Saturday 26 April 2014

Sarah’s Review of Insurgent by Veronica Roth

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I was lucky enough to be able to pick up this book, Insurgent, immediately after reading Divergent, the first in the trilogy. I’m glad I didn’t have to wait too long to continue with the saga. This novel picks up right where Divergent left off, and while Roth does do a lot of explaining and refreshing of events for us, I’m glad the other book was still fresh in my mind so I understood what was going on right from the beginning, as this book is action packed right from the start.

In this book, Tris (Beatrice Prior), is faced with the task of continuing to save everyone she cares about, while dealing with being haunted from her previous choices, grief over those she lost, all while trying to figure out who she really is. After her initiation day into the Dauntless faction chaos erupted and the threat of war is in the air. Now more than ever people need to decide which side they want to be on as the factions slowly fall apart. It is very important now for Tris to embrace her identity as a Divergent as secrets come forward and decisions must be made that can change everything, including losing some of those she loves.

Tris is such a strong female character and I love how Roth makes her out to be not only heroic, but also realistic. I think we can all relate at least a little bit to Tris. Even though she is risking her life and fighting with everything she has, it’s also very clear that she has her own internal struggles, with love and grief, and this book shows us that even the strongest people can’t be strong all of the time. With her divergence, she is able to see things from differing perspectives, unlike some of the other characters that are strictly stuck in one faction and they can’t see past their own beliefs to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.

Roth has a way of writing that makes you wonder if what is happening at that moment is the truth, or if there is something hidden. Some of her characters bring forth surprising secrets of their own and we are left wondering who we can trust. Loyalties are challenged. Even the love relationship with Tris and Tobias is challenged and we are unsure if we can trust that it is strong enough to last or if they can trust each other enough in the end.

The overall theme throughout I’d say has to do with figuring out what is right or wrong, but it is not as clear cut as that. Something might seem wrong, yet thinking logically, you would believe it to be right. We are shown to trust our instincts and go with our gut feeling, even if that means going against what we initially believe to be right. We also see a lot of conspiracies within the novel. There are so many people working against others that sometimes it’s hard to keep them straight.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a lot of action, almost too many different things going on, and different places in which they find themselves in, that it was sometimes hard to remember it all. But it flowed well and it all comes together wonderfully. The ending was well done and sets up the next book perfectly. Although in the back of my mind I was always thinking that it might go that way, you’re never sure until it happens. There are so many possibilities that you are kept on the edge of your seat.

If you have read the first book I’d recommend continuing with the trilogy. If you have not read the first book, Divergent, then you need to get your hands on it and dive in!
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4039811.Veronica_Roth

Wednesday 16 April 2014

COVER REVEAL - Dark Deliverance (Divine Hunter book 2) by L.J. Sealey

 

I am beyond thrilled to be able to share author L.J. Sealey's cover for her newest novel. Dark Deliverance is the second novel in her Divine Hunter Series.

About DARK DELIVERANCE

Sometimes you just have to go to Hell and back. . .
 
Forced apart, Lacy and Michael are now living very different lives. Michael is in Kentucky fighting demons and searching for a way to save his friend but even with the help of new allies he is hitting nothing but dead ends. Faced with no other choice, Michael returns to Hell and is determined to save Evo and put an end to his enemy so he can be reunited with the woman who holds his heart.
Lacy is trying to piece her life back together in Oakland but is struggling to fill the void that is almost tearing her apart. Just as she’s about to hit rock bottom, a new friend could hold the key to reuniting her with Michael. But at what cost?
Both find themselves in less than perfect circumstances. The repercussions of which lead them to discover a new threat born of Varesh and his growing army of demons: a new weapon, and a new plan that will ultimately lead to the end of the world as they know it. Will Michael’s new power be enough to destroy Varesh and protect not only the people he cares about, but also the rest of humanity?
 
 RELEASE DATE : JUNE/JULY 2014
 
AND HERE IS THE COVER!!!
 


AUTHOR BIO:

L.J. Sealey was born and raised in a little Welsh town by the sea. It rains a lot, so she often has a great excuse to sit at her writing desk and while away the hours at her laptop.
She still lives in N.Wales and when she’s not travelling around the country working with her husband – who is a professional singer – or singing backup vocals herself, she likes to read and watch her favourite TV shows which normally includes plenty of CSI, The Vampire Diaries and endless amounts of sitcoms. Being addicted to reading about vampires, demons, shifters and angels, she has always had a thing for all things paranormal and is a big sucker for impossible love stories. So it was inevitable that when she started writing herself she would mix the two together.
 

 
You can find out more about L.J. Sealey at the following and see what she's up to :
 
Website: http://www.ljsealey.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorljsealey
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lj_sealey
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ljsealey
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+LJSealeyAuthor

AWAKEN, Book 1 in the Divine Hunter series, is currently on offer on Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble.

 
 

Links for Awaken:
Amazon Global: http://goo.gl/I7K8ix 
iBooks US: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/awaken-divine-hunter-1/id739564485?mt=11
iBooks: UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/awaken-divine-hunter-1/id739564485?mt=11
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/awaken-divine-hunter-1/4nkUB8a-_0O7jtMyAPNXCw
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/awaken-lj-sealey/1117352014?ean=2940045373623




  
 Here's your chance to win your own eBook copy!
 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday 4 April 2014

Sarah’s Review of Divergent by Veronica Roth


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I finally got my hands on the Divergent Series by Veronica Roth and to start all I can say is WOW!!! This first novel blew me away! It was amazing! In this book, you meet the main character, Beatrice Prior, who lives in a dystopian Chicago that is separated in factions, five factions to be exact. These factions are Candor, where the people value and live by the virtue of honesty; Abnegation, where the selfless live; Dauntless, which houses the brave; Amity, which are the peacemakers; and Erudite, who value intelligence above all else. Every year, all of the sixteen year olds have to make a selection and decide which faction they wish to live in and therefore dedicate their whole lives to. If you choose the faction you have grown up in then you can continue to live with your family, but if you choose otherwise, then you must give up your family for what you believe. Beatrice needs to decide if she should stay with her family or give into who she really is. On the appointed day her choice surprises not only her family, but also herself.

The book then takes you into the world of initiation into the faction of her choosing. Since this is the beginning of her life now, she decides that she needs a new name, Tris. She finds a new group of people she wants to call her friends, but is struggling with whether they really like her or if they are just using her. She also finds herself attracted to an older boy, whom she’s not sure if he shares her desires; which can be fascinating yet frustrating all at the same time. Tris also is keeping a secret about herself hidden from everyone, even those closest to her, because the truth could be tragic for her. During initiation into her chosen faction she also learns a secret that could jeopardize everyone she has ever loved, and has to decide whether she should conform or follow her true self to help those she loves, no matter the cost.

Veronica Roth is an amazing writer. The plot is fast-paced and unpredictable. I never knew what I was going to find on the next page, and therefore just had to keep reading to find out. It is definitely a page turner. Even within the exciting world of Tris, Roth manages to throw in some good life lessons. Overall this story starts out as a coming of age book, where Beatrice (Tris) has to make a big decision at the young age of sixteen that will affect the rest of her life. She needs to know enough about herself and look deep within to find out what virtues she possesses and whether that is worth leaving her family and all she has ever known. Tris deals with internal struggles throughout the book, even after she chooses her faction, as she tries to figure out who she really is, her true self-identity. Tris comes to realize what her strengths and weaknesses are, and are surprised to find certain strengths she never thought she had. I also love the romance story that Roth has weaved into the book. The whole time you are wondering what is going to happen and what the subtle, or not so subtle, tips are that the boy is giving her. Is he trying to tell her something more? Help her? Warn her?

I can’t wait to dive into the second book, Insurgent. If you are a fan of the Hunger Games, then I suggest you pick up this series and dive into Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago.

Release Day Tour - Mortal Heart by L.J. Sealey

Title: Mortal Heart Series: Divine Hunter Series Book #4 Release Date: 20th September 2019 Blurb: When two hearts ...