November 28, 2012

Review: Darklandia by T.S. Welti


Blurb:
Manhattan, 2147


Seventeen-year-old Sera Fisk gleefully celebrates the death of her 114-year-old great-grandmother, the last Atraxian alive who still remembers what New York was like before Felicity.

There is only one principle of Felicity: Suffering is optional. Those who disagree or forget this principle, as Sera's father did, are detained and "purified". Through the use of the Darklandia virtual reality and mandatory water rations, the Department of Felicity has transformed metropolises all over the country into happy, obedient communities.



Inspired by her great-grandmother's last words, Sera stops drinking the water rations and is soon recruited by Nyx into a rebel organization in the midst of planning a full-scale attack on Darklandia. When Nyx attempts to override the Darklandia system, he stumbles upon shocking information about Sera and her family. After years of living in a haze of virtual reality and drugs, Sera finds herself running from a powerful surge of raw emotions and a government agency intent on keeping reality a secret.

My Thoughts:
In my opinion the book started out kind of sketchy. The action just started up with no buildup or character development but once I had a clear idea of what was going on and who the main players were I quickly got sucked into the story.

The future laid out in the book is very realistic. In most dystopian stories I find the trajedy of the future a little hard to swallow but the Felicity way of life actually seems like a possibility to me. That alone made the book a bit more enjoyable than other dystopian novels I've read.

I've seen a few reviews that has people genuinly upset over the ending but I actually enjoyed it. It made me want to go back to the beginning to see If I missed any of the signs.

My Recommendation:
I recommend this one for all dystopian readers.


November 18, 2012

Review: Devil's Gate: A Kane Pryce Novel by F. J. Lennon



Blurb: 
Some places are doomed to be haunted . . .

Twenty-eight-year-old Kane Pryce used to have one of the strangest jobs in the world—capturing and exorcising spirits from people’s lives. After the stress of the job finally got to him, he left ghost hunting and has been busy reinventing himself as the lead guitarist of a band on the brink of success. But it isn’t long before Kane is asked to investigate a case involving Pasadena’s infamous Suicide Bridge, and gets sucked back into the supernatural realm. A mysterious force is luring hopeless victims to their death off the bridge, and Kane must discover what power is keeping the lost souls trapped there.

As Kane uncovers the sinister, deadly secrets of the bridge, he spirals into the dangerous, shadowy world of the occult—the seedy underground world of the Hollywood music scene, tumultuous romances, and maddening journeys into the shattered minds of suicide victims. With the Soul Trap as his only defense, Kane must combat evil supernatural forces on a spiritual battlefield, a place between life and death, where the fate of his own soul hangs in the balance.

My Thoughts: 
In 2010 I read the first book in the Kane Pryce series, Soul Trapper (my review), and absolutely loved it. I couldn't wait to read this next installment and it didn't disappoint.  Lennon weaves a real bridge in Pasadena, California and some if it's urban legends into the story (read a bit about the real bridge here) which makes it the perfect place for Kane's next foray into the supernatural underworld. Growing up in Los Angeles made this book all too real for me. I've driven over the bridge in the story and have been in many of the locations mentioned. That made the book a fun read in addition to the engaging storyline. 

Again you can't help but think of Kane as a lovable loser. This time around he's on the brink of stardom  but working on this soul trapping case just might end his dream before it begins. Eva, his love interest in Soul Trapper is still around despite the way things ended and Kane alternates between trying to win her back and alienating her for good. The rest of the characters in the book bring so much life to the story and I loved every one of the (demons excluded LOL).

Recommendation:

Devil's Gate is an incredible suspense read that I highly recommend but if you haven't read Soul Trapper, start there so you don't miss any part of this amazing series!