Young Adult Giveaway Hop & Review of Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller

Welcome to the Young Adult Giveaway Hop. This giveaway is hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Amber at Down The Rabbit Hole.Thanks so much ladies!!

There are over 200 blogs participating in this hop. This hop is dedicated to Young Adult books. The book that I will be giving away today is Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller, her debut novel. She is generously donating 2 e-copies of her book for the giveaway.


Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold.

As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magickal realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own.

Will love prove thicker than magick?

There are 4 ways to enter to win a copy of Darkspell...

#1.You must be a follower of this blog. This is the only mandatory entry. Please leave your GFC name in the comments.(+1 entry)
# 2. Follow me on twitter at ssdawn2002. (+1 entry)
#3. Follow my blog by e-mail.(+1 entries)
#4. Follow Elizabeth's blog here. (+1 entry)


So altogether you could have up to 4 entries. Please let me know in the comments how you entered and please total up your entries for me. The giveaway will end on February 1st at 12:01 AM.Thanks so much!

Here is my review of Darkspell, and then down below you will find the links to the other blogs participating in the hop.

Darkspell is  a paranormal, young adult romance, very different from many of the typical vampire or werewolf books. This book does have everything to do with very powerful magick practiced by a coven. At first I thought this book was about witches, but it is not. I will not go into details about the particulars of the magick, but you will like the unique magick that is found in this story. 

The story centers around main character Winter and two handsome brothers, Alex and Jareth. The love triangle is alive and flourishing in this book. Winter keeps bouncing back and forth with her affection between the brothers. Personally, I really liked both brothers,though their personalities are very different.But ummm, yeah, Alex is...my favorite! This is a very character driven book, which I tend to really like regardless of the genre. 


The very beginning of the book is dedicated to character development, but when the plot starts unfolding you are in for a fun ride. There are many times that you will be very surprised by what happens. Yes, I am being evasive because I want you to read this great YA book for yourself. Another awesome aspect about Darkspell, is the art work found in the novel. Elizabeth is a phenomenal artist! Here are a few pictures from the book:

Darkspell was a combination of humor, angst, spookiness, and romance. It truly kept me guessing until the end. Then...you will be anxious to read the next book in the series. You knew that was coming right?

To learn more about Elizabeth, her book, and her art work, you can find her at these many places: Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Smashwords, Amazon, and her blog.

 Now go and visit other blogs on the hop! 



 

Blog Tour Review of Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

Product Details:

Title:  Fractured Light
Author:  Rachel McClellan
Publisher:  Cedar Fort
Imprint:  Sweetwater
Pub Date:  02/07/2012
Genre:  Young adult/adult urban fantasy 
ISBN-10: 1599559420 
ISBN-13: 978-1599559421







Book Description:

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona has the ability to manipulate light and harness its energy. This is the power the Vykens are after. This is what the Guardians are trained to protect. Christian has been waiting his whole life for the opportunity to fulfil his destiny as a Guardian, but Llona has other plans for him. Going against everything that she’s been taught and defying the Auran Council, Llona convinces Christian to teach her how to use her power as a weapon. It may be her only hope of survival.

My review:

 



If you haven't watched the video yet, you should before reading my review. This is a fan-made book trailer but it truly captures the feel of the book and the characters. 

I loved Fractured Light. It is one of my top 20 books I've read in 2011. The unique abilities that main character Llona has, truly makes this story original and different from what is out there. As the book description said, Llona has the ability to manipulate light and harness it's energy. As an Aura, she is supposed to only use this "gift" for good and not evil. But with a Vyken after her, wanting her dead like her mother, Llona starts learning ways to protect herself and fight back.



Llona is not a wimpy heroine that needs a man to take care of her. Even though she is drop-dead gorgeous, she is not self-centered where she thinks the world revolves around her. Llona is wanting a normal life, but she and her Uncle have been on the run ever since Llona's parents were killed. You can feel the tension, as you find they have been hiding from the Vykens in order to protect Llona's life. 



The story becomes interesting early on as Llona meets a new, very good looking, kid at her school. Christian is the kind of guy that all of the girls want. The interesting thing is that he only has eyes for Llona. Their relationship is up and down throughout the story. He is also pretty obsessed with protecting her and making sure that she takes care of herself and not do anything risky. You start to wonder who Christian really is and what his intentions are. There are many other key players in the plot that make you question if they are good or bad guys. Even Llona's best friend is strange and has unique abilities of her own.



Fractured Light has fantastic action, a moving storyline, great plot and well written characters. The cover is beautiful and the book does come to somewhat of a conclusion at the end. This first book is truly set up to head right into the second book. There is so much to this world of Auras' and Vykens' that need to be explored. I hope that Rachel in book two expands even more about the history and the interaction between these two races. I of course want more romance between our couple. 

I read this book quickly once I started and had a hard time stopping to sleep. I know you will like this book and I highly recommend Fractured Light. I know that I will be anxiously waiting for book two to come out. The sad part is, book one isn't officially released until Feb. 2012, so I think I have somewhat of a wait in store. I can tell you already though, it will be worth the wait.

Author Details:


Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she's not in her writing lair, she's partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel's love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was...








To learn more about the author and the publisher you can go to one of these many sites.

Author Blog:http://www.blackbirdinmywindow.blogspot.com/
Author Website: http://www.rachelmcclellan.com/
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelMcClellan
Book Poster page: http://fracturedlightbook.com/

Publisher Blog http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/

Publisher Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cedarfortbooks

Publisher Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/cedarfortbooks

Publisher GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4202252-cedar-fort

 

 

** I was provided a review e-copy of Fractured Light by Cedar Fort and Netgalley. In no way did this influence the honest review that was given.**

Review of Bound by CK Bryant

Bound (The Crystor #1)
Author: C.K. Bryant
Publisher: Dragonfly Press
Published Date: October 2011
Paperback/Kindle/E-book; 398 pages
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Book Description:

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.

BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.

 

 

My Review:

I have really been looking forward to reading Bound. I had been hearing bits and pieces and wanted to know for myself how great this book was. I had also been staring at the amazing cover and couldn't wait to see what had brought about all of this buzz circulating around the net.

 

It starts out with two ordinary high school girls in gym class. Kira and Lydia soon end up on an adventure that you never would have imagined from reading the first chapter. Kira finds herself abandoned and also finds out that her friend Lydia is not an ordinary high school girl. As the two girls head to the mountains for a photo shoot, this is when the fun begins. One way to describe it would be, taking a quiet walk on a flat path, then all of a sudden finding yourself running up a steep incline and being chased by a cougar. This is how fast the story changes! I loved this! 

 

Kira is exposed to people(?) from a different world with supernatural powers. Lydia is a two souled creature and has a hunk of a brother that changes into a fearsome creature when angered or around blood. I loved Octavian; even though at first he seems to be a rude, rough and exasperating character. By the end of the book, I fell in love with him. Move over Edward and Jacob, C.K. Bryant has written men/creatures that will blow you away! With crisp, descriptions and great characterizations, Bound will keep you reading quickly until the end. We are left with a merciless cliff-hanger that had me moaning and groaning, but excited to read the second book. Another thing I really liked about Bound is the unique storyline. So much of paranormal fiction is written from the same cookie-cutter storyline. Bound is not in that category. Without giving anything else away, let's just say you will also be awed by the creativity found in Bound.

 

I recommend Bound to teens (15+) and adults. There are a few cuss words and some mild violence. If you love paranormal romance, with interesting characters and storyline, this is the book for you.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

~ I'm a loving wife and mother of two wonderful boys, living in Magic Valley, Idaho. Our home sits in the middle of sage brush and lava rock with the view of the Snake River Canyon, a truly amazing place to be. I love music, books, photography, friends, family and, of course, writing. At first I may seem shy, but once you get to know me you'll see I'm a bit sassy and a rebel.

 

 

Coming Soon....

"BROKEN"

Book two in THE CRYSTOR Series:

 

With Kira injured and dying, Octavion's last hope is to plead with the king of Panthera for a cure. But King Ramla's magic isn't free. The price he asks Octavion to pay goes against everything he's fought so hard to protect and could destroy his bond with Kira. Will Octavion trade his crown and swear allegiance to a kingdom feared by all, or will he sacrifice the woman he loves to remain faithful to his father and Xantara? Find out when BROKEN takes you on a journey into the savage and unpredictable world of Ophera.

 

 

 

To purchase an autographed copy of BOUND by C.K. Bryant visit the author’s website here.

The Kindle version of BOUND can be purchased here.

**I was given a review e-copy of Bound. In no way did this influence the review that was given.**