Lichgates

Title: The Grimoire: Lichgates
Author: SM Boyce
357 pages; Kindle Edition
Published 2011

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things—Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea's royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict—a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

Kara Magari loves hiking. She did that a lot with her mom. And now her mom is gone. One day, she got lost but found her self trapped in a library. A library where one book caught her eye. Curiosity got into her of course. Especially if the book is a magical and mysterious Grimoire.

From there Kara was thrown into the world of Ourea, where she has been chosen as the Vagabond. With the help of the a book which at first was ordinarily blank, turns magically into a Grimoire that answers the right questions; soon Kara discovered the many worlds and facets surrounding the mystical place.


I was hooked the moment Kara got lost in the woods and entered the gazebo where a portal or Lichgate was located. And as soon as she stepped into Ourea, I knew I wouldn't be able to put my Kindle down.


I was thrilled to learn new kingdoms of creatures that comprised Ourea:  The Yakon, Isen or so-called soul stealers, and the Drenowith or the muses. A group of different races that Kara must face, conquer and unite. As the new Vagabond, she was also given the task to find special items or artifacts that would lead her to a very special place. She would be able to do this, with the help of a new found friend, Braeden, the one of the Blood - a royalty. Now, Braeden is a totally cool warrior, dangerous yet brave and somewhat have anger-management issues, but he is definitely someone Kara can depend upon. I like their tandem. They really fit each other's personality, making them an unstoppable duo. Bad thing is, Braeden had a very evil father... so evil and cunning, I wanna curse him myself!

I want to raise both of my hands and feet, and eventually raise the roof for S.M. Boyce for the wonderful characters she had created. And also for detailing the magical Ourea. With a vivid imagination, you can definitely see that Ourea is breathtaking and magnificent. Monsters may teem or appear here and there, but it's their presence that makes the place worthwhile and astonishing. I also loved how the author did not capitalize much on uber romantic scenes. It made reading a little easier and lighter and more enjoyable.

To S.M. Boyce, I'm giving you 5 bookmarks for whetting my appetite and taking me to Ourea. I really can't wait to read the next book. Hopefully I'll get the chance to read it this March.

www feb 27

Here's my WWW  for this week.  WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

Just A Kiss Away by Jill Barnett

I am enjoying this so far.. The story features a story in the Philippines setting... Something close to my heart..

Based on the summary:

Arriving on a lush Pacific island, Eulalie Grace LaRue was soon to be reunited with the father she hadn't seen since childhood. Yet before Lollie's dreamed-of meeting could take place, the lovely Southern belle was caught in the crossfire of a violent revolution -- and thrown into the rugged arms of Sam Forester. On the run in the jungle, the battle-scarred soldier of fortune didn't know what to do with the pampered blonde placed in his care.


Recently Finished:

I recently finished the following books:

Head Over Heels by Sarah Downing
Sinners of Magic by Lynette Creswell
and
Licence to Thrill by Stephanie Bond

The third one - License to Thrill - is kinda cute.. Meet Donowan... James Donovan, a British Intelligence Secret Agent.. set to rescue a damsel in distress.

Sounds familiar.. Oh yes...  James Bond-ish kind of story bu more light-hearted than the movie.. Thrilled to steal my heart.. Whoa!






WILL SOON READ:

I'm planning to read two books -
The World of Karov by Elysse Salpeter - a fantasy story.. and also
Into You by Riley J. Ford

So excited to read both.. March, here I come!!

Lots of good reads soon.. Yipeee!!

Sugar Queen

Title: Sugar Queen
Author: Sara Addison Allen
352 pages; Paperback
Published May 2009

Summary from amazon.com

Twenty-seven-year-old Josey is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season; she's a sorry excuse for a Southern belle; and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet.
For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother's house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night . . .
Until she finds her closet harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tender-hearted woman who is one part nemesis - and two parts fairy godmother . . .

If there's one thing that the main character and I share, it's our love for junk foods! Yes, really.. Josey loved junk food and she kept them hidden on her closet, along with her romance novels. Then one day she discovered that Della Lee, an infamous waitress in their town, was hiding in her secret closet. In order to get rid of Della, Josey promised to help her get some things from her place. There she met Della's mean ex-boyfriend. And soon she discovered other characters along the way.

Meanwhile, her mom was adamant in making Josey's life miserable by saying things like her daughter didn't look good in red, when in fact, Josey stands out with that color. Josey was in-love with the mailman, but afraid to get tangled up for fear of her mom. Then she developed  a new friendship with another bookworm Chloe (whose books instantly appear when faced with a situation and would never leave her) and a new discovery that shocked her to the bone regarding Della Lee.

This is another one of Sara Addison Allen's story which has magical realism. The books was simply written, very easy to read and comprehend, the characters come alive as you get to know them. Yes, literally come alive because one of them is actually dead! OOps, I think I just spoiled the fun, hahaha.

As always, Sara Addison Allen's book sent shivers to my spine but made me a contented reader walking light-heartedly and smiling like a child. :)

Sinners of Magic

Title: Sinners of Magic
Author Lynette Creswell
Kindle Edition; 282 pages
Published July 2012

Summary from Goodreads.com

Crystal is no ordinary sixteen year old girl. Ever since she was a small child she's been able to sense things, feel when danger approaches and now she's gone one step further and saved a boy's life by summoning a supernatural being. Little does she know it but her natural parents are powerful immortals. Secret lovers in a magical land where procreation outside of their own realms is forbidden, the Elders punish Amella and Bridgemear by banishing their new born child to the world of mere mortals. Years have passed and dark times have descended upon the Elf Realm. Crystal is visited by a shape-changer and tricked into believing if she returns to the Kingdom of Nine Winters, she will find the answers regarding her newly revealed birth right. Soon she is caught up in dangers greater than anything she could have ever imagined while those who fight at her side, battle to protect her from a wicked sorcerer gone insane and one who is willing to take her to the very edge of destruction.

This is truly a great enchanting read. Watch out Harry Potter! A new hero is here, and she's not wearing glasses. Be ready to get transported into another realm, where magic unfolds right before your eyes.

Imagine having been born to the mortal world, only to discover that you belong to another place where mythical creatures like elves, witches, shape-changers, wood sprites, warriors and mages dwell and conquer each other. Get ready to be fascinated, amazed, intimidated and frightened with the creatures of the Kingdom of Nine Winters. That's where Crystal was transported to, where she got lost, captured and rescued. But amidst all these experiences, she learned the truth about herself, she discovered who her true friends were and she embraced her destiny.

I love so many things in this book. First, the characters. Crystal is one feisty daughter of Bridgemear, the magician, and Princess Amella, the banished daughter of King Gamada. She's incredibly brave and loyal, who wouldn't think twice in saving her friends, even if her life is in danger. She even got transcendental magic she never knew of.  And there's Matt - a mortal who became Crystal's friend after she saved her from drowning and getting killed by an evil force (Abbadon)  and who accompanied her to the Magical world.

Among the other characters I liked in the book are:
Bracken - the naughty wood sprite who was caught stealing Bridgemear's food
Tremlon - the trusted King's envoy and shape-changer who told Crystal about her birthright.
Amadeus - a strong, loyal and brave elf warrior
Nekton - the good-hearted innkeeper of the Fortune's End, who thirsts for adventure
and of course - King Forusian - the evil and cunning King of the Nonhawk, who captured Crystal and wanted to copulate with her to start his bloodline

I also liked how modern technology was somehow incorporated in the magical world. Like, imagine a room that can magically transform into a place of your liking by just using a room dial.  Or being able to open a particular magical door by using an authorized thumbprint. Amazingly, the author was able to define the characters and the story in a readable and engaging manner, that's why I had a great time reading the book. I admit, I had high expectations with the book, as I am a great big Harry Potter and LOTR fan. But as I continued reading, I found myself easily absorbed into the magical world and all my expectations were definitely met. Truly an amazing feat for a debut.

I recommend Sinners of Magic to those who may have missed Harry Potter. I recommend this book to fantasy lovers like me. I recommend this to those who want to feel good during and after reading. I recommend this to everyone!

I can't wait to read Book 2 - Betrayers of Magic! My rating for Lynette Creswell's masterpiece - 5 bookmarks!

Teaser Tuesday Feb

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.

Open to a random page.

Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"What are you two up to tonight?" Evie enquires whilst the others are chortling and talking among themselves, "Making a baby, if Mark has anything with that.." I reply, deadpan.

page 19; Kindle Edition
Head Over Heels
By Sara Downing

The Burning of Isobel Key

Title: The Burning of Isobel Key
Author: Jen McConnel
Kindle edition, 286 pages
Published Sept. 2012

Lou is in the middle of a quarter-life crisis. Ever since college, she’s lacked direction, working as a clerk in a local bookstore. But when she quits her job just before the winter holidays, Lou must do some serious soul searching to overcome her fears of straying from the mainstream. On a whim, she accompanies her best friend, Tammy, to Scotland for the winter holidays, but the vacation soon turns into an emotional roller coaster.
When she becomes embroiled in a hunt for information about Isobel Key, a woman falsely accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century, Lou opens up to her intuition and makes a startling discovery about her own heritage.

Enter the world of the past and bring on the memories to the present.

It's almost the holidays, and Louisa found herself jobless after she decided to quit her job in a bookstore. Her bestfriend, Tammy, however, seemed to have gotten all the luck in the world. Soon, when Tammy asked Louisa to go with her on a business trip to Scotland, she was happy to accompany her without telling her bestfriend her predicaments. And soon her quest for her spiritual self unfolded.

The beautiful and enticing country of Scotland served as a backdrop to this enchanting tale of two equally brave women who might be related to each other even though they are centuries apart.

In the 1600s, Isobel Key was accused of witchcraft after her sister mysteriously died of childbirth in the hands of a physician. Incidentally, her brother-in-law was also killed that night by the attending physician but it was Isabel who was blamed. Following this, she was burned at the stake and her bones were laid on a railroad crossing, preventing her to rest in peace.

Present time, Louisa is having a hard time seeking peace of mind. During her trip in Scotland, she met a handsome tour guide who seemed to like her bestfriend, Tammy. Afraid that she might just be on the road to nowhere, she devoted her time searching for answers about witches and burning rituals that happened many centuries past. Soon her interest was peaked when she learned about Isobel Key. The burning desire to discover what really happened that fateful night was what drove Louisa to go to castles and libraries, in the hopes of finding the answers to her questions.

This book is definitely one of the best I've read which involved witchcraft /Wiccans which have always intrigued me. Honestly, the first time I heard about this, it instantly reminded me of this one episode on Smallville where Lana Lang was possessed by the witch Isobel Thoreaux who died when the village people burned her on a pole. I thought the book has something to do with that episode. But after reading the first few chapters, it was a completely different story and I like this book much better.

Cheers to author Jen McConnel for a successful debut. She  delivered her characters very well and she has crafted a story that was very engaging and in-depth. I can declare that I am now one of her fans. I look forward to reading the Key Inheritance soon.

For my review rating, I'm giving The Burning of Isobel Key - 4 bookmarks! :)

valentines par-tay!

Celebrate Love and Books in one day - for free!

Yes... Free Par-Tay is giving away free ebooks for all of us.. Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal, Christian, Contemporary, Thriller... name it, they got it.. just for you - For FREE...

So head on now to Valentine's Free Par-Tay website for more details..

A perfect treat for Hearts Day..

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

back from hiatus

I'm back from an almost one week hiatus. Yipee. Actually, i was gone during the weekend because it was my birthday (yay!!) and my husband treated me and the kids to a romantic weekend getaway.. Ahhhh, sometimes it really feels good to be away from the hustle and bustle of city life. ^_^

And so, I'll be posting my book reviews later and some pictures of my kids during the weekend. Just wishing my internet connection won't die on me anytime soon.

Oh, by the way, this morning, my kids had been bugging me to wear red at home, and at school. I muttered to myself, what's the deal? I was wondering why they were so adamant in findig their red shirts.

Just then I realized.. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! Yay! I totally forgot!

So here's wishing you all a romantic and lovely Valentines Day  ^_~ Enjoy being in-love x

Stuck With You

 

Title: STUCK WITH YOU
Author: Trish Jensen
Kindle Edition; 216 pages
Published January 2012

As lawyers on opposing sides of a messy divorce case, Paige Hart and Ross Bennett ought to have kept matters purely professional, yet Paige and Ross came to loathe each other with an intensity that was strictly personal. The bad blood between them takes on an unexpected new dimension when the infuriated pair is forced to share a hospital room, when they're quarantined after being exposed to the rare and highly contagious Tibetan Concupiscence Virus that's reputed to shift sensual desire into high gear. When symptoms (which a nonmedical person might mistake for pure and simple lust) start showing up way ahead of schedule, the lawyers' objections to each other are overruled -- and they enjoy every minute of it. But, after the doctors declare that the disease has run its course, Paige and Ross are still feverish with a longing for one another that they hope will never be cured. When the verdict comes in, will they be sentenced to life -- in love?

I found myself grinning from ear-to-ear while reading this book.

Although I firmly believe that this story is highly  unlikely to happen, I still braced myself for the unexpected. And boy, was I blown away!

There is sexual tension alright, and like magnets, extreme opposites Paige & Ross are actually attracted to each other as they emit sensuality to the highest level. The fact that these two lawyers practically hate each one's guts then end up on a home run makes me feel giddy and delighted at the same time.  They wont admit that they are sexually drawn during and after being trapped in a quarantined room for 2 weeks. So not cool. But after they got a clean bill of health, they still found themselves longing to see one another.

Stuck With You promises a story that would make you smile, think and chuckle at the same time. The intimacy between the two main characters, including the doctor and architect, was palpable and mind-blowing. I love how the author Trish Jensen developed Ross's character, making him one delectable sought-after guy with a heart.

I recommend this quick read for those who may have second thoughts about their special someone and are afraid to commit. Go on, enjoy life and enjoy being in love. You know you want to. ^.^

P. S.
I definitely love their scrabble game because they kept on forming words that are sexually stimulating to the senses.

love galore

It's February! My most favorite month of the year. Why? Because aside from it being the LOVE month, it happened to be my birth month too.

Oh yes, I'm getting a year older again. A year wiser, too. At least that's what my kids said. Teehee ^_~

Anyway, for this month, the books I am going to read are mostly Contemporary Romances  and Rom-Coms. Yes, romantic-comedies bring out the girl in me. So my booklist is going to be love-infested.

Yeah, I wanna go lovey-dovey and romancey at this time of the year. I wanna fall in love all over again. I wanna laugh my heart out. I want to cry and sigh. I want to get giggly and gooey when I imagine a romantic scene. 

So I guess.. I think I'll set aside the paranormals and faeries month. But don't fret, my dear friends. My favorite fantaseries will make their presence felt on March.

For now, let the love bug bite and be ready to fall in love.

one

My Kindle just turned 1.. Hooray!

I distinctly remember a year ago, when a package was brought to my doorstep. Then I got a phone call from my brother, asking me if I have recieved his gift. Boy, I freaked out and almost fainted in front if the delivery man! Yay!

I was so happy when I got my new Kindle. I fell in love with her right away. Yes, it's a her. I actually named my kindle - Kendra :)

The very first ebook purchase I got was Rebecca Hamilton's The Forever Girl. And now a year has passed. Kendra now has more than 300 books in her bossom. I am just thrilled.

On her birthday, i made significant purchases from Amazon. I hope I will be able to read them ASAP. Here's my ebook list for this week:

Enchantment by Charlotte Abel

The World of Karov by Elyse Salpeter

Sinners of Magic by Lynn Creswell

Onyx ( A Lux Novel) by Jennifer Armentrout

Fairy Tale Flirts by Lisa Scott

A Mother Whispers Goodnight by Charlie Nitric

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Into You by Riley J Ford

Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter by Nikki Jefford

and Pride & Princesses by Summer Day

Sadly today, I got cough & colds.. so sick, cant even get up from bed. Will blog and tweet more soon. Have to retreat back to the burrow. Happy Groundhog Day.