'Half Breed Queen' by LA Hendricks: Blitz

Half Breed Queen (Skatia Narratives, #1)

by L.A. Hendricks 

Release Date: March 2015

322 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Devastating tragedy puts 14-year-old high school freshman Marla Owens, on a fast-paced journey of survival, revival and coming of age. Driven by a force she can't begin to understand and a burning need to find out the truth, she heads toward her mother's home in North Dakota. She soon learns more about herself and her family than she could have ever imagined — her mother was royal heir to the powerful Skatian throne! And now the Skatian people need her to protect their world from those who wish to conquer it.

In a classic tale of good versus evil, set on Earth and beyond, a young girl fights to survive to become a young woman—and the reluctant queen of Skatia. Who can she trust? Will she be able to control her own immense abilities and justified anger to do what's right? One thing's for sure: Marla's not in Texas anymore!

She was focusing on a rather complicated answer when the warning pain struck in her gut. It

was as bad as the others, but her body seemed to adjust better to the pain. She closed her laptop 

and shoved it in her backpack, prepared to run if necessary. She grabbed her tote and set it next 

to her backpack, tossing the extra water bottle in as well. She looked out the window and saw 

that they were in the middle of a forest, not a city or town in sight. Not even a house. She tried to 

open the door to the compartment and found it was stuck. No matter how hard she pulled, it just

wouldn't budge. As her fear and frustration grew, she could feel the change coming on. She took 

several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down and keep from turning into that purple alien 

monster again. 

Sitting in her seat, she continued the deep breathing to clear her mind. In her mind’s eye, an 

old police station and a man she'd never met appeared. He sat behind a large, old wooden desk; 

his sheriff's uniform was a bit too snug to be called comfortable. She saw him look up at her as 

though she were standing over him.

“Marla,” he said gently. 

Marla opened her eyes and looked around her expecting to be in that same sleeper 

compartment.

“Marlaveenia,” he said again, with a little more force.

Marla began to blink her eyes and shake her head, anything to try to make sense of what had 

happened. 

I couldn't possibly be here, she thought, apprehension and anxiety growing in her mind. This 

is impossible. I’ve lost my mind. Marla found herself becoming hysterical.

She felt the increasingly familiar and frightening rumblings of the body change coming over 

her and, unable to stop it, she turned to run out the door. 

“Marla, wait. Stop!” The man’s voice sounded concerned, but Marla couldn’t worry about 

that. She needed to get someplace where she would be alone. She’d make sense of how she 

got here later. She ran down the street towards the woods on the edge of the little town. As she 

ran, she passed a sign that read “Edgemeadow, Pop. 231.” Marla stopped dead in her tracks, 

completely dazed by what she saw. As she turned to find the man in the sheriff’s uniform closing 

in on her, her legs buckled from underneath her, and she fell to the ground in a dead faint.

Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

About the Author

LA Hendricks is an IT project manager by day and science fiction/fantasy novelist by night. A longtime lover of words, she reads science fiction, fantasy and paranormal romance novels regularly (when there is time). When not reading, writing or working, LA can most often be found watching football or basketball with her adorable cat, Mona.

Author Links:

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GIVEAWAY:

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Book Blitz Organized by:

'Dorothy Must Die' by Danielle Paige

Amazon / Goodreads

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

People have sung the praises for this book. I have to admit that I agree. Completely. 

I have to say I adore the characters.

Amy has a fantastic personality. She's saucy. May I use an older word? Amy has spunk. She's a determined person. A bit...controlled by her emotions. She isn't really impulsive. Only impulsive for the good things. I think she has a great personality. She is quick on her feet and clever. I like that. But you get her backstory. And I have to love her character a bit more. Growing up in a trailer with a practically-comatose mother. She was bullied. And she kinda fought back. (Which I have a whole lot of respect for. Not everyone fights back.) Amy is a rebel. A rebel of what, I don't know. But she is quite amazing. 

And she does change. And I like that as well. She turns from Salvation Amy Who Fights Pregnant Teenage Bitches. (Excuse my French) to this power-wielding teenage girl with magical powers. And determination. And a bold attitude. And saucy comments. (Love the word saucy.) The Amy inside comes out. I don't know if that's the True Amy. But it's one step closer. 

Nox has an interesting backstory. You don't know anything about him. He acts differently and gives hints about his person. Where he came from. His world was destroyed. He doesn't remember. He thinks they saved him. But they really didn't. Where does Nox come from? Is he human? He doesn't seem like he's from anywhere else. Maybe he's the Wizard's son. (You may never know.) I think this open-ended character is making my imagination wander. And his standoffish personality. I don't know why, but those people who are standoffish are some of my favorite characters. He didn't really talk to Amy. Until he was forced to. Even then...he wasn't really nice. He was curt and spoke only when he had to. And then...he changed. Not into Amy's friend. But something else. An ally. That's the best way I can describe it. And Amy needs all the allies she can get. But can she trust any of them? And who is truly an ally? 

And all the side characters who are fascinating as well. Pete's cryptic words. Jellia's absurd amount of joy and cheer. They are all amazing. They have reasons to hold their secrets. Part of this book is about secrets. They're all fascinating characters. Eccentric to the max. But still! 

And the world...wow. It's twisted. A great retelling of the typical story. Dorothy is power-hungry. Her friends have demented versions of their wishes. Tin Woodman's love. The Lion's fear-sucking power. And the Scarecrow's messed up brain. (It's hard to elaborate...) There is magic. And it's not just the simple elemental magic. There's flying and teleportation. Lightning strikes and beautification. (The latter strikes me as odd. But not really. Not in this world.)

How the world has been destroyed is interesting. Dorothy mined for magic. She starved for it. (And it brings up the question of whether or not Amy will feel the same.) Glinda has a twin! And the Good are Wicked. And the Wicked are Good. (I have to laugh at this. When I read this part in the book, I mentally screamed 'Maze Runner' and continued reading. I'm happy I didn't accidentally say that aloud. That would have been embarrassing.) 

The plot tosses you across a world of magic and action. It's a fast-paced plot with action and adventure. You never dwell too long on any part of the story. Never too long with the Order fight scenes. Never too long on any part of the palace story. (Palace? Is that the right term? I'm not entirely sure.) We don't go too fast, though. It's the right pace for this story. 

I'll admit the palace scenes weren't always the most interesting. They were a bit...dull at times. But Amy's character was seeking trouble. (Or trouble was seeking her.) So there were things happening. Not always, though. But I don't have too many qualms.

The action is exactly the type of action I love. It's fight scenes left and right. And it's not like Amy is a natural fighter. She has to learn. She has to be knocked off her feet. She has to get bruises. I like that. Shows she's human and not some god. (Or a god reincarnation.) She is not a bad fighter. Some of her moves are strange. Some of them aren't conventional. (But what good fighters, interesting fighters, have conventional moves?) 

What a cliffhanger! What an ending! I can only sing the praises of this ending. The action. Dorothy and the party. The rejection. And Toto. (I have a bit of hatred for this dog. Come on. You're a little dog. Calm down.) I like how much happens. And then we have the Amy v. Tin Woodsman. And the Wizard. And Pete! I'm still reeling from the amazingness that is this book. It's truly amazing. 

Weather:

Sunny with no clouds

5/5

'Awakening' by Shannon Duffy: Blitz

YA Bound Book Tours is organizing a Blog Tour for: Awakening by Shannon Duffy from Entangled Teen. This tour will run from April 7th to April 17th.  Check out the full blog tour schedule below:

Awakening

by Shannon Duffy 

Release Date: 04/07/15

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

A thrilling, futuristic sci-fi novel set in a unique and thought-provoking world, from author Shannon Duffy.

Desiree Six (because she was born on a Friday) believes in everything the Protectorate stands for. She likes the safety and security of having her entire life planned out—her career, her mate, even the date of her death. She doesn't even think to question when Darien, her childhood friend and neighbor, is convicted of murdering his parents. They had seemed like such a loving family. But if he was convicted, then he must have done it.

Then Darien shows up in her room late one night. He has escaped from the Terrorscape—a nightmare machine used to punish all Noncompliants—and needs Desiree's help. What he tells her rocks her world to its core and makes her doubt everything she's ever been told. With this new information, will Desiree and Darien be able to escape the Protectorate before it's too late?

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

Why young adults need sci fi and dystopian type books? 

Well in my opinion, it’s not just young adults who need these kinds of books, but all people, no matter the age.  Personally, I love sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal books the absolute most. Basically anything in books that can take me outside the realm of the real or current world and way of doing things, I’m probably going to like. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some contemporary too. It’s just that I think it’s such a mental holiday to escape to another world or spice things up with some magic or crazy futuristic technology, or a government that seems to have everything in perfect order, but doesn’t. It just feels so creative and a fun way to explore the impossible or unimaginable. I like to be taken to the future or even the past, or to an alternate existence and way of living. To me, it’s so creative and captivating to imagine all of the what ifs and hows? When an author can make this kind of thing feel authentic, it allows the reader to really immerse themselves into this world or way of life and follow the characters as they struggle to survive or wade through their strange dilemma they’ve found themselves in. Take me on a journey to the unusual, and I’m sold. I hope I managed to do that with Awakening and that readers enjoy the futuristic world I’ve created. No matter how old I get, I know I’ll always love books that take me away and allow me to experience something unique.

About the Author

Author of MG and YA books full of adventure. I grew up on the east coast of Canada in the province of Newfoundland and now live in Ontario. I love writing, reading, fashion, fitness, and traveling.

Author Links:

   

'The Walls Around Us' by Nova Ren Suma

Amazon / Goodreads

“Ori’s dead because of what happened out behind the theater, in the tunnel made out of trees. She’s dead because she got sent to that place upstate, locked up with those monsters. And she got sent there because of me.”

The Walls Around Us is a ghostly story of suspense told in two voices—one still living and one long dead. On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls’ juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries.

We hear Amber’s story and Violet’s, and through them Orianna’s, first from one angle, then from another, until gradually we begin to get the whole picture—which is not necessarily the one that either Amber or Violet wants us to see.

Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and innocence, and what happens when one is mistaken for the other.

I'm not entirely sure what happened in this book. The majority of it was confusing. I was lost and left to furrow my brow and scrunch up my nose. (Which I actually did as I read.) 

And I won't say this review will be spoiler free. I won't. Especially not with the angst I feel from Violet's acts as a character. 

And I feel like this book will turn into a rant sooner or later. I'll warn you if it does. 

The characters are interesting.

Violet. I'm not entirely sure about her. I won't say I like her. That's not true. I think she was overreacting. (Okay. Here are the spoilers. And the rant.) Sure. I have to 'kill' other people as well. My list is probably ten times longer than hers. I'm a touchy person. (It's swell being highly neurotic. Sarcasm, guys.) Sure. Those two caught you giving a guy a blowjob. Alright. They taped/photographed it. Alright. That does not mean you have a free pass to kill them. If all people who were bullied simply went out and killed their bully, the bullied would become the bully. (Spoilers end now.) Anyways. She didn't have a stunning personality. She was a bit...shallow. It was as if she needed Ori to just be better than her to wallow in pity. I don't get that at all. Why do you do that Violet? And she did pity herself. 'Oh man. Ori is so much better than me. I'm bullcrap.' I do think I can understand her on that level. After all, who doesn't have that one friend you have to just be a judge of your worth? We all have that one friend. What irks me is that Ori truly wanted to be friends. It wasn't like Ori was just talking to her and being nice Ori. Ori really wanted to be friends. (I think she was just that person who is nice even deep down in the bowls of their person.) And Violet's actions were a slap in the face. A 'You thought I wanted to be your friend?' I feel this anger towards Violet. But I'm ashamed to admit I'm too much like her than I care to be. And on that bombshell, I'll draw my rant about Violet to a close. 

Amber... I can't say. She is a shadow. She wasn't truly in the facility as much as you might think. She hovered in the corner. She was a whisper in the dark. Something invisible and empty. I think her backstory was fascinating. I wanted more about her backstory. And about her time in prison before Ori. (Like...in the three years she was there, what did she learn? Did she have a relationship? Did she ever curl up and cry?) I think Amber could have been opened up more. There was much more to her than this girl who was a shadow.

Ori was really nice. Gosh. She was really nice. She didn't deserve the hatred and lies. I'm not entirely sure why she took the fall. I wouldn't. That's how you find out the difference between the truly good people and the ones with facades. 

The plot is...confusing. What exactly is happening? I'm not sure.

The plot is definitely dramatic. But it isn't fascinating enough for me. And I'm confused most of the book. The plot didn't really follow a storyline. It leaped from time to time. That's what made it confusing. And there wasn't anything that interested me. I liked the parts about the crimes the best. But that really wasn't the plot.

The plot was just out there. Not really...any plot. Which is hard to believe. 

I'm not sure how the story ended. 

What happened? How did Ori come back? I'm lost. The ending, if it followed the ending I think I understand, had Ori in a great place. And Violet facing true justice. But how did that work? Was Violet transported back in time? Or was Amber transported to the future? I don't know.

The ending was unclear. I feel like it's wrong to say anything more than that. 

I will give this book a 2/5. Why? Because, in a honesty, this book was a jumbled mess. I just might not have the capacity to understand anything above my intelligence level. (Aka I'm stupid.) I know enough people grasped the concept of this book. I apologize for not understanding. If I did, I would be able to review this book more fairly than I do. 

I feel like I'm one of the only people who didn't like this book. Oh well. I can rock being a black sheep.

Weather:

Cloudy with a 10% chance of rain

2/5

'Shadow Scale' by Rachel Hartman

Amazon / Goodreads

Seraphina took the literary world by storm with 8 starred reviews and numerous “Best of” lists. At last, her eagerly awaited sequel has arrived—and with it comes an epic battle between humans and dragons.

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways. 

As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

Seraphina is a nice girl. But she isn't the best character. Her personality isn't stunning. She is very nice, though. I like her kindness. But she isn't that interesting. I prefer the characters that at least have spunk. Seraphina is just a nice person. I don't have much to say. She does have a revelation, an epiphany. Which is great. I think that's great. She realizes her true potential. Seraphina did have power. She had it locked up. Hidden. She had power. And she realized it at last. She didn't know about her power. She didn't know what she could do. 

Abdo is amazing. He's my favorite. He's such a wise kid. He's clever. Very clever. He's also a sweet kid. He's nice. And very strong. Mentally. He's a great character. His backstory is fascinating. He grew up without Phina's fear. Abdo was lucky. He didn't have to worry about hatred. And he practiced his mind fire. And he's lucky to see his mind fire. 

It was interesting to see all the other half-dragons and the different cultures. 

The other half-dragons are different. They all are different people. They accept their difference or not. Nedouard was shunned. He had to hide. And the way their scales manifest. Always different. In Abdo's mouth. In Phina's arms and torso. Things manifest oddly. They always change. They're all different. And they all have different powers. I'm not sure what they are, though. The powers from the new half-dragons aren't revealed. Unless they're just good...at being normal. It seems like they don't have powers. 

The cultures interested me. The Porphyrian culture accepted half-dragons. They believe in different gods. They are so unlike the Southladers. And the Southlanders are different all by themselves. They're practically a different species than the people in Porphyry. Then we have Samsam. I don't know why the people in Samsam hate dragons so much. It annoys me. Why? Why can't you just accept it? Live. Coexist. That's possible. And then we have Ninys. And we have Goredd. Goredd isn't bad. With the changes, it isn't bad. Ninys isn't bad either. But they still have the Saints. (And that's a plot twist.) 

The plot isn't very exciting. It's Phina looking for the other half-dragons most of the time. Which is tiring and boring. Porphyry was different. There was resistance. The half-dragons couldn't just come with Phina. (Which was a disappointment to me.) 

But there wasn't action. Phina had to use her mind. (I know she isn't the best...physical fighter or anything. But still. Why didn't she try to fight?) I wanted more swordplay. This is a fantasy world after all. I was patiently awaiting a fight scene. But nothing came.

There is the Saints plot twist. And the only with Jannoula. (That one shocked me.) Those were surprising. They were good plot twists. They really shocked me. You couldn't have expected them. They just happened. You couldn't figure them out. They made the plot different. They changed it. 

It was a good ending. It gave the story closure. There weren't any questions. Nothing came to mind. The ending wasn't truly something amazing, though. The characters were happy. The odd love triangle was let go. (And I don't know what to think of that weird love triangle. I won't even mention it further.) The enemies were defeated. Goredd is safe. 

The epilogue is actually...sweet. Orma and Seraphina back together again. How sweet. I like that he remembers. Because you always should remember things like piano. (Or whatever the instrument they were playing...) 

Weather:

Sunny with a chance of scattered rain

3/5

'Dare to Dream' by Carys Jones

Amazon / Goodreads

“The world was going to end. Of that, Maggie Trafford was certain.”


Fourteen-year-old Maggie Trafford leads a normal life. Well, as normal as being crammed in a three-bedroom house with four siblings and a single parent can be, anyway. But despite being somewhat ignored at home, Maggie excels, earning top grades, a best friend who would do anything for her, and stolen looks from a boy in Maths. 

It’s not until the dreams start that Maggie realizes “normal” is the least of her problems. Every night, she lives the same nightmare—red lightning, shattered glass, destruction. But nightmares are just that, right? No one believes her when she says it’s an omen. At least, not until the already mysterious pillars of Stonehenge start falling. 

No longer alone in her fear, Maggie and the world watch with bated breath as one after another, the historic stones tumble, like a clock counting down. But only Maggie knows what it means: when the last stone falls, destruction will reign. And when the world ends, there’s only one option left—survive.

Horrifying and raw, Dare to Dream is equal parts tragedy and hope, detailing the aftermath of apocalyptic catastrophe, the quest for survival, and the importance of belief.

Maggie is fine. Her visions are the only thing that make her interesting. She isn't an interesting character really. Smart. Bad family problems. Alright. That happens to enough people. How does that make her stand out? Visions is the only thing. But why did she have them? Hm? Maggie isn't interesting. She doesn't have a stunning personality. She doesn't have a fascinating backstory. There isn't really anything to make her stand out. I don't see anything special about her. Really. 

Dawn...a bit whiny. Her reason to be noticed could have been built upon. Maybe she wasn't noticed by anyone else. Maybe her parents didn't love her. But...she still seemed whiny. Especially when she saw the spark between Andy and Maggie. Why, Dawn? There are probably other people out there. Don't be selfish. Let Maggie get her guy. Anyways. You're fourteen. I don't think you're THAT attention seeking. You're still discovering your person. But...there could have been something there. 

Andy is a good leader. I like his bravery. He took charge. Which is great. No one was taking the reins. He had to. But he was so cruel. For a quiet guy, he had a lot of bark. He was rude. He didn't have to snap at Dawn or Maggie. And how does that show feelings for Maggie? Okay. That makes no sense. That is not how people really show feelings. Only in books. Sure, there's a highly unlikely chance of love hidden beneath nasty remarks, but that's highly improbable. 

The bond of friendship is very strong. Which is great. It's a good bond between Maggie and Dawn. They were really good friends. I could tell. Dawn believe Maggie when their people didn't. Dawn believed that Maggie wasn't telling a lie but a truth. That trust? That's important. That's very important. Friendship kept this group together. Dawn and Maggie? They helped the group get through the hard times. I saw that. They made little quips. Supported each other.  

Friendship is more important than anything. (Other than family of course.) Friendship can help you in the hardest of times. In the worst of times. 

But then we hit the romance. And I groan. What is this? You're fourteen. Try to understand your place in the world first. Andy. You've been treating the girls like crap. How does that imply feelings? At all? I don't understand. I already mentioned this,  I know. Why did we need that? I don't get it. Why did we need romance? Because there is some importance to it later on? As in the next book? Um... I don't know. (It's not like I can telepathically predict what the author wants.)

I don't get why every YA book out there has to have romance. You could be perfectly fine without it. You don't need romance. And I promise you that enough of your readers AREN'T in relationships. At all. Maybe they WERE in one. Or HOPE to be in one. But readers aren't always hooking up. 

The way the world ends is a different. It does seem oddly religious. I hope the author isn't trying to make a statement about God. That could cause a controversy. Emphasis on the world could.

But I think it's unique. Most people say it's World War III. Or a nuclear fallout. Or robots taking over the world. Or drought. Famine. And on and on. But this book...the world went down with lightning. Bam bam. And the red sky thing? Ominous. That's different. People don't think too much about random lightning bolts striking down the population. (Wow. That does sound religious. Man. I'm actually torn between saying it's God or Zeus. I'm atheist and all...) 

There are a few questions coming to mind. Why isn't the cause revealed? Why don't the pincher things...talk or something? Why aren't there messages to the survivors? Or...is this all a dream? I was beginning to have that odd feeling that this was all a dream. What I'm trying to say is that maybe Maggie walked into her dream. Maybe she fell into a coma and is dreaming up everything. Isn't theory right? I'm probably wrong. The world probably did end for her. But it's a theory. And theories are allowed. 

The plot is boring and dull. I can't be nicer about it.

They take such a long time to travel. And they have almost no provisions. They don't think about ransacking any stores. (Which I think is odd. The characters get stuff from stores to keep them alive.) Honestly, with the amount of food they ate, they probably traveled for a week or so. And it took that long to detail a trip for about a week. It can't be any longer. They would have starved every day if it was longer. (I think.) My estimate might be off. But nothing happened. They weren't attacked. They weren't harassed. It was blank space and each other. They had problems within their group. That's all, though. And they're just walking one long road. How can no one else survive? They're had to be people traveling in cars. Unless...the people were transported to somewhere else to let the 'survivors' freak. (I had this theory too.) 

Nothing really happens until the end.

And the ending is too much honestly. 

The ending is such a cliffhanger. What happens next? Will they survive? Why do all of them have visions? Hm? I don't get it. What's going on with that? 

But it seems like the plot just...glides by. Until the ending. The ending is a landslide. Everything is being toppled onto you. It's too much. Everything happened. I didn't like that. It was too much for me to handle. I also don't think it helped the plot. The plot was flatlined. Then...it was a major drop. It was a bit...scary.

Weather:

Sunny with a 50% chance of rain

3/5

March Wrap-Up

This March I Read:

Official Total: 

12 Books (A trend?)

Recommendations:

For the Sci-Fi Lover: 

Dove Arising

For the LGBT Lover:

Gracefully Grayson

For the Contemporary Lover:

Mosquitoland

For the Fantasy Lover: 

A Darker Shade of Magic

Monthly Update:

Gracefully Grayson

Gracefully Grayson