Review for Spear of Seth by Rene Daniel

Spear of Seth
By  Rene Daniel
Published by Createspace
Review Copy (from author - thanks!!)
256 pages

"What will Alex Khyan do when he faces a world he thought existed only in dreams of an ancient civilization? Alex needs a summer job, and gets one. It is not what he is used to, since he will work as a translator at an archeological dig at the island of Elephantine in the Upper Egypt.  Little does he know what he is getting himself into. Enter Heather and her father, John Van Senmut, the archeologist in charge of the excavations. The dig is not just some dig; it is the ruins of the Temple of Osiris, which stands at the mythical place where Nile emerges from the Egyptian Underworld. When John Van Senmut, falls ill and physicians give up on him, his daughter decides to search the Temple for the cause of the disease and possibly a cure. Her quest leads her, and her unwilling helper Alex, into the Netherworld, which survived the Egyptian civilization by two thousand years. They negotiate its dangers, as well as dangers which come from their contemporaries. They have only one guide – the Book of Gates."

 Spear of Seth definitely has that Indiana-Jones vibe going on. This is such an adventure book that is easy to read and get sucked into. As the reader, you'll be amazed at the detailed descriptions of the Egyptian Underworld and the pages are dripping with lengends and myths. A very intense read!

Spear of Seth is told from Alex Khyan's point of view and Heather Van Senmut's view. What was really neat is I never had to guess who was speaking because at the beginning of each chapter it said either "Alex speaking..." or "Heather speaking..." I really appreciated that. Alex and Heather are both college students and are thrown into this adventure together. There wasn't too much background on either and I didn't quite figure out their personalities. There were a lot of secondary characters too and sometimes I really had trouble keeping them straight in my mind. I did heavily sympathize with the good people in this book - I gasped everytime when someone they trusted turned on them, it was just not a good situation for them.

The history, legends, and myths were spectacular. I don't know if its all true or not (I mean in regards to if the legends/names/events were actual lengends/names/events). If it was - wow, this author really took the time to delve into Egyptian history, it must have taken a long time to compile all that information. At times it was a bit too much, the stories tended to get carried away but overall, I really enjoyed reading about it. One other noteworthy thing was the descriptions of the places. I could vividly see everything: the words truly painted a picture for me. I'm not sure what it was but, I just seemed to be able to read this book .... I didn't want to put it down.

I would recommend Spear of Seth to those who enjoy fantasy, legends, adventure, and Egyptian themes. I wasn't quite sure what to expect since I haven't seen one review about it but it wasn't bad at all!

Excerpt:

The darkness had become absolute. Menkaure carefully got up and crept toward the exit. After a few steps, he ran, not into the familiar corridor, but into a wall of fallen rocks. He moved to the right, expecting to find a door of the House of Life. Yet another rock wall met him. At last, he started to stumble, first slowly, then faster and faster, around the northern and eastern walls, touching the walls, looking for an exit. He found none. Finally, it hit him.
He had been buried alive in the temple.

***Check out the Prologue and first two chapters!***

Book Trailer:

Review for Casey Barnes Eponymous by E.A. Rigg

Casey Barnes Eponymous
By E.A. Rigg
Published January 1st 2012                                 
Ebook from E.A. Rigg (Thank you!!)
220 pages

"It's three weeks into the school year when music junkie Casey Barnes gets a second chance with her mysterious, heartbreaking ex-boyfriend. She comes up with a plan to win him back, but it soon spins out of control as rivalries, revelations about him, and music itself all start to collide. For Casey the newfound attention means learning the difference between wanting center stage and actually being on it."-Goodreads

 Casey Barnes Eponymous is made for music lovers. Everything in this book is connected to the music, it all comes back to the basics: music. It was a real treat and trust me, your playlist will get a whole lot longer!

Casey Barnes is the main character and boy is she ever one! It's hard to describe her and she definitely made this book great. Casey always has a comeback, she's wordy (trys to distract the listener by veering off topic - very funny), sarcastic, and a rock-star in the making. She IS a total teenager. I did doubt her thinking a bit, I guess just because I don't really think that way. I would have liked to see more fleshed out characters though. I was definitely able to put a personality to a name - which I liked very much - but just more connection to some of the other characters (even the main) would have made it better. On that note, Yull and Ben were awesome. Yull and Casey's relationship (brother and sister) was so darn hilarious - and so touching! I loved their bicking and bantering (I give brownie points to the author for the witty dialogue). Ben was the drummer in Casey's band and their connection through music was rock-tastic.

The biggest problem for me was the writing style. Not the writing itself - like I said the dialogue was witty, funny, and realistic. Let's face it: I'm not used to the "she did this (talking about the MC)" and "he did that".  It was just hard to follow, because I had to figure out who "she" was. And the flashbacks confused me sometimes, I didn't realize we had jumped back into a previous situation and then once we left the flashback, I'm like "whoa, wait what happened". But, if I have one thing to say, its this: E.A. Rigg knows her music. The references and just the knowledge behind everything was fantastic. Needless to say I was impressed.

I would recommend Casey Barnes Eponymous to music (seriously if you love music pick it up!), romance, and witty character lovers!

Excerpt:

Ben looked at her. "Some day." He kept walking. Casey fell into step alongside him. "Someday what?"

******

A moment passed.
"Someday you're not going to always have a comeback." Casey looked at him. "Will that be a good thing?"
"I think so." He paused.

Let's play Tag! You're it!

I've been tagged by Shelby @ Lost in A Book .... I've never been good at tag but I believe I will be able to do this one!

The Rules:

1. You must post the rules.
2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people that you have tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
4. Let them know you've tagged them!

Shelby's Questions:

1. What was a book you were really excited to read but fell short?

A book that fell short for me was CROSSED by Ally Condie .... I was super excited because I loved MATCHED. But sadly, it was boring and just not up to par - I will be finishing the trilogy though.

2. What book do you think would make an awesome movie (that hasn't already been made)?

Aww, just one? Definitely DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth. Would make an epic movie. Along with THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner. Epicness all around.

3. What's the best book you've read recently?

The best one I've read recently would have to be THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. It took me forever to get around to it but boy! it did not dissapoint. I absolutely loved it!

4. What was the most recent book you judged by it's cover?

BITTERSWEET by Sarah Ockler, the cover was just so sweet and after I read the story, my judgement was true - it was a really sweet book!

5.  What is your favourite genre?

Does romance count? If it does, that is the one! If it doesn't, I would have to say dystopian. Love the future worlds :) Now if it was a dystopian/romance book: knock me over with a feather!

6. Your least favourite genre?

Everyone is going to hate me: paranormal (vampires, witches, demons, ect.) PLEASE don't hold it against me.... its just that there's so much of it that I'm tired of it. Sorry. I do not in any way judge someone who reads the genre - its just a personal thing.

7. If you could choose one book to read that is yet to be released, what would it be?

*cringes* Just one? I guess, one that I'm really really looking forward to is BETWEEN THE LINES by Jodi Picoult.

8. Have you ever seen a movie that you liked more than the book? If so, which movie?

I don't believe so. I seem to always like the book over the movie.

9. If you could switch places with any character in any book, who would it be and why?

Ooouu it's a tie between Lia (yes I know she's a secondary character but she is *awesome*), Katniss, Juliette, and Tris. I'm going to go with Tris because I REALLY want to be a Dauntless :) They sound so kick-butt!

10. What book in a series are you most anticipating coming out this year?

Haha, INSURGENT by Veronica Roth for sure. Didn't even bant an eye on that one.

My Questions:

1. If you could have brunch with an author (dead or alive), who would it be?
2. What book do you need right now but isn't out yet?
3. To you, what makes a perfect hero/heroine in a book?
4. What's the craziest thing you've done to get a book?
5. What was the most recent movie you watched which was based on a book?
6. What book-based movie are you  most looking forward to? (Yes, I do just want you to mention The Hunger Games)
7. How many books do you read in a week/month?
8. Book pet peeves. Do you have any?
9. Are there any book ending's that you would want to re-write?
10. What genre do you most read?
11. Which fictional character do you love to hate? In other words, best villian? Or if you're not a villian person, best hero?

People I Tagged:

Nobody! I want to leave it open to my readers - if you read this and want to participate .... go on ahead, just read the rules :) Have fun with it everyone and I would love to read your post! And don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Review for Eyes in the Mirror by Julia Mayer

Eyes in the Mirror
By Julia Mayer
Published by Sourcebooks Fire
Won from Brenna (Thanks!)
214 pages

     Dee
I always thought it would be cool to escape into another world. I never believed I'd find one in my reflection. But there I was, falling through the mirror into a parallel life-Samara's life. And she needed me. The cutting, the dead mom, no friends...She was hurting, and I knew it was up to me to fix it. She needed me to fix her.
"She'll thank me..."
Samara
I never had a friend until I met Dee, at least not a real friend. But then she's my reflection, so maybe I'm just crazy. When she suggested we switch places, it seemed like the perfect answer.
So I let her live in my world, and I lived in hers.
With her mom, her boyfriend, her friends-her perfect life...I don't belong here.
But how can I go back after what she's done?

Two girls, one reflection, and a startling discovery about what really lies beyond the bathroom mirror...-Goodreads       

Don't let the creepy cover fool you - this book packs a good contemporary punch. It weaves an interesting tale of two girls opposite lives and blends it together with lots of heart!

Eyes in the Mirror is told through the viewpoints of Dee and Sam - girls who's lives are polar opposite. I didn't quite connect with Dee as much as I did with Sam. Both girls were developed and their friendships with others were well thought out. Their friendship together was touching and it tore me to shreds when they fought. The only thing I found very hard to believe were their reactions to finding out about the parallel universe thing. Seriously, no one batted an eye at it. They just went with it.

Julia Mayer did something incredible.... she weaved a fantasy sort of experience (travelling through a mirror to a another world) with some hard core teenage issues. She handled the issue of cutting very well, the actions that were taken to help Sam were reasonable and are what others should do. It wasn't fast paced but it held my interest and even made me hit a wall once

(I did not expect that to happen). The ending was ok, although it lacked something, I don't know what but it did.

Overall, this was a very interesting read that dealt with issues which deserve some attention. I would recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy/paranormal (just transporting to another world kind of paranormal) mixed in with a little contemporary. I certainly enjoyed it.

Excerpt

I watched my reflection in the water making all the same motions that I did, but the exact opposite. I stared at her for a moment. I thought of Jamie. "It'll look just like this world, but completely different," he had said. I rubbed my cheek against my shoulder, and my reflection made all the same motions I did, but the exact opposite every time. She was exactly what Jamie had said she would be: something identical and completely different at the same time.

GIVEAWAY ~ Angel Evolution by David Estes

Hey everyone! Guess what? Another generous author has offered to give away 5 ebook copies of his book! Thank you Mr. Estes! Here is his book:

Angel Evolution
By David Estes

"When Taylor meets Gabriel at college, she is in awe of the subtle glow that surrounds him. No one else, not even her best friend, seems to notice. Something about him scares her. Is all as it appears? While Taylor struggles for answers, she finds herself in the middle of a century old war centered on one miraculous revelation: evolution."

Rules/Conditions:

5 ebooks are up for grabs

International

THE ONLY REQUIREMENT is to "Like" David's page (this will be in the Rafflecopter)

To  enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

Ends February 21, 2012 (winners will be selected randomly)

Do not need to be a follower

***WINNERS CONFIRMED AND EMAILED***

Review for The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

The Water Wars
By Cameron Stracher
Published by Sourcebooks Fire
Won from Brenna (Thanks!)
240 pages

"Welcome to a future where water is more precious than gold or oil-and worth killing forVera and her brother, Will, live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations. Timely and eerily familiar, acclaimed author Cameron Stracher makes a stunning YA debut that's impossible to forget."-Goodreads

The Water Wars is a compelling story that if it were to come true - be devastating to our planet! A very scary scenario to think about!

I would like to begin the review by saying that I hope to not offend anyone. I will aim to make this a helpful review - showing areas that I think people should know about.
Characters. I believe character building is fundamental to a story. Sadly, the characters were horrible. They had no personalities, no backgrounds, no realistic actions, and some were just comical. I can see some creativity with coming up with such characters but it was just lacking. I had no personal interest in them. The main character Vera, I have no idea who she is and I in no way at all connected with her. The only person that had an inclining of a personality was her brother Will - he was the most memorable character. The 'love interest' Kai, we don't even get to know anything about him! Nothing! Like zilch! Ugh, the romance was horrid - we have one encounter we read about and bang! they like each other. Overall, a very bland cast to play in this story.

The plot was packed. The MC's Vera and Will were jumping from action scene to action scene - the thing is, for me there was no action. My attention wasn't grabbed, I had to force myself to continue. The biggest thing for me was the contradicting - like to open a hatch they author says to turn clockwise and Will turns it to the left and it opens! It may be a small thing but it makes it very hard to visualize the world. The world building I have to commend the author for their planning out (on the governmental aspect) but again something was lacking.... I had no image of what this future world was like.

Here is how I would sum up the book (personally): it was like I was watching what was happening, but didn't experience it and frankly didn't care what happened - a deadly combo for a reader. I don't know if I would recommend it, but there were some who enjoyed it (a lot) more than I did. So, if you are interested in dystopian - give it a try. I don't want to be a total heartless reviewer - it wasn't that bad but it wasn't great either. It just was too boring for me.

Excerpt:

We lived then in a time of drought and war. The great empires had fallen and been divided. The land was parched and starved for moisture, and the men who lived on it fought for every drop. Outside, the wind howled like something wounded. Inside, our skin flaked, and our eyes stung and burned. Our tongues were like thick snakes asleep in dark graves.
That's why I'll never forget the first time I saw Kai.