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Sunday 19 January 2020

POINT OF IMPACT


Point Of Impact by Kyla Stone
Book 1 in the Nuclear Dawn series
Narrated by Stacey Glemboski
Genre: post-apocalyptic urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Point Of Impact:
Surviving the blast is only the beginning…

Dakota Sloane, a tough-as-nails former foster kid, has spent her life running from the past. Her only family is her little sister, still trapped in the system.

When the news shows the bombs striking several major cities, Dakota’s first thought is to grab her sister and get the hell out of Miami.

Logan Garcia is a man haunted by secrets. His life plan is to drink himself into oblivion--until the shockwave hits, shattering the world as he knows it.

In the moments before the deadly fallout descends, Dakota offers Logan a deal. She knows a place to ride out the coming chaos, a safe house deep in the Everglades.

If he helps her rescue her sister, she’ll take him with her.

But Dakota’s past has caught up to her. Someone is hunting her through the radioactive ruins of Miami. And he won’t stop until he has her...or they’re both dead.

An electrifying post-apocalyptic survival adventure, the Nuclear Dawn series features fast-paced action combined with strong, complex characters. Perfect for fans of Logan Keys, Jacqueline Druga, Mike Kraus, and Boyd Craven.
Source: Info in the About Point Of Impact was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43288746-point-of-impact on 10/10/2019.

My Thoughts:
This is my first Kyla Stone read and I like the way she tells a story. However, I do not like the way she cuts the book in a big cliffhanger such that there isn't any story building at all! This book is just a first chapter of a bigger book. The entire book is an introduction with not much of a plot. Nuclear boom. These are the characters. The end. And that is the main reason this book would never get a 5 out of 5 with me. The premise is interesting but the story building is non-existent. I've read a lot of book serieses and the first book does not necessarily have to be this plot-less nor just merely a first-chapter-seeming. This is my second series which is narrated by Stacey Glemboski and she is growing on me.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 2.5
Writing Style = 2
Ending = 1.5
World building = 3.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (6 hrs & 19 mins listening time)
Plot = 2
Narration = 4

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Nuclear Dawn Series:


Meet The Author

About Kyla Stone:
I spend my days writing apocalyptic and dystopian fiction novels.

I love writing stories exploring how ordinary people cope with extraordinary circumstances, especially situations where the normal comforts, conveniences, and rules are stripped away. My favorite stories to read and write deal with characters struggling with inner demons who learn to face and overcome their fears, launching their transformation into the strong, brave warrior they were meant to become.

Some of my favorite books include The Road, The Passage, Hunger Games, and Ready Player One. My favorite movies are The Lord of the Rings and Gladiator. Give me a good story in any form, and I’m happy.

Oh, and add in a cool fall evening in front of a crackling fire, nestled on the couch with a fuzzy blanket, a book in one hand and a hot moche latte in the other (or dark chocolate!): that’s my heaven.

I mean, I won’t say no to hiking to mountain waterfalls, traveling to far-flung locations, or jumping out of a plane (parachute included) either.


The Narrator

About Stacey Glemboski:
Stacey is an accomplished audiobook narrator and voice actor who has recorded books for many best selling authors. Though her favorite books have been for kids and teens, many other genres of narration appeal to her.

Her acting experience has been largely experiential and has been honed through singing, plays, life, choir solos, Barbies, and eventually teaching middle school. For Stacey, narration is about having fun breathing life into characters and getting as lost as possible in the story she’s telling. Outside the studio, Stacey is compulsively addicted to tennis but is not seeking any treatment for this condition.

An experienced copy editor, proofreader, and English teacher, Stacey is adept at understanding complex texts and subtleties of plot and character.

​ Her home studio is a WhisperRoom sound-resistant booth, and she uses a Neumann TLM103, MBox Mini 2, and a MacBook Air.



FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Wednesday 15 January 2020

FOUND

Found by Cali Mann
Book 1 in the Thornbriar Academy series
Genre: urban fantasy / reverse harem
Format: ebook


About Found:
Spirit shifters are killed at birth, except when they aren't.

Raised by human traffickers, Hailey learned from an early age that the one person she could trust was herself.

But a shifter needs a pack, and Hailey doesn't know who's an enemy and who's a lover. Or who to trust with a secret that could get her killed.
Source: Info in the About Found was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48986325-found on 06/01/2020.

Buy Link(s):


Terrin
My Thoughts:
Short and sweet read.

There isn't much of a plot. Just an introduction to this world and the main characters and a big cliffhanger ending. However, it does have great story telling quality, now am hooked! The thing is, reverse harem is not my genre. But I was already halfway through this book before I realised that it is a reverse harem! And then again, I am kind of partial towards cat shifters and Terrin is a jaguar shifter... That speaks of the character development that is solid! Speaking of which... The good news is, the heroine is not too stupid to live. The bad news is, at 177 pages long (print ed.), the book is too freaking short!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 3
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 1.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Thornbriar Academy Series:


Meet The Author

About Cali Mann:
I devoured my mother’s Gothic romance collection when I was a teen, so you can say that dark romance and I go way back. Give me a cozy chair, a snuggily feline, and a book any day.

I’ve been dreaming up my own magical worlds since I was small, and I’m so excited to share them with you.




FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.


NOTE:
Amendments: on 17/02/2020 - added "SAVED" in the Books In The Series section + "My Thoughts".

Sunday 5 January 2020

RAISED IN FIRE


Raised In Fire by K. F. Breene
Book 2 of the Fire & Ice Trilogy
Read by Nicole Pole
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Raised In Fire:
It is a common truth in my life that when it rains, it pours.

The killings that once plagued New Orleans are cropping up again in Seattle. The local office is stumped. I’m called out to lend a fresh set of eyes, and my unique magical touch.

It’s only when I get there that I realize the Seattle office isn’t stumped at all.

They’re being silenced by the Mages’ Guild, a corrupt magical institution that doesn't want word to get out of what is plaguing the city. Worse, news of my magic might’ve slipped down to the underworld, hitting the ears of some extremely powerful demons.

What I thought was a routine murder investigation turns into a fight for my life. With the help of Darius, my stalker elder vampire, and my dual-mage side kicks, I somehow have to dodge the Guild in order to stop one of the most powerful demons I’ve ever encountered. If I don’t? It’ll escape back down below with proof of what I really am.

My life hangs in the balance, and this time, I can't see a way out.
Source: Info in the About Raised In Fire was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35117913-raised-in-fire on 01/06/2018.

My Thoughts:
This time this book went quicker than Born In Fire. However, for some reason, Roger's visit felt out of line. Logically, he can do what he did. But it felt kinda jarring and it doesn't add up somehow. The plot though is still the same straight-forward-ish. No twists, no surprises. Having said that, it is the journey that made it interesting, not the end itself. The ending, although it closed the story line while continuing on the series' story arc, was kind of anticlimactic. It wasn't a bang. The anticipation build-up in the book did not match the ending. However, I had the next book by then so I wasn't too disappointed.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 4
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Fire & Ice Trilogy Series:




Meet The Author

About K. F. Breene:
K.F. Breene is a USA Today Bestselling and Top 10 Kindle All-Star author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy and fantasy novels. With two million books sold, when she’s not penning stories about magic and what goes bump in the night, she’s sipping wine and planning shenanigans. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two children and out of work treadmill.

[Source: Info in the "About K. F. Breene" was taken from the author's website at: http://www.kfbreene.com/bio]



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 
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