Teaser Tuesday (59)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



Beautiful Chaos (p.159)
   - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl


Lena didn't take her eyes away from the book. "This line is my favorite. 'I have been bent and broken, but -- I hope -- into a better shape.'"

Benevolent

Gaby LeFevre is a suburban, Midwestern firecracker, growing up in the 80s and 90s and looking to save the world one homeless person, centenarian, and orphan at a time. With her crew of twin sister, Annie, smitten Mikhail, frenemy Mel, and wanderlust friend Afentra, she’s a pamphlet-wielding humanitarian, tackling a broken world full of heroes and heroines, villains and magical seeds, and saturated with variations of the Northwyth legends.


Beginning with a roadkill-burying nine-year-old and a gas-leak explosion, Benevolent follows Gaby from her formative years; through her awakening (as an imposing, legendary Queen nearly smashes her to bits under her steed’s hooves); through high school drama; a college career filled with an epic term paper, a building fire, and a protest-gone-bad; to Israel, a land full of romance and mysticism. It all ends back in metro-Detroit with a cataclysmic clash to resolve all good intentions. Accidents abound in Gaby’s life. As does love. And, thankfully, as does mercy.

Meanwhile, Benevolent is woven with tales of The Queen, The Angel, Jaden the Great, and The Sage. Are they figments of John’s and Mercedes’ imaginative stories? Or are they something more? You’ll want to find out for yourself.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Devon Flaherty brings an old mythical tale to life with her novel, Benevolent. An unbelievably imaginative novel that touches the do-gooder inside, this book is a whirlwind of mystery, love, faith, and hope as the characters grow into their destinies. 

Gaby and Annie are twins and also two of the three main characters. Fraternal though they are, they share the interesting connection of situational coincidence: what happens to Gaby, happens to Annie. Gaby is the owner of a deep heart with the desire to help the world. She volunteers constantly, donating her time to the elderly and to orphans around the world. Annie is on her way up in the world, working and doing what Gaby has instilled within her: living a hopeful and full life, helping when the opportunity presents itself. Readers will come to know Gaby as their own sister and completely love her voyeuristic and always helpful attitude. 

Mikhail is the third main character, having met Gaby by volunteering to help her at an elderly facility when they were in their early teen years. As they grow up, Mikhail realizes that his feelings for Gaby are growing deeper and concentrated with the idea of love. Mikhail is a sweet soul who leads a vegan lifestyle searching for a way to tell Gaby how he feels. Readers will love Mikhail as much as he loves Gaby. It's astounding how this coming of age novel portrays so many life lessons and touches the hearts of its readers. 

The plot is a wonderful combination of mythical fantasy, coincidence, sacrifice, and heroism. As Gaby plays her role, helping the world one soul at a time, the myth of her ancestors comes to life around her. Flaherty does an amazing job pulling readers into this world where the effects of the unknown are experienced so deeply. Though this novel is a commitment with its extensive vocabulary and quickly shifting character focus, I highly recommend it to everyone. Astounding novel that will result in beautiful repercussions. 

Rating: 5/5 Cups

Benevolent

WWW Wednesday (49)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

  

01. Currently Reading:
Benevolent by Devon Flaherty. A novel about a group of kids as they grow up and find themselves, their dreams, and their futures while an old legend takes root in their lives.

02. Recently Finished:
Wander Dust by Michelle Warren. Great young adult novel about time travel and all the secrets that history has to offer, especially when it comes to family.

03. Reading Next:
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The third installment of the Beautiful Creatures series. Seriously cannot wait to read this!! I've been good and waited until I finished a couple review books and that hard work is about to pay off. =D

Wander Dust

Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories.

Unexplainable Premonitions… catapult her to other cities.

The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her.

And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Michelle Warren reveals the biggest secret in history with her novel, Wander Dust, that time travel does and has existed for centuries. As the main character discovers she can time travel, her entire world changes - for better and worse. 

Sera Parrish is a sixteen year old girl who craves the attention of her father. She demands that attention by acting out, unknowingly starting on a journey that will unravel her reality. As readers get to know Sera they learn that her needs are the same as their own. She wants stability, a closer family, and to be loved. Readers will connect with Sera based on her simplistic and relatable desires while they sit front seat on the roller coaster she rides. 

The plot of the novel focuses on Sera's new found ability to time travel, though she's naive on what exactly time travel means and how she does it. Wander Dust also revolves around Sera's deceased mother who passed down the genetic trait. If Sera can travel through time then she can find her mother and even possibly save her. This first book in the Seraphina Parrish Trilogy creates the path to Sera's mother, if only Sera has the will and can find the knowledge to follow it to the end. Recommended for young adult readers and those who love fantasy. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

  

Wander Dust

Teaser Tuesday (58)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



Benevolent (p.15)

   - Devon Flaherty

"They stood in the middle of a great expanse, the sun infernal, intense, and throbbing through the golden haze of whipping sand. Her gaze met his intensely, and she stood solid, unblinking."

WWW Wednesday (49)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…


• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

01. Currently Reading:
Wander Dust by Michelle Warren. Not too far into this one yet. Told in first person by Sera, who begins seeing a mysterious Lady in Black that seems to have pyrokinesis.

02. Recently Finished:
Champions of Power by Samuel Odunsi Jr. Science Fiction novel set in a galaxy that's existence is threatened. Good story line, definitely sets itself up for a series, but the character connections are not as strong as they could be.

03. Reading Next:
Benevolent by Devon Flaherty. A coming of age novel for Gaby and her twin sister as they grow up and experience all the magic life has to offer.

Champions of Power

The Blessed Galaxy had no other name. After being gifted with the Auras, five great powerhouses of celestial creation, the title was a suitable fit. While harnessing such energies, the governing bodies have ruled their respected reaches of the Galaxy for a number of millennia. But now they face the threat of an inevitable calamity that could shake the lives of everyone, caused by one of the five Auras.


After accepting a sudden promotion, a devout man of science, named Lowen Sars, decides to take on the burden of saving the Galaxy’s people once he learns of the calamity. But he soon realizes that the role of a hero was a calling not meant for him. In his process of self-discovery, Lowen inadvertently begins the fateful saga of not only the Blessed Galaxy, but also the kingdom in possession of the corrupt Aura, and especially its two young heirs of the throne.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Samuel Odunsi Jr. writes of a galaxy threatened by the very thing that gives it power in his novel, Champions of Power, the first in the Age of Aura series. With five planets comprising this galaxy, the entire civilization is in distress when the Auras start releasing dangerous flares, harming and killing the citizens. 

Lowen is one of the main characters who is deemed the unworthy hero. He is a wise character with a strategic mind who finds a way to save the planets from the Aura atrocity, but no one believes him nor respects him enough to give him a chance to help. Lowen decidedly goes against the leader's wishes and joins forces with an unlikely alliance. Lowen is intelligent and dependable, but I think a deeper look into his background would allow character to really form a connection with him. 

Tor and Ambrose are the heirs to the throne in Aortia, the planet that houses the rogue Aura. Part of the novel revolves around their kingdom and how the Aura is affecting the citizens of that planet. Tor is the brother who is always in control. He looks objectively at every situation while Ambrose is swayed easily with heightened emotions. I think readers will connect with these brothers the most based on their full background. 

The plot line in very intriguing with a group of planets that may be on the brink of extinction. Though the language is formal and the dialogue a little stiff at times, the novel is a good dip into science fiction. It's short in length and, even with the methodical language, I think many readers will be able to appreciate the story that Odunsi writes. 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Champions of Power

Teaser Tuesday (57)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!





Wander Dust (p.18)
  - Michelle Warren


When the fire intensifies, throbbing, burning, and racing through my thoughts, I want to hurl my body into the nearby fountain to extinguish the fire, just like I did with the candles. But I'm mysteriously paralyzed -- frozen in hell.

Beautiful Darkness

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

*May Contain Spoilers*

The curse continues for Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes in the second novel of the Caster Chronicles series, Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. After Lena narrowly avoids being claimed in the first book, certain members of her family are planning to persuade Lena into darkness while Lena herself is suffering a deep depression no one can pull her out of. 

As in the first book, the story is told from Ethan's point of view and readers see what happens to the cursed teenagers after they fought off Sarafine in Beautiful Creatures. Lena is falling into darkness because of Macon's death while pulling away from Ethan. He tries to support and help her through this troubled time but Lena refuses to let him in. She blames herself for Macon's death and through this situation we see a deeper side of both Ethan and Lena.

The authors show how much Ethan really cares for Lena, building on the connection readers formed with him in the first book. Readers also will see that he is even more determined, dedicated, and good-hearted. He doesn't give up on Lena, even when she ceases their kelting, breaks his heart, and runs away with John Breed, who has sworn that he can help her find peace and a place she belongs. 

Readers will be excited to see more of Ridley and Link in this book as they both play important roles in the plot line. A deeper side of Ridley is depicted while Link's unwavering loyalty to his friends will make him a favorite for readers. The plot revolves around two key situations: Lena isolating herself (seemingly going dark) and Ethan discovering more about his family's (and the Ravenwood family's) past as he suffers from intense visions. The visions are the key to help Lena truly claim herself, but Ethan must decipher their true meaning before Lena's mother preys upon her daughter's depressed state. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Beautiful Darkness (Beautiful Creatures)

Lest the Dew Rust Them

Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations.
Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters.

As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government.

Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him.

With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!

*May Contain Spoilers*

Michael Drakich turns terrorism into an in-house threat with his novel, Lest the Dew Rust Them, when a group of Americans vow to spread their belief that the foreign terrorist policy isn't up to par. 

Robert Grimmson, the Homeland Security Director is one of three main characters. He's undoubtedly good at his job though is subtle enough to surprise those around him. Robert is a dedicated character with a creative outlook on crime suspects. He works hard at the detective role he's been pulled into. With a wide gaze and great logic, readers will respect this character.

Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a master of sword fighting, training, and teaching. With over one thousand swords, he looks rather guilty when sword decapitations become headline news. As a character, he is patient, strong, incredibly intelligent, and skilled in sword history. Readers will love the mystery behind Alexander - as he is an immigrant with newly obtained citizen status. 

David Crombie is a member of the Sword Master terrorist group, and the third main character. He has an uneasy past that he can't remember and is psychologically unstable. He is the intelligence and the drive behind the acts of terrorism in New York City as he tries to justify the past he has no memory of living. Readers will empathize with his mental and emotional plight but will struggle to connect with his hate and misery throughout the main story line. 

The plot is thrilling as detectives, directors, and NYC's finest try to track down the terrorist group. At times the story seems a bit sluggish (often times in Alexander's history lessons) but each part adds to the ending when every character finally meets in a single room and it comes down to a single swing of a sword. Recommended for those who enjoy crime novels with an air of mystery. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Lest The Dew Rust Them

Book 4 (Crime Genre) for the 2013 Genre Variety Challenge

WWW Wednesday (48)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

01. Currently Reading:
Lest the Dew Rust Them by Michael Drakich. Almost finished with this crime novel as the Department of Homeland Security moves in on The Sword Masters who are terrorizing New York City.

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I'm so excited to see how the curse on Lena and Ethan carries over after her "claiming" was barely avoided in Beautiful Creatures.

02. Recently Finished:
Branded by Keary Taylor. A novel about a young girl who is judged for the crimes of others after they pass away. First book in a series that definitely caught my attention.

03. Reading Next:
Age of the Aura, Phase I: Champions of Power by Samuel Odunsi Jr. A science fiction novel where the hero of the story doesn't seem to make the cut as the galaxy is threatened to end.

Teaser Tuesday (56)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Beautiful Darkness (p.21)
   - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I took a gulp of my chocolate milk and almost choked. Sugar was too sweet, and Amma was too quiet. That's how I knew things had changed.

Muskie Attack: Blog Tour

For Corbett Griffith III, divorce and two busy parents mean goodbye city life, hello great outdoors. With their busy Chicago careers and schedules, his parents just don't seem to have any time for him. When his mother sends him to his uncle's Wisconsin fishing resort for the summer, Corbett feels that there's no one pulling for him or caring what happens to him.

But all of that changes at Whispering Pines Lodge, Corbett learns he is never really alone, thanks to his Uncle Dell, who takes care of him, and his new friend Pike, who pulls him into one mischievous adventure after another. It's a summer of change for ten-year-old Corbett--even his name changes, when a cute girl calls him "Griffy," a nickname he likes enough to keep.

When Griffy catches two elusive walleyes, he is surprised to discover how much he likes fishing. Eager to test his newfound skills, he and Pike are stunned to hear that a seventy-pound muskie is on the loose. They resolve to catch the ferocious fish, no matter what. For Pike catching a world record muskie would be about the sport. For Griffy it would be about something more. Maybe, just maybe, if he caught that fish is parents would take notice.

Think alligator. Think prehistoric beast. Think mean.

Will they be able to catch the muskie and stop it from attacking anyone or anything?

**

For a young boy who would rather play video games and sit in his Chicago home, a trip to the great outdoors is more than just an adventure. It's a time of discovery and a chance to grow. G. M. Moore creates  a story that will capture the minds of children with her novel, Muskie Attack. As the first book in the Up North Adventure series, Moore promises intrigue and inspires dreams with Muskie Attack. 

The main character is Corbett Griffith III whose parents are slightly less than interested in him. He suffers from loneliness and struggles to find a place where he fits in. He never dreams that the great up north would
finally be somewhere he's accepted. Corbett seems like the typical 10-year-old boy who craves socialization and wants to make his dad proud. I think this book is perfect for children that share Corbett's age range. 

Moore's writing style is suited for young children without a lot of "filler." I think it's easy for young readers to get lost in the details but this book delivers straight forward up-north action. It would be an excellent book for a parent and child to share. Especially if the parent adds a fishing field trip... =) 

I would definitely recommend this book, and dare I say series, to any parent who wants their child to gain reading experience and enjoy the adventures of the outdoors. 

Rating: 5/5 Cups

Muskie Attack (An Up North Adventure)

G. M. Moore is a former newspaper writer and editor. She grew up exploring the lakes of northern Wisconsin. During the summer months, this Chicago-area author can be found up north and out on the lake. Snakehead Invasion is the third book in the Up North Adventure series. 

Learn More About Her Books Here

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Author Goodreads