Book review - Opaque, By Calix leigh-Reigh

Opaque
by Calix Leigh-Reign
Genre: YA Scifi/Fantasy
Release Date: October 22nd 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Highly controversial debut novel by Cālix Leigh-Reign is taking the nation by storm! For those who've been craving an untapped damsel-in-distress-less Sci-Fi niche - Opaque delivers in this gripping page-turner involving mutated Limbal rings, biokenretic anomalies, mental dysfunction, perplexing Russian ancestry & romance. Cālix takes us on an adventure that begins when 16 year old misanthropic Adam Caspian unknowingly reaches biokenretic puberty, and his supernatural abilities awaken to save him from his murderous intentions. His every thought revolves around the extinction of the human race until mysterious Afro-Russian Carly Wit stumbles into his English class one morning. Adam notices something otherworldly about her immediately but denies the bio-synch taking place inside of him. As he resists their blossoming love, he battles with unnatural thoughts of his mother. Discovering his origin isn't what he'd thought, he becomes determined to peel back the layers of his lineage and unmasks a multitude of mind-bending secrets along the way.

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Review:

I love getting to read the first books in new series.  This book is a great start to a new serious. And I can't stress that enough.  This book gives us strong characters and a great story to start with.  I could not put this one down once I started reading it.  And those are the kinds of books that I love.  When you can't leave the world they put you in.

This book gives you so many different things.  You have the sci-fi aspect of things and you have the love side of things that can't be denied.  You get emotions, and they keep you reading.  If you can feel something from a book while you are reading then you know the book is a great one.

Calix has developed some great characters.  They are strong, well done and I kept picturing myself with them, as part of their world.  I wanted to be their friend.  I went to bed after reading the book, still stuck in the world, with the characters.  I just could not get my head out of the book that night.

I cannot recommend this book enough!!

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Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo


About the Author:
Cālix is the published author of the Russian-mutant, psychological Sci-Fi fantasy novel, Opaque. She's a certified paralegal and has studied creative writing under English teacher, script writer and published author Larry Strauss. Her earliest literary inspirations include Alice Walker, Larry Strauss, VC Andrews and Stephen King. She spent a majority of her childhood in libraries and developed an intense relationship with words. She's a member of YARWA and RWA and is currently serving as a judge for YARWA's 2016 Rosemary Contest. She enjoys prayer, discovering the minds of those who rebel against social programming, listening to music, a great cup of coffee, exquisite ethnic cuisine, spending time with family & friends, attending movie premieres, traveling and the arts. She spends her free time in the gym, fantasizing about story plots and different ways of changing the world.

Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Instagram


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Book review - The Saga of Urunem, by Caton Hartworth

Title: The Saga of Urunem
Author: Caton Hartworth
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Pages: 530
Genre: Fantasy

BLURB:

All beings in that place knew that the winds of change were coming, and there they were, standing on the precipice of all the ages before them, waiting to be swept up by the gale and take the leap of faith into the maelstrom of the future; that deep black lake where even the Weavers’ gaze could only pierce but a little.”

The Speakers have been the people’s connection to the High Ones for millennia. Ever since the days of the Old Wars, the Speakers have joined with the fair children of Urunem, the Sons and Daughters of the Trees, ancient wights, and the mighty Beast-Folk, to stand against those beings that usher forth from the harsher wombs of the Earth. Legendary warriors, healers, and wardens of the sacred, beholden to a deep and ancient wisdom, the Speakers with their divine power have always sought to enact the will of the High Ones. However, when an unexpected and devastating attack on the Morkvatn Seminary occurs on the Day of Great Light, the Speakers are left in turmoil. The wise and ancient High Speaker Asmund, fearing the prospect of a future attack, ventures into the cursed forest of Morkvatn to seek ultimate wisdom. When he returns from his trials a near god, he and High Speakers Bjarni and Alvilda begin an investigation to discover the source of the new threat. What they discover is a dark and awesome power that has been growing in secret; a power that could unite all the dark forces of the world, end the reign of the Speakers, tear apart the threads of fate, and threaten the existence of the High Ones themselves. 

Review:

This book is a great step into the fantasy genre.  We get to see different sides of things all in one book.  It says a lot when an author can write a book that brings in different types of genres.  We get a little fantasy, and even a little bit of the paranormal, which I love. We get different kinds of characters here, and I love that as well.  When an author can maintain a world and all the characters through out the book, that says a lot.

The author appears to have taken his time with his book and written it with an rich back story in place.  The world was well developed, as was each and every character.  In my head I could see the author doing each character's back story before he even wrote his first paragraph.  I love when you can see a character so clearly in your head with the way they are written.

This book gives you more then one emotion, which is the sign of a good book.   You get the needed twists to keep you reading and the story moves forward so smoothly that you have to keep reading to see what will happen next.  You will want to keep reading, to get the needed answers to questions that come up in your head as you are diving deeper and deeper into the book.

Highly recommended!

Buy it here: Amazon
Add it your list: Goodreads

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 About the Author:

Caton Hartworth is an author based in Maryland, USA. With a lifelong passion for creativity, Caton writes primarily in the fantasy genre, but sees no reason not to broaden his horizons. Beyond his solo work, Caton often collaborates with other artists and creators on literary and fine art projects.

Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and holding degrees in Anthropology and Chinese Studies, Caton enjoys sourcing from his experience of travel and fieldwork, the odd and extraordinary events of daily life, and the richness of real-world cultures in order to create his fictional worlds. Also, with a lifelong interest and love of Norse religion and culture, Caton draws much inspiration from Norse history, mythology, the Eddas and Sagas, and related scholarly and religious commentaries for his life and work.

An avid outdoorsman, there is usually not a single day where Caton doesn't spend at least some time adventuring in the woods, working in the garden, or engaging in other outdoor work. Caton also has a passion for meditation and exercise, starting early in childhood, and believes that health of body, mind, and spirit are the keys to a good life.

Some of Caton's favorite authors/writers include JRR Tolkien, Seamus Heaney, William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, Snorri Sturluson, Wu Cheng'en, and many others, new and old.

Book Review - The Shadow of All Things, by Allen Houston

 Title: The Shadow of All Things
Author: Allen Houston
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Pages: 332
Genre: Paranormal/Urban

BLURB:
When a man in a torn trench coat warns college-student Evelyn Cheng that something evil is coming down the tunnel where their subway train has stalled, she is ready to write him off as crazy until the lights flicker and the terrifying creatures appear. Through him, Evelyn discovers she is a seer and that a battle between good and evil is raging in New York City among her kind and the mysterious, otherworldly Elyuum, who seek to tighten their grip on the city. Spanning multiple universes with a sprawling cast of characters, Evelyn and others must stop the Elyuum before they conquer all existence.
Review:

I can say that I loved this book.  I love to read books where we get more then one side to things, and the point of views in this book did not change to harshly.  I have a hard time with books that change between characters, jumping around when they don't need to do it. The author did not do that with this book.  The changes were fluid.

I love when an author can put us into a fantasy world but keep it in a real setting.  We are in New York, and not the pretty, glitzy side of New York.  We get the real stuff, and I love that.  We get to see how the world would look if the paranormal world was laid on top of the world that is already there.  And with the way that Allen wrote things, you get a real vision of how it was all happening.  I could really picture the world in my mind.

Evelyn is thrown into the world and she does a good job navigating it.  She was written wonderfully and you can see that she is real.  She is one of those women you read about in books and want to be.  The strong, smart ones who know how to get you from point A to point B.

I would highly recommend this book!

Grab it here: Amazon
Add it your list: Goodreads

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 About the Author:

Allen Houston grew up in Bixby, Oklahoma.
He attended the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a degree in English Literature. After graduation, he lived in Indonesia and Japan. Upon returning to the states, he worked as a reporter/editor at the the Dallas Morning News and The New York Post and as City Editor of Metro New York. Allen resides in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter. After Imogen was born, he began writing a story for her and Nightfall Gardens was created.

Book Review - Killer Pursuit, by Jeff Gunhus

Title: Killer Pursuit

Author: Jeff Gunhus
Publisher: Seven Guns Press
Pages: 352
Genre: Thriller

BLURB:
When a high-society call girl is murdered in her Georgetown home, investigators find two cameras hidden in the walls of her bedroom. One has its memory erased, presumably by the murderer. The second is connected to the Internet through an encrypted connection...and no-one knows who's on the other end.

Special Agent Allison McNeil is asked by beleaguered FBI Director Clarence Mason to run an off-the-record investigation of the murder because of the murder's similarity to a case she worked a year earlier. Allison knows the most direct path to apprehending the killer is to find the videos, but the rumors that the victim's client list may have included Mason's political enemies has her worried about the director's motives. As she starts her investigation, she quickly discovers that she's not the only one pursuing the videos. In fact, the most aggressive person racing against her might be the murderer himself.

Review:

I love books that grab you from the get go and keep you until the end.  I was pulled in from the first pages and wanted to keep going until I was done.  It was a great book for me.  If it can keep you reading, saying "Just one more page", then you are lucky! Not every author can do that and this one definitely is one to read.

I love that we get to see into Allison's mind as well as the killer's mind.  I like books that give us both sides to things, so we get a better idea of why they are doing what they are doing.  Getting from point A to point B is not always a straight line, and when you can get both sides of the story as you go it helps better understand where the curves and edges are.  I love that with this book.

Allison is one of those characters you can relate to in a book.  She is real, not one of those perfect, never does anything wrong types.  I love thrillers where you have real people in them, not the ones who know everything all the time and can get the bad guy in no time.  She is one that you want to be friends with, to help get the nasty people she has to deal with.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

Stars:  

About the Author:

Jeff Gunhus is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year-old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 30 on Amazon, have been recognized as Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalists and reached the USA TODAY bestseller list.

After his experience with his son, he is passionate about helping parents reach young reluctant readers and is active in child literacy issues. As a father of five, he leads an active life in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to constantly keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel or on JeffGunhus.com.

For More Information:
Killer Pursuit is available at Amazon.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

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• This giveaway ends midnight October 28.
• Winner will be contacted via email on October 29.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

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