Consider me a new fan of Laurel Rockefeller’s Legendary Women of Word History Series.

Catherine de Valois (The Legendary Women of World History) (Volume 2) - Laurel A. Rockefeller

This is the second book I’ve read written by the author. Having an idea of what to expect, I still found myself surprised at the historical content in the book.

 

Catherine de Valois is the daughter of King Charles VI of France and Queen Isabeau of Bavaria.

The novel takes us through Catherine’s forced marriage. Political motives seemed to dictate her life and I wondered if Catherine receive just one second of blissful happiness to make her tribulations and struggles seem worthwhile.

 

If you love history, interested in historical figures, or curious about this woman, I suggest picking up a copy. As a future World History teacher, I could see myself using her series in an educational setting.

 

 

A Creative Tale!

Amaranthine - Nina R. Schluntz

Amaranthine. The Heart Of Decompose is an interesting story, set in a wild universe, filled with dragons, zombies, fairies, unicorns, and Santa!


*SPOILER ALERT*
 

Dee, the son of a warlock, is the Plague of Decompose, created by the Wyverns (dragons) to destroy Equus, a race of unicorns. Before him, his mother was the host for the plague. Now that the plague has mutated and infected various planets including Earth, Dee is trying to help find a cure to stop the infestation. His search takes him across various planets and through encounters with different races.

 

I was a little confused in the first chapter because of the introduction of so many characters. Out of all of these, I was more interested in Jimmy and Santa. No, not the mythical jolly man in the red outfit that you're thinking of. This is an entirely different rendition of Santa who our Christmas myths are based around. He is a Sablaturite who can manipulate time.

 

However, as the story progressed, I was more interested in Dee and Harmony. Her interaction with Dee seems mystical. If she touches him, she amplifies his already godlike powers, just like his friend Jhon in a way. Being around her makes Dee feel mortal. I felt that their relationship, if introduced earlier in the novel, would have made the plot more interesting.

 

That's not to say that the plot wasn't interesting in general. The story really picks up in the second chapter but more so near the end after Dee is a captive of dragons. However, during the struggle between Dee and his friends, Santa comes into the picture to save the day. Although I like Santa's character in the novel, I didn't understand why he would come back and help Dee after everything that occurred.

 

Also, near the ending of the book, things which I found confusing, suddenly started to piece together. The dragons wanted Equus dead (for what reason, I'm not sure) and hired Dee's family to create the plague. Secretly, they also create a cure for the infected Equus. By creating this plague (Dee is part Equus) he dies but the plague brings him back to life; trapped between being dead and being alive. I had no idea what these dragons looked like until the end. I don't remember if they were described earlier in the novel. In exchange for giving Dee the spell, they want Harmony. But Dee gives himself over instead.

 

I found a few parts in the story that were hard to follow, leaving me with questions. Dee is a man full of magic. He has the ability to put up force fields to protect his friends and himself from zombies, he can transform into a unicorn (he is Equus after all but not purebred like his mother who can transform into other animals,) he can heal his friends wounds, he can manipulate water, he can read minds, he can project images into the minds of others, he can remove tumors...I was curious as to what Dee could NOT do. He seemed almost too godlike to believe.

 

During Dee's first encounter with Harmony he tells his friend Jhon that the cure is inside him but radiates from her. They're the cause for the zombies in the region acting almost human in nature. The next Chapter reveals that she isn't the host for the cure. Then what exactly is her purpose besides being the relationship part of the plot?

 

As I mentioned before, there are plenty of characters in the novel and different POVs. It wasn't hard for me to keep up with each POV however, at times, I felt there were too many which hindered the novel's progression. Sometimes I found myself flipping back the pages to determine what exactly was going on and how it played into the storyline. The book also includes a glossary which I recommend scanning over so you don't become lost and confuse during the story. Different worlds, names, species, races, issues, problems etcetera.

 

Overall, Amaranthine. The Heart of Decompose was an interesting novel. This futuristic and complex world leaves a lot for the imagination.

Smart and Witty

The Deadly Seven (Stories from The Black Parade series) - Kyoko M.

This is the first novel that I've read by the author so I understood the complications of diving in nose first into a world that I didn't understand.


With that being said,I found the book to be an interesting read that I couldn't put down.

I really enjoyed Michael and Jordan's chemistry. The writing was witty, clever, and it kept me interested. Now I wish I would've read The Black Parade first.


This author is very talented and I hope to read more from her in the near future.

This is No Queen of The Damned

Prince Lestat - Anne Rice

I was thrilled to find out what Lestat and the other vampires in Anne Rice's world were up to.


The first few chapters were hard for me to read. Perhaps it's been so long since I read an Anne Rice novel that I had to readjust to her writing style once again.


After I managed to get over that hump, I found myself struggling to read the novel. Sometimes I had to force myself to pick up where I left off.Many of these characters I cared less for. Like many readers I wanted more Louis but he only got a Chapter. The only "new" character I found interesting was Rose.


This is no Queen of the Damned. This book isn't nothing like the original novels I read when younger.

Still, I don't regret picking up the book and giving it a shot. It's great to know that there are still great vampire novels being released after the sore that was Twilight.

A Short and Interesting Read

Watcher - Alen B. Curtiss

This is the first time I've read anything by this author and I was impressed.
Watcher is a short read in which majority of the time is spent in the distorted mind of a stalker and his weird yet interesting mindset. His Endgame.

Again, I liked how the author was able to push us into the mind of this stalker and I was able (and sometimes, didn't want to) understand his crazy thoughts and his creepy fascination about those he chose as his victims.

This was a quick and interesting read.

A Wonderful Start to a New Series!

Famine: Book One of The Apocalyptics - Monica Enderle Pierce

I've never heard of this author until coming across a review for the novel. It peaked my interest and a few moments later, I decided to give it a shot and I was NOT disappointed.

I immediately noticed the author's writing style. Her words flow together smoothly, almost like a poetic prose. The author has much knowledge about the Edwardian Era! With vibrant descriptions added in the mix, I knew that I couldn't just speed read or skip paragraphs. I had to pay attention to every detail. I was intrigued.

Bartholomew is an interesting character. Not only do we get to see his inner struggles, we also get a front row seat in how he handles the dilemma he's in. I got the feeling that he's fluent in several languages. I really enjoyed him and how he dealt with issues throughout the novel, including Famine. While reading this book you can see how his relationship with Matilde is growing and developing. Trust seemed to be the big issue here. At first I didn't care for Matilde but little by little I began to understand the young girl and I saw her in a different light. She's a fighter.

I've bought many books from authors I've never heard before and I have to say, this is the first time that I wanted to reach out to an author via email and praise them for writing a remarkable book.

I will be reading the sequel to this book when it's released. 4.5 stars!

Beautiful Writing

Cycles - Lois D. Brown

The writing in this novel was beautiful.

The story moved slow for me in the beginning but once they find out that Renee Beaumont's blood is different, the story takes off from there.

The book has paranormal and mystery elements that I enjoyed. However, this novel read as either a middle grade/ YA novel, which are the types of novels I don't read as much. Still, I remained hooked until the end.

Deamhan - Available for Preorder!!!

Deamhan (Deamhan Chronicles #1) - Isaiyan Morrison

My upcoming book Deamhan is available for pre order!

Go to Amazon now and reserve your copy!


CLICK HERE!

Interview!!!!

Check out my interview with Johnny Worthen. We discuss upcoming novel Deamhan that'll be released August 12th, my serial novel Sphere, and a little Street Fighter (for you gamers out there!)

http://www.johnnyworthen.blogspot.com/2013/08/isaiyan-morrison-kicks-my-ass-and.html

 

Autotherapy

Autotherapy - Sakina Murdock At first I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Autotherapy. I didn't bother to read the synopsis but knowing how great of a writer the author is, I decided to go in blind.This book is a different take on vampires and I loved that angle a lot. Sakina Murdock introduces the reader to scientific explanations. Along with beautiful descriptions of the environment and great dialogue, I found myself immersed in the world and I couldn't stop reading. The ending came off beautifully and I really enjoyed the book! It was worth the read!

Splice Children - Book One (Self-Published Edition)

Splice Children - Book One (Self-Published Edition) - Nicholas King Awesome writing. Great dialogue and believable plot.The author immediately dragged me into the story and I kept turning the page, wanting more!

The Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison Great novel.This is the first book I read by Toni Morrison.