Fractured by Shay Siegel

Disclaimer: I received an arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Fractured

Author: Shay Siegel

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For…: contemporary readers

Publication Date: October 27, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 17+ (attempted rape, sexual assault, self harm, depression, toxic masculinity, upsetting female representation)

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 290

Synopsis: Mason Vance is the guy everybody wants to be, and he knows it. He’s the best high school quarterback in New York, a shoo-in for a football scholarship at any school he chooses, and he’s expected to land in the NFL one day. That is, until a broken wrist leaves him fearing whether he’ll ever play again.

Desperate to save his damaged ego, Mason sets his sights on Lace. No cheerleader or homecoming queen like his usual type, she’s too wrapped in her own misery to fall for his pickup lines. Even though she tries to shut him out, she’s surprised to find he’s there for her when no one else is. Slowly, she lets him into the sad workings of her mind and less-than-perfect life, and Mason finds himself caring about Lace more than he’d ever thought possible. That’s why neither of them sees his huge mistake coming—one that instantly fractures everything between them.

Will Mason confront the ugliest side of himself, and in the process see who he’s capable of becoming, or will he fall back into the life he knew before Lace and his injury?

Review: Overall, I thought the book was ok. The book covered a lot of hard topics and while it did so in a pretty good manner, it is still a bit of a difficult read. The book had some good character development with some of the side characters and the world building was good as well.

However, the story was really bad. The book is from the viewpoint of the main character and while I understand why the author wrote the story in such a degrading manner, it’s still really concerning for me that most of the time Mason doesn’t change his stance on his positions. I also don’t believe that the main character, who supposed to be a high schooler, doesn’t know what sexual assault is or what rape is. This isn’t something you teach a 16 year old. This isn’t something you teach 16 year olds. This is something you teach small children. Mason also had a pity party through most of the book. I feel like he was sad about himself having sexually assaulted women more than he should have been sad for the women he sexually assaulted. I don’t feel like he learned that doing those actions leaves real victims with everlasting scars. Overall, the book left me feeling kinda icky but I can see the message the author meant to leave behind.

Verdict: It’s okay for me, but please don’t read if you have triggers with any listed above.

The Mother (Broken Tomorrow) by Andrei David

Disclaimer: I received the ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Mother (Broken Tomorrow)

Author: Andrei David

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For…: Horror, fantasy

Publication Date: March 13, 2020

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 334

Recommended Age: 18+ (horror moments, slight violence and gore)

Synopsis: Dreamt into existence by an absolute Universal Entity, she has only one goal, to perpetuate Creation. Known as a god to many people, or simply 13 to the descendants of an elite class of warriors, she pursues her design despite unwillingly endangering humanity, already enduring the effects of a motionless Earth.
It falls upon people like Samantha or Lucian to mitigate that danger, be it of their own accord, or by 13’s request, even when doing so irreparably changes their body, and most disturbingly, their soul. They battle immortal, eerily relatable creatures, explore prohibited and perilous places lost or abandoned long ago, all to further an agenda they barely understand.
Still, no sacrifice could compensate for the lack of items unheard of even in myth. That’s where 13’s successor comes in.

Review: For the most part I liked this book. The story was interesting and the plot was intriguing from start to finish. I thought the author did well writing the book and did good with the character development and world building.

However, I did get a little confused in some of the book. The book had a confusing plot at times and the pacing was a bit fast in spots. The book also didn’t have the world building or character development as well detailed as I would have liked.

Verdict: It was pretty good for the most part.

Genesis by T. Sae-Low

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Genesis

Author: T. Sae-Low

Book Series: Prophecy Rock Book 1

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For…: d&D like books, fantasy reads

Publication Date: January 29, 2013

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore)

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 329

Synopsis: As rumors swirl across the war torn lands of Eos of a possible Candidate—the long prophesied savior of peace— young Raden Nite finds himself unexpectedly chosen to discover the truth to these rumors. Raden’s top-secret mission will send him and his closest friends on a heart-pounding adventure through the mysterious Voras Mountains, the impenetrable fortress of Sargatum, and deep into strange new lands where dangerous enemies await.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Disputed Lands, Prince Aric sits third in line to the crown of Vicedonia. Seeking to escape the overwhelming shadow of his elder brother, and to prove to his father, the king, that he is indeed a worthy successor, Aric embarks on a path into the darkest corners of Eos. On his journey, he will encounter the sinister magic of the Dark Forest, the epic battlegrounds of Lake Raphia, and discover the harsh realities of what it truly means to be king.

In the first book of the Prophecy Rock Series, fates will collide in this epic tale of action, loyalty, and love, where the ultimate meaning of true sacrifice will be discovered.

Review: For the most part I really liked this book. It felt more like a D&D game than it did a book and I really got into it. The book had some great fantastical moments. The world building was well done and superb. The character development was amazing. The book was also fast paced and action packed.

The only thing that was a little off-putting was that the book had a lot of battles and they were frequent, fast, a little confusing, and a bit on the overly brutal side.

Verdict: I really liked this book!

Watchers by Craig Priestley

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Watchers

Author: Craig Priestley

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For…: sci-fi fans, thriller lovers

Publication Date: January 25, 2020

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNF-ed

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 298

Synopsis: “They’re listening.”

Those are the irreversible words that tear Charlie Taylor’s world apart.

Struggling through everyday life in London, Charlie loses his job, his friends, and more than he could ever imagine. The only thing that keeps him from spiralling completely is his inexplicable infatuation with the barmaid.

While Charlie fights tooth and nail to survive, so does the world around him. Humanity deteriorates at a rapid rate, with criminal acts rising worldwide. The police find themselves stretched, the government clueless, but Charlie’s eyes are open.

Carrying the burden on his shoulders, not only must Charlie fight his own personal demons, but now he must also find the strength to stop everyone from theirs.

Review: I had to DNF this book at 30% through. The book seems to be really good and I want to try it again in the future, but the book is really slow and I don’t know if I’ll have the adequate time to devote to this book for review purposes right now. The book also wasn’t developing the characters as well as I would have liked and I had a general sense of confusion while reading the book.

Verdict: it seems good, but not for me right now.

Storm’s Gate by J.W. Golan

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Storm’s Gate

Author: J.W. Golan

Book Series: Stormfall Chronicles Book 3

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For…: fantasy lovers

Publication Date: November 19, 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore)

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 418

Synopsis: A world descending into war; a fabled healer who might be their last, best hope; and a princess imprisoned in a dragon-guarded keep.

Lynette sets out with Baxter and Eirlon in search of a healer: the fabled Medicine Man of Horru. It is a desperate gamble to revive the fae king and avert a larger war.

But the route they take will prove perilous. They risk losing everything, even each other, in a world gone mad with the stirrings of war. Armies have gathered on the borders of the Feyfell – lured by legends of fae wealth. With King Elyan poisoned and unconscious, the kingdom is visible, and vulnerable to outside invaders for the first time in centuries. And while the fae nobles debate rules of succession, Princess Elise remains missing.

For in a tower a world away, the fae princess is held captive, surrounded by armies and a dragon chained to the will of vengeful sorceress. Drained of her magic, Elise must plot her own escape – while a new breed of assassins hunts the mage-turned-swordsman named Garth. Werewolves prowl the land again, as all alike seek to strike their bargains before the oncoming war.

Will it be too much for Lynette to bear? Can she survive the loss of so much she holds dear? And if she does, will she ever be the same? For who among them would dare ascend, to retrieve hope from a dragon-guarded keep.

Review: I really liked this book! I thought the author greatly improved in writing from the first two books and the plot and story benefitted so much from that growth. The character development and world building was also so much better.

However, there’s still a lot of work to do and I think another round of editing and filling in the story and developing side characters would make the story much much better.

Verdict: I think this is a good story!

Orange Hues and Midnight Blues by Urvisha Vinit

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Orange Hues and Midnight Blues

Author: Urvisha Vinit

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For…: poetry fans

Publication Date: May 23, 2020

Genre: Poetry

Recommended Age: 16+ (some depressing feelings)

Publisher: Indie Published

Synopsis: Orange Hues and Midnight Blues is a debut collection of poetry. It tries to draw the emotions of those happy orange hues of hope, dreams, love, and peace. The one you would feel looking at a lovely sun kissed sky and wonder about the beauty of life.

And as you stare at it, the sun vanishes and the blues take over, taking you to the times when the heart fills up with a feeling of self-doubt, soul feels lost and the fear of what tomorrow holds creeps in. The midnight blues get darker with thoughts about the past and dreams that couldn’t be.

But amidst these hues and blues, there is an essence of life, the feeling of being and rejoicing in every moment.

Review: For the most part I really liked the flow the book and the book did well to uplift my mood. The poems possess an almost calming nature and do well to lull you into a secret strength to keep on going.

My only downside was that while I did like how many poems there were in the novel, it was a bit too long for my liking.

Verdict: Recommend if you like poetry!

Stolen Enchantress by Amber Argyle

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook from Audiobookworm Promotions. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Stolen Enchantress

Author: Amber Argyle

Book Series: Forbidden Forest Book 1

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For…: Retelling lovers, ya readers, fantasy lovers

Publication Date: April 9, 2018

Publisher: Starling Publishers

Pages: 448

Recommended Age: 16+ (slight sexual content, romance, slight violence and gore)

Synopsis: A beast. An enchantress. An unbreakable curse . . .
When her little sister is taken by the beast of the Forbidden Forest, Larkin does the unthinkable: she goes in after her.

Deep within the sentient woods, Larkin uncovers a secret that puts her in dreadful danger. Worse, now that the beast has had his taste, he’ll never stop hunting her. But the forest has woken something inside Larkin; something that gives her the power to fight back.

Magic.

Using forbidden magic will get Larkin hanged. Not using it will leave her at the mercy of the beast’s enchantment. But there’s a third option; one that scares her more than anything.

She could fall in love with the beast.

Review: For the most part I really liked this book. The narration was haunting and really fit the mood of the book. The character development was amazingly well done and I really loved the plot and story. The book hooked me right away and it kept me hooked throughout the read.

The only thing that I didn’t like is how slow the book was and how confusing the world building was. The book moved very slowly, and while that fit the mood of the book I was anxious to move on at a faster pace. The world building is also confusing and it left me confused on where I was throughout the book. I also felt the magic system could have been explained better and could have been a bit more developed.

Verdict: I recommend for Beauty and the Beast lovers!

Callisto 2.0 by Susan English

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Callisto 2.0

Author: Susan English

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Lesbian female characters and w/w romances

Recommended For…: LGBT+ readers, sci-fi lovers

Publication Date: November 6, 2020

Genre: Sci-Fi

Recommended Age: 17+ (romance, sexual content)

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 353

Synopsis: She had to travel beyond the planet to discover her true self. Will she find the courage to walk through the doorway to a new future?

Shambhala Space Station, 2097. Solitary physicist Callisto (physics, after all, is a jealous mistress) never accepted conventional wisdom. So when she’s recruited to work on faster-than-light technology by a beautiful and mysterious older woman, she eagerly accepts the career opportunity at the women-only research station orbiting Earth’s moon. But her enthusiasm suffers when her first discovery is unexpected heartbreak.

Throwing herself into work on a problematic warp drive prototype, Calli blossoms in the utopian female community that shows her love and acceptance for the first time in her life. But when a twisted conspiracy, a disingenuous affair, and a disastrous betrayal test her place in this unique environment, the brilliant scientist must dig deep to find her moment of truth.
Will Calli embrace her destiny in an unexplored cosmos?

Callisto 2.0 is the transformative first book in the Shambhala Saga feminist science fiction series. If you like compassionate characters, deep-space intrigue, and hopeful visions of the future, then you’ll adore Susan English’s cosmic adventure.

Review: For the most part, this was a very well done book! I loved the world building and the characters. The book was intriguing and it kept me intrigued in it throughout the book. I also liked the representation. You don’t see a lot of females in space station setting books and the romance really made the book.

The only issues I had about the book was that the book felt a bit wonky in pacing in a few spots. It felt too fast in some and too slow in others. The book was also a bit too pushy in the romance and I wanted more of a focus on the sci-fi.

Verdict: It was really good! Definitely recommend!

A Murder in 2079 by Mehmet Ali Yazan

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Murder in 2079

Author: Mehmet Ali Yazan

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For…: sci-fi fans

Publication Date: October 5, 2019

Genre: Sci-Fi

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 150

Synopsis: A robotic murderer.
A planet in chaos.
And the one detective to uncover the truth behind it all.
In 2079, humanity has spread through space and with them, they bring robots. All regulated. All overseen. All in strict compliance with UN standards and the three robotic laws of Isaac Asimov. The first law of robotics is clear: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Everyone knows it’s impossible, but when senior detective Harry Mortimer is sent to Icarus B, it’s to seek the impossible.
Has a rogue artificial intelligence discovered a loophole? Is a human playing puppet master? Are these the right questions? With only his wits, Mortimer, his assistant Scott Yvensen and an increasingly bogged down police department must find answers all while under assault by mysterious assassins and threats against humankind itself. As the mystery begins to unravel, Mortimer faces a new enemy who carries him on a chase across the stars and a strange new threat.
But this is only the beginning.

Review: I had to DNF this book. It’s got a very interesting concept behind it, but the pacing is super fast and it’s a bit confusing to someone who’s not normally into robot books. I think this would be a good book for my husband though!

Verdict: It’s not for me, but maybe for you!

The Mindful Betrayal by Aarica Dee Koliyah

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Mindful Betrayal

Author: Aarica Dee Koliyah

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 2/5

Recommended For…: thriller fans

Publication Date: June 9, 2018

Genre: Thriller

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 183

Synopsis: In a twisted tale of friendship, can a murderer be loyal to a friend? Can a best friend become a deadliest enemy in just a blink of an eye? Trust no one! If there is someone to die, who should it be? Brace yourself and fall into the characters of this fiction. Find out how in the end, the stalker Damien became Delle’s savior. If you can survive a death, can you survive the betrayal of a friend?

Review: I had to DNF this book. It was an interesting concept, but the book didn’t develop the characters or world building and the book was weirdly written. It often repeats scenes and is really choppy in it’s flow.

Verdict: Not for me, but maybe for you!