A Guardian of Shadows Review

NEWLY RELEASED .....
A Guardian of Shadows (The Revenant Wyrd Saga #4) 

The thrilling sequel to The Well of Wyrding. In the enchanted lands of the Great Realms, Angelica, Jovian, and Joya are searching for their kidnapped sister, Amber. Their quest has led them through many dangers and many excitements, but nothing has prepared them for what’s about to come.

The wyr are alive, the Two who were never supposed to exist. They are destined to control the wyrd and fate of all mankind. Their very existence is destroying the world tree, on whose roots the fate of man is etched, and causing the Well of Wyrding, which sustains the world tree, to dissolve. Now Angelica and Jovian are hunted by the Norns, those three sisters of fate who guard the world tree and live at its roots, observing and preserving fate, who believe Angelica and Jovian are the wyr.

Angelica, Joya, and Jovian are on a race to escape the Norns as well as find their sister Amber, but with no clue where she could be, they turn their attention toward home, deep in the Holy Realm. The problem? Between them and their destination is the accursed land of eternal night: the Shadow Realm. Rumored to be filled with nightmarish creatures, forsaken to its shadowy depths, the Shadow Realm promises death to any from the Holy Realm who dare enter.

My review

After traveling for so long the Lafaye siblings have gathered infinite information about themselves and their family. Joya has found her calling as a realm gaurdian while her siblings Jovian and Angelica learn how to conjure their wyrd. Everyone has to battle the Norn who seem to be obsessed with the wry. Grace and her friends lose control of their bodies to the Norn but regain control eventually. Maeven learns he has the ability to change form. And  Amber is still missing but I am positive Mr. Simmons will not disappoint when it comes to explaining what has happened to her.

I am still intrigued by this saga. I haven't been able to put them down once I start. I am satisfied with the amount of information given in each book. It seems the action is a distraction from the fact that the siblings still haven't found Amber. I for one think that is a great trade off! If you love action and adventure.  If you're a mmo rpg gamer and/or love magic this is the saga for you. There are many races to keep your imagination flowing. You will truly enjoy these books.

Buy the Book from ......

Amazon.co.uk        Amazon.com

About the Author

Travis has been writing since he was 14.  He began writing a book called "The Calling of the Two" and while writing that on and off he started uncovering another idea.

"Yes, this is all well and good, but what about before? What happened in the world before these characters came into it?" He always knew there was a "before" and as he started wondering about it he got ideas. At first they were little ideas but as he discovered the names for his characters a whole story about them emerged.

Travis started working on The Revenant Wyrd Saga several years back and he is very happy he did because hearing and documenting Jovian and Angelica's story has been one wild ride for him.  He has also written the Infernal Design series.
 
He lives in a small town at the base of the Adirondack Mountains and hoofing around my neck of the woods gives him a ton of inspiration for his novels.   He loves research, and speculating on different ideas and theories.

Follow the Author.....

Website    Facebook    Twitter    Google+    Pinterest    Goodreads

Also available in The Revenant Wyrd Saga

  

 
(Books #5 due July 2014, #6 due August 2014)

Follow The Tour



I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

One lucky winner will receive a $10 Amazon Giftcard

Open Worldwide

Ending on Sunday 27th July at 11.59pm EST 

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Well of Wyrding Review

The The Well of Wyrding  (The Revenant Wyrd Saga #3)

"Experience the long anticipated sequel to The Mirror of the Moon.

In the fantastical lands of the Great Realms, Angelica, Jovian, and Joya are on the search for their older sister Amber, who has been kidnapped by the villain, Porillon. But Amber has slipped away from all of them, and where she has gone is as big a mystery as why she was taken. While they are searching for their sister, Porillon strikes a staggering blow to the entire land.

The Well of Wyrding, a mythic well which contains the magic and fate of every creature in the Great Realms, has been poisoned creating havoc as the magic power of wyrd becomes toxic.

While Grace, Rosalee, and Dalah seek a way to purify the Well of Wyrding, wyrd is going haywire, buildings fashioned with wyrd are turning to pinnacles of terror; wyrd is working against its casters; and people are taking up arms against the threat sorcerers and their kind pose.

But the toxic wyrd is causing a new problem to arise. They are called caustics: those wyrders who have been completely taken over by their chaotic wyrd. Husks of what they once were, they are now a vessel for Chaos in the realms."

My Review

*Spoiler Alert*

[Chaos has run a muck! Controlling their own wyrd has become impossible and the well of wyrding needs cleansing. Jovian, Joya, and Angelica are still one short of their quadruplet ensemble. Amber becomes free of Porillon and escapes into the realm before her siblings catch up with her.The siblings each learn more about themselves and their power. They also get many of their questions answered by their mother.]

Once again Travis seamlessly attaches another book to his saga. I Love all of twist and turns and the fact that I really can't predict what will happen next. Like I have said before Travis is spectacular at drawing the reader in and leaving you wanting more. Detail, detail, detail is his style of writing. If your looking to action and adventure I recommend this book.

Buy the Book from.....
Amazon.co.uk        Amazon.com

About the Author

Travis has been writing since he was 14.  He began writing a book called "The Calling of the Two" and while writing that on and off he started uncovering another idea.

"Yes, this is all well and good, but what about before? What happened in the world before these characters came into it?" He always knew there was a "before" and as he started wondering about it he got ideas. At first they were little ideas but as he discovered the names for his characters a whole story about them emerged.

Travis started working on The Revenant Wyrd Saga several years back and he is very happy he did because hearing and documenting Jovian and Angelica's story has been one wild ride for him.  He has also written the Infernal Design series.

He lives in a small town at the base of the Adirondack Mountains and hoofing around my neck of the woods gives him a ton of inspiration for his novels.   He loves research, and speculating on different ideas and theories.

Follow the Author

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Google+   Pinterest   Goodreads

Also available in The Revenant Wyrd Saga

  

 
(coming soon)

Follow The Tour


I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

One lucky winner will receive a $10 Amazon Giftcard

Open Worldwide

Ending on Sunday 29th June at 11.59pm EST 

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UtechSmart Gaming Mouse Review

I purchased this mouse for one reason and one reason only........Guild Wars 2. With that being said here is my honest review:

   The mouse you see in the picture is UtechSmart's Laser Precision MMO Gaming Mouse with 16400DPI. DPI means Dots Per Inch which in a way explains how fast your mouse (arrow) moves across the screen. This in turn gives you your reaction time while gaming. 16,400 DPI is ridiculous and awesome! 

   Of course there are other features that I love about this mouse. We all know gamers love to customize. With this mouse you can customize the color, the weight, the DPI, and the buttons. I can play my favorite game with one hand! When I first purchased the mouse I was concerned about whether it would feel comfortable in my small hand but it feels great and I love it. I recommend this mouse to any computer gamer. Click here if you want to learn a little more about this product.

What's in the package

UtechSmart Venus MMO Gaming mouse
CD Driver
Weight Tuning Cartridge
Quick Start Guide
Backup Durable Smooth TEFLON feet pads

*Images (www.utechsmart.com)

The Mirror of the Moon Book Review

The Mirror Of The Moon (The Revenant Wyrd Saga #2) 

The exciting sequel to The Bonds of Blood.

In the mystical lands of the Great Realms,twenty-one year-old Angelica, Jovian, and Joya pair up with their mentor Grace in pursuit of their kidnapped sister and heir to their plantation, Amber. Their quest suddenly changes when an ancient enemy of their family, Porillon, appears with Amber. A dangerous battle ensues, threatening one of their lives, and a new insight about their family is revealed, making the group question what Grace knows, and what she might be hiding. Porillon slips away with Amber, but Angelica and Jovian's visions hint that their sister may have been taken to the Mirror of the Moon, an ancient temple dedicated to the Goddess. 

Finding sanctuary with the elves and dwarves in the Mountains of Nependier, the group presses Grace to answer questions about their family's past. Their insistence leads to a revelation the youths aren't ready to handle. While they are still reeling from the news, Angelica and Jovian begin to feel a strange new consciousness waking inside of them, and what's more unnerving, it's taking over their individual thoughts...and joining them into one.

My Review

This being the second book of the series I expected it to drag a little. But none of it mattered because I knew why.Travis Simmons gets very in dept with his descriptions only because he really wants his readers to see exactly what he sees. That to me is a good enough reason to drag the story line just a wee bit.

*May Contain Spoilers*
Jovian lives! And oh how does he live. He not only finds more of himself but he even finds himself a lover. He has a deep connection with his sister Angelica to the point where they can communicate without speaking. Sister Joya chooses a side and chooses wrong. But she redeems herself and goes into training to become a better wyrder. Though Amber is still missing from the quadruplet siblings I am almost positive she will return to them soon. I hope.

Other characters come about in the Mirror of the Moon that were either not present in the first novel or were mentioned briefly. Grace is becoming one of my favorite characters. I empathize with her because of her aching joints and having to deal with youth that despise her and love her all the same. I also can't wait to see what her and her clique of elderly women have up their sleeves.

I will say it once again this series is great if you love fantasy adventure novels. You will quickly be immersed in the realms and feel as though you personally know these characters and their world.

Buy the Book from.....

Amazon.co.uk        Amazon.com

About the Author

Travis has been writing since he was 14.  He began writing a book called "The Calling of the Two" and while writing that on and off he started uncovering another idea.

"Yes, this is all well and good, but what about before? What happened in the world before these characters came into it?" He always knew there was a "before" and as he started wondering about it he got ideas. At first they were little ideas but as he discovered the names for his characters a whole story about them emerged.

Travis started working on The Revenant Wyrd Saga several years back and he is very happy he did because hearing and documenting Jovian and Angelica's story has been one wild ride for him.  He has also written the Infernal Design series.

He lives in a small town at the base of the Adirondack Mountains and hoofing around my neck of the woods gives him a ton of inspiration for his novels.   He loves research, and speculating on different ideas and theories.

Follow the Author

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Google+   Pinterest   Goodreads 

Also available in The Revenant Wyrd Saga

  
(Book #4 due May 2014)
 
(coming soon)

Follow The Tour


I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

One lucky winner will receive a $10 Amazon Giftcard

Open Worldwide

Ending on Sunday 1st June at 11.59pm EST 

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Bonds of Blood Review Book 1

The Bonds of Blood (The Revenant Wyrd Saga #1) 

In the world of Saracin, the Goddess damns the earth that killed her two beloved angels and tears it into six realms. As a reminder of their transgression, each person is branded with a stigmata on their palms as testament of their home realm and their separation from the Goddess.

Thirty years later, in the Holy Realm, Jovian, Angelica, Amber, and Joya, quadruplets whose mother died in childbirth, have just reached their 21st spring and are now adults. When terrible visions depicting the downfall of their family stir within Jovian and Angelica, they struggle to make sense of what they have seen while trying to live a normal life.

After Amber is kidnapped in the night, her three siblings are drawn into a dangerous pursuit across the Great Realms to find her. With every step they uncover more mystery surrounding their families past, and something far worse--an ancient enemy that could threaten their hope of ever seeing Amber alive again.

Will this enemy grant the answers they seek, or will she fray the tenuous threads binding them to their old lives?   Buy The Bonds of Blood today and enter a dangerous world of magic!

My Review

Okay so it has been awhile since my last book review. I have also been waiting for something different to try, a new genre. I have to say I am very impressed.

Travis Simmons' book The Bonds of Blood was one of the best fantasy books I have read in a long time! In the beginning it was a little hard to keep up with what was going on because of the many point of views but as I read I became familiar with Mr. Simmons' style of writing. His descriptions were very vivid and clear.

The story of Jovian and his sisters, Amber, Angelica, and Joya begins with mystery. When their 21st birthday arrives they receive gifts from their deceased mother that they later learn will become more important to them than when they first received them. For years a secret has been hidden from the siblings that may or may not have prevented them from the mission of having to save their sister Amber who was kidnapped from her bedroom. 

*Spoilers*

This first book of the series really helps you to grow with the characters. You're there with them when they lose their virginity and as they figure out their strengths and weaknesses. I really connected with Joya as she struggled with what is right and what is wrong. I can't wait to read the second book to see which direction she levitates toward. I'm also interested in finding out how Jovian will be brought back and if this family will end up with the weight of their entire realm on their shoulders. 

I recommend this Series to anyone who loves fantasy or mythical books.There are so many different races and I'm sure there might be even more within the other realms, that will surely spark your imagination!

Buy the book from....

Amazon.co.uk        Amazon.com

About the Author

Travis has been writing since he was 14.  He began writing a book called "The Calling of the Two" and while writing that on and off he started uncovering another idea.

"Yes, this is all well and good, but what about before? What happened in the world before these characters came into it?" He always knew there was a "before" and as he started wondering about it he got ideas. At first they were little ideas but as he discovered the names for his characters a whole story about them emerged.

Travis started working on The Revenant Wyrd Saga several years back and he is very happy he did because hearing and documenting Jovian and Angelica's story has been one wild ride for him.  He has also written the Infernal Design series.
 
He lives in a small town at the base of the Adirondack Mountains and hoofing around my neck of the woods gives him a ton of inspiration for his novels.   He loves research, and speculating on different ideas and theories.

Follow the Author

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Goodreads

Also available in The Revenant Wyrd Saga

  
(Books #3 due April 2014, #4 due May 2014)
 
(coming soon)

Follow The Tour


I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

One lucky winner will receive a $10 Amazon Giftcard

Open Worldwide

Ending on Sunday 4th May at 11.59pm EST 

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love and Other Subjects Review

For every woman who wonders if she chose the right career

Carolyn Jenkins strives for two things–to be the greatest teacher ever and to find true love. She’s as skilled at both as an infant trying to eat with a fork. Carolyn’s suburban upbringing and genuine compassion for people who don’t fit effortlessly into society are no match for weapon-wielding, struggling students, drug-using colleagues, and a wicked principal.

Meanwhile, her budding relationship with a mystery man is thwarted by his gaggle of eccentric sisters. Carolyn depends on her friends to get her through the hard times, but with poverty-stricken children at her feet and a wealthy man at her side, she must define who she is.

The reality of life after college can be daunting, the road to full-fledged adulthood long and unscripted. Can Carolyn take control and craft the existence she always wanted?

My Review

Love and Other Subjects is one of the best books I've read in a long time. This author had me literally laughing out loud! You know that moment where you want to share what you just read with someone close to you but they wouldn't get the joke because they don't know the character? I had several moments like that. I felt like I had an inside joke with this book. I mean "blow ass"? If that doesn't make you laugh then you have no sense of humor.

The main character Carolyn Jenkins is the type of person I would hang out with and not because we are close in age but because she is very down to earth. She was also a good example of how your childhood and your relationship with your parents can affect you love life. She wasn't the domestic type of girl but It seemed her mother wasn't either. Her bond was with her father which could explain why she felt a "soul slip" with Jeep aka Money. Being that he's older than her.

Carolyn's down to earth personality didn't help when it came to her career. I cringed at the stuff she put up with with her boss Klein.He wasn't the only person she needed to put her foot down with. Her ex Alex had some nerve showing up In her bed nude and Jeep's sister where on another level with there nosed turned up and Carolyn.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great comedic novel. 
Buy the book from.......
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes and Noble

About the Author
A Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Kathleen has also written Love and Other Subjects, award winning After the Fog and her debut novel, The Last Letter, garnered multiple awards in 2011.  The author's stories have also appeared in several of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Follow the Author
Website,  Facebook,  Twitter,  Pinterest  Goodreads


Follow the Book Tour


I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

THREE Lucky Winners will each receive a $15 Amazon Giftcard,

courtesy of author of Love and other subjects, Kathleen Shoop

Ending on Thursday 6th February at 11.59pm EST

Open Worldwide

Enter  Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amanda's Eyes Review

Think what you see is what you get? Better think again.

Waking up is the pits when you come to in a hospital with a broken arm, a colorful assortment of abrasions and contusions, and a face swathed in bandages. It’s even worse if you can’t remember what hit you.

The bad and the ugly are crime reporter Amanda “A.J.” Gregson’s business. But learning she had a ringside seat for an explosion that killed two agents of the Continental Intelligence and Investigative Service (CIIS), incinerated an entire block of warehouses, and did so much damage to her eyes they had to be surgically removed? Well, that gives the darker side of life a whole new meaning.

Haunted by elusive nightmares, A.J. waits for her transplant and struggles to remember the events leading up to the fateful night of September 4, 2075. Weeks crawl by without a glimmer, before memory finally floods back the night before surgery, every detail brutally clear.

The explosion had been the work of the Ferrymen.

“The Ferrymen. My not-so-magnificent obsession for more than a year. Only a cataclysm could have made me forget. I guess you could call them hitmen. You could also call Einstein a math whiz. Think ruthless. Think unstoppable. Think killers so proficient ‘caught the ferry’ was fast replacing ‘bought the farm’ in common usage, and you have the Ferrymen in a nutshell.”

The transplant surgery goes off without a hitch—welcome news, because A.J. is raring for a rematch with Hell’s Boatmen. But contrary to popular belief, what you see isn’t always what you get. Take her new eyes, for example. Those baby blues may look perfectly normal, but they possess a power that turns her world upside down—the power to see into the hidden dimensions of the human heart.

 When the Sight unmasks the mastermind behind the Ferrymen, the unveiling is as stunning as it is unbelievable. The revelation sets her on course for a second head-collision with evil. Will she survive the final encounter?

My Review

Captivating in every way, Amanda's Eye's will hold your attention from beginning to end. Set in 2075, you first meet the main character in her hospital bed learning right along with her how she got there in the first place. Later learning that she will need surgery caused by an event from a scoop she followed as a reporter. Amanda knows she can only hang around in town for so long. While going into hiding Amanda finds she has been gifted an extra sense. It motivates her to continue her investigation that got her where she is now. She meets plenty of interesting people and a dog.

I found Amanda's Eyes to have a good story line. It had everything an action reader would want, from murder, to investigation, to mystery. I don't read futuristic books ever but this one may have me changing my mind. I'm always concerned about books written in the future being too unrealistic but how the author explained how the North America withdrew the borders that separated them and become one large country, I became very intrigued. My only disappointment was how the story tied together at the end. I really would have loved to have felt like I was there when Amanda was rescued and when the villain was killed.

Buy the Book from

Amazon.co.uk      Amazon.com      Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Award-winning author Kathy DiSanto wrote her first novel in 1997. That year, she published two romances with Bantam’s Loveswept line. One of them, For Love or Money, won a 1997 Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. 

In 2012, Kathy self-published two futuristic thrillers. Amanda’s Eyes is a near-future paranormal thriller and the first novel in a series featuring crime reporter A.J. Gregson. Why Live? is stand-alone dystopian science-fiction. 

Thanks to her day job as a communications specialist with a major university, Kathy has written more than two hundred features for print and the web. 

She is a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Independent Author Network, the Independent Author Index, the Indie Writers’ Network, and World Literary Cafe. 

When not writing, she takes brisk walks with Molly and Lucy (her rescue dogs), reads, and indulges in her latest hobby at the firing range.

Follow the Author
Facebook     Twitter     Google+     Pinterest    Goodreads

Follow the Book Tour 

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!


One lucky winner will receive $25 Paypal Cash !!
Courtesy of the author, Kathy DiSanto
Open Worldwide
Ending on Thursday 13th February at 11.59pm EST


Enter Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway