Okay, so I've stated before that I do not like to give bad book reviews. In fact, I tried everything under the sun to like these books. I read through book 1, 2 and 3 and could not make myself read book 4. So brace yourselves, I'm about to get real.
Imagine watching a movie but instead of watching it flow seamlessly, watch it still frame by still frame. One picture at a time. That is what reading these books are like. Each chapter is choppy with no transition from one scene to the next. She throws characters into the mix only to have them be dropped in the next chapter and never heard from again. There is no backstory, no explanations, no thorough description of anything. Shade, the main character, takes everything at face value and just follows random people/elves to various conflicts simply b/c she is told to do it. She has maybe a page or two with one character and then several chapters later (after these characters have been dropped as previously mentioned), Shade laments that her dearest friends are in danger and such. Seriously, one paragraph and I'm supposed to understand the connection between two characters?!?
And here's the really disappointing thing, Purdy has the potential to make this a great book series. The premise of the story is great! The love story is kinda cool and I only read through 3 books b/c I wanted to see where she took Shade and Dylan. But I can't stand the disjointed nature of the book. It reminded of a 15 year old's first attempt at a book report. It has some great points and potential to really be enjoyable but it's so choppy that it feels juvenile and unprofessional. I was really distraught over how much I disliked reading this. I wanted to like it so much. I wanted to see how she completes the story in book 4 but I don't know if I can sit through anymore.
Let me just add one more thought: I love that there are authors out there who are self-publishing. Not only are the books fairly inexpensive but they also get published much quicker. However, sometimes the publishing process is so worth it. There tend to be WAY more mistakes and inconsistencies in self-published books. Another series, Paranormal Public, was one I started. I went through EIGHT books in the series and got to the point where the inconsistencies became too much and I refuse to read anymore. Please authors, consider going through the publishing process. The mistakes, the discrepancies, the disjointed nature can take a good book and send it spiraling into disaster. As is the case in Ever Shade, Ever Fire, and Ever Winter.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
the Velesi Trilogy by L. Filloon
So this review will encompass all 3 books: The Binding, The Drifting, and The Whispering.
First off: there is no sex in this book. Some suggestive statements but nothing descriptive like that. There is some foul language, particularly in Book 3 but I would recommend this to an older teen. It is definitely YA.
This series is great if you love books about the fae, faeries, elves, that sort of thing. The story jumps up and starts running right out of the gate. Lily is thrown into this world and within the first chapter she is finding out she is betrothed to an elf prince and is wanted dead or alive. She is literally thrown into this storyline....there is no build-up. However, this author does it in such a way that you don't feel like you're missing a lot of details. Things are explained as you go along and you find the action of the book forward moving.
What sells me on this book is her cast of characters. Often in books, the main couple/love interests make the book interesting but not this book. Every. single. character is funny and lovable and I want her to write a series about each and every one of them. As much as I get invested in the relationship of Lily and Tharin, I find myself rooting for Julia and Tolan as well. I love Tolan. He is kinda the sidekick but he is so LOVABLE! And the fellas that round up the ensemble: Alorn, Phoris, Ziri, and Mellis. I think I find myself more in love with Mellis than Tharin, which is saying a lot.
Now my one critique: I get a little tired of the back and forth with Lily and Tharin. "Does he love me? Does he love her? I have to give him up for the greater good....." "She hasn't said she loves me. She seems uncertain. I'm jealous of any man that looks at her b/c she may want him instead of me." Blah blah blah! Move on you two! Someone lay the cards out on the table and be done with it. That aspect was a little juvenile for me. But what I recommend these books? Absolutely! I really do love when the story is finished and she manages, not only to complete the journey she started but she leaves a teaser dangling and maybe, just maybe, one day my adorable little "sidekicks" will have their own novel and their own story to tell. I'm really looking forward to that: Truly!
I'll include the amazon descriptions:
The Binding:
Two nights after her eighteenth birthday, Lily is attacked while out jogging but is saved by Tharin Lunar, a Sidhe prince. When she discovers her attacker is her own brother, Lucas, who disappeared four years ago, Lily refuses to believe he would truly hurt her and becomes determined to find Lucas and bring him home. She finds Lucas's disappearance is somehow tied to Tharin; so when he informs her that she is his betrothed and must return with him to Velesi, fulfill a treaty between their families and unite the two strongest clans through their marriage, Lily agrees. However, she is not going to Velesi for a wedding, but to bring home her only family, Lucas. On their journey to the borders of Velesi, the realm of the Thirteen Clans, they are pursued by a Sidhe assassin group call the Ange, meet with an ogre crime lord that ends badly, deal with a sleazy troll motel manager, and when they discover there is a bounty on their heads, they must keep one step ahead of every assassin, bounty hunter and low-life criminal from Velesi. Protecting Lily has become the biggest challenge of Tharin's life. Lucky for him he has help in the form of his twin brother, Tolan, Lily's best friend Julia and his three bodyguard cousins – Alorn, Phoris and Mellis.
The Drifting:
It is Lily’s first day in the Velesi realm but not as the princess she was made to believe, but as a captive to a strange Lithi elf name Ziri – Tharin and Tolan’s mysterious brother. Who is he and why has he taken her? Or is he only a pawn in someone’s deadly game of chess? Tharin and Lily discover a prophecy involving the Unnamed Sidhe and a way back to Eirrell, the birthplace of the Thirteen Clans. However, before they can get to the doorway to Eirrell, Lily must first make it to the Day of the Seating to take her rightful place on the throne of the Willow Clan. Tharin must keep Lily safe until the Day of the Seating even if it means keeping the beautiful Sidhe warrior Kalis close to him. Will he be able to protect his naïve, but stubborn bride-to-be not just from Harlu but from his warrior mistress? He once again turns to his brother and cousin, to only find that Tolan has his own problems with his feisty Julia. Thank goodness for the future king of Velesi that he has Phoris, Alorn and Mellis to cover his royal back. Welcome to Velesi, a realm existing alongside our own with their own rules, their own players and their own way of life.
The Whispering:
Tharin and Lily find themselves back in Pathen in search of Julia and the key to Eirrell, but old foes and new ones are in close pursuit. Adding to their plight, all doorways to Velesi have been closed. Forced to discover a way back to their realm, the group finds help from new friends and those who once stood against them are now allies. To make matters worse, a betrayal causes the door to the UnderRealm to open, allowing demons and monsters once imprisoned to roam the realm freely. Time is of the essence as there are only two Ancients left while Ka grows weaker, struggling to hold the realm together. It is up to Tharin and Lily to find the doorway to Eirrell, call the Unnamed Sidhe and save Velesi. Journey back to Velesi and join Tharin, Lily, Tolan, Julia, Alorn, Mellis, Ziri and Cessa to save the realm and maybe have a wedding...or two, but then again, it is Velesi...so maybe not.
First off: there is no sex in this book. Some suggestive statements but nothing descriptive like that. There is some foul language, particularly in Book 3 but I would recommend this to an older teen. It is definitely YA.
This series is great if you love books about the fae, faeries, elves, that sort of thing. The story jumps up and starts running right out of the gate. Lily is thrown into this world and within the first chapter she is finding out she is betrothed to an elf prince and is wanted dead or alive. She is literally thrown into this storyline....there is no build-up. However, this author does it in such a way that you don't feel like you're missing a lot of details. Things are explained as you go along and you find the action of the book forward moving.
What sells me on this book is her cast of characters. Often in books, the main couple/love interests make the book interesting but not this book. Every. single. character is funny and lovable and I want her to write a series about each and every one of them. As much as I get invested in the relationship of Lily and Tharin, I find myself rooting for Julia and Tolan as well. I love Tolan. He is kinda the sidekick but he is so LOVABLE! And the fellas that round up the ensemble: Alorn, Phoris, Ziri, and Mellis. I think I find myself more in love with Mellis than Tharin, which is saying a lot.
Now my one critique: I get a little tired of the back and forth with Lily and Tharin. "Does he love me? Does he love her? I have to give him up for the greater good....." "She hasn't said she loves me. She seems uncertain. I'm jealous of any man that looks at her b/c she may want him instead of me." Blah blah blah! Move on you two! Someone lay the cards out on the table and be done with it. That aspect was a little juvenile for me. But what I recommend these books? Absolutely! I really do love when the story is finished and she manages, not only to complete the journey she started but she leaves a teaser dangling and maybe, just maybe, one day my adorable little "sidekicks" will have their own novel and their own story to tell. I'm really looking forward to that: Truly!
I'll include the amazon descriptions:
The Binding:
Two nights after her eighteenth birthday, Lily is attacked while out jogging but is saved by Tharin Lunar, a Sidhe prince. When she discovers her attacker is her own brother, Lucas, who disappeared four years ago, Lily refuses to believe he would truly hurt her and becomes determined to find Lucas and bring him home. She finds Lucas's disappearance is somehow tied to Tharin; so when he informs her that she is his betrothed and must return with him to Velesi, fulfill a treaty between their families and unite the two strongest clans through their marriage, Lily agrees. However, she is not going to Velesi for a wedding, but to bring home her only family, Lucas. On their journey to the borders of Velesi, the realm of the Thirteen Clans, they are pursued by a Sidhe assassin group call the Ange, meet with an ogre crime lord that ends badly, deal with a sleazy troll motel manager, and when they discover there is a bounty on their heads, they must keep one step ahead of every assassin, bounty hunter and low-life criminal from Velesi. Protecting Lily has become the biggest challenge of Tharin's life. Lucky for him he has help in the form of his twin brother, Tolan, Lily's best friend Julia and his three bodyguard cousins – Alorn, Phoris and Mellis.
The Drifting:
It is Lily’s first day in the Velesi realm but not as the princess she was made to believe, but as a captive to a strange Lithi elf name Ziri – Tharin and Tolan’s mysterious brother. Who is he and why has he taken her? Or is he only a pawn in someone’s deadly game of chess? Tharin and Lily discover a prophecy involving the Unnamed Sidhe and a way back to Eirrell, the birthplace of the Thirteen Clans. However, before they can get to the doorway to Eirrell, Lily must first make it to the Day of the Seating to take her rightful place on the throne of the Willow Clan. Tharin must keep Lily safe until the Day of the Seating even if it means keeping the beautiful Sidhe warrior Kalis close to him. Will he be able to protect his naïve, but stubborn bride-to-be not just from Harlu but from his warrior mistress? He once again turns to his brother and cousin, to only find that Tolan has his own problems with his feisty Julia. Thank goodness for the future king of Velesi that he has Phoris, Alorn and Mellis to cover his royal back. Welcome to Velesi, a realm existing alongside our own with their own rules, their own players and their own way of life.
The Whispering:
Tharin and Lily find themselves back in Pathen in search of Julia and the key to Eirrell, but old foes and new ones are in close pursuit. Adding to their plight, all doorways to Velesi have been closed. Forced to discover a way back to their realm, the group finds help from new friends and those who once stood against them are now allies. To make matters worse, a betrayal causes the door to the UnderRealm to open, allowing demons and monsters once imprisoned to roam the realm freely. Time is of the essence as there are only two Ancients left while Ka grows weaker, struggling to hold the realm together. It is up to Tharin and Lily to find the doorway to Eirrell, call the Unnamed Sidhe and save Velesi. Journey back to Velesi and join Tharin, Lily, Tolan, Julia, Alorn, Mellis, Ziri and Cessa to save the realm and maybe have a wedding...or two, but then again, it is Velesi...so maybe not.
Poisonwell (Whispers of Mirrowen Book 3) by Jeff Wheeler
SPOILER ALERT! I will discuss book 3 and if you haven't read book 1 or 2 yet, Stop reading this!
Now this is the second series of Jeff Wheeler that I've read and I've talked much about how I don't normally like male writers but this guy does well. He keeps the storyline moving and he manages to write a pretty decent love story in his books. In this series' case, there are a few love stories and he handles them all well. I particularly love where he goes with Phae's and Scion's story. He even manages to honk me off a few times but comes back and makes it up to the reader so I forgive him. I love those kind of plot twists. Here's why: after you've read so many books, sometimes other books become predictable. You can tell where the author is going to go before you even get to that point. B/c it's what makes sense and what makes the story likable. This author however throws "conventional writing" out the window. He writes a few twists in the story that makes you think that he doesn't really care whether you like it or not. And that's what makes it unpredictable. There were a few times in this book that I almost thought I didn't want to get to the end b/c he killed a character or took a turn that I didn't want or expect. However, he finished it nicely and neatly and I forgave him in the end! (heeheehee)
Now, with all that being said, he did what I complain about male authors.....he got WORDY! That's right! He did what I hate! He got so long winded and tried to write a little prequel novella shoved right there about about 3/4 of the way through the book. I couldn't believe it! Here we are, at the BIG MOMENT, the whole SHE-BANG, the reason you have to see what will happen, will good triumph over evil?!? And he stops and makes the heroine, in this case Phae, go back to where the original story began, like 2000 years prior and then you have to relive the beginning life of the villian. ARE YOU SERIOUS!?! And what's worse, he totally copies a story from Greek mythology and disguises within his own backstory. Not cool, Mr. Wheeler, not cool!
So with all that being said, I skipped a few chapters in this book to get to the end. To get back to the characters that I've been following for 3 books. When I want to read the prequel, I'll go back and read those chapters but personal opinion, they had no business in the middle of this book. I will recommend this book if you've read the first two books of the Mirrowen series. But if you are crunched for time and want a real series to sink your teeth into, read his other series (Legends of Muirwood). I already reviewed those three and liked them much better overall.
Amazon description:
Now this is the second series of Jeff Wheeler that I've read and I've talked much about how I don't normally like male writers but this guy does well. He keeps the storyline moving and he manages to write a pretty decent love story in his books. In this series' case, there are a few love stories and he handles them all well. I particularly love where he goes with Phae's and Scion's story. He even manages to honk me off a few times but comes back and makes it up to the reader so I forgive him. I love those kind of plot twists. Here's why: after you've read so many books, sometimes other books become predictable. You can tell where the author is going to go before you even get to that point. B/c it's what makes sense and what makes the story likable. This author however throws "conventional writing" out the window. He writes a few twists in the story that makes you think that he doesn't really care whether you like it or not. And that's what makes it unpredictable. There were a few times in this book that I almost thought I didn't want to get to the end b/c he killed a character or took a turn that I didn't want or expect. However, he finished it nicely and neatly and I forgave him in the end! (heeheehee)
Now, with all that being said, he did what I complain about male authors.....he got WORDY! That's right! He did what I hate! He got so long winded and tried to write a little prequel novella shoved right there about about 3/4 of the way through the book. I couldn't believe it! Here we are, at the BIG MOMENT, the whole SHE-BANG, the reason you have to see what will happen, will good triumph over evil?!? And he stops and makes the heroine, in this case Phae, go back to where the original story began, like 2000 years prior and then you have to relive the beginning life of the villian. ARE YOU SERIOUS!?! And what's worse, he totally copies a story from Greek mythology and disguises within his own backstory. Not cool, Mr. Wheeler, not cool!
So with all that being said, I skipped a few chapters in this book to get to the end. To get back to the characters that I've been following for 3 books. When I want to read the prequel, I'll go back and read those chapters but personal opinion, they had no business in the middle of this book. I will recommend this book if you've read the first two books of the Mirrowen series. But if you are crunched for time and want a real series to sink your teeth into, read his other series (Legends of Muirwood). I already reviewed those three and liked them much better overall.
Amazon description:
The battle to save the kingdoms devastated
by the Plague culminates in this exhilarating finale to the Whispers
from Mirrowen trilogy.
If there is anything more dangerous than the Plague itself, it is the journey that awaits those sworn to stop it. Tyrus, the renegade magic-wielder exiled from Kenatos, knows this firsthand. His original mission through the Scourgelands met a tragic end, leaving him as the sole survivor.
Now all hope lies with his daughter, Phae, the uniquely gifted Dryad-born who can not only steal memories but also summon the power of the fireblood—and who alone has the power to breach the lost gate of Mirrowen. But first Phae and the comrades who have come to her aid must survive the most dangerous place on earth: the Scourgelands.
The menacing woods prove every bit as treacherous as reputed. Murder, sacrifice, deception, and an epic battle with a beast ensue. Will Phae reach the land beyond the grasp of the deadly Plague…or will the quest through the Scourgelands end in tragedy once again?
If there is anything more dangerous than the Plague itself, it is the journey that awaits those sworn to stop it. Tyrus, the renegade magic-wielder exiled from Kenatos, knows this firsthand. His original mission through the Scourgelands met a tragic end, leaving him as the sole survivor.
Now all hope lies with his daughter, Phae, the uniquely gifted Dryad-born who can not only steal memories but also summon the power of the fireblood—and who alone has the power to breach the lost gate of Mirrowen. But first Phae and the comrades who have come to her aid must survive the most dangerous place on earth: the Scourgelands.
The menacing woods prove every bit as treacherous as reputed. Murder, sacrifice, deception, and an epic battle with a beast ensue. Will Phae reach the land beyond the grasp of the deadly Plague…or will the quest through the Scourgelands end in tragedy once again?
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