on for a moment as I wonder whether or not to submit the only piece of information I have gleaned in the past hundred tides. Finally I clear my throat. Tiam and ...
Coe is part of the 496 people left on the island of Tides. Most are convinced they will die any day because what is left in this life is not much besides praying for survival. There is no laughter, no love and no friendship on the island of Tides. Only a select few even bother to talk to Coe anymore. Ever since her accident with the Scribblers (creatures that lurk and feed on humans) where she lost most of her memories of her childhood and she also lost her arm, most people tease her or simply ignore her. She is the lowest of the low on this island. That doesn't stop her from daydreaming though. 
She dreams about her father that went off on an exhibition and hasn't returned and she thinks about Tiam the guy she used to play with when they were younger and the one she stands next to in formation when the tides come up high and all the citizens huddle together to stay safe.
Tiam plays a great hero. He is courageous, sweet, and very mysterious. He shares things with Coe that no one else knows. They have a friendship. But Coe will always want more. Part of me felt that Tiam was really good at playing this attraction off to get what he wanted but then another part said "does he even know?" This was just one of the mysteries dealt with in "Drowned."
Every man for himself. My dad taught me that. It was the reason he cared, the reason he tried to help people. Because when that's the case, when everyone is fighting for that last bit of space in the formation... That's it. It's over.

Then a plan is made to save them from their current fate of death, starvation and utter boredom. Will Coe help to make the plan work or will she destroy it because of her fears? Coe is a great protagonist character in my opinion because she is far from perfect, she isn't your typical beautiful female lead. She is disfigured but still worth a lot. I loved the fact that the author touched on this. 
We called it progress, but maybe while we were busy building machines that could make it so much easier to access information like the average daily diet of the Northern Cuckoo, we were also building our own coffins.

This novel was so well written. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. Just when I felt I had it all figured out, the plot would twist and turn and I was once again lost and desperate for more.
Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog’s post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego.  The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015.

About Cyn Balog: Cyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them.  She is author of young adult paranormal novels; FAIRY TALE (2009), SLEEPLESS (2010), STARSTRUCK (2011), TOUCHED (2012), and her most recent release: DEAD RIVER (2013).e.  She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters.She also writes under the pen name Nichola Reilly Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog’s post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego. The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015.
Website Twitter Facebook | Facebook - Nichola | Goodreads  | Twitter - Nichola
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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Chameleon's Spell by Roni O'Connell [Book review, & Giveaway]

CHAMELEON'S SPELL
By Roni O'Connell
Release Date: May 28, 2014
Paperback, 282 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / YA
She’d known it was coming—it always had to be dealt with, sooner or later. The effect Chameleon blood produced on the majority of humans was akin to taking aphrodisiacs or psychedelic drugs and all but the strongest minds succumbed.
Juliet Marchant has a secret—one that makes her hide from the world, until the day her friend, a shifter wolf, is slaughtered on her land for his brilliant pelt.
If Juliet is to fulfill her destiny, she must take her place in the world, unlock her Immortal powers, and face her dangerous attraction the human Commander of Spectral Command.
July 21stFangirlish.com  – Review
  
July 24thGuest Review - Deb – Review
July 25thIn To My Fantasy World – Review
July 26thAll About Book Divas  – Review
July 27thKarin Baker   – Review/GP
July 28thCabin Goddess – Review/GP/Recipe
July 29thBookish Tiffany  – Review
July 30th –   Guest Review - Destiny – Review
July 31stReads All The Books   – Review
July 31stForbidden Reviews  – Review
August 1stThe Reader and the Chef  – Review
August 1stLike A Bump on A Blog – Review

Enough, she thought, and Juliet vowed by her heart's blood to join in the fight to stop the slaughter of her kin, those immortals she had never met. She did not yet know what she could do. But I learn fast, she spoke to the remains, peace in your travels friend.
Juliet is a chameleon who is barely eighteen years old. She has had to grow up way too fast because her mom left and her dad just didn't know how to deal with an immortal like her. Juliet captivates with her beauty, she can make men fall at their feet pledging their undying devotion to her. However, Juliet doesn't want all this. All she wants to be able to be "normal" She wants what every girl wants, a great man that accepts her for who she is. 

I feel very lucky to be among the first to read this treasure. I find this book to be part fantasy and part paranormal which for me is a great mix of all the things I love in a book. This story grabbed me right away. While the author does do a bit of over explaining in some parts of the book, once I got through it, I realized that there is a lot of explaining to do. The plot is simple but the actions and characters through out the book change scenes and the reader would not grasp the twist in the plot without explanation. 
 
Of course, immortals came in all kinds and had all sorts of talents, great and small, from making flowers bloom or speaking backwards (seriously, what good did that do?) to moving mountains and destroying whole human cities in waves of flames.

 It is hard for me to explain this book without giving some of the major plot points away. Lets just say there is constant action, constant distress and constant adventure. Juliet is always getting herself in more and more danger but she is such a character! She doesn't back down or back out of a fight. She is strong but yet vulnerable. She is likeable but yet a bit frustrating at times. This was a completely original idea for a book. I have never read something quite like this and with all the other books out there, that is a great complement. 

I would suggest you pick up a copy of this and fall in love with Juliet and all the other immortals in this wonderfully told tale.

 

Roni O’Connell lives with her husband and two dogs high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She finds inspiration in the forest, wildlife, and lakes around her home.
A former English teacher, Roni enjoys the company of young adults, their spirited opinions, great enthusiasm, and outrageous humor. When Roni isn't writing novels, you can find her hiking in the forest or contemplating the wonders of nature.
Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook 
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Saturday, July 26, 2014

Official Book Tour: CHAMELEON'S SPELL by @RoniOConnell [Review + Giveaway]


Today's stop on the tour is a review from a frequent guest reviewer here on Lady Reader's Bookshelf, Karin Baker. 


Roni O'Connell has done it again. Chameleon's Spell had me in the first sentence. I love the way I got caught up in the story line. This is the second book by this author I've been lucky enough to read. It's also the second book of hers that I read in one sitting. I just couldn't put the book down. I had to know what was happening next. I love that about Roni's story telling. Juliet became someone I care about. The story is set in the future and not my usual genre but it is a fantastic read.




CHAMELEON'S SPELL
By Roni O'Connell
Release Date: May 28, 2014
Paperback, 282 pages
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction/Mature YA

She’d known it was coming—it always had to be dealt with, sooner or later. The effect Chameleon blood produced on the majority of humans was akin to taking aphrodisiacs or psychedelic drugs and all but the strongest minds succumbed.

Juliet Marchant has a secret—one that makes her hide from the world, until the day her friend, a shifter wolf, is slaughtered on her land for his brilliant pelt.

If Juliet is to fulfill her destiny, she must take her place in the world, unlock her Immortal powers, and face her dangerous attraction the human Commander of Spectral Command.
July 21stFangirlish.com  – Review
  
July 24thGuest Review - Deb – Review

July 25thIn To My Fantasy World – Review

July 26thAll About Book Divas  – Review

July 26thKarin Baker   – Review

July 28thCabin Goddess – Review & a Recipe

July 29thBookish Tiffany  – Review

July 30th –   Guest Review - Destiny – Review

July 31stReads All The Books   – Review

July 31stForbidden Reviews  – Review

August 1stThe Reader and the Chef  – Review

August 1stLike A Bump on A Blog – Review



Roni O’Connell lives with her husband and two dogs high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She finds inspiration in the forest, wildlife, and lakes around her home.
A former English teacher, Roni enjoys the company of young adults, their spirited opinions, great enthusiasm, and outrageous humor.
When Roni isn't writing novels, you can find her hiking in the forest or contemplating the wonders of nature.



Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook 
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