Blog Tour: INDIGO INCITE by Jacinda Buchmann

INDIGO INCITE
Author: Jacinda Buchmann
Series: Indigo (#1)
Publication date: 2013
Publisher: Createspace
Number of pages: 272
Date read: January, 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Review Copy 
Format: Ebook
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(Description source: Goodreads)

There are no secrets

Sixteen-year-old Tyler believed that his extra-sensory powers were a secret, but when his twin brother, Toby, is kidnapped by a covert government agency, he realizes that he has no secrets, and he has nowhere to hide.

He’s not alone

Now, to save himself and rescue his brother, Tyler must call upon the help of four strangers. Unknown to each other, Eddie, Liliana, Grace, and Sarah share a common bond. They are Indigo Children. With extra-sensory powers of their own, they must unite with Tyler to maintain their freedom.

Unexpected romance

They’re on the run. They’re on a mission. Romance is a distraction that Tyler can’t afford. But sometimes, the heart has a mind of its own.

Time is running out

Will they find Toby before the agency finds them first? Find out in Indigo Incite, Book One of the Indigo Trilogy.

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Indigo Incite begins by introducing us to twins Tyler and Toby - boys who possess extraordinary abilities. When Toby is kidnapped because of these abilities, Tyler must finds others who are about to be similarly targeted, and band together to find his brother.

However, they are surprises to be found along the way...

Each chapter is told from a different view point and really helps to introduce different characters in a way that let's us readers get to know them uniquely, before they are fully integrated into the story.

Each character is well-rounded and vastly differ from one another aside from their special talents. The interactions between Tyler and Toby are my favourite as their brotherly bond transgresses the page.
The banter between characters will have a smile crossing your lips more than once!

The writing of this story is simplistic, yet holds enough detail and intrigue to keep one reading. The abilities of the characters span a range of things, the travelling the characters undertook gave the story a certain charm, while wondering why Toby was taken and who were after them kept the story moving at a decent pace.

An interesting story that has been uniquely executed, Indigo Incite is both complex and simplistic at the same time, in a manner that works  well - a very enjoyable read!

I rate Indigo Incite Four out of Five!!!

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Purchase: 

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Indigo-Incite-The-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00CT9XL42

--Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indigo-incite-jacinda-buchmann/1115381017

AUTHOR BIO 

Jacinda Buchmann lives in Arizona with her husband and three children. She graduated from Carroll College, in Helena, Montana, with a B.A. in elementary education and later received a Master’s degree from Northern Arizona University, in school counseling. After spending several years as a teacher and later a school counselor, she now spends her time writing, any free chance she can get, that is, when she’s not spending  time with her family or creating a new concoction in the kitchen.

Author links:

http://jacindabuchmann.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091467.Jacinda_Buchmann

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJacindaBuchmannhttps://twitter.com/JacindaBuchmann

Giveaway

Prizes: An Amazon gift card  + a Signed copy (Open INTL)

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Blog Tour: DUST by Devon Ashley

DUST
Author: Devon Ashley
Series: Of Dust and Darkness (#1)
Publication date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: - 
Number of pages: 344
Date read: December , 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: ARC from AToMR Tours
Format: Ebook
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(Description source: Goodreads)

4. The number of times my delicate wings have been broken and clamped behind my back. 

68. The number inked upon my skin, marking me the sixty-eighth pixie to be stolen.

87. The number of days I’ve been wrongfully imprisoned.

88. The first day the faeries will regret stealing me.

Healthy. Cheery. Vivacious. 

All traits Rosalie has before becoming enslaved by the faeries to make an endless supply of pixie dust. Now that Rosalie has been traumatized by slave labor, extreme desolate conditions and multiple deaths, this hardened pixie is anything but. When this rebellious teenager attempts an escape, she’s isolated in cramped quarters until she learns her place. 

Just as she begins to let go of all that hope, she finds an unlikely friend in Jack, the faerie assigned to guard her. Interspecies dating is forbidden in the fae world, so their growing attraction is unacceptable. And even if Jack can find a way to free her, they know the prison is the only place they can truly be together.

Clean YA Fantasy.

Buy Dust on: Amazon, B&N, Kobo 

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The further I read, the more I grew to love Dust (I finished reading Dust in one stting), and I am so beyond glad that I had the opportunity to read this novel, books two and three are now residents on my to-read list!

Rosalie is happy within the community of her Hollow, even if she prefers her own company whilst hanging out in nature, to being around others, she's never considered leaving.

Sadly, leaving is not her choice, when she is kidnapped by faeries and forced into being a slave and labouring to make pixie dust for the faeries whilst under guard.

They try to reduce her to a number, try to break her spirit with deplorable living conditions, but Rosalie is not bound to give in. After a failed escape attempt, she is isolated in a desolate prison where they will do anything they can to break her, and they just might have, if Jack (a faerie) hadn't been assigned to guard her...

Escape may be the only way that Rosalie will survive intact, but escaping means not being around Jack anymore...

Rosalie is a curious and bright pixie who loves nature and was happy with the simplicity of her life before she was snatched away from everything she knew.

Rosalie has to deal with so many things that have broken others before her, yet she is determined to stay true to herself and not give in to despair, she has low points but still takes any opportunity she can to fight back. She is considerate of others, set in her mind with what is right and wrong, and absolutely refuses to give in and relinquish her will to survive or her identity. Her actions and feeling inspire you to feel utter compassion for her and root for her to prevail and get a happily ever after.

Jack has a rocky start but soon enough his true disposition shows through and you can't help but love him in his kindness. Jack is kind, smart and most definitely very sarcastic, but he is also incredibly gorgeous to say the least.

The interactions between Rosalie and Jack, and the way their relationship develops was amazing to see, beautiful, sweet and heartfelt.
Relationships between faeries and pixies are not accepted and it's kind of heart-breaking to be in Rosalie's head, knowing how she's feeling and how she sees no way that it can work between her and Jack.

Dust was amazingly well-written, intensely provocative in regards to emotions, Devon perfectly describes slavery and the harsh cruelty of it in her writing, without underplaying it - the way she wrote it was brilliantly realistic and harrowing.

The writing style is beautifully descriptive in a way that allows you to easily imagine each and every scene, and I love how the novels cover is so accurate to the story.

A phenomenal novel, Dust is a book you want to spend time getting immersed in, and it has a very strong and admirable ending - I can't wait for book two Stardust!

I rate Dust Five out of Five!!!

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 Tour Schedule! 

About the Author 

I’m a mom, wife, a lover and a fighter, coffee addict, wicked knitster, Microbiologist, baker of fine yummy treats, and someone who will fight you to death for that last twinkie bag of M&Ms during the zombie-apocalypse. Seriously, my addiction is that important to me. Oh yeah, and writing is cool too!

 Blog  /  GoodReads  /  Facebook 

Tour Giveaway:

(2) Signed Print copies of Dust - International 

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 Tour organised by AToMR Tours 

  

Blog Tour: POWERED by Cheyanne Young

POWERED
Author: Cheyanne Young
Series: Powered (#1)
Publication date: November 28th, 2013
Publisher: - 
Number of pages: 
Date read: November , 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Source: ARC from Itching For Books Tours
Format: Ebook
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(Description source: Goodreads)

Maci Might's sixteenth birthday is supposed to be the day she's awarded Hero status. But thanks to a tiny anger problem and a questionable family tree, King City's elders think it's best if she doesn't join the Hero ranks. 

Determined to change their minds, Maci will break whatever rule it takes to prove she's Hero material. As her hair darkens and her anger grows, everyone turns against her except Evan; a childhood friend turned scientist who may be able to unlock the secrets hidden in her DNA.

When a villain attacks King City and her dad is held prisoner, Maci discovers a truth she refuses to believe. She may not be a Hero after all—but this time the Heroes of King City need her more than she needs them. And she won't let them down.

Powered is the first in a trilogy.

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The whole heroes and villains spin isn't on that I've ever read before, and I have to say: I loved the way this story was executed.

Maci has just turned sixteen, this means that she is getting tested to see whether or not she will be granted Hero status as is her life-long dream, things however do not go to plan.

Maci is temperamental and lacks impulse control - traits that aren't the most hero-like, couple hat with the fact that she's always been shrouded with others' suspicion and Maci has a lot to prove.

She is up for the challenge, and may end up being the only one who can save her community and her family when it comes down to facing off against villains and their devastatingplans that hit a little too close to home...

I wasn't sure if I really liked Maci's character at the beginning of Powered, she was brash, selfish and arrogant, whilst naive to what it really means to be a Hero, she feels entitled and acts in an incredibly bratty manner. 

However I definitely became a fan of her character as the novel progressed, she learnt a lot, matured a bit and her behaviour evened out as she actually figured out what it truly means to be a Hero, even if she had a little help coming to her realisation.

Evan is good-looking, intelligent and innovative in his ideas, I loved the way his character challenged Maci to choose for herself to be better by being bluntly honest with her, without being nasty or alienating her the way mos others did.

The Heroes and Villains world is very, very well constructed, Cheyanne integrates Hero rules and morals into the story through Maci's narration and character dialogues, creating an intensely exciting world where things are said to be clear cut, but don't necessarily seem to be so.

The plot is fast paced with twists and clues along the way, giving information and tying it all together in a way that keeps the readers wondering what will happen next up until the very end, whilst leaving you satisfied with the answers you receive.

I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the next installment in the Powered trilogy!

I rate Powered Four and a Half out of Five!!!

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Tour Schedule!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cheyanne Young is a native Texan with a fear of cold weather and a coffee addiction that probably needs an intervention. She loves books, sarcasm, nail polish and paid holidays. She lives near the beach with her daughter, one spoiled rotten puppy and a cat who is most likely plotting to take over the world.

cheyanneyoung.blogspot.com | twitter.com/normalchey

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LOST SPIRITS by Gabriella Poole

Book Four in the Darke Academy series
Publication date: November 1st 2012
Publisher: Hoddor and Stroughton
Number of Pages: 304
Date read: November 7th 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Source: Bought   
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(Description source: Goodreads)

A new term, a new location for the Darke Academy - and everything is different for Cassie Bell. 

The beauty of the turquoise Kenyan sea can't make up for the loss of her soulmate, Ranjit. 

  

He's on the run, and Cassie will do anything to find him. 

But when the evil Katerina and her mother appear, more powerful than ever, Cassie has to make a crucial decision.

 And her love for Ranjit might just be her ultimate weakness ...

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Lost Spirits is definately one of my favourite Dark Academy novels by far. In this last novel it keeps the storyline flowing in a way that doesn't seem as though Poole is trying too hard to keep the Darke Academy series going.

Lost Spirits continues to follow Cassie and her best friend Isabella through the trials and hardships of attending a school of prestigious, soul feeding students.
Since the end of the last term Cassie has been trying to cheer Isabella up since her adoring boyfriend Jake was murdered by Cassie's boyfriend at the time, Ranjit Singh.

Since that occasion, Ranjit has disappeared and Cassie is preoccupied wondering where he could be. When Isabella decides to leave the academy Darke decides to take a leap of faith and make a revalation that will permanently alter all ther lives.


I found that the way in which Poole intertwined the character relationships and personalities was creative and well executed. I  overly enjoyed the plot twists that occured and the ways in which the characters grew in themselves and how even they changed over the course of the Darke Academy novels.

There are certainly some characters which I hate with a passion and others which have been developed well and I absoloutely adore! For me this demonstrates the lengths to which the novel has been thought out and how passionate the author is about the world that she has created. The ending wasn't what I expected when I began Lost Spirits but I thought it was a superb way to end this series that I adore!

 

I rate Lost Spirits Four out of Five!

DIVIDED SOULS by Gabriella Poole

Book Three in the Darke Academy series
Publication date: August 5th 2010
Publisher: Hoddor and Stroughton
Number of Pages: 320
Date read: September 1st 2010
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Source: Bought    



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(Description source: Goodreads)

The Darke Academy is now in Istanbul, and wherever the Academy goes, death is never far behind.

 Death has followed the Darke Academy to the ancient city of Istanbul, where an unseen hunter is on the loose. 

Scholarship girl Cassie Bell is fascinated by the city's beauty, but there's no time for her to relax. 

Torn between an old flame and a new romance, she must also choose between the select world of the Few and her loyalty towards her best friends—and all the time a killer is stalking the Few.

As Cassie is about to discover, no one is above suspicion. Sometimes, the people you love can be the most dangerous enemies of all.

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"Cassie knew how much Isabella loved Jake. She knew her friend’s ferocious, burning loyalty, and how violently she defended those she loved; it was just that she’d never been on the receiving end before.

But there was more. Isabella was hiding something."

Divided Souls is a gripping and superb continuation of the Darke Academy series!
Set in the largest, most historic and exciting city of Istanbul, Turkey it follows scolarship girl, Cassie, on the thrilling adventure  of a lifetime. I

n the end of her first term at the Darke Academy she was implanted with a donor's soul against her will but the ceremony was interuppted part way through and now she is trapped as being part 'few' for the rest of her life. Being stuck with another bitchy and VERY opinionated woman inside your head isn't easy and even becomming overly attractive and gaining powerful connections often can't compensate for the frustrating Estelle.

This is Cassie's third term at the academy and with her best friend Isabella by her side, she can take on anything, except facing her brooding yet charming and breath-taking ex boyfriend Ranjit Singh that is.

Gabriella Poole continues to take you on the roller-coaster journey and certainly keeps everything interesting. She opens in a really enticing way that I really enjoyed, it left me wanting to see why the characters were in the position in which they were.
From the first few opening scenes I reconnected with the characters immediately, it was as though being reunited with old friends.

The style in which the Darke Academy series is written is one that I enjoy reading, it is easy to become absorbed in the world along with the characters and the setting is both vivid and exciting.

The story line that Divided Souls follows isn't one that I found to be too Cliched in many aspects, not all, just many. The classic love triangle-esque aspect was, I thought, tastefully done and didn't drag on for too long. The love interests were handled in a tasteful and quite delicate way, which did not enter into being irritating or slutty (cheating) in any way. 

If any characters annoy me from this novel it is Isabella's, I know and fully understand how unique and difficult her situation is but she really makes NO effort to fit in or to stop complaining so much about her situation. I adore Richard!! His personality is original and he is a genuinely likable character of which I cannot help but be fond of and feel sorry for. He is sweet and genuinely concerned about those that he cares about and would walk through burning fire for them.

I really found Divided Souls to be a great novel and will begin Lost Spirits ASAP

"Single and ready to tingle.
Cassie burst into laughter. ‘Mingle!’
Isabella grinned. ‘Deliberate mistake.’
‘Freudian slip, more like!'"

I rate Divided Souls Four out of Five!

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL by Soman Chainani

Book One in The School for Good and Evil series
Publication date: May 14th, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Number of Pages: 488
Date read: , 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Magic
Source: ARC from Netgalley
Format: Ebook




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(Description source: Goodreads)

“The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.”

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?

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“She had always found villains more exciting than heroes. They had ambition, passion. They made the stories happen. Villains didn't fear death. No, they wrapped themselves in death like suits of armor!

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“I’m not a princess!” she snapped, fixing her collar.
“If you say so,” the prince said, eyes drifting downward.Agatha followed them to her gashed legs, waterfalls of brilliant blood. She saw blood blurring— Tedros smiled.
“One . . . two . . . three . . .”She fainted in his arms.
“Definitely a princess,” he said.” 

The first thing that attracted me to The School for Good and Evil was the amazing cover! It's so gorgeously detailed and it picturesquely depicts the dual natures of the schools perfectly! The thing that made up my mind about having to read this novel was the blurb, so mysterious and intriguing...

Sophie is incredibly beautiful in appearance and she knows it too, she befriended the town's strangest girl, the one who lives in the cemetery, Agatha. Sophie knows the town's legend of children being kidnapped, two every four years who end up the focus of fairy tales, one a princess or hero, one a villain  and this year Sophie hopes it her turn to be whisked away to become a princess and she sees Agatha as the sure pick for the School for Evil. Agatha, though, would rather just be left alone. 

Sophie's wish comes true, well... partially anyway, upon arriving at the school there seems to be a mix up about which girl belongs in which school, but is it really a mistake?

I really like Agatha's character, she's unconventional, a little strange, but completely strong and wholly defiant. Sophie is another matter, she is obsessed with becoming a princess, and obsessed with getting her prince. The story is told from Agatha's point of view, as well as Sophie's and another third point of view, but I won't tell you whose... surprise is always fun.

Every character is interesting, even the secondary characters are given their own motives and emotions that you actually get to experience throughout the novel, these insights really expand the story and add so much more meaning to the ultimate plot. Plus, some such characters who you may not think it possible of in the beginning, do become endearing, quite unexpectedly so. 
 The plot itself is gripping and Oh So intriguing, The School for Good and Evil really is a novel you can just keep on reading. I love a novel that conveys some kind of deeper meaning and The School for Good and Evil absolutely delivers, showing what it really means to be Good, that things are always so clearly defined, it dispels stereotypes and depicts the true meaning of friendship! 

The story takes twists and turns and brings you along with it by way of being incredibly descriptive, so much so that you can picture the story the whole time you're reading. Chainani's writing style brilliantly creates settings, such descriptive writing also may happen to result in temporary blurry vision (my eyes slightly welled up at certain points).
I half didn't want to finish the story, it's an easy read that is BEYOND easy to enjoy! When I got towards the very end I actually could not believe there were so few pages left, I just kept thinking 'where have you gone?' 

I have to say: I LOVED the ending, it really wasn't something that I quite expected but Chainani really pulled it off well and now I am really invested in ALL of the characters and am desperately awaiting A World Without Princes!


“What's the one thing Evil can never have...and the one thing Good can never do without?” 

I rate The School for Good and Evil Five out of Five!!

BREAKING GLASS by Lisa Amowitz

Publication date: July 9th, 2013
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Number of Pages: 232
Date read: July 5th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, Thriller, Paranormal
Source: ARC from Spencer Hill Press
Format: Paperback





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(Description source: Goodreads)

On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. 

When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he's not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality. 

Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

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One tiny sip to beat back the rising waters that threaten to drown me.

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I pride myself on my steely self-control.

The way Breaking Glass is described makes it sound so incredibly mysterious and suspenseful and that really drew me in, I love a good mystery! The blurb of Breaking Glass only covers the very basics, so be prepared! This novel will surprise the hell out of you! But only in the very best of ways...

Breaking Glass begin with the main character, Jeremy Glass, stuck in an awkward situation that will lead up to his accident. The novel then goes on flipping between the present and Jeremy's memories. Jeremy reveals secrets throughout the story and deals with a lot of devastation, all the while trying to figure out exactly what happened to Susannah.

Breaking Glass is misleading in the best possible way, keeping you guessing as to what is going on and throwing you for a loop every time you think you may finally have guessed what will follow. Jeremy is an incredibly interesting character, he doesn't spend a whole lot of time dwelling in complete self-pity, rather focusing on the mystery of Susannah, and trying to untangle the many lies. There are reasons why he is the way he is and his reactions are authentic, he is strong, self-deprecating and still capable of being funny.

Jeremy is an amazing narrator, giving up more information bit by bit and keeping readers hanging, is he right? Has Susannah been murdered? Or is everything in his head?

Lisa Amowitz creates real characters who are flawed and completely 3 dimensional, with real problems and issues that have reasons explaining them and consequences for how they react. Each character will surprise you with how much they change in your opinion from the very first impression they give, some are the exact opposite from how they first seem and others shock you with how incredible they are. Ryan is my favourite character aside from Jeremy.

Lisa perfectly developed her antagonist, making this person twisted, manipulative, and sinister. The plot of Breaking Glass is tumultuous and such a rollercoaster with so much going on and so many emotions, this read is dark and haunting and so unexpected.

After reading Breaking Glass, I am of the firm belief that there is not a chapter that Lisa Amowitz can write, not matter what the subject matter is, that is not readable. This story will draw you in, captivate you and intrigue you, a dark, twisted and unforgettable read.

I begin to run at full tilt. I still have some distance to cover, but that’s no problem for me, even with the Absolut pumping heat through my veins. But my boot heel catches on a wet leaf then slides out from under me.

I’m flying, but I land softly.

I rate Breaking Glass Five out of Five!