*BookBear Presents* Gol by J.W. Webb

Welcome back! I'm excited to be working with BookBear again on the month long book tour for Gol by J.W. Webb. As you may know by now, I love supporting independent authors and hope that you will choose to support them too!

  

 

Synopsis:

Gol. A continent on the brink of destruction. Once a mighty kingdom, now six provinces torn apart by treacherous barons.
In one province two young lovers strive to stay together when all else prises them apart. Lissane and
Erun must survive to guide their people through the coming storm. The odds are stacked against
them. Erun, dreamer and fool, is chosen for a dark path. Whilst Lissane is given away by her father
the baron to wed the brutal son of a rival ruler.
Meanwhile, at the far side of the world a sorcerer has freed the fire demon, Ashmali, setting off a
chain of events that could ultimately bring about Gol's long foretold ruin. Caught between rising
seas, civil war, and approaching fire the continent’s time is fast running out.
Gol features beautiful sketches and maps by Tolkien illustrator, Roger Garland. It opens the doors on a new epic fantasy series titled Legends of Ansu. Within its content lies an sweeping tale of love, hatred, vengeance and destruction. In Gol the high courage of a few individuals is all that stands against the will of fickle gods and treachery of men. 

J.W. Webb - find out more at Legendsofansu.com

My Review:

I went into reading this story completely blind. I didn't read the blurb first, as is my preference. So I didn't know anything about it beforehand. I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I found it interesting from the beginning. The story often switches perspective, and often in the middle of the chapter and often a few times. Webb mostly accomplished this seamlessly. There were a few rough transitions, but for the most part they were done well. None of the transitions caused me any confusion, whether rough or smooth. I was actually very impressed with the way the transitions of perspective were done when it was switching from one to another without the obvious breaks in the text that denoted a switch in character and scene.

I found the story itself to be interesting. The way it is written reminds me a lot of the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, but less brutal and about 95% less incest. That's not to say there isn't adult content in Gol. There are torture scenes, sexual scenes, and other violent deaths.

I also really enjoyed the characters. It was rough going in the begging of the story for me to care and like the characters, but that did come and it didn't take too long either. For me, it came with a scene involving on of the main characters, Erun and the brothers of the girl that he loves. Even though this scene happens not too long into the beginning, I don't want to include any detail on it. It's an event that triggers the growth and journey of Erun, and I wouldn't want to spoil anything! This was the turning point for not just Erun, but other characters as well.

The story seems to flow really well, with a few rough patches here or there. I was glad to have read this on my Kindle because I found myself using the dictionary quite a bit because there were many words used that I was not familiar with. This use of obscure words (at least for me) hardly ever took away from the story. Only a few times did I look up a word and wonder why it was necessary to use that word instead of another. That being said, I do have an appreciation for the way words were used in Gol. The writing style has the feel of fantasy. Does that make sense? I don't really know how else to describe it. There are also some beautiful drawings that are in the novel right at the beginning of each book, as well as two maps in the beginning.

An example of the drawings

Gol was really enjoyable and it gets better and better as you go. It has some hiccups, as most books do. I gave Gol 4 out of 5 stars.

Go read it! :)

Until next time,

Jenell







Cover Reveal! 100 HOURS by Rachel Vincent

Check out the awesome cover for 100 HOURS, the first book in a new trilogy by New York Times best-selling author Rachel Vincent! I'm so excited to be able to share this cover with you. 100 HOURS will release on March 28, 2017 from Katherine Tegen Books. Along with this cover reveal is a note from the author about her upcoming novel and an amazing giveaway.

Scroll down to check out the gorgeous cover, read what Rachel Vincent has to say about 100 HOURS, and enter for a chance to win. And be sure to share your thoughts about the cover in the comments!

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The Cover Revealed

Title: 100 HOURS
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release date: March 28, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 368
Formats available to pre-order: Hardcover

Find it: AMAZON | GOODREADS

Description:

Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.

While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.

But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.

Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t set aside their personal problems, no one will make it out alive.

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A Note from Rachel Vincent

In my upcoming YA suspense 100 HOURS, Genesis and her cousin Maddie come from opposite ends of the privilege spectrum, but when they wind up kidnapped for ransom during spring break in Colombia and have no one else to count on, they discover they have more in common than either of them thought.

If you’ve read any of my previous releases, 100 HOURS probably seems like a departure for a Rachel Vincent book. And that’s what I thought, back when it was just me and an idea. But as I wrote the story and got to know the characters, I realized that even though this book is set in the Colombian jungle and these characters have no supernatural abilities, 100 HOURS is very much a book about the themes that draw me in over and over. Survival. Family friction and loyalty. High-stakes pulse-racing action. Twists, turns, secrets, and revelations. Girls who can fend for themselves—and for anyone else who needs help.

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About Rachel Vincent

Photo credit: Kim Haynes Photography

Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy—but social media is a close second.

WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | TUMBLR | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

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The Giveaway

Courtesy of the author, there is a blitz-wide giveaway for…

• ONE (1) winner will receive a SIGNED SET of a paperback copy of THE STARS NEVER RISE + an ARC of THE FLAME NEVER DIES

Giveaway is US only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Giveaway ends on July 11th at 11:59 PM Pacific. 

Enter in the Rafflecopter below...

  a Rafflecopter giveaway


What are your thoughts on the cover? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Jenell

2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino

Hello everyone,

 

It's the end of the weekend. It was entirely too short. Saturday, the Hubby and I went to a nice lunch and went to go see the new Warcraft movie. Sunday was spent gardening and running other errands. Over the weekend, I finished 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helen Bertino. I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. I chose this one because of a BookTuber, Lindsey Rey, that I really enjoy recommended it. I would link her account, but she seems to have stopped making YouTube videos since the time I was away from YouTube (during my most recent reading slump). Which is really unfortunate! I really enjoyed her videos! 



 

 

 

2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas. What to say about it. It is written differently that most books I read. The whole books takes place during the hours of one day. Each chapter title is the time that the events following are taking place. It's a really interesting concept. And you know from the title that something is likely going to take place at 2 A.M. What confused me before reading the book, and not having read the blurb at all, was what the heck the title meant. The Cat's Pajamas is a jazz club in the story where the culminating event takes place at 2 A.M.

 

Once I got used to the writing style, I really enjoyed it. The only thing that was a little annoying was the fact that the perspective would rapidly change from one character to another. This worked most of the time and I was able to follow it, but there were a few occasions where it did get confusing as to who you were supposed to be following.

 

The story was fun. There was a bit of romance, some mischief, some sad events in character's pasts. It was entertaining. But the end. I won't spoil it, but it left me with a sense of what the hell is happening? This is one of those stories that leaves the ending open, which is fine. But there is a scene at the end with a character by the name of Mrs. Santiago. If you've read it, I'm sure you know what I mean. That last scene was just so out of left field with no explanation as so what the heck it is supposed to be that it really brought down the overall rating of the book for me.

 

Overall, I gave 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas 3.5 out of 5 stars.

 

 

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think? Without spoiling anything, what did you think if the end? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

 

Until next time,

 

Jenell

Bats of the Republic by Zachary Thomas Dodson

Hello again!

I have another review for you all. This one is Bats of the Republic by Zachary Thomas Dodson.

This is going to be a tough one to review. This book is unique. I've never read another book like it. My library has it categorized as Science Fiction. It has those elements, but it also has a Historical Fiction aspect to it as well. It includes drawings, a few pull out pages, maps, and an envelope. It is one of the most interesting and beautiful books I've read. I originally was granted access to this book as a digital ARC from NetGalley, but never read it because I could only read it sitting at my computer as I couldn't get it on my Kindle. I decided there was no way I was going to do that, so I promptly forgot about it.

I was browsing around NetGalley not too long ago and came across this on my list. So I decided that I would just check this out from my local library instead so that I could read and review it. This book is, in my humble opinion, a much better experience as a physical book than an e-book. So if you are interested in it, I would get a hold of a physical copy.

This book. My very first reaction to this after finishing was, "What did I just read?" I was confused as to what just happened. I immediately Googled it and found out that I wasn't the only one confused by the ending and there was actually a Reddit thread where some theories are thrown around. Don't go searching for this thread unless you want to be spoiled for the book. This thread helped me to consolidate my thoughts about it a little better, but ultimately there is one thing that I'm still confused about. I can't share that thing because it would be spoiler for the book. Nor will I share my theory because it would also be a spoiler.

Basically this book is about a man from the 1800's named Zaddock Thomas and a man in the future, about 2043-ish I think, who is his descendant. His name is Ezekiel Thomas, but goes by Zeke. Zaddock is sent to Texas from Chicago on a dangerous mission to deliver a letter and Zeke inherits the letter from his grandfather in the future, apparently undelivered.

That's the basics. It's hard to go into any more detail about the story without telling too much. This is told in a series of letters written by Zaddock to Elswyth, the girl he loves back in Chicago, as well as through a book, and other transcripts. I felt like I completely missed something when I finished this book, hence the confusion. Is this book so "meta" (as I saw it called by someone) that I just didn't catch on? I think I understand it now, but can't help but feel that maybe I am missing something.

Despite the struggle with understanding the ending and how it all ties together, the writing was really very good. In the first half of the book, I really struggled with Zeke's parts. I didn't like him much, so when his parts came around, I tried to read through as fast as possible to get back to the other parts. I liked all the other perspectives in the story, just not Zeke's. After the 2nd half, I became more engrossed in the story and began to like his parts more, but they still weren't my favorite. Towards the very end, his sections become much more interesting because of the anticipation you definitely will feel by that time.

I'm still struggling to figure out a rating for this. While I enjoyed the writing for the most part, and really enjoyed the uniqueness of the storytelling method, the ending just messed with me too much and was a little anticlimactic. I don't like to be left wondering what it all means. Tie it up for me in a neat little bow Mr. Author! I'm not saying I don't like to be challenged, but I'm not really fond of endings like this. I have one nagging question (that I can't reveal because, again, spoilers), and no way for me to find out that answer! That all being said, I think I've settled on 3.5 out of 5 stars on this one. Zeke's parts not being very interesting and the way it ended brought it down for me.

Have you read this book? If you have, please tell me what you thought!! If you are going to include spoilers, please say so that way anyone who hasn't read it knows and can skip it.

Thanks for reading. Until next time.

Jenell

The Sandman: Overture Deluxe Edition by Neil Gaiman

Hello again,

 

It's been awhile....sorry about that. I'm in the midst of a reading slump and haven't been reading very much lately. That has also transferred over into blogging and my YouTube channel. I decided that it was too much to handle for me at this time. Then because I haven't been reading, I haven't had much to say. But anyway! I did recently read The Sandman: Overture Deluxe Edition by Neil Gaiman.

 

The illustrations in this graphic novel were very colorful. While some of the drawings were a little odd, the colors were really bright and really beautiful. When I see illustrations that are like the ones in this graphic novel, I always wonder how people could be so creative and think up these different creatures. Though I'm sure it was a little easier in this case to have the story that Neil Gaiman thought up to help with inspiration. Some of these are really works of art. This book feels like works of art that have a story woven into it, rather than a traditional graphic novel.

I'm still not really sure how I feel about this. It was a bit odd. I felt like I understood the story, but when I finished reading it, I also felt like maybe I was missing something. Did the meaning of the whole thing just fly right over my head? I felt like this was supposed to be some profound story and it read that way. However, once I was done reading, I was just said, "ok..."

But do take my opinion with a grain of salt when it comes to Neil Gaiman. His writing it hit or miss for me most of the time. I really want to just love everything he writes, but I don't. I enjoyed Trigger Warning and Stardust, but did not enjoy American Gods. According to my Goodreads page I didn't enjoy Neverwhere either. However, I don't remember anything about it and want to read it again.


Overall, the story was ok and while the illustrations were odd, they were really gorgeous. If you are a fan of Neil Gaiman  and enjoy graphic novels, you should definitely pick this up. I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars.

Until next time,

Jenell

Review: Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley

Welcome back!

I've got another review for you all today. This time it is Lena Coakley's Worlds of Ink and Shadow. If you don't know what this book is about, it's a novel involving the Bronte's as characters and the worlds that they created. I didn't know that much about this book going into it, as is my preference. All I knew was that it had something to do with the Brontes. I had initially received this as a digital ARC from Netgalley, but I never really got around to reading it. Instead, I checked it out from my library and read it that way.

I love Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, though I don't believe I have read any of Anne's work. However, I know very little about their actual lives. Ink and Shadow created a fantastical version of the Bronte's lives. It used characters and worlds that the Bronte's had originally created during their lifetimes. I didn't know this while reading. Only afterward when the author explains this. I thought this was kind of cool.

Coakley weaves a story around the Bronte siblings and their creations that explains the way their lives ended up. I don't really want to say any more than this because I don't want to spoil anything. This book was actually done very well. I wasn't sure, in the very beginning, if I was going to like it or not. However, that rapidly changed. I flew through this book!

With the little knowledge that I do have of their lives, Ink and Shadow seems to have followed their lives fairly closely. At least the brief period that is a part of the story. This book inspired me to pick up another book from the library, called The Brontes by Juliet Barker. At the end of the story, Coakley mentions this book as one of the resources she relied upon for her story. I didn't know this when I went to get this, but found out later when I finished the story. Apparently from a little research I did, Barker's book is very highly regarded in the research world. If you, like I, want to learn more about the Brontes, I would suggest picking up Barker's book. A word of warning, it is a very long book! :)

Back to Ink and Shadow. In this story, Charlotte and Branwell can crossover into the stories that they created. They can shape the world and also participate in it, in whichever way they choose. All is well and good until things start to go awry and they begin losing control of their plots and characters.

The whole concept was really interesting. It would be so neat to be able to actually enter a story and interact with the characters! I've always liked stories that involve actually being able to enter and participate. So this was right up my alley to begin with. Coakley's writing style felt very proper. I'm not sure if it was right on target with the time period, but it seemed to be. At least, as much as it could be and still be understandable.

One thing that I really liked was the fact that Coakley had Emily learn from a mistake she makes. She trusts one of Branwell's characters by the name of Rogue, then he does something he said he wouldn't. The next time he tries to gain her trust, she doesn't believe him. I get so frustrated when characters make the same mistake over and over again. So this was a little refreshing. Although Rogue and Emily end up having a weird relationship and I was never quite sure if Rogue was being genuine or not.

Overall an interesting story and one that I really enjoyed. I gave World of Ink and Shadow 4 out of 5 stars.

Until next time,

Jenell

Review: The Whisper King: Daughter of Shadows

Hi all,

It's been awhile, but I'm back to give you a review of Wil Radcliffe's newest release The Whisper King: Daughter of Shadows. This is the 2nd installment of The Whisper King Saga. I was asked by the author if I would like to receive a copy of the 2nd book for an honest review and I accepted.

Daughter of Shadows picks up pretty much right where the first one leaves off. It begins with the main character, David, trying to figure out a way to save his daughter. The plot sort of changes directions from there and becomes mostly about something else, but it is still related to his ultimate goal. In fact, in reflecting on the story as a whole, I'm glad that it was done that way. I don't think the story would have been as good had it solely been  about trying to rescue her. 

I really enjoyed this story! I like The Whisper King just fine. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. But this one, I liked it a lot more! It was exciting and griping! I wanted to know what was going to happen next! There is a certain element to it that I never quite get used to, which is the violence and brutality. It's just not something that you see in fiction...or at least the fiction that I normally read. There's also the mature language. Also not something super prolific in the books that I typically read. However, the language doesn't bother me. 

Wil Radcliffe has a way with words. Many of his metaphors made me laugh, partly because they were funny, and partly because they were unexpected. Although the language used could sometimes be crude, I very much enjoyed his writing style. He has created a world that has many fantastical and horrific elements in it, yet his writing feels more real and relate-able. His characters are flawed and they make mistakes. Many of them are "monsters," but they seem to behave more like a real person would. 

I very much enjoyed Daughter of Shadows and am looking forward to the next installment in the series! I have this 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Until next time,

Jenell