Showing posts with label Aliens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aliens. Show all posts

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Tour Review: The Crimson Hunt by Victoria H. Smith (Giveaway)

Title: The Crimson Hunt
Series: The Eldaen Light Chronicles #1
Author: Victoria H. Smith
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Science Fiction
Elements: Aliens
Publisher:
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00A3MJO02
Release Date: November 8, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Xpresso Book Tours}
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Barnes and Noble // Smashwords

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: College junior Ariel Richmond is working on year three of Project Normalcy.

Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.

So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.

Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.

That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.

Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Victoria H. Smith has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She puts it to good use writing romance all day. She resides in the Midwest with her Macbook on her lap and a cornfield to her right. She often draws inspiration for her stories from her own life experiences, and the twenty-something characters she writes give her an earful about it.

In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, blogging, reading, and sending off a few tweets on Twitter when she can. She writes new adult fiction romance in the sub-genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary, but really, anywhere her pen takes her she goes. Her new adult science fiction romance, The Crimson Hunt, will be published November 2012.

Author Links: 

Website: http://twentysomethingfictionwriter.blogspot.ca/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6440255.Victoria_H_Smith
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaHSmith
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaSmith76


GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

PART OF....

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian
Series: Lux #1
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Science Fiction
Elements: Aliens
Publisher: Entangled Teen, Entangled Publishing
Format: Paperback, 361 Pages
ISBN: 9781620610077
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Source: Book Depository
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): They're not like us...

Summary: Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents , dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring...until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

Your heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Review:

Katy Swartz moved to Ketterman, West Virginia from Florida and into the house next door to Dee and Daemon Black. While Dee goes out of her way to become Katy's friend, Daemon couldn't be more rude. He may be hotter than the Sahara Desert, but his personality is colder than Antarctica. After a number of strange happenings, Katy discovers why Daemon acts the way her does, and his secret could very well put Katy in life-threatening danger.

Like Lesa says, "Holy Hawt Chemistry, Batman!" The tension and chemistry between Daemon and Katy is explosive! They may fight constantly, but there is no denying the attraction they feel for each other. Some of the more steamy scenes left me swooning, while their banter had me laughing out loud. I do have to say that I liked that Katy didn't give in to Daemon's "I think" and "I kind of" reasoning for them to be together. That she won't commit to a relationship with someone who isn't 100% certain they want to be with her.

I absolutely loved the lunchroom scene with the spaghetti and Ash. That's definitely a way to deal with a person who's treating you badly for no apparent reason. Katy gained quite the reputation as "The Girl Who Dumped Her Food on Them." What a way to start out at a new school.

Jennifer L. Armentrout has an original take on aliens in the Lux series. The Luxen are made of light and energy, and their planet Lux, which literally means light in Latin, was destroyed by the Arum, Latin for dark. So we actually have a battle between light and dark forces.

The Luxen traveled to Earth when their planet was destroyed and took up residence here. This fact makes the Luxen's view of humans really annoying, because it's like they're the visitors here and have no right to treat humans the way they do. Their behavior just makes them seem ungrateful, although I can see how being hounded by the Department of Defense could make them dislike the human race.

I really admired Katy's strength in the face of the Arum and her determination to protect Dee and Daemon form them. She definitely proved that she wasn't weak or a liability to the Luxen. This does lead to a strange connection between Katy and Daemon, though. I can't wait to see what this connection means for them in the next book.

I always wondered about the hype surrounding Jennifer L. Armentrout and her Lux series. After reading Obsidian, I have been enlightened to the awesomeness that is JLA. I loved Obsidian from the very first page, and was desperate for the next book in the series. So I actually used some of my book savings to buy Onyx. I'm so excited, I can't wait to continue the story.

About this Author:

USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia.

All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.

Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion).

Jennifer also writes adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Tour Review: Whispers in Autumn by Trisha Leigh (Giveaway)

Title: Whispers in Autumn
Series: The Last Year #1
Author: Trisha Leigh
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Dystopian Fiction
Elements: Aliens
Publisher: CreateSpace
Format: PDF, 160 Pages 
ISBN: 9781475235944 
Release Date: July 24, 2012 
Source: Author {Trisha Leigh} 
Rating: 3.5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.

Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.

Then she meets Lucas, everything changes.

Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.

It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.

And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.

Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13631837-whispers-in-autumn

Review: 

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 10AM.

About this Author:

Avoider of reality. Writer of tales. Indiscriminate reader. Lover of history, film, tennis, Jude Law, and Hershey's Kisses.

My debut novel will be available July 24, 2012.


Author Link:








GIVEAWAY:
(3) $10 Gift Cards to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice.) 
Open international.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
PART OF.... 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Tour Review: Circus Summer by Kailin Gow

Title: Circus Summer
Series: Circus of Curiosities #1
Author: Kailin Gow
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Elements: Aliens, Psychic Abilities
Publisher: TheEdgeBooks, Sparklesoup Inc.
Format: ARC, 255 Pages
ISBN: 978-1597480352
Release Date: July 2, 2012
Source: Author {Kailin Gow}
Rating:  4.5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: In post-apocalypse America, every season, the Circus of Curiosities visits the city, bringing with it the most fantastic circus acts that are beautiful, majestic, curious, and death-defying. Every season performers for these acts are chosen from the young men and women in each town, trained, and sent to perform in a live grand performance, performed literally to the death. Two performers from Sea Cliff, a beach town at the outskirts of The Center find themselves chosen to be in this Summer's Circus Act. Both must win at any cost, but could they ignore their feelings for each other? Leela Sinclair needs to win in order to get to The Center where she can get medical help from the best physicians for her ailing mother, plague with a condition no one have heard of. For Zachary Nile, his reasons for becoming a performer at the Circus is more mysterious. Only the ringmaster and the Circus of Curiosities owner Dex Hightower (Dr. Dex) knows what the touring Circus is really about amidst the magic and splendor. Despite the Great War and the poverty surrounding the land except for the towns fortunate enough to be near the Center, Dr. Dex and the Circus performers all know, "The show must go on."

Review: 

Leela Sinclair desperately wants to leave her small beach-side town for a better life in The Center and medical help for her ailing mother. When the Circus of Curiosities comes to town Leela, though hesitant at first, sees her chance to make it to The Center. Leela signs up as a volunteer performer, but when training begins she starts seeing signs that the Circus may be more dangerous than it appears to be. With help from fellow performer, Zachary, the boy she's been crushing on for years, they make it through each performance even as the others suffer life-changing injuries and horrible deaths. Leela knows that she'll eventually have to go up against Zachary and as the final curtain rises on the Circus of Curiosities, it's not only Leela's life at stake but her heart as well. But as all performers know, the show must go on.

The prologue to Circus Summer gives us a brief glimpse into the Circus of Curiosities and what to expect. It's not your average circus with clowns, acrobats, and animal tamers (though they are there to save face). There is something more sinister about this circus. The performers are dying and the spectators keep coming back for more, as if unfazed by these horrible acts. What could these young men and women want bad enough for the slim chance of making it to the grand performance in The Center? Exactly who is Dr. Dex? And what is the true purpose of his circus? We learn that and more as the story progresses. But let me tell you, it's not what you expect.

The alternating POVs of Leela and Zach add depth to the story. I always enjoy reading stories from multiple perspectives. This gives insight into other characters and the choices that they make that we might not receive otherwise. Most of Circus Summer is told from Leela's POV and every once in a while we'll see from Zach's POV. Zach's perspective shows us a different world that Leela doesn't know about and secrets are revealed. Though I liked reading from Leela's perspective, I would have liked to see more from Zach's.

I like stories that make me literally feel something, kind of like a song that you can feel in your very being, and what I felt from Circus Summer was intensity, desperation, and fear. But in Leela and Zach I could feel a hope, a white light that shines through, and possibilities of a better future.

I found Circus Summer to be a very interesting and intriguing tale. I can't wait to read the sequel, Circus Autumn, to learn more about the war, the Invaders, the Circus, and the future of this series world and inhabitants. 

About this Author:

Kailin Gow is the author of over 100 books, with the majority of them for young adults. Her most popular series are:  The Frost Series, PULSE Series, Desire Series, Wicked Woods, Steampunk Scarlett Novels, and more.  A full-time author, she is also a producer, having worked in radio, television, and film. She grew up in Southern California, lived in Texas and England, and had traveled extensively around the world. 

Links:




All books on Amazon:
 

All books on B&N:  


FROM KAILIN:

I really appreciate all the excitement and enthusiasm for this upcoming tour of Circus Summer!  I wanted all the hosts to know that if they are are able to generate the most buzz or sales of Circus Summer (by having whoever buy Circus Summer email their receipt to info(at) theEDGEbooks(dot)com) with a comment in the body that says who and which blog they heard about the book from, the host with the most buzz wins a $75 Amazon Gift Card.

If anyone buys Circus Summer from reading my review, could you help me out by following the directions Kailin provided in her message? I would  really appreciate it! ~Christina  


Tour Hosted by SupaGurl Book Tours

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Review: Finding My Faith by Carly Fall

Title: Finding My Faith
Series: Six Saviors #1
Author: Carly Fall
Genre: Science Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Romance Fiction
Elements: Aliens, Psychic Abilities, Spirits
Publisher: Westward Publishing
Format: eBook, 214 Pages
ASIN: B007E25F72
Release Date: February 27, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Bewitching Book Tours}
Rating: 5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Growing up in a small Northern Arizona town, Faith Cloudfoot’s life was spent playing in the forests surrounding her house under the protective eyes of her father, and learning about the legends of her Native American heritage.

Yearning for more out of her life, she moves to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of twenty-three where she is kidnapped and almost killed.

Rayner has a special ability, one that weighs on him like a curse. He can see spirits trapped in between life and their final resting place. Because he can’t do much to help them, he studiously ignores them. He concentrates, instead, on working with his fellow warriors to right the wrongs caused by the evil criminals from his home planet.

When Rayner sees Faith in her spirit form while investigating a lead in Phoenix, his attraction to her is immediate, yet he follows his own personal code and ignores her cry for attention. When he realizes that she may be a stepping stone to getting him home to his own universe, he engages Faith and begins to use her as a means to an end: going home.

As the attraction grows stronger, Rayner finds himself breaking all sorts of self-set rules, as well as the code of ethics set by him and his fellow warriors. When Faith nears death, Rayner realizes that he must do everything in his power to save her, because if he doesn’t, he may just lose himself.

Review:

Being someone who has not had the pleasure to read the first book in this series, The Light Within Me, I was glad that the author provided some background information. Because of this, one doesn't have to have read the first book to understand Finding My Faith. In fact, I became really curious about Noah and Abby's story when they were introduced in this book, and I can't wait to go back and read their story for myself. Because I have not read The Light Within Me, I can base this review solely on Finding My Faith, since I have nothing to compare it to.

I loved how Finding My Faith has a mix of genres; there's a little bit of something for everyone: sci-fi action, supernatural abilities, and sweet romance. All of this is blended so well together that this book can't be put into just one genre.

It might seem kind of cheesy, but I really liked how Rayner and Faith always seemed to have everything in common. Not only are their backgrounds similar (each grew up in the forests of their respective homelands), but they also just so happen to like the same foods and TV shows. Their both spiritual people and love nature and the outdoors. And both are free-spirits; although Rayner lost that when he came to Earth, meeting Faith made him want to live again instead of just floating along.

I love legends and folklore, so I really like the legend of The Woman With Fire for Hair and the Red-Eyed Wolf Warrior. The legend states the a woman of the Navajo with flaming red hair and an man with glowing red eyes will produce a son that will be able to harness the earth's energy. This son will only be born when the Earth needs him most, it could be a few years or hundreds of years until he's born. Until then, The Woman With Fire for Hair and the Red-Eyed Wolf Warrior will not age, the Warrior will not lose his wolf spirit, and only after then son is born will they begin to age as humans do. This legend really works in Rayner and Faith's favor. Neither of them will age until their son is born, and who knows how long that will be. And Rayner won't lose his SR44 form (though the legends says wolf spirit, for Rayner it's his SR44 form).

I was kind of disappointed that we never got to see the Colonist's demise. With how hyped up Hudson ans Cohen were to hunt him down, I was looking forward to seeing his downfall. Everyone likes seeing the bad guy lose in the end, but we just don't see it in Finding My Faith. Also, the Colonists are portrayed as these vicious killers, but the Colonist in this book just wasn't. It was just disappointing reading about how they are trying to catch and kill this Colonist and we never get to see it when they finally do.

Other than my issue with how weak I found the Colonist to be, I really loved Finding My Faith. I can't wait to see what's next for the Six Saviors.

About this Author: 

Carly Fall lives in Arizona with her incredibly supportive husband, their son and their dog.
She enjoys the weather in Arizona, and when she isn't writing, you can find her spending time with her family, or lazily floating in the pool.

Carly has spent twenty years writing business materials, and Shackled to the Night was her first foray into fiction.

For more information on upcoming books as well as freebies and giveaways, visit her website at www.CarlyFall.com


Twitter: CarlyFall1


Tour Hosted by Bewitching Book Tours