Friday, January 8, 2016

The Sword Chronicles: Child of the Empire by Michaelbrent Collings - Review

The Sword Chronicles: 
Child of the Empire
by
Michaelbrent Collings

She is a Dog - one of the many children and teens across the empire of Ansborn who have been sentenced to fight in the arenas. There they fight in battle after battle until they die for the sport of the people of Ansborn - an empire built atop the peaks of five mountains. 

But one day she picks up a knife... and everything changes. 

She discovers she is a Greater Gift - one of a handful of magic users with powers so great they have only two choices: to join the Empire as one of its premier assassins, or die as a threat to the Empire itself. 

She is no longer a Dog. Now, she is Sword. And she will soon realize that in this Empire, not all is what it seems. Good and evil collide, and she can never be sure whom to trust - not even herself. 

She holds life in her hands for some. Brings death by her blade to others. 

She is a killer. 
She is a savior. 

She is Sword.

My Thoughts: There are always these wonderful moments when I find a book that is so perfectly long and detailed and adventurous that I know I will love it every single time I read it. I can without a doubt say that Child of the Empire is one of those books. I could open it back up right now and read it all over again and enjoy it just as much as the first time. In fact, I know when I re-read it I will still be left loving it and wanting more. 

Child of the Empire takes place in a world sat upon five mountains. The mystery surrounding even that aspect of the story was amazing. I was constantly wondering what could be below the clouds, and how this empire came to be. Then there was the empire itself. Ansborn is a complex empire, with a lot of shady dealings and unanswered questions. 

The characters that Michaelbrent Collings created are amazing. They are a complex cast, each bringing something important to the story. Sword is a survivor and I loved her. She was clever and learned quickly. She was blunt and asked questions that many would probably avoid. Her personal journey from a Dog to Sword and everything she does as Sword is impressive. Other characters throughout the story pull everything along and add so much. I fell in love with so many of them. I was surprised by them, grieved for their troubles, and was excited by their triumphs. 

I loved this book so much. It is an epic fantasy that will intrigue readers. I wish they could make a movie that could do it justice. Now I am left, as it always seems when I find a new series to love, waiting for another book. I think it will be well worth the wait. 

Rating:

Buy The Book:
Amazon / B&N


About the Author:
Michaelbrent Collings is a #1 bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He has written numerous bestsellers, including Darkbound, Apparition, The Haunted, The Loon, Rising Fears, and the bestselling YA fantasy series The Billy Saga, beginning with Billy: Messenger of Powers.

He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.

Michaelbrent has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than he is (though he admits that's a low bar to set), and also cooler than he is.

Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC...and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings. Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. 

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Forget Me Not by Maureen L. Bonatch - Review

Forget Me Not
A Candy Hearts Romance
 by
Maureen L. Bonatch

The car accident totaled Sabrina Post’s convertible and reinvented her memories. She can't recall dumping Cole Dawson ten years ago. What her new clairvoyant visions tell Sabrina is he’s her husband. Any practical girl would question her sanity. But if Sabrina wants to make this imaginary future a reality, she'll have to regain Cole’s trust and eliminate her rival, the coffee shop waitress who’s pegged Cole as husband #4. To prove she’s foreseen their destiny, Sabrina stirs Cole’s interest by revealing specifics about him she couldn’t have otherwise known. Unfortunately, the one detail he vividly remembers is the pain when she left him and their "rinky-dink" town in her rearview mirror.

If Cole can't believe she's a changed woman, can Sabrina accept the only second chance she has at love exists in her memories?

Excerpt:
 The boxes of candy hearts Julie forgot spilled across the floor.
Cole hunkered down and gathered the papers. His mouth formed a hard line as he glanced at Sabrina’s leave paperwork with the end date prominently circled. He replaced it on the table under the keys.
“No really, I can do it. You stay, Cole. I’ll be right back.” Sabrina caught her reflection in the mirror on the wall. The quest for a coat resulted in her hair looking as if she’d stuck her finger into an electrical outlet. Her appearance matched her desperation. She ran her hands over her head, but the static filled strands resisted smoothing.
“I need to check on Dad anyway, and it’s on my way. I’ll take Josie.” Cole extended his elbow, and Josie latched on like a lifeline, her fingers digging into the leather of his jacket. She skittered across a few of the remaining candies, crushing Be Mine and Love Me on the floor. “Thanks again for dinner, Marge.”
“Cole wait.” Despair leaked into Sabrina’s plea.
            He glanced toward the papers on the table and sighed. “I waited for years, Rena. It’s you who waited too long.”
As the door closed behind him, so did the future with Cole that she’d imagined. Her shoulders fell. She knelt to collect the candy hearts scattered on the floor. Forget Me Not and Hug Me taunted her with their cheerful words. Lacking a garbage bag, she shoved a handful of the candies into her jacket pocket. Several hearts were trodden into tiny pieces, like her own.

My Thoughts: Forget Me Not is a novella in the Candy Hearts Series. This was a very sweet little story. Sabrina seemed to do a complete 180, surprising all the people in her life. I was rooting for her as she struggled to make the future she sees come true. I get the feeling that who she was before might have been so goal oriented that it made her a little unlikable. I liked her though and I would happily read more about her. Cole is a great leading male. I loved his friendliness and his willingness to help everyone who needed it. I also really enjoyed Sabrina's mom. 

This is a great second chance love story. I buzzed through it quickly and I definitely wish it hadn't ended. I'm looking forward to seeing what other Candy Hearts books come out. 

Rating:

Buy This Book:

About the Author:
Maureen writes stories in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania that boast laughter, light suspense and something magical in the hope of sharing her love of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary world. She writes Paranormal Romance and Fantasy.






I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.