 SynopsisEveryone in the islands of O'Ceea has a magical ability: whatever they imagine can be brought into existence. Whoever becomes a master over these powers is awarded the title of magician and given fame, power, riches, and glory. Journey with a group of kids as they strive to rise to the top and become members of the Magician's Workshop. Layauna desperately wants to create beautiful things with her magical powers, but all she can seem to do is make horrible, savage monsters. For years she has tried to hide her creations, but when her power is at last discovered by a great magician, she realizes that what she's tried to hide might actually be of tremendous value. Kai just wants to use his powers to have fun and play with his friends. Unfortunately, nearly everyone on his island sees him as a bad influence, so he's forced to meet them in secret. When one of the creatures they create gets out of control and starts flinging fireballs at their town, Kai is tempted to believe that he is as nefarious as people say. However, his prospects change when two mysterious visitors arrive, praising his ability and making extraordinary promises about his future. Follow the adventures of Kai, Layauna, and a boatload of other characters as they struggle to grow up well in this fantastical world. ~ My Review ~I like the idea of having a collection of stories centered on magic and children. I like and appreciate the concept of projections; the act of projecting an item, or element, or voices, to other people. What I didn’t like was the feeling of having an intermission in the middle of watching these “wannabe magicians.” Do they get a Color? What’s going to happen to their morale if they don’t? What will happen to my favorite orphans? What are the magicians’ doing trying to make projections real?? Why didn’t I also ask for Volume 2??? I will point out that I felt like I got lost a bit in this world. I didn’t know who we were meeting next, or what was happening. But I like that as separated these kids were from each other – by societal ranks, or region, or by their own stories – I know that they’ll connect at some point and finally answer these questions. I recommend this to anyone who loves magic, and fantasy, and projected monsters. I don’t know if the authors meant it or not, but I found a few life lessons here, about projecting falsehoods being easily uncovered, and that even if we can’t quite grasp a projection, it’s all very real to the person it’s projected to. I was amused and entertained reading about the Magician’s Workshop but I’d like to definitely get a hold of Volume 2 to finish out the story! ***I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I am not required to write a positive one. These thoughts and opinions are my own.*** About the AuthorsChristopher Hansen
The first glimmering Chris Hansen had that there was far more to reality than he had ever imagined occurred six days after his ninth birthday. "Christopher!" cried a wise, old sage. "Life is full of deep magic. Miraculous things happen all around us." Chris looked around him and asked, "Where? I don't see anything spectacular." The man held out a pair of glasses. "Here, put these on." The boy placed them over his eyes and--"Whoa!" He was gobsmacked by the Wonder he saw. But it lasted only a moment. The man vanished in a flash of starlight and the lenses melted and trickled down his cheeks. Then a message was sung into his ear, "Go and seek what you have seen." Full of expectation and childlike optimism, Chris set out. To his great joy, this quest has led him to discover many more glimmerings of this miraculous Wonder, often in the most unexpected of places. J.R. Fehr When J.R. Fehr popped out of the womb, he knew there was more to the world than the four boring hospital walls that he was seeing. "Zango!" his newborn mind exclaimed as he saw people appear and disappear through a mysterious portal in the wall. As a child, he continued to find life whoa-tazzling. But as he grew older, the cold water of reality hit him, and the magic he once knew vanished. After spending some wet and shivering years lost in a joyless marshland, he once again began to see magic in the world. He writes because the Wonder of true life is far grander than anything he ever thought possible.
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Today is the cover reveal for Amanda Lester and the Gold Spectacles Surprise by Paula Berinstein. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. This cover is designed by Anna Mogileva. 
Amanda Lester and the Gold Spectacles Surprise (Amanda Lester, Detective #6)
By Paula Berinstein Genre: Detective/ Mystery Age category: Young Adult Release Date: 27 March, 2017 Blurb: What is Professor Scribbish hiding? Amanda and her friends have known about the mysterious Detective’s Bible for some time. But what they never dreamed was that old Lovelace Earful, Legatum’s founder and the author of the precious book, had much more up his sleeve than that. Now a strange pair of gold-rimmed spectacles he designed has fallen into the hands of the Moriarty brothers. But the glasses have been stolen, and it falls to Amanda to figure out where they are and get them back before . . . what? All she knows is that they’re powerful and the bad guys want them. But in order to acquire them she’ll have to penetrate a fortress where a new enemy is waiting—one who has already targeted Scapulus Holmes and is coming for her next. What she doesn’t know is that sometimes you should leave well enough alone. You can find Amanda Lester and the Gold Spectacles Surprise on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32997634-amanda-lester-and-the-gold-spectacles-surprise You can get your copy of Amanda Lester and the Gold Spectacles Surprise for free for a limited time on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Lester-Spectacles-Surprise-Detective-ebook/dp/B01N9XL9Q2/ About the Author
Paula Berinstein is nothing like Amanda. For one thing, she’s crazy about Sherlock Holmes. For another, she’s never wanted to be a filmmaker. In addition, compared to Amanda she’s a big chicken! And she wouldn’t mind going to a secret school at all. In fact, she’s hoping that some day she’ll get to build one.
You can find and contact Paula here: - Website: http://amandalester.net - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLesterDetective - Twitter: http://twitter.com/pberinstein - Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/969582.Paula_Berinstein/ - Paula's blog on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/969582.Paula_Berinstein/blog - The Writing Show podcasts: http://www.writingshow.com - Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bQW4GP
Giveaway
There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of Amanda Lester and the Gold Spectacles Surprise. These are the prizes you can win: - a 30$ Amazon gift card - 2 paperback copies of Amanda Lester and the Gold Spectacles Surprise  I read this before I read the other three. I was immediately hooked. I wanted to know the story behind Paul Colt and his dad. I needed to figure out what was happening with Nora Brice. If you've read the other ones first, then you know that this story is how Gemma's parents fall in love. There is just enough mystery to keep you guessing, and turning page after page. I love that Kenechi switches points of views between Nora and Paul. This was sweet. It was short (my only complaint). And it does lead you to understand some actions Paul takes later on in the series. Love is such a powerful motive. But grief, anger, guilt and shame are just as powerful enough to make you forget why you're fighting and who you're fighting for. This is a boy meets girl story in which you already know the sad fate. But this beginning shows you just how powerful Gemma is. If she is anything like her parents, and I'm not talking about her amazing abilities, but the strength and goodness of her mom and the fierce protectiveness and loyalty from her dad. What more could you want in a heroine? * I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Mentalist Series   Synopsis "There was nothing unusual about the night everything changed. No flashing lights in the sky, no searing fire in my belly; no sign whatsoever to suggest the shift which was to come…Nora Brice did strange things to me. Strange and awful things…" Paul Colt has a problem, and it is not one most teenage boys face. Yes, he likes a girl; one he’s pretty certain he’ll do foolish things for, given the chance. But he can’t go after her, or any other girl for that matter. That’s what he gets for being an Averter; forced to toe the line for the propagation of the collective. He knows some rules are okay to trifle with, and there are some which should never be broken. The gravest of them all? Don’t fall in love. Ever. This is the story of how Paul breaks that rule. This prequel novella to the Mentalist Series can be read before or after Aversion, Book One of The Mentalist Series. About the AuthorKenechi lives in London and enjoys writing short stories, paranormal and fantasy fiction (some of which she posts on her blog - http://caeblogs.wordpress.com). She also hates the cold and hopes to one day figure out how to hibernate in winter.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KenechiUdogu Twitter: @KenechiUdog  The third act of a play is where it all usually comes together. The waiting, the mystery of two forces, and the inevitable meeting and fighting back ends here. Right here in this third and final book of the Mentalist Series. The gang is officially tired of running away. I don't like giving away spoilers, so I won't say a whole lot about this book. I will say that this was written in both Russ and Gemma's point of view. We can hear Russ' running internal dialogue of being galant trying to find a way to protect his lady love, and then the reality that he's still just a teenage boy and he's afraid. And he's not as strong or equipped to protect his love as he wants to think he is. The world he knew as a kid is not the same one he's been running around in. Bad guys do exist. Powers beyond our control can be manifested to hurt us and others. Words and alliances can be twisted. Gemma's internal musings are no different. One the one hand, she has accepted whatever fate lies ahead but she is still just a girl who wants to be home and safe with Russ, and her dad. She does gets braver and takes more risks with each book. More action, foreshadowing, a looming threat, and perhaps, a happy ever after........but one can never be sure what's in store for these twins! Once again, thank you, Kenechi Udogu, for supplying me with this book. I was sweating bullets there for a while but way to end the series! I can't wait to read more of your work! * I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. * For my review on BOOK ONE, click here. * For my review on BOOK TWO, click here. Aversion - Book One Sentient – Book Two Keepers – Book Three Broken Ties – Prequel The dust appears to have settled after the brief descent of the Progressive Empaths on Sandes. But, if there is any truth to Anthony’s story, Gemma and her friends know they might soon have to face the mysterious Keepers. Myth or real threat, one thing is certain; running is no longer an option, for any of them. Can Gemma protect the ones she loves without forming an unlikely alliance? About the AuthorKenechi lives in London and enjoys writing short stories, paranormal and fantasy fiction (some of which she posts on her blog - http://caeblogs.wordpress.com). She also hates the cold and hopes to one day figure out how to hibernate in winter.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KenechiUdogu Twitter: @KenechiUdog  Ahh book 2. The second book of a trilogy is usually a little more slower. We get to know more about Gemma, and more about the world of Mentalists. In the previous book, there was enough mystery to keep us interested. In Sentient, we started getting bombshells! So much happens in this one, and I'm not going to spoil anything!! Just trust me when I say that the second book of ANY TRILOGY are usually my favorites (Catching Fire for Hunger Games, and the Scorch Trials for the Maze Runner just to name a couple). Gemma and Russ, we learned at the end of Book One, are Sentient Twins. This would explain why they both are pulled towards each other. She learns more about some secrets her dad kept from her, and a little more about why she's "special." In this one, we meet quite a number of people that pull the story along. There are more actions, but also a lot of waiting around for the other shoe to drop. It's this waiting for the other shoe to drop that drives Gemma. She's more anxious and more on guard. In this book, we also get to know more about Russ. Russ has become my favorite! He stays grounded, stays calm, and is the voice of reason to Gemma's runaway thoughts. Together, they realize the strength they have. Apart, well.....apart, Russ is still the voice of calm, and Gemma is still anxiety filled. Although she's the "special one," and the one with the abilities, you realize it's Russ that grounds her, and allows her to focus on what really matters. Chasing bad guys, fine. Giving bad guys a taste of what you can do when you put them together? Priceless. What more could you want in a Sentient? . * For my review on BOOK ONE, click here. * I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. SynopsisAversion - Book One Sentient – Book Two Keepers – Book Three Broken Ties – Prequel Mastering her Progressive Empath abilities isn’t going as well as Gemma hoped. In fact, months after finding out what she really is, she still has no clue what this truly means. All she can do is wait to see if any new abilities will eventually manifest. Things aren’t going great with Russ either. Unsure of how to handle her Sentient Link with him, she tries to integrate herself in his busy social life but struggles to adjust to her new circumstances. When she is plagued by recurring nightmares, Gemma realises things are changing and knows she has to do something, fast. The arrival of two sets of strangers in town, both offering the much needed assistance she needs to unearth her powers, escalates the situation even further. Gemma attempts to decipher whose intentions are genuine, but does she have enough time to figure out who has her best interest at heart? About the AuthorKenechi lives in London and enjoys writing short stories, paranormal and fantasy fiction (some of which she posts on her blog - http://caeblogs.wordpress.com). She also hates the cold and hopes to one day figure out how to hibernate in winter.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KenechiUdogu Twitter: @KenechiUdog  *I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. In Book 1, Aversion, we are introduced to Gemma Green. She’s your typical teenage outcast. You know the one: beautiful but doesn’t believe she is, smart, and keeps to herself? She has this ability to avert people’s actions by mind control, and comes from a line of Averters. Only, she’s a girl, which is unheard of. Averters are almost always male. She already knows she’s different being what she is, and then to know you’re also an anomaly in a world of “abnormals?” On her first day of becoming an official “Averter,” she feels like she messed it up because the person whose mind she was controlling, was supposed to forget about her. Only he doesn’t. And he’s not just any person, he’s the school’s tennis champ. And he starts to follow her around, and starts asking questions about who she is. This series was so great that I ignored my family that was visiting for Spring Break week! It was quick and fast paced enough for me to keep turning the pages – er swiping the screen – and well written enough that I was mesmerized by Gemma, and whatever she actually is. I’ve read enough YA paranormal to already know how *most of them turn out. But this series? The concepts weren’t anything new – Empath, people with abilities, people with abilities being chased by powerful people, but I like how Kenechi Udogu paced this book, and wrote out Gemma’s 15 year old thoughts without sounding too cliché and too cheesy. Yes, there was some teenage angst about not fitting in, but she was mature enough to understand the whys of their situation. Any 15 year old would have cause to rebel, but Gemma doesn’t. There is loyalty in her father, faith in what she is, and what she’s meant to do, and enough strength to question those loyalties, her abilities, and who she could become. You are some kind of special, Gemma Green, and not just because of all these things that people say you are or aren’t. This was my first foray into your world, and I can say, you are definitely not an aversion! Aversion - Book One Sentient – Book Two Keepers – Book Three Broken Ties – Prequel Aversion Synopsis For Gemma Green’s first time, things should have been straightforward. Find your subject, hold their gaze and push a thought into their head to save them from future disaster – Aversion complete. A pretty simple process given that the subject was to have no recollection of the experience. But Russ Tanner doesn’t seem to want to forget. In fact the more she tries to avoid him, the more he pushes to get to know her. Gemma knows she has a problem but is she facing the side effects of a failed Aversion or has the school’s tennis champ really fallen for her? About the AuthorKenechi lives in London and enjoys writing short stories, paranormal and fantasy fiction (some of which she posts on her blog - http://caeblogs.wordpress.com). She also hates the cold and hopes to one day figure out how to hibernate in winter.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KenechiUdogu Twitter: @KenechiUdogu 
Today is the cover reveal for The Return by Kelly St. Clare. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. |
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I use Goodread's rating scale1 star – didn’t like it
2 stars – it was OK 3 stars – liked it 4 stars – really liked it 5 stars – it was so amazing, it's on my reread pile! Categories
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