Review-o-rama

Since Hexborn releases tomorrow (!), I thought I'd do a round-up of some of the early reviews.  I hope their reactions make you excited to get your hands on this story.  Happy reading!

Five-Star Review for Hexborn from Readers' Favorite

I'm thrilled to share this early, 5-star review for Hexborn, courtesy of Carol Beth Anderson from Readers' Favorite.

Hexborn: The Hexborn Chronicles Book 1 by A.M. Manay tells the riveting story of Shiloh Teethborn, a sixteen-year-old orphan. Shiloh is hexborn, accustomed to being an outcast due to the physical evidence of curses she received before birth. But not everyone rejects Shiloh. She has magical abilities, and the chief minister of the kingdom, Silas Hatch, thinks she will be of value to the king. Silas takes Shiloh from her small-town life and brings her to the capital to live in the palace, attend classes in magic, and serve the royal family. It doesn’t take long for Shiloh to attract attention, thanks to her considerable power. She must quickly learn to navigate the rocky paths of politics, relationships, and society. At every step, Silas is there to help her—but can she trust the man known as “the king’s hatchet”?

It’s been some time since I’ve found myself so intrigued by a new fantasy realm. The magical setting of Hexborn is drawn with vivid color and depth, and it’s populated by nuanced, fascinating characters. Shiloh’s vulnerability and strength join to make her immensely likeable, a character worth rooting for. Beneath the stories of intrigue and relationships, Hexborn presents deeper messages about prejudice, both societal and personal. I’m already eagerly anticipating the release of the second book of the series. When I’m lucky enough to discover an independent author with such storytelling prowess, I get a thrill out of it. This was one of those times. Discovering A.M. Manay’s writing was a delight, and I’m looking forward to reading her other novels. Go ahead and grab that pre-order if you haven't already.  Hexborn is going places!

Book Review: Manifesting Destiny by M. Pepper Langlinais

I was very excited to try something by talented multi-genre author M. Pepper Langlinais. As a lover of fantasy, I thought I'd start with her magical young adult tale Manifesting Destiny. I cannot tell you enough about how much I enjoyed it!

This YA fantasy is engaging, touching, and exciting.  In a world where most people undergo a startling metamorphosis upon reaching maturity, Cee and Marcus face the prospect of their close friendship being forever severed when they realize that they are transforming into members of enemy clans.  Accompanied by two friends, they venture into the wilderness seeking help only to find ever increasing danger.  They face the prospect of losing their very selves and find that their world and its inhabitants don't match what they've been taught to believe.

The writing is clean, modern, and vivid without being fussy or overwrought.  The characters are all realistically drawn, their flaws and strengths combining to render each sympathetic in her or his own way.  The world building is skillfully executed, communicating both the wonder of magical talents and the quotidian oppression of a dystopian society that the characters have grown up to accept. The plot is interestingly woven, and I impatiently await the sequel.

Check out the blurb below:

Sixteen-year-old Cee has a hopeless crush on her best friend Marcus. Unfortunately for her, he’s gay. In the wake of Marcus’s older brother leaving home to join the Aerie, Marcus has become increasingly distant. When Cee discovers she has a troublesome dragon named Livian living inside her things grow even more complicated.

Marcus urges Cee to go to the Magi to have Livian removed, but the more Cee becomes attached to Livian, the more she questions the decision. Should she change her natural self for the crush who will never love her anyway?

Upcoming Release from S.J. Hermann

There is big news from YA paranormal author S.J. Hermann.  The third installment of his acclaimed Morium Series is now available for pre-order.  Say hello to Terminus.

Book blurb:

IT ALL ENDS HERE.

One final confrontation between friends... One final outcome.

In the finale of the highly rated supernatural thriller series, The Morium Trilogy, Lexi must not only fight the evil that resides within her, but also struggle to keep her relationship with Kyle from falling apart. Unknown to Lexi, Nathan is planning to exterminate not only the remaining bullies, but the entire town as well.

In the end, what will Lexi and Nathan choose... FRIENDSHIP or REVENGE?

Can they fight their inner demons and preserve what matters most?

Special Pre-Release price of $0.99

Sounds pretty exciting, right?

I'll let the author give you a feel for the series as a whole in his own words:

After I finished writing final book of the Morium Trilogy, I paused and reflected back as to why I wrote these books. It was more than releasing the one scene that played out in my head; the foundation in which Morium was built upon. I wanted to tackle tough subjects that teenagers may face on a daily basis. The emotional pain that lay buried deep in the conscious of their fragile minds as a result of relentless mental torture. How it might mold them into someone they never desired to be. To do unimaginable things to others, or to themselves.

I dig into sensitive topics that readers may have a hard time reading. Even though these books are YA, I don’t sugar coat. My goal was to provide an entertaining read while bringing forth serious problems; bullying, self-harm, addiction, loneliness, dealing with loss, sexual abuse and hiding your true self for fear of what others may think. Since it was integral to the story line, my writing had to be raw and to the point, for doing otherwise, would have lessened the impact.

Is this a dark series? Very. Is this a series for those younger than fifteen? Probably not. Give any teenager that has bottled up anger and give them the gift of supernatural powers, they will lash out any way they can.

None of this could’ve been possible if not for strong and developed characters. Alexandria (Lexi), Nathan, Stacy, and further in the trilogy, Renee, have their morals tested; fueled by abilities that two of them believe are an entitlement. I want readers to ask themselves how they’d react if they were walking in the shoes of the main characters. As I laid the groundwork for the trilogy, my personal demons from the past had me questioning my own morality. What would’ve I done?


Learn more about Hermann by visiting

http://www.authorsjhermann.wordpress.com

https://twitter.com/Writing_Novel

https://www.facebook.com/SJ-Hermann-250758318466659/

https://www.instagram.com/s.j.hermannwriter/

https://plus.google.com/+SJHermann

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9784255.S_J_Hermann

Book Review: The One Discovered by Yvette Calleiro

This YA fantasy novel follows the awakening of high school senior Sofia, who discovers that she is not the normal teenage human she always thought she was.  Half-brothers Angel and Ar’ch turn up in her small town, and all heck breaks loose.  They are on a mission to bring Sofia and her mother home, so that Sofia can save their people, the Diasodz. Naturally, some evil forces have a real problem with that plan.

I found Sofia to be a relatable, true-to-life, and interesting protagonist. I thought her relationship with her mother was touching and realistic. I appreciated the sensitivity that the issues of adoption, egg donation, and surrogacy were explored, specifically with how the author highlighted Angel's healthy, honest upbringing as compared to the unhealthy secret-keeping in Sofia's family.

Overall, the story is well-written and the characters sympathetic.  The pacing is good, and the ending sets you up to want to read the next installment.  The descriptions are effective, and the author reveals just enough information about the Diasodz to pique your curiosity, much like Ar’ch arouses Sofia’s own curiosity.  I will definitely be reading the sequels.

New Adult Novels and How I Wrote One By Accident

Okay, true confessions time: I kind of wrote a “new adult” novel by accident and realized it after the fact. An emerging genre, new adult novels typically feature a protagonist between the ages of 18 and 25. Often they are going off to college or starting their career. The main character is dealing with many of the coming of age issues common in young adult literature but in a more adult fashion. The facing of first loves, insecurities, new friends, and new challenges might be similar, but with fewer of the constraints of a high school student's life. Some people consider new adult to be young adult lit with more sex and language, which is, I think, a bit of an oversimplification.

So, how did I wind up with a new adult novel?

I was writing a novel with vampires, so I wanted my female protagonist to be at least 18. Why? For one thing, a centuries old dude hitting on 16 year old girl is gross; I don't care if he's a virgin (cough, Edward Cullen, cough). The girl being eighteen isn't a whole lot better, but that is where we draw the line of adulthood at the moment. So, yeah, I'm anti-statutory rape. I guess that makes me "Team Jacob."

I also think eighteen is an interesting age. You are technically free from parental control but you haven't really learned how to be an adult. You have the promise of new adventure and independence, with a healthy side of fear and crippling inexperience. And I think inside of everyone there is a part of us that is always 18. When we start doing something truly new to us (like, maybe, writing our first novel . . .), we recapture a bit of that feeling of exhilarated uncertainty. I think that is part of why we all enjoy coming of age stories so much.

A lot of our favorite pieces of pop culture could easily fall into this "new adult" category. Star Wars is largely about Luke's journey to adulthood and Jedihood. I guess Degobah isn't exactly college, but close enough. The Star Trek reboot features officers just out of school. Agents of Shield focuses on Skye/Daisy, a girl in her early twenties trying to figure out who she is and what she is meant to do with her life and her emerging power. How to Get away with Murder is peopled by a bunch of law school students. And that is just off the top of my head.

Of course, works of fiction tend to fall into several categories at once. She Dies at the End is also a paranormal fantasy and a vampire story, occasionally even romantic. But, overall, it's about November coming to terms with her gifts and her own agency in her life, which is something we all go through, even without vampires and fairies and werewolves along for the ride.

This time in our lives, the period of early adulthood, obviously retains an emotional pull. I guess its gravity pulled me in, and a new adult novel is where I wound up. Now I’ll just pretend I did it on purpose. Shh! Don’t tell anybody.