Review: Recreated (Reawakened #2) by Colleen Houck

Title: Recreated (Reawakened #2) 

Author: Colleen Houck

Published: 9th August 2016
Publisher: Hodder & Staughton as part of Hachette Australia
Source: Hachette  Australia via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 1/2

My Review:

I read the first book in this series at the beginning of the year and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to this read. I started it with great excitement and whilst overall I did mostly enjoy, I am sad to say i didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed awakened.

Whilst Reawakened is a story about lily and Amon, this story is mostly about Lily and her journey to rescue Amon who has ended up in the netherworld as a result of the events at the end of reawakened. As the holder of Amon's heart scarab, Lily is still intricately linked to Amon and needs to use this link to rescue Amon from the netherworld otherwise Chaos could be allowed back in and potentially destroy Lily's world.

I think my biggest problem is that I had trouble connecting with Lily in this book and i felt the beginning of the book with the random visit to the nana in Iowa so she could leave to save Amon didn't make sense to me. I mean she is told that if all goes well, it will be as if she never left so why did she need to go to Iowa to be able to do this. The visit itself seemed quite out of character of either the Lily from the beginning of book 1 or even from the end.

That aside my connection with Lily was haphazard at best as Lily went through all the trials to get to and be ready to enter the netherworld, I found the pace a little frustrating and at times the story struggled to hold my attention. It sometimes seemed like the author was trying to weave some threads that would be needed later in the book, but at times they just seemed confusing and made the story that little bit harder to get through.

The second half of the book moved a lot better than the first half in my opinion. Some of the earlier threads started to come through and make more sense and the story itself seemed to flow that little bit better. I felt the addition of Asten and Ahmose to the story and finding out more about their roles in the afterlife when their bodies are sleeping added a lot to the story as a whole and helped to fill out the world building of the story in general.

I though the last 20% of the story got quite exciting and I devoured it pretty quickly and overall I was left with the feeling and the need to see what happens next in this series. So I will definitely be reading book 3.

Overall I did enjoy this book even if I did struggle for a while in the middle. I felt the world building and attention to detail in regards to the ancient egyptian mythology was stronger in this book and this really solidified the story for me. I look forwrad to seeing how this all plays out in book 3.

A mostly solid and enjoyable read and I gave this book 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Recreated (Reawakened #2) by Colleen Houck

The second book in Colleen Houck's Reawakened Series, where Lily must now not only travel across the globe, she must enter the Netherworld (hell), to save the love of her life, Amon.

If Lily thought traveling across the globe with a reawakened sun-prince was an epic adventure, she's now in for the journey of a lifetime. Amon has left his sacred duty to the gods and transported himself to the Netherworld, what we know as hell, to live out the rest of his years in agony. He is tormented by the loss of his love, Lily, and wishes to relinquish his obligation to the gods until they can reunite again.

Lily has sought refuge on her grandmother's farm until she must attend the college of her parents' choice, and it is there that she is visited by Anubis, the Egyptian god of mummification, who fills her in on Amon's choice and that she is the only one who can save him.

What Lily doesn't tell Anubis is that since she's left Amon she has known something went wrong. Lily can feel Amon's pain and she's been having dreams, dreams filled with Amon fighting awful beasts and crying out in agony. She will do whatever it takes to save him. For his life means more to her than anything in the world, which may not exist if she doesn't bring him back home.

Purchase: Booktopia  | Book Depository | Hachette Australia | Amazon

   

     

Review:The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E.Pearson

Title: The Kiss of deception

Author: Mary E. Pearson
Published: 8th July 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Source: Book Depository
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 1/2

My Review:

I struggled at first to get into this book. I am not quite sure what it was whether it was the fact that the main character's name was Princess Lia ( yes I know different spelling and in fact pronunciation but still...) or whether it was the fact that at first she seemed to be too perfect, in how she was able to instantly adjust to no longer being a princess and being on the run and survive on a multiple day trek to another city and the way the trek itself was mostly glossed over so suddenly she was there in the new town ready to start her new life know exactly what to do and settling in perfectly.

I really had to push myself to keep reading the first 20or so chapters as every time I left the book, i felt no motivation whatsoever to come back other than the fact I was in a buddy read and needed to keep reading. Thankfully the second half seemed to flow better and so I was able to speed through it and came out at the end realising I had in fact enjoyed it, and enjoyed it enough to continue on the the second book The Heart of Betrayal.

For the most part I found the prince and assassin almost interchangeable. Once I had figured out who was who, I found that neither character really stood out too much nor could I really figure out their motivation for their actions whilst they stayed in Terravin and I found the triangle a little too contrived and couldn't really feel much chemistry between any of them.That being said however, I did feel by that adding in the POVs from the assassin and the prince, definitely lended some more dimension to the story.

As mentioned the second half of the story seemed to flow a lot better. I felt like we spent the first half of the book kind of meandering a long waiting for the big event that would essentially start the action and the plot. There seemed quite a bit of set up and characters introduced who I think will become more important further along in the story and series. However in the second half i found myself more invested in the plot and the mysteries that were presented and interested to see how my theories would play out and events as they unfolded.

Overall, whilst I found the story in general not the most original and quite cliche/trope ridden with its love triangle and runaway perfect princess and another one or two that I won't mentioned for fear of spoiling the second half of the book, I did enjoy it and there are definitely some more characters and their secrets that look promising for book 2 and its story line.

While I do feel that this same story could have been told in a few less pages than the 486 its slated as, it is over all a reasonably enjoyable read so for this reason give it 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E.Pearson

Goodreads | Amazon | Booktopia | Book Depository

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love. .  

   

     

Review: Blood of the Hydra (Elementals #2) by Michelle Madow

Title: The Blood of the Hydra (Elementals #2)

Author: Michelle Madow
Published: 18 April 2016
Source: Barclay Publicity via Netgalley in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 1/2

My Review:

I mostly enjoyed this novel and found it a quick easy and relative engaging read. You know those books where you, despite noticing a number of things that in any other novel would annoy the heck out of you to the point of not finishing, you actually still quite enjoy it. That was this book.   I know its a story set in Greek mythology and there are only so many gods in this mythology to write about but the story itself didn't feel overly original and in fact in places, I saw shades of Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters.  I also wasn't so sure about the fusion of witches and Greek Mythology so the connection didn't really work to me. 

Sometimes it felt like Ms Madow is trying to add all these elements that make a good story but the story itself felt really contrived and you could see the thought and the strategy behind everything which draws me out of the story rather than drawing me in.

I also struggled to connect to most of the characters which probably didn't help.. The main character, Nicole,  lives in her own head a lot and then the use of dialogue to hash everything out made a lot of her worries incredibly repetitive. I did the connection between Blake and Nicole more in this book than the first but I still struggled a little to connect to the characters in general.

I also found it a little conflicting in terms of its messages as one minute Nicole is worried because she has the power to kill with a touch then the next the five are killing in self defence and not being overly bothered by it. The writing of this book has the feel of a middle grade novel but some of the themes seemed a little too old for middle grade novel

That being said though, this book is a fast easy read that you can literally get through within a few hours. I did mostly enjoy it and  will read book 3 to see where this series goes.

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Blood of the Hydra (Elementals #2) by Michelle Madow

A demigod who can kill with a touch. It's an ability that must be kept secret, even from those trusted most.

Finding out that she was a witch was strange enough, but now Nicole must face the realization that she has the rare power to kill with just a touch. No one can know her secret -- not even Blake, who she's had undeniable chemistry with since first moving to town.

Now Nicole, Blake, and the three others with elemental powers must stop a series of monsters that they previously believed to be dead from rising once again and destroying the mortal world. The creatures they face on this journey will be more dangerous than anything they've encountered yet. Will they all survive the quest? And how long will it be until Nicole is forced to use her ability to kill in front of everyone, revealing the true darkness of her powers?

Find out in The Blood of the Hydra, and join the Elementals on their quest to save the world -- or die trying.

Publication Date: 18 April 2016

Purchase:   Amazon

Review: Sound (The Delta Girls #2) by Juliet Madison

Title: Sound (The Delta Girls #2)

Author: Juliet Madison

Published: 13 October 2015
Publisher: Diversion Books
Source: Diversion Books via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ***1/2

My Review:

I really enjoyed this second book in the Delta Girls series. 

Starting about a month or so after the events of book 1, we see this story from  Serena's point of view focusing her aspect of the sisters joint psychic talent , hearing the future. 

When studious Serena is paired up with another set of twins for a Science Presentation, she seizes the opportunity to learn more about the Delta waves that she believes cause her and her sisters abilities as well as well as learning that her abilities separate from her sisters are developing as well.

When she starts hearing voices whilst working on the presentation at the twins house, she realises that they are voices that she has heard in one of her sisters' joint connections and that can not only help the twins with their problem but maybe also find love along the way.

Whilst I did enjoy book one, I felt like the story in this book flowed better.  In book one, I felt like I could almost see the hand of the author moving certain chess pieces around to direct the story in the right direction where as this one, it seemed a lot more subtle this time and the story seem to flow much better on its own.

I love the idea of this series and I love the connection between the sisters and while it felt a little manufactured at the beginning of the series, I feel like the author is now hitting her stride as she slowly fleshes out each sister out more an more each story and I looking forward to each individual story to learn more about each of the sisters.  I also feel like the premise of the joint connections was also developed more in this book and each sister starts to learn about their abilities both together and apart.

I liked the way and the pace that the relationship between Serena and Damon developed and felt they were really sweet together and I also really  liked the dynamics between Serena, Damon and Lara and the way they interacted.

There is also some development in the over all series arc n regards to this sisters father as we find out a little bit more of the mystery but also end up with more questions, I think this arc is shaping up nicely for the rest of the series.

Overall I found this a very sweet and fun read with its own  enjoyable story separate to the overall series arc and I am greatly looking forward to reading the rest of this series. 

 If you enjoy paranormal YA with touch of romance and mystery, then this is for you.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Sound (The Delta Girls #2) by Juliet Madison

Goodreads | Book Depository | Booktopia  | Amazon 

Five extraordinary sisters discover that they each have a unique talent, an extra-sensory perception that enables them to see what others can't. It makes them incredible, it puts them in danger, and it brings them closer to learning the secrets that have haunted them their entire lives. These are the Delta Girls.

Serena and her sisters read a private letter their father wrote to their mother, revealing a clue about his disappearance that they never knew about before. But as they struggle to gain further insight through their sensory visions, trying to solve the mystery continues to prove elusive.

The Delta Girls try to move on, balancing their supernatural abilities with the daily trials of being teenagers. Studious Serena teams with the classroom outcast, Lara, and her charming brother, Damon, for a school science project. They end up studying more than they bargained for, though, when strange noises come from rooms in Lara and Damon s house. There are voices, but only Serena, with her special powers, can hear them. This is until the trio experiment with Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) and are able to record and hear them on the computer.

Bringing in her extraordinary sisters to help, Serena must figure out who the voices belong to and what they want if she is to have a chance at stopping an impending tragedy before it s too late.

   

     

Review: Darkest Dawn by Katlyn Duncan

Title: Darkest Dawn
Author: Katlyn Duncan
Release Date: September 17, 2015
Genres: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Carina UK

Source: Carina UK via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ***1/2 

My Review:

I enjoyed Ms Duncan's last series so I was greatly looking forward to reading this new book and the premise of this one sounded incredibly interesting.

However whilst I did enjoy it and found that it moved quickly,  I was left feeling a little unsatisfied.

I think my main issue was the writing style and the structure.  The story is told alternative from the points of view of Sloane and Bri and at times it was easy to get confused as to who was doing what and who was speaking which distracted a little from the rest of the story.  There was also a lot of action in this story which was great however sometime it felt like a little too much and a little too rushed.  This also distracted me from the story as there was so much going on that sometimes I would have to stop and re-read a page or paragraph to work out exactly what was going on.

What I did love however was the idea and the premise behind the story which is very different from things I have read recently and whilst I found  at times the timing of the plot developments not quite there, I kept wanting to read the story and see where it went and I am hoping there will be more books to come as I am greatly looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

I would have loved to see more about the characters other than Sloane and Bri as we only saw a very small pieces of Bri's friends and family and I am hoping we will find out more about their stories in books to come.

Overall, this is a story I definitely want to continue reading and I give it 3 1/2 stars.

 

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

 Darkest Dawn by  Katlyn Duncan


One desperate journey for the truth
Returning to Willows Lake eleven years after her mother’s tragic death, Sloane Baker knows she will finally get the answers she needs! She always suspected that there was something more sinister at the heart of the accident that claimed her mother’s life, but a cryptic note could be the key to her past…
Two lives changed forever
The small town has always seemed safe to Brianna Taylor – until a mysterious new girl arrives who looks exactly like Bri! Now everything Bri knew has been thrown into question and Sloane’s arrival has changed the world of Willows Lake forever.
Strange things are happening in Willows Lake. But when they turn deadly, Bri and Sloane must find a way to save each other or risk losing everything they hold dear…



 Purchase: Amazon Aust | Amazon US | Amazon UK
       

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: Confessions of a Queen B* by Crista McHugh

Welcome today's stop on the Confessions of a Queen B* by Crista McHugh Blog Tour  hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.  Today's stop is a review as well as a chance to enter the great giveaway that is being run throughout this tour.

Review:

Confessions of a Queen B* is a charming and entertaining read.

After suffering public humiliation in the form of a back stabbing former best friend throughout junior high, Alexis has styled herself has the high school mean girl by writing exposés on her fellow high school students' wrong via her blog and revelling in the fear that keeps her above the other other students and protects her and telling herself she likes to expose the dram of high school rather than be a part of it.

However when she is paired with the high school quarter back for a project, she has to re-assess some of her preconceived notions of the high school cliches when Brett turns out to be not at all what he would seem from the outside.

The story itself was tight and well paced making it an easy read from start to finish. The story was funny and sweet and then more serious when it needed to be as it does tackle issue like bullying.

I quite enjoyed Alexis' character. She has constructed this hard protective shell or mean girl persona which she projects to the world convincing herself and those around her that this is who she really is. She is smart and loyal to family and friends as well as extremely feisty I liked how we saw cracks in that shell through her interactions with friends and family and how her interactions with Brett cause those cracks to grow and reveal more of the true Alexis.

At times, especially at the beginning I felt like the chemistry between Alexis and Brett was a little forced but by the end of the story I was definitely feeling it.

What I liked about this story is rather than enforce the regular high school cliches such as the popular star quarter back, head cheerleader, mean girl etc, it actually did the opposite daring the reader to look under the outward facades of these characters and cliches to the people who may intentionally or unintentionally be playing these parts, often as a result of those around them.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this read and give this novel 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon XX

Confessions of a Queen B*

Title: Confessions of a Queen B*

Publication date: July 28, 2015

Author: Crista McHugh

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Alexis Wyndham is the other type of Queen B—the Queen Bitch.

After years of being the subject of ridicule, she revels in her ability to make the in-crowd cower via the exposés on her blog, The Eastline Spy. Now that she’s carved out her place in the high school hierarchy, she uses her position to help the unpopular kids walking the hallways.

Saving a freshman from bullies? Check.
Swapping insults with the head cheerleader? Check.
Falling for the star quarterback? So not a part of her plan.

But when Brett offers to help her solve the mystery of who’s posting X-rated videos from the girls’ locker room, she’ll have to swallow her pride and learn to see past the high school stereotypes she’s never questioned—until now. 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

ABOUT Crista McHugh:

Growing up in small town Alabama, Crista relied on story-telling as a natural way for her to pass the time and keep her two younger sisters entertained.

She currently lives in the Audi-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends.

Just for laughs, here are some of the jobs she’s had in the past to pay the bills: barista, bartender, sommelier, stagehand, actress, morgue attendant, and autopsy assistant.

And she’s also a recovering LARPer. (She blames it on her crazy college days)

For the latest updates, deleted scenes, and answers to any burning questions you have, please check out her webpage, www.CristaMcHugh.com.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

The Giveaway (International)

·       Signed copy of Confessions of a Queen B* + a $25 Gift Card to the vendor of the winner’s choice

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Haunted (The Arnaud Legacy #1) by Lynn Carthage

Title: Haunted (The Arnaud Legacy #1)

Author: Lynn Carthage

Published: 24 February 2015
Source: Kensington Books via Netgalley
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 1/2

My Review:

Haunted was not at all what I expected to be nor did it quite go the way I expected when I first chose to read it for review. This is not a bad thing per se just different. The impression I got from reading the blurb was a premise similar to that of ghost house by Alexandra Adornetto and in the beginning it seems like it might be but that abruptly and completely changes.

There are some big twists and turns in this novel, one of which I worked out about a quarter of the way through the novel. This actually helped me in continuing on in the novel as prior to that, the story had felt a little confusing and while it all started to make a bit more sense, I still found it a little disjointed in parts making it hard to keep the thread at times.

At the end of the day, Ms carthage delivered a novel that was different and intriguing and while the ending was not quite as satisfying as I had hoped it did have its moment s and left me wondering, given this is book 1, where the series is going to go. I can't speculate too much without giving too much away but there are a few threads the books yields up that i suspect and hope the series will further explore

One thing I did like, that continued on through the novel, was the air of creepiness and just a little bit of that hair standing on end spookiness that makes you wish that maybe you hadn't read quite so late into the night.

Over all, whilst I wasn't completely blown away by this novel, I still found it an intriguing and different story, enough so that I almost certainly be picking up book 2.

I give this story 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Irving has traded life in San Francisco for her stepfather’s ancestral mansion in rural England. It’s supposed to be the new start her family needs. But from the moment she crosses the threshold into the ancient estate, Phoebe senses something ominous. Then again, she's a little sensitive lately—not surprising when her parents are oblivious to her, her old life is six thousand miles away, and the only guy around is completely gorgeous but giving her mixed messages.

But at least Miles doesn’t laugh at Phoebe’s growing fears. And she can trust him…maybe. The locals whisper about the manor’s infamous original owner, Madame Arnaud, and tell grim stories of missing children and vengeful spirits. Phoebe is determined to protect her loved ones—especially her little sister, Tabby. But even amidst the manor’s dark shadows, the deepest mysteries may involve Phoebe herself…

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