Book Birthday Review: Shadow Service Vol. 1 by Cavan Scott, Corin Howell, Trionna Farrell & Adrian F. Wassel

If you know me, you know will always love a gory graphic novel. And this is definitely one of them. Shadow Service is an addicting book that I really loved checking out. The story was extremely gripping and the art was mind boggling, I really could never have thought of anything like it in a million years. A new twist on magic powers and demon possession, I really couldn’t get enough. I can’t wait to see what the next volume is all about.

4/5 Stars 128 pages
Published April 20th 2021 by Vault Comics

Following a girl named Gina, she tries to live her life as what she knows is a witch, with crippling insomnia due to her powers. This entangled with her past makes her life tough, and even her job doesn’t help that out. She hunts down people who have gone missing, and one night on one of her jobs, she finds something that she never expected. Not only a gored dead body, but a man feasting on the remains. After attacking her she finds herself kidnapped and taken to a boy named Hex, who’s actually four hundred years old.

He wants her for her powers. And he’s willing to stop at nothing to force her to help them out with what they need to do. But Gina doesn’t like that at all. Honestly a lot of this book is blood, guts, gore, and Gina running away. And that’s just how I like it. Like I said earlier, this book was so exciting and interesting that I really can’t wait to see what happens in the next volume. I loved the art a lot, especially on the monsters, demons, and gore. I definitely recommend checking it out if you like graphic novels like that!

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with some of the creators, you can here on Twitter!

Adrian F. Wassel

Corin Howell

Cavan Scott

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well and staying safe from demons and monsters and everything else.

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Book Blitz: Code (Isan #4) by Mary Ting

Code
Mary Ting
(Isan, #4)
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: April 20th 2021
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Behind enemy lines, new soldiers will emerge, and unexpected heroes will rise.

Ava is a prisoner. And she is not the only rebel held hostage at ISAN’s secret compound. As she plans an escape, the lives of the rebel prisoners are in her hands, along with those she thought were dead.

Rhett and his team desperately search for Ava while one of the Remnant Council joins forces with another network looking for the creator of the Helix serum. And time is running out. Mr. Novak has been secretly creating an army called CODE, and what he plans for Ava will mean a permanent end to the rebels–and her.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

I should have landed on him, but instead I dropped to the floor on my hands and knees like a wounded deer. An electrical sensation zapped through my middle and wrapped around me like invisible arms, holding me in place. Hundreds of needles pricked me all at once.

Excruciating pain seared from head to toe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even blink. I had been wounded many times on missions, but nothing I’d felt in ISAN compared to what had just hit me.

Immobile, a foot from my monster of a brother, I’d never felt so vulnerable. My muscles simply shut down. A whimper escaped me, but it could have been only in my head. Worse, a tear slid down my cheek. I felt humiliated beyond measure.

“Aw, sis. Are you crying? Does it hurt?” Gene took his hand out of his pocket and showed me a metal trinket, a circle about the size of his thumb.

“I thought it was best to have it handy in case you lost control.” He came dangerously closer and lowered, his warm breath brushing the shell of my ear. “Now you know, sis. I can contain you. You might want to show me some respect if you don’t want to be on the ground, helpless and weak. I might accidentally hurt you. We don’t want that do we?”

Oh, the pain. Every tiny movement—every blink—hurt so much.

He ran a knuckle down my cheek to wipe away another teardrop, and then grazed his index finger slowly across my neck, savoring my weakness.

“Next time it won’t be so soft,” he said. “You should get some rest. You look like hell.”

I screamed in my head. Peering up under my eyelashes, I watched him walk toward the sliding door. I wanted to rip out his throat, stomp on his heart, but I couldn’t move. Even a fraction of movement felt like a knife slitting deeper into my spine.

I couldn’t win. At least not this time. But I would find a way. There had to be a way.

Gene’s back to me, he held up that metal circle trinket and clicked. Just as the door blended into the wall, he released me. I thumped my head on the tile floor and wept for Brooke and the rebels who had died because of my stupid mistake.

Groaning, I crawled like a worm, my knees and elbows digging across to get to the rug, each movement agony. I refused to lie on the cold ground like I was nothing.

I’d never felt so small. No—I had, when my foster father beat me. Where was he now? Locked up. That would be Gene’s fate, too.

Just you wait, big brother. Just you wait. Karma is a bitch.

Author Bio:

International Bestselling, Award-Winning Author Mary Ting writes soulful, spellbinding stories that excite the imagination and captivate readers all over the world. Her books run a wide range of genres: science fiction, fantasy, and swoon worthy stories. Her storytelling talents have won her a devoted legion of fans and garnered critical praise.

Mary was born in Seoul Korea and resides in Southern California with her husband, two children, and two dogs—Mochi and Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Becoming an author was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother. After realizing she wanted to become a full-time author, she retired from teaching after twenty years.

Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter / Bookbub

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Review: Dare to Resist (Parallel World #1) by Christine Kersey

4/5 Stars 292 pages
Published April 26th 2018 by Sapphire Creek Press

Though I haven’t read very many books about parallel universes, the ones that I have read have been amazing, and that’s why I’m actively seeking them out for future reading. I did feel a little bit too old for this book due to how young the main character is, but honestly it wasn’t that big of a deal, and I still was able to enjoy it. I just thought that she was a bit bratty at times. Not a world with flashy portals to indicate the change, this book told the story of a teenage girl who’s mad at her family and runs away, and mysteriously finds herself in a completely different world when she decides to return home.

Morgan is a girl who never expected anything to change when she got home, yeah maybe everyone would be worried about her and angry with her for taking off overnight, but what she finds when she finally makes it back home is that someone else is living in her house, and they have no idea what she’s talking about when she asks about her family. And that’s a huge problem.

The world that she finds herself in is one where it’s illegal to be overweight, even by a few pounds. Everyone is obsessed with dieting, working out, and there’s even a mantra about how great it is to be skinny and how it helps the world, that they have to repeat every day before school starts. The craziest part, is that the government keeps track of everyone’s weight in their weekly weigh ins, on their home scales, and if they think that you’re getting too heavy then they whisk you away to a facility where you can lose weight. And you have to stay there for however long it takes, and the worst part of that is that your family has to pay for it, sacrificing their home and any luxuries they could afford to get you back to what is in their mind, the correct weight.

Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Pexels.com

The writing in this book is very straightforward, first person, and tell rather than show. Which is something that usually isn’t my favourite, but I was fine with it in this. I really enjoyed reading it, and I would definitely check out the next book. I wish I could have seen more into the weight loss facilities, but I expect to learn more in future books. I really loved the forest parts, this was an easy to read book, easy to imagine, ,and I didn’t feel rushed reading it. It was a nice break from all the fast paced books I’ve been reading lately. I also really appreciated that it’s a great look into daily life for Morgan in this new world. I feel like she really grew and learned from her mistakes by the end of the book, and that’s something I love to see. I think it’s a very unique idea for a book, and it could be enjoyed by anyone aged twelve and up. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can here on Twitter!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well, and not stumbling upon any parallel universes!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.

Review: Recon (The Fringe #1) by Tarah Benner

5/5 Stars 296 pages
Published October 9th 2014

If you know me, or just follow my blog, you should know by now. But if you don’t, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I love post apocalypse and dystopia books. I can’t get enough of them. And this book is no exception. A unique mix of a dystopia built into an apartment complex filled with everything you could ever need, this is a world where your job is assigned to you on your graduation date, and with it comes the rest of your life. But for Harper, it’s not going the way she hoped, or even expected. And it’s a book I couldn’t get enough of.

Split between two viewpoints, the first is Eli. A brutal military person, he’s been forced into the job of training new cadets, and with it comes the trauma of sending them out not only too early, but without their full year of training due to the fact that the military that protects the complex and the area around it is dwindling. Dubbed the tunnels, the complex has anything you could ever want built into it, but because of the apocalyptic world outside, they’re forced to go out and protect the area around it by whatever means necessary. And he’s just trying not to get attached.

The second viewpoint is Harper, a twenty one year old woman who’s just gotten her graduation ceremony, and with it comes a new life. Brought into the compound from the outside world as a child, it’s all she’s ever known, but it’s about to tear everything she’s grown to love to shreds. After expecting some kind of tech job, she’s auctioned off into the military tier. And that’s just the beginning of her problems. Because there’s something much darker going on than just bidding wars on people for their careers, and it’s been in control for far too long.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

This was an amazing story filled with action, military training, romance, friendship, and a ton of hardships. The characters are very realistic despite their obvious differences from our own world, and they’re people that were easy to imagine because of it. Whatever they’re facing, be it their own thoughts, drug problems, crisis management, or really anything else they had to deal with in this book, they handle extremely well, the complete opposite of what I would do. It was an amazingly gripping story, and it was one that I couldn’t put down until it was done. I loved every second of it, and I’m so thankful that it’s part of a series, and I don’t have to say goodbye to the world so soon. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I think this book would be perfect for anyone looking for a good apocalyptic dystopia story, and honestly seeing as the worst thing that goes on in this are fights, swears, and kissing, I think anyone sixteen and up would enjoy it.

If you’d like to check out a copy for yourself, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can on their Twitter!

Thanks for reading! And remember to watch out for drifters!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.

I Love Painting?? Who Knew

Hey everyone! I’ve been kind of spotty with my posts here, but I hopefully have a good excuse. Okay, well no excuse is a good excuse, so I’m going to do better next week. But in the meantime, I have something to show you!

I used to really enjoy painting, but when I was in school, it was so constricted and kind of felt overwhelming because I wasn’t ever able to paint what I wanted, but lately I’ve been getting back into and it’s really fun.

I have this column in my living room that just bothers me to look at, It’s twisted the wrong way, and it makes it almost impossible to open some of the drawers on that side of my desk, but I wanted to spruce it up and make it something nice to look at. So I’ve been painting little things all over it. Worse case I don’t end up liking it and I paint over it, but best case it’s something that everyone enjoys.

I started with a picture of hamtaro, and it’s just been growing from there. It’s really fun to do, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to cover it with little pictures in the future. I also picked up little canvases, and I’ve been painting on those too. I’m glad I have something fun to do like this that doesn’t stress me out. That being said, I think I’m done with my little book break, and I want to get heavily back into that too. So look out for more regular posts from me in the future!

Thanks for reading, I hope you’re having a great day! What are some hobbies you enjoy?

-Aurora

Review: Mara’s Awakening (The Mara Files #1) by Leo Flynn

A very short novella, the first book in The Mara Files is set in a prison filled with a mismatched crowd of people and humanoids. Told in the third person viewpoint, we meet a very interesting woman with a robotic arm named Mara, who’s in her forties, and has been wrongly imprisoned for six years. And today’s the day that she gets out of solitary confinement. Who would have guessed that was the wrong move.

4/5 Stars 60 pages
Published March 31st 2021 by Leo Flynn

A warrior and a war hero, Mara is someone that everyone knows about, at least in the prison. But soon after being put into a group cell, she makes friends with her roommates, and learns that they have an escape plan. All too quickly the plan is put into action, and they’re on their way. With a beautiful cover and a very intriguing synopsis, this book is a whirlwind of action, and I enjoyed reading it. I’m interested in seeing what happens in the next installment, because it was very clear to me that this was just the beginning. I think this book would be perfect for someone looking for a short escape, but with a very interesting story. The only problem I had with it was that I had the feeling like I was missing something, but that wasn’t a big deal, and it was so short that it didn’t stop me from enjoying it. Check it out if you get the chance!

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And you can follow the author here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well, and staying sane in your solitary confinement!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.

Cover Reveal: Worn Out Places by R.H. McMahan

Worn Out Places
R.H. McMahan
Publication date: September 1st 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

I can’t answer that question. I can’t tell him I’ve spent my whole life trying to disappear. I can’t tell him that I was born a drug addict. Or that I’ve been in foster homes so terrible I wished I didn’t exist. And I can’t tell him that last year ended any ambition I had to make it somewhere better in this world.

Drug addict parents. The foster care system. Living on the streets of New York City.

Zoie Cruz is used to an unflinching world that takes without giving back. But at seventeen she isn’t used to Northern Michigan, a family that wants her to succeed, and sobriety.

Everything changed on Christmas morning last year. Her social worker calls it a tragedy and her weekly Narcotics Anonymous meeting wants her to open up. All Zoie wants is to be left alone to get high.

When she meets local golden boy Dean, he’s determined to pull Zoie out of her darkness. And she’s determined to keep her walls sealed shut.

In a whirlwind struggle to stay clean, Zoie’s secrets can only stay hidden for so long.

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

R.H. McMahan a.k.a. Mickie is a Puerto Rican and Irish YA/NA author. She was born and raised in Chicago – and yes she thinks it’s important that you know that. In June of 2020, she graduated with a BA in English Lit and Creative Writing and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing.

Mickie dreamt of becoming an author since she started telling stories on the playground in first grade. Ever since then it is rare to find her without a notebook and a pen. Her book baby, Worn Out Places, debuts on September 1st and she cannot wait to share it with the world.

If she’s not writing she’s doing other creative things like singing, dancing, and drawing.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Review: Mercurial by Naomi Hughes

5/5 Stars 412 pages
Published March 16th 2021

A breathtaking story of finding your own way despite abuse, religion, and frankly, just what everyone else is doing, Mercurial is truly unlike anything I’ve read lately. Set in a world where magic metal runs through people’s veins, very unlikely friendships and relationships bloom, and all of this wrapped together makes for an amazing book.

Following a boy named Tal, who’s sworn his life to protect a woman he despises for her violent and frankly just evil actions, The Destroyer herself, telling her own story after losing her memory in a disastrous train accident, and Tal’s sister Nyx, who’s fighting every day doing all she can after losing her brother to his oath, these characters are truly amazing in their own rights. Very different from anyone I’ve ever know, and gone through horrible traumas themselves, they really blossom in this book, and mixed together with the enchanting setting, I really couldn’t get enough of this story.

Photo by JEREMYHANN on Pexels.com

Not only were the characters amazing and the setting amazing, but the actual plot of the story just drew me in immediately. It wasn’t boring for a second, and even in the downtimes where most of what was happening was talking, or a vision, or something like that, I was hooked. I finished this book in two days, and it’s just one of those stories where I wished I could read slower, because now it’s over way too soon and I’m left with a hole inside me where this book fits perfectly. The ending was not my favourite, but only because I wish there could have been more, but it was satisfying enough to not let it knock down my rating.

Photo by Adonyi Gu00e1bor on Pexels.com

Overall, my favourite character was probably either The Destroyer herself, Helenia, or Tal, but because I can’t choose between them all, it’s impossible to pick one. All of these characters were very different from each other, but each brought very different and important things to the story and I’m very thankful for them. I would recommend this book to anyone who’s a full fledged fantasy addict, someone who likes stories with very light romance, but still packed full of action, or even someone just starting out in the fantasy genre. I think it’s perfect for anyone over the age of sixteen, because there are some graphically violent parts. But most of all, I think if anyone picked this beautiful book up with it’s beautiful cover, I think that they would enjoy it. Because I know I did, and I need it for my own collection.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author on Twitter, you can here!

Thanks for reading! And if you have metal in your veins, don’t be afraid to show it!

My Top 5 Books of March 2021

Hey everyone! Hope you’re having a great day so far. It’s the beginning of a new month, so you know what that means? I’m going to go over my favourite books of last month! I can’t wait to tell you all about them. And of course, my individual reviews and links for you to buy the books yourself if you’re interested will be added to them too. So lets get started!

First off we have Down World by Rebecca Phelps!

As the site of a former military base, there have always been rumors that East Township High School was the site of experiments with space and time. For years, students have whispered in the hallways of a doorway created within the school, one that can access multiple timelines and realities, a place known as the Down World.

As the new kid in school and still reeling from the unexplained death of her brother Robbie, Marina O’Connell is only interested in one thing: leaving the past behind. But a chance encounter with handsome Brady Picelli changes everything. He will lead Marina to a startling discovery. The Down World is real and the past, present, and future are falling out of balance.

Brady is determined to help Marina discover what really happened to her brother. However, what is taken from one world, must be repaid by another. And Marina is about to discover that even a realm of infinite possibilities has rules that must be obeyed.

You can check out my full review here, and grab a copy for yourself here!

Second is Creatures Volume 1: The City that Never Sleeps by Stephan Betbeder, & Djief

In a post-apocalyptic New York City obliterated by a Big Night that wiped out most of civilization, bands of children struggle to stay alive in the wreckage, hunting for food under billowing clouds of toxic fog and running from hungry zombies. One child is endowed with the power to keep them at bay, but will it be enough to protect the survivors from the terrifying creature that has just risen out of the Hudson River? Meanwhile, a raving old man with a house full of books says the worst is yet to come…

Here’s my full review, and here’s where you can get your own!

Third is The Famoux by Kassandra Tate

Fame can be deadly.

Out of the wreckage of environmental collapse, the country of Delicatum emerged. Its most popular celebrities are the Famoux, uniquely beautiful stars of a reality TV show called the Fishbowl. In a world still recovering from catastrophe, they provide a 24/7 distraction.

Sixteen-year-old Emilee Laurence is obsessed with the Famoux—they provide a refuge from her troubled home life and the bullies at school. When she receives an unimaginable offer to become a member herself, she takes it. Leaving behind everything she’s ever known, Emilee enters a world of high glamour and even higher stakes.

Because behind their perfect image lies an ugly truth—an anonymous stalker has been dictating the Famoux’s every move, and being popular really is a matter of life or death. 

You can see my full review here, and here’s where you can get a copy for yourself!

Fourth is Inhuman by Denis Bajram, Valerie Mangin, & Rochebrune!

A small exploratory vessel crashes onto an unknown ocean planet after its crew is seized by a sudden madness. After escaping their sinking ship, the five survivors are helped to the surface by giant squid-like creatures who guide them to what appears to be the planet’s only island. To their surprise, they are greeted on the shore by primitive humans, who prove to be welcoming despite their cannibalistic rituals. But their fixed smiles and total docility suggest that something more sinister is going on. Are the castaways doomed to join them in submitting to the will of the mysterious Great One?

Here’s my full review, and here’s where you can grab a copy!

And last but not least is The Fall Volume 1 by Jared Muralt!

Readers who found themselves gripped by the apocalyptic adventure of Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD and who were moved by the emotion in Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD will not want to miss Jared Muralt’s THE FALL.

After just losing his wife, one father will have to face a world in freefall; shaken to its core by an economic, social, political and health crisis without precedent. Facing seemingly unreal and very unexpected dangers, he will do whatever it takes to protect his loved ones in a country on the brink of collapse. In this internationally acclaimed series, Jared Muralt not only tells the story of one family struggling to survive, but also questions the very reasons that brought mankind to this apocalypse.

You can check out my full review here, and here’s where you can get a copy for yourself!

Wow! I can’t believe that three out of five books last month were comics. I mean I can believe it, I read a lot of them, but I’m surprised! And the other two were wattpad published books, which is crazy to me! Mostly because I’ve never really noticed anything from the actual wattpad publisher that has really caught my eye before, but that changed in march! I can’t wait to see what my favourites for this month are.

Have you read any of these books? Are you thinking about getting some of them? What were your favourites last month? I want to talk! Anyways, thanks for reading.

Review: The Mind-Warper Special (Strange Totems #1) by Corey Mariani

5/5 Stars 278 pages
Published March 16th 2021 by Widow White Publishing

This book is a real doozy. It’s one that I wasn’t sure I was going to be into at first glance, but I loved the cover, and I thought the description was intriguing so I thought I would give it a chance. And man, I’m glad I did. Not just a pretty cover, this book is one that the beginning and the ending are a little confusing, but the middle and the overall plot are just so interesting that I couldn’t get enough. A journey of finding yourself, and trying to integrate yourself into a secret society at the same time, while also running for your life and trying your best to stay alive, I think that this book would be perfect for anyone looking for a secret magical life hidden in plain sight.

Following a man named Charlie, his life is honestly a little below average as he struggles to keep his touring business from closing, and the bank from taking his bus. Plus, there’s this guy Kayak Brad, who’s just the worst all around. Everyone likes him though for some reason, and he keeps convincing everyone that Charlie is actually the worst, and it’s really tanking things for him. But then when things are finally starting to look up, a man holds Charlie at gunpoint and forces him to eat his biggest fear food, a cheese danish, causing him to throw it back up immediately. Then he’s drugged and kidnapped, and wakes up in a hotel room with a woman he’s never met before. The worst part? He can’t go twelve feet away from her without feeling like he’s been dipped in lava. Turns out that they’re bonded for life, and if they can’t break the bond within two days, they’re stuck like that. This begins an insane adventure, and his strange new life.

This book was one of those where you think you know where things are headed, but then it takes things for an entirely different loop, and you’re just like, what just happened? Did I read that right? Also, there are a lot of terms that are a little difficult to remember, but they get easier as time goes on and you get further into the book. Basically Charlie finds out that he and the woman, and everyone after them, are magic users, but not in the usual sense. There are many kinds of magic users, different species but they still look human. The magic they use, they have to use as a bonded pair, travelling through totem objects that hold memories and certain points in time. There’s also potions that they have made out of blood and emotions that cure certain diseases, and even huge tapeworms that feed from choices.

Photo by Josh Hild on Pexels.com

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters, although I couldn’t tell you what they look like, were easy to imagine in my own head. The world they live in is just like our own, except for the magical aspects, but it was just as immersive as any other. And once I started it, I didn’t want to put it down. I finished it in around a day, and I didn’t regret a minute of it. I’m really interested to see what happens in the next book, seeing as this is the beginning to a series. Something interesting though is that it really gave me Refraction vibes for some reason. I can’t even begin to explain why, but I just had that book in the back of my head when I was reading this. Maybe it’s the way it was written, maybe it’s the characters, maybe it’s just the storyline. Either way, I loved that book, and I loved this one too.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well, and staying safe, and not getting kidnapped and bonded to a stranger.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.