Book Review – Celestial Academy: Essence by Olivia Pharos

Posted in Book Reviews by Namrata Ganti

About the Book:

61764843

Orphan. Slave. Drug dealer.

As a Demon-Owned human, in an Afterworld that literally has Hell and Heaven on Earth, I’m the lowest a being can be. My life is one of drudgery, degradation—and mortal danger. And that’s before I started dealing Angelescence. Unlike anything in existence, it’s a drug only I can produce, and everyone would kill for.

With decommission and execution closing in, I’m desperate to buy out my and my best friend’s Indentures. But upping my operations only gets me arrested, and my terrifying captor drags me to the Celestial Court—on a leash—to stand trial. My sentence?

Conscription to Celestial Academy.

As the most powerful nephilim in history, Godric is Heaven’s most ruthless soldier and assassin. And he’s been assigned with discovering the root of my unprecedented ability to capture Angel Essence.

We both hate our forced proximity—and each other. Especially since we’re seething with explosive emotions and cravings that neither of us ever thought to experience, and can’t possibly afford. Anything between us isn’t only forbidden, it’s disastrous. Potentially for all of existence.

But being embroiled in our passionate war becomes the least of our worries as he unearths even more terrible mysteries within me. Meanwhile, lethal trials loom at mid-term, and a devastating internal war as well as another Apocalypse are brewing…

…and I’m at the center of it all.

Are you a fan of Crescent City, The Mortal instruments and Zodiac Academy? Ever wished you found a book that merged their elements and magic?

Look no more! You have found your next book obsession!

One click now and dive into this binge-worthy, new-adult contemporary fantasy world, brimming with unforgettable characters, soul-searing enemies-to-lovers romance, agonizing slow-burn passion, edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense—and apocalyptic stakes.
You will never want to leave.

The series is intended for mature readers 18 and above, for violence, language and explicit scenes.

Wen’s epic trials in the world of Celestials and Supernaturals continue in NULL, book 2 in the AFTERWORLD series.

My Thoughts:

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and here is my honest review.

I love reading fantasy fiction and the premise of this book drew me in. I liked the idea of supernaturals, angels, demons, magic all put together. The book started rather abruptly and it took me some time to understand what was happening. The setting of the book is a dystopian world that could do with a little more description, especially how this world came to be and the hierarchy of the people (both supernatural and human).

I did not easily connect with Wen, though I like that she was looking out for Sarah, her best friend and the one she considered family. I was not a huge fan of her snark nor did I enjoy reading about Godric as much as I would have liked. However, Lorcan, Jinny and some of the others more than made up for this.

The story did pick up about one-third in and started to get more interesting. This helped to read on and soon things started to make sense. Even though I was not a huge fan of Wen, I was interested in her story and origins. I wanted to know what would happen and the ending was a twist I didn’t see coming. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, NULL, and I hope that I get more answers to the background and characters.

3Dec2020

Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Posted in Book Reviews by Namrata Ganti

About the Book:

Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)

THIS IS A WORLD DIVIDED BY BLOOD – RED OR SILVER.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart . . .

My Thoughts:

The Red Queen is another first in a series of fantasy fiction that caught my attention. This book has garnered a lot of attention and it talked about a lot. The story follows Mare as she navigates life in the poverty-stricken Stilts. The author has created an interesting Dystopian world, divided based on the color of a person’s blood. As a result we have the elites and the commoners, who only exist to serve and follow the rules. Mare ends up being different, having powers inspite of her red blood. Some would say she is an anomaly in the otherwise distinct class divisions.

The plot follows Mare as she ends up working in the Silver Palace and once her powers are discovered, she is betrothed to the younger prince. The readers are introduced to many characters, a lot of whom are predictable if you have read any other dystopian fantasy fiction series. There is a prince, his family, someone out to get them, the rebels and so on.

However, one thing about this book is that even though some aspects are predictable, the author keeps throwing some curve balls as us. This brings some intrigue into the mix and thus makes the book an enjoyable read.

21Nov2020

Book Review: Vampire Royals (Books 1-3) by Leigh Walker

Posted in Book Reviews by Namrata Ganti

About the Books:

Book 1: The Pageant

The Pageant (Vampire Royals #1)

Who’s the fairest of them all?
Young women from every settlement in the land are being handpicked to enter The Pageant, a beauty contest reminiscent of Miss Universe from the old days. Gwyneth West’s social-climbing mother wants her to compete, by Gwyn isn’t so sure…
The Pageant is government-sponsored. If you’re lucky enough to be chosen, participation is mandatory. Aggressive competition is allowed, even encouraged.

And then there’s the prize…
The winner of The Pageant gets a marriage proposal from Dallas Black, otherwise known as The Dark Prince. Dallas is the son of King Black, who won the last world war and now governs the new settlements. The Royal Family is mysterious. Rumor has it they don’t sleep. Rumor has it they eschew the sun.
Rumor has it they’re immortal.
When Gwyn is thrust into The Pageant, she fights to survive the competitive nature of the other contestants.
But even if wins…can she survive a vampire fiancé?

Book 2: The Gala

The Gala (Vampire Royals #2)

FOUR WEEKS. TWENTY CONTESTANTS. ONE PRINCE.

The Pageant is almost over, and Gwyneth West knows she can win—except the prince is a vampire, and some of the other contestants are turning out to be quite beastly.

What do you do when the person you love…might want to eat you alive?

Struggling to hold onto her position in the palace, Gwyn knows her vampire prince could slip through her fingers in an instant. And when human rebels threaten to storm the vampire royals once more, Gwyn finds herself caught between two worlds: her people, and the vampire she loves.

Leigh Walker writes action packed futuristic sci-fi, sweet romantic vampire novels, and stories that capture your heart and then make it race.

Book 3: The Finale

The Finale (Vampire Royals #3)

A ROYAL WEDDING IS COMING…BUT WHICH CONTESTANT WILL BE THE BRIDE?

Gwyneth West’s a finalist in The Pageant, the dating competition that’s gripping the settlements. Down to the final week, the dashing Prince Dallas Black will choose one young woman as his fiancé.
One small issue: Gwyneth’s a human and the prince is a vampire. What’s worse? Gwyneth’s family are sworn rebels, out to take back the settlements and overthrow the crown. What’s worse than that? Gwyn’s own rebel brother is a prisoner in the castle dungeons, but the king and queen don’t know his true identity.
Gwyneth and Dallas want to show the settlements that vampires and humans can live together in peace. But as their differences threaten to tear them apart, Gwyneth discovers her love puts the prince at risk.
How do you choose between love and duty?

My Thoughts:

This series is very similar to ‘The Selection’ series. However, there are some differences including the fact that the Prince and his family are Vampires. The author starts this off as rumors which are later shown as the truth. The concept of vampires and humans living side by side and co-existing is a strong idea that both the Prince and Gwyn, the heroine of the story, share. The story is indeed fun to read, following the very cliched concept of a competition to find the best suitor for the Prince. However, the idea behind this is to find a way to unite all the settlements and to bring peace while trying to keep the rebel groups at bay.

The synopsis of the story promises aggressive competition, but nothing about the story is aggressive. The story centers on the chemistry between the Prince and Gwyn, giving us only minor glimpses of the interactions with the other contestants. To keep in line with the contest, there are some sections of the story devoted to etiquette training and history of the kingdom and the settlements. However, there is not a lot of character development for the other girls in the story and this takes away from the main theme of the contest.

The story then continues into the two other books, focusing on the Prince’s interaction with the girls, bringing it down to the top four contestants and his relationship with his parents. Each girl is unique in her own way and it is wonderful to read about their rivalries but also about how they come together in the end. We are also provided some insight into Gwyn’s background and her family and her relationship with the King and Queen. The love and understanding that develops between her and the prince is beautiful to read about.

Overall, this series is fun and enjoyable especially for those who love the idea of vampires and human’s together, though there is not a lot of focus on the supernatural aspect of the characters. The books are short and easy to read. They can each be read in one sitting and are a good stress free read!

2Sep2019

Book Review: The Circle Taken by Sage Sask

Posted in Book Reviews by Namrata Ganti

Note: I would like to thank NetGalley for the review copy.

About the Book:

Abandoned at eleven with no memory of her family, Alexia yearns to learn her true identity. Under the new government’s regime, sixteen-year-olds are evaluated for their desire to harm others. Throughout the test, Alexia struggles to conceal her secret. Failing in her mission, Alexia is taken and must fight to prove herself to her captors.

Desperate to escape, Alexia embarks on a dangerous quest for the truth of her past. In the resulting battle between life and death, Alexia learns that sacrifice and the gift she fought to keep hidden may be her only chance for survival.

A secret unearthed, a shocking betrayal, and a moment when lives hang in the balance leaves Alexia with only one choice. Will the decision determine her destiny or end her life?

My Thoughts:

The Circle is an interesting YA Dystopian read. A major part of the plot reminded me of The Hunger Games, but the story here is well-written and the characters were easy to understand. The story is quite fast paced and if the reader does not pay attention, it is easy to miss something important.

Alexia, the protagonist, has no memory of who she is or about her family for more than 5 years. She lives at an orphanage and learns to just keep her head down and move forward. When her secret is discovered, she is sent to a secret place. Here she has to fight to prove herself, to train, all the while trying to figure out who she really is. As she navigates this world and discovers it’s secrets, we are introduced to a group of people with a very specific way of thinking.

The characters are well crafted and interesting, most in their teenage years. All of them seek to befriend Alexia for different reasons, but in the end they stand together as one group. This journey is wonderful to read about. As fast-paced as the story is, a lot happens in this book and it ends at a twist leaving the reader yearning for more. I enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to the next book, mainly to discover what happens to Alexia. The questions of how she deals with the truth behind her identity and the consequences of her decisions will hopefully be answered in the next book! This book is worth a read for fans of dystopian YA fiction.

19May2017

Becoming Assiya – The Story of the Children of War by Simran Keshwani

Posted in book blast, BookWorld by Namrata Ganti

Title – Becoming Assiya – The Story of the Children of War

Author – Simran Keshwani

Genre – Dystopian Fiction

eBook Published at – VoiceVerso.com

About the Book:

“The Past is always in a discordant love with the present. And it is upto us to unleash its secrets, and learn from it, not repeat it.”

Becoming Assiya is the story of a misplaced Syrian refugee and her trial with a past of Blood, wounds, War, Doubt and Hatred and the troublesome Hope of a better tomorrow. The woman’s journey encompasses through the landscape of Wartime Syria, through her mother’s journal and the rebuilding of a Post War identity for a land washed with blood, and what it meant to be alive, stuck in the middle with No Identity and Struggle, two complex concepts intermingle in this book and intersect at a common point, that of finding yourself.”

The book is available for purchase on:
1) Amazon (Kindle ) USA
2) Amazon (Kindle) India
3) Kobo
4) Barnes & Nobles
5) Smashwords

Find the book on Goodreads

About the Author:

Simran Keshwani, 20, is a Final Year literature student at the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi and has been engaged in social activism. She plans on changing the world, one word at a time.

Follow Simran:

About Voice Verso:

Voice Verso is an innovative Startup that provides eBook Publishing & marketplace for authors.
Using their proprietor DIY (Do it Yourself) Drag & Drop flipbook based writing canvas, authors can interact & publish their eBooks & sell them online. If you wish to try out the platform and kickstart your eBook Publishing journey, you can request an invite

Kick-start the new year with the Goodreads Challenge for 2017

Posted in BookWorld, Uncategorized by Namrata Ganti

This is the first post of the new year and I wanted to share my reading goals for the same.

As many of you may be aware, I was a part of the Goodreads reading challenge for last year, having pledged to read 60 books. I am proud to share that I surpassed the goal by 5 books, managing to complete 65 books in the year.

Hence, I have decided to increase that goal a little more and am pledging to read 75 books this year!

I am confident that this can be achieved and I would like to thank all you authors out there who had helped me achieve my goal last year! It is thanks to a whole lot of you contacting me for book reviews and putting your trust in me and my blog that I am here today!

Moving on from all the mushy talk, here’s to hoping that 2017 turns out to be even better than last year!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year once again!

2Feb2014

From Thine Own Well by Norm Hamilton

Posted in Book review tours, Book Reviews, Uncategorized by Namrata Ganti

Blurb:

Noxious substances in the watershed brings a society to its knees; fracking by oil companies has taken its toll.

Canadian society has been altered, seemingly irrevocably; water resources have become scarce and individual freedoms cast off.

It is now 2036, only 24 years since the most devastating of a series of international accords, one simply known as The Agreement, set the precedent for many that followed – effectively causing the federal government to collapse into ruin and dependency on corporatist rule.

Unrestricted fracking and irresponsible mining practices have caused major watersheds and underground streams to become contaminated, the precious fluid – noxious.

The sole purpose of The Coalition, a regulatory body created by the world-wide conglomerates that took over the governing of the country is to ensure the profitability of its corporate members.

In Yukon, Canada’s far north, a baker’s dozen of unknown, everyday people and one dog are loosely thrown together in an effort to combat The Coalition and its impact on Canadian lives and the environment.

Join Landon, Nora, Galen and the others who, through no design of their own, have become the unknown hope for Canada’s future. Will they prevail in the small jurisdiction they reside in and set the bar for the rest of Canada?

Only time will tell.

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Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTYsjdt4CQE

From Thine Own Well at Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18387288-from-thine-own-well?ac=1

From Thine Own Well at Amazon – http://amzn.to/19bUP20

From Thine Own Well atSmashwords – http://tinyurl.com/ny68b6t

From Thine Own Well at Kobo –http://tinyurl.com/lul7a9z

Author Bio:

Norm Hamilton (1951- ) lived in Whitehorse, Yukon for 40 years. In December 2012 he retired and is currently on Vancouver Island with his wife, Anna, where he is meeting people and experiencing new adventures to write about. He trusts that retirement will afford him the time to delve further into his writing. This photographer, freelance writer, copy-editor, proofreader and novelist is currently enjoying Lake Cowichan, B.C.

Norm’s latest project is a novel titled, “From Thine Own Well,” a story about a dystopian Canadian society brought about by unrestricted gas fracking and irresponsible mining techniques. It all began with a FIPA agreement in 2012 that left the federal government open to lawsuits – that they lost. This book is available as a paperback on Amazon, and as an eBook on Amazon Smashwords, Kobo and other online retailers.

Norm has written one non-fiction book, “The Digital Eye.” It is a compilation of articles for people wanting to improve their photography skills or for those who want to learn digital photography. This book is available as a paperback on Amazon, and as an eBook on Amazon Smashwords, Kobo and other online retailers.

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Book Page http://fromthineownwell.normhamilton.ca

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NormHamiltonWriter

Website http://normhamilton.ca/writer/

My Thoughts:

I have been reading a lot of Dystopian fiction lately and so far I have enjoyed all of them. This book came as a pleasant change from the more serious in depth stories i have been reading. The story is well written and focuses on how the general public was able to bring about a change without having to resort to violence. This really caught my attention and kept me going. The author has paid special interest to the drawbacks of mining techniques and has beautifully explained and highlighted the relevant points.

The characters are interesting and well crafted. They have diverse interests and the way everyone comes together to fight for what they want is wonderful. For once in this story, the public is not against The Agreement and The Coalition but instead they just want to set some things right. Polluting the environment is one of those things which is against the agreement as well. The people are able to make a valid case and bring their points across to everyone else and the government.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I am quite sure that fans of dystopian fiction will enjoy this and those who have not yet ventured into this genre give this book a chance.