Redemption - A TBC Review

Redemption 

by Jessica Therrien

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Redemption is the final instalment in Jessica Therrien's "Children of the Gods" trilogy.

All our favourite characters are back for more adventures and action. In this final book, the descendants' world is given an almost post-apocalyptic make-over.  The story moves
 at a a fast pace and character, world and plot development all hurtle along.

Will it all end in a "happy ever after"? Will humans and descendants finally embrace their differences and work together to create a new world?

Jessica Therrien successfully combines ancient myth with modern problems and ideology. Although all three books seem to have a different focus, all are well written, with continued character and story development. This final book definitely has some darker moments that would delight any fan of  post-apocalyptic fantasy  fiction.

Uprising - A TBC Review

Uprising

by Jessica Therrien

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elyse and her friends are back for more adventures in this second book of the "Children Of The Gods" Trilogy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would definitely say that the series is a strong new entry to the Young Adult paranormal genre.
Uprising sees our favourite heroes and villains return, this time though things are getting serious. Will Elyse and her friends escape the clutches of the council? Will they succeed in creating a world that is free and fair for the descendants? Will Elyse and William's whirlwind romance continue to grow?

This book is much faster paced than the first one, the characters are coming into their own and Jessica Therrien weaves a tale of excitement and wonder. The plot is more action filled and the descendants finally get to shine and show off their abilities.

It is definitely a Young Adult series and, as such, does not have the epic depths and complexity of more adult fantasy novels, but I nonetheless really enjoy reading these books.

My thanks go to #TBC, the author and publisher for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oppression - A TBC Review

Oppression

by Jessica Therrien

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oppression is the first book in Jessica Therrien's Children of God's series. We meet the main character, Elyse and her friends and are taken into another world, which exists within ours. Elyse was led to believe her entire life that she had a rare genetic disease, inherited from her parents, which means that she ages more slowly than others. We enter her life when she is 89 years old, but still looks very much like a teenager.

Jessica Therrien has created a story which has all the elements for a modern young adult tale and then added her own stamp on this popular genre by giving Children of the Gods a Greek mythology flavour. We meet the descendants and their incredible powers, derived from the Greek Gods of old.

The story unfolds at a good pace, likeable main characters and despicable "baddies" battle and scheme for order. An intriguing first instalment, this book will leave any young reader wanting to pick up the story in the next book.

Will Elyse find her happy ever after? Will she fulfil the prophecy? I am sure I will enjoy book 2 as much as i did this one.

Part supernatural romance, part action, this book is sure to delight especially younger teenage girls.

The Alpha Drive - Netgalley Review

The Alpha Drive

by Kristen Martin

The reader is taken to the year 2055, where half the world's population is living in an alternative reality, Dormance. Emery and her friends are experiencing life in Dormance and it is not until Emery leaves for boarding school that Torin, a young hacker on the outside, makes contact with her and both work together to wake up the world.

The concept and idea for the basis of the book are brilliant and novel. However, the author fails to build the characters and the world they live in. The reader is pretty much taken straight to the action and into the (often very intense and strange) friendships and relationships. You are not entirely sure which side is playing which and I am honestly still not 100% certain why or how "dormance" came about. The story touches on several obviously important things and then fails to explain this importance and relevance. I am hoping that the sequel will reveal more, not only about the characters themselves but also about the world they live in and how these items are connected. There is definitely huge potential here to build on this and to expand and get readers drawn in, but more details are needed.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

The Dog, Ray - Netgalley Review

The Dog, Ray

by Linda Coggin

This is a lovely, gentle book for younger readers aged 10+. Even though this is a book for children, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the character developments and the relationships that evolve. This book is about love, relationships, life... and death and life AFTER death. 

Daisy is killed in a car accident, she finds herself being reborn as a puppy. A mix up at the "job centre" means that her memories remain. Narrated from Daisy's viewpoint as a puppy and dog, this is a heart-warming tale of hope, love and friendship.