Review | The Holly Nather Trilogy, Sara Daniell

The Holly Nather Trilogy by Sara Daniell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads description:

Holly is just your typical college student. She goes to classes during the day and spends her nights either hanging out with friends or wasting an embarrassing amount of time on social networking. Her life is ordinary, nothing interesting or extravagant. That is - until she meets Luke. This enigmatic and on-the-verge-of-stalker guy brings excitement into her dull, routine life, introducing her to a world outside of her own...A world of magic...A world called Terre. As the saying goes: "With knowledge comes power" and with power comes danger. Holly is quickly and unexpectedly throw into a life of chaos, a life that she believed to only exist in science fiction films. Visions of this day have finally come into play, secrets have been told, and choices must be made. (This e-book includes All 3 books in the trilogy, plus Brody's Short Story & Luke's Vision Journal.)


My Review

A clever fantasy series:

It begins as a seemingly simple boy-meets-girl…or rather stalker-meets-girl, but develops into a rich story of otherworldly mysteries, secrets, duplicitous scheming – and power plays.

Holly is pursued by good-looking Luke who seems like a weird kind of guy at first, but she’s inexplicably drawn to him nevertheless. There is something mysterious and intriguing about him, and all that Holly thinks she knows, she doesn’t. There is so much to discover, and in this trilogy she is taken through a terrifying adventure in which she is hunted, demeaned, and targeted by villainous characters from the world of Terre.

Luke fights against the arranged marriage which two powerful families have contrived for him, and – following his visions – sets himself to the task of protecting the girl of his dreams and the girl of his true desire.

The story is like a high speed car chase as Holly and Luke run from the hunters. Magic abounds; power-struggles are cleverly depicted in the backdrop, and there’s a whole lot of action and surprise as Holly must discover her own hidden powers and save herself and her new love.

Good read, lively-paced, and recommended for those who enjoy a speedy adventure packed with fantasy and romance.


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Review | Stained, Ella James

Stained by Ella James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Intricate fantasy epic:

Julia’s young life has been an endurance test, until, finally, she is happily taken from an orphanage to a loving family home. She at last knows happiness – the elusive state she has always sought – until she returns home to find her adoptive parents’ home destroyed by an evil entity. Fleeing from the death and destruction, she takes refuge in an abandoned warehouse. But her temporary safety is viciously interrupted by the same creature that destroyed her home. Enter Cayne, a powerful hunter from another realm who saves her from this creature, but pays dearly for it in the battle. Samyaza, the king of Nephilim, flees…leaving Julia to try and help the mortally injured Cayne. Her healing powers bring this young man back from the brink of death… and then the adventure kicks into overdrive.

On the run from Samyaza, the beast determined to kill Julia, she and Cayne flee. Using his mystical powers, he is bound to protect Julia, but he isn’t prepared to tell her why she is being hunted. Cayne is a frustratingly secretive and stoic individual, and Julia fights at every twist and turn to get him to open up and tell her why they are being hunted, and why he is determined to kill any Nephilim that cross their path. She also fights to mute her growing attraction to Cayne, confused by rapid events and confused by her own undeniable feelings.

This story is like a high-speed car chase, all action and tension, in which the two race across the country to avoid the attackers – but also to find Samyaza so that Cayne can try and defeat him. It’s a speedy adventure, with secrets gradually revealed, which keeps you guessing at every new chapter why Julia is the target and Cayne her protector.

If you like mystery, romance, and a wealth of fantasy adventure, this one is definitely for your TBR list. Recommended.

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New Blog Introduction...

A quick hello...

This new spot will be mostly for reviews.... but will inevitably contain some random musings. (I can't help that, I love the sound of my own keyboard). I'm also looking to start some interviews next year.

As to the reviews, for reference each book I review is posted to Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, and this blog of course :)

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And finally, I'll also be using this blog for promotions - not just my own stuff, of course, but books I've really enjoyed and whose authors I've connected with one way or another.

I've got a lot of writing to get on with throughout summer, so the blog will probably be slow to start, but will pick up speed later in the year.

Thanks to anyone who pays this any attention - all readers and followers much appreciated.

Gareth