Atlantis by Lisa Graves

Blurb: Elliott is a mystery. For Lilly, he is an obsession. Lilly's life starts to change dramatically when Elliott moves in next door. Weird things start to happen, and Lilly finds herself questioning her reality. But things aren't what they seem. Packed with hidden codes, Atlantis is a paranormal romance worth getting lost in. Do you believe in Atlantis?  

Review by Dale:


It was a well written post on Facebook that got me interested in reading this one. I think its a bit challenging for me to properly review chic lit. Since its not a genre I spend a lot of time reading. But this story has merits that stretch across several themes. Early on in the piece when Lilly sees a face in the mirror of her bathroom the little hairs on the back of my neck stood up. There are definitely elements of suspense and certainly a compelling mystery that drives this romantic drama along.  Early on in the piece I was likening this book to Audrey Niffenegger's 'The Time Travelers Wife', the multiple scenes that the story kept crossing reminded me of Henry's troubled life.


I have read a Mills and Boone and must confess I spent the entire 200 odd pages waiting for something to happen. Of course it never did. Thats why stores like this are so much better than those dreary tomes my mother collects. This is a story with substance. Characters are far from wooden. They pout and fret, they coddle and betray. In fact by the end of this story I had actually come to dislike Lilly. I felt the way she manipulated young Nicholas's feelings to get what she wanted was cold.


It isn't often a book can carry you along for some 200 hundred pages and yet still give you no idea how the story will end. Some of the darkness that seemed to creep through the imagery that Graves was using had me convinced it would not be a happy ending. At times I was expecting a romantic tragedy, especially with the pervading water themes used throughout the story.


The writing is good, the juicy sizzle-bits will satisfy the romantically minded. Graves shows great skill in writing romance that makes you wish you were a teenager again. Sigh. 


I'm sure young girls who enjoy ready romance that offers more depth than the formulaic Harlequin or M&B will enjoy this. It's currently only 99 cents which is good value for a book this long and this well written.


Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: $0.99c (at time of review)
Wordcount: 67,000 (appx)
Author:Lisa Graves

Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky

Blurb: After Soren, a young owlet, is pushed from his family's nest by his older brother, he's plucked from the forest floor by agents from a mysterious school, the St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. When Soren arrives at St. Aggie's, he suspects there is more to the school than meets the eye. He and his new friend, the clever and scrappy Gylfie, find out that St. Aggie's is actually a training camp where the school's leader can groom young owls to help achieve her goal--to rule the entire owl kingdom.

Review by Dale

Wow! I original discovered this book as a preview for the film on a DVD I was about to watch. I was amazed by the stunning looking cgi effects and a few months later when I saw it for sale in my suns scholastic catalogue I bought it. I was of course curious to see how other authors handle storyies where the main characters are animals. A sly bit of research you might say.

So how can a book about elusive and almost creepy looking Owls be exciting? The truth is you soon get lost in the magic of the story and kind of forget that Soren and Gylfie, the two main characters,  aren't just two rascalous children. Kind of the same way Disney makes you feel about Simba in the lion king.


This story has its dark elements. There is death and lots of sadness. I had the same feelings when I read George Orwell's Animal Farm many years ago. A sort of sinister under story, that permeates through and makes you worry for the characters. I liken it to the spy who goes back under cover for 'one last mission'.


But they do manage to escape their captives of course or there wouldn't be fourteen more books in the series.  Although a few Owls don't make it, and its very sad when the good guys die. But there are so many secrets still to discover. A hallmark of great serialists like Lasky and Rawlings is the long slow boiling story that creeps through a series and only comes together in the final chapters. Thats what keeps me reading these books.   


As an aside note you also learn quite a bit about Owls reading this book. How their wings work and what they eat. Quite fascinating if you are interested in nature. I can see that Lasky has a very good knowledge of these birds, no doubt from years spent watching them.


So the verdict? I am already thinking about book two. Especially after the way this ends. Check it out, or watch the movie?

Format: Paperback Book
Available from Amazon

Guardians of Ga'hoole Boxed Set, Books 1-4 (See all Children's Bird Books)
Price: $16.00c (at time of review) 4 Book Box set
Wordcount: 220 pages
Author:Kathryn Lasky

Jane Blonde the Perfect Spylet by Jill Marshall

Blurb: Janey Brown (aka Jane Blonde, Sensational Spylet)is in for a a shock when headmistress Mrs Halliday makes her and Alfie be prefects for the day, looking after the school's youngest kids. She thinks it's going to be a breeze, but it turns out to be a Prefect's nightmare.So Janey has to turn from Prefect to Perfect. The Perfect Spylet - a special mini-SPI story for Jane Blonde fans everywhere.


Reviewed by Dale


Once again snooping around the Barnes and Noble top 100 for teens and kids I found this little book. I wasn't in the mood for anything too long and at a light 12,000 words it looked just right. Its a wee bit off what I usually read, i think its targeted towards the 8-10 year old girls market. Plenty of girl driven action and a writing style that i think Enid Blyton would use if she was still alive and writing today. To be honest i found it a bit slow to start which is risky in a short story and i did have to re-read a few sections more than once as i lost the flow. That said i see a great imagination at work here and definitely a writer who has a good grasp of the age group for whom she is writing for.
The Jane Blonde character is a very un-typical school girl who leads the double life of all heroes in disguise. As well as a side kick (a spy cat no less) she has an array of fiendishly clever and very stylish spy gadgets. 
The writing is good, very polished and professional. The voice is well done and as stated above clearly targeted at the tween girl. Boys might be more interested in Marshall's other books the Dogface series. 
I wasn't aware as I set out to read this that it was just a short story to get readers interested in her other books in the series. I most likely wouldn't have read it if i had known that as i prefer to read fully fleshed out novels and novellas. The story in this book is much shorter than the advertised 12,000 words, as it also contains a teaser to another book half way through.  So if you have looked at the Jane Blonde series and weren't sure as to whether to spend the money, or you want an introduction to a great new author in 7000 words or less. Go grab this free copy and see what you think.


Age 8+ (Advanced vocab)
Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: $0.00c (at time of review)
Wordcount: 12,000 (appx)
Author:Jill Marshall

Nostradormouse By Chris Tinniswood

Blurb: A dormouse awakens & utters a mysterious prophecy. In the centre of The Great Woods, an ancient tree receives some strange visitors. Rumours abound. Change is in the air. This is the age... of Nostradormouse. 

Reviewed by Dale

I was hunting around on Barnes and Noble looking for something to read and saw the cover for this little charmer. Catchy I thought and since my coin purse is feeling the pinch I jumped at the chance to read something popular (its in the top 100 I think) and free.

First lets get the moaning out of the way so we can get to the good stuff. There were a few too many typographical errors. Direct speech not on new paragraphs and some truncated sentences and the likes. Also my pet peeve, using too much narrative to tell the story. In fact since this great little story only clocks in at around 15,000 words it could have almost doubled that it the characters had been aloud more time 'on stage' as it were.

Ok so now on with the good bits. What a fantastic story, great imagination at play here, a jealous pang struck me enjoying this one. I think somewhere I read another reviewer drawing parallels with Aesop's fables, and I can see similarities but this is no rip off of a classic. This is fresh and original and highly entertaining. I can see this being an easy favourite in the eight years and up category. An unpredictable storyline, a nice easy build up with lots of intriguing foreshadowing of things to come. While it was short I couldn't help bonding with the hero, the young mouse on the cover. I really implore Tinniswood to re-look at this story and rework it in a dialogue driven story and at least 25,000 words. It would be awesome.

So go grab it! its great, its free, its easy to read!

Age 8+
Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: $0.00c (at time of review)
Wordcount: 15,000 (appx)
Author:Chris Tinniswood

Realms of the Red Rabbit - Book 1 by Laura Eno

Blurb: A spoiled, rich young woman is catapulted into an alternate universe because of an ancient legend. As she fights to find her way back home, she must adjust her way of thinking or remain trapped in the Realms for eternity. Along the way she learns the meaning of friendship, love and honor while struggling against the dangerous adversaries who are intent on keeping her there. 


Reviewed by Dale:


I guess it was the creepy emerald eyes that drew me to this as I shopped my way around looking for something to read. Another one of those books you collect on a whim and don't really know what to expect when you crack the spine and have at it. It was very early on in the piece that I realised I had discovered something out of the ordinary here. The writing was at once very fluid and prose like. Exceptional narrative that was almost a distraction in its elegance. I was amazed at how precise the writing was. 


The story develops quickly. Characters are immediately established with depth and personality. Hallmarks of great writing. Some words used in here threw me, I consider myself fairly well rounded in vocab, not up to Shakespeare's massive working catalogue but none the less I don't often see words I've never seen before. This novel got me more than once. I haven't seen the word miasma used this century in modern prose before. 


"The emotional buoyancy was a strong counterpoint to the endless days of trekking through unknown dangers." A classic example of the prose like narrative that flows throughout the book, making it a joy to read. I searched for information about this author but she hasn't got a bio posted on her blog or website that I found. I'm guessing she must have a classical or liberal arts background because the writing is just so polished.


"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" -  I'm probably not the first to draw parallels with the famous poem Dante wrote. But the connection is obvious. The Nine Realms a direct correlation to the nine circles that the author (Dante) descends through. Representing the deadly sins greed, gluttony etc. I wasn't paying enough attention whilst ready Eno's book to determine the exact nature of each realm and it matters not. Its a separate story that stands on its own. A great imagination that constantly meant my coffee went cold as i lost hours absorbed in the story. I'll never look at pretty little butterflies quite the same way again. Especially the creepy blue ones.


Another obvious conclusion is the similarity to Alice in Wonderland. I'm not really convinced about that. Carol supposedly wrote that as a parody of modern (at the time) mathematics. Imaginary numbers weren't something he accepted and the mad hatters tea party was a nice ridicule of the 'change' required to accept them. The closest I think Eno comes is the moral lessons that Allyson comes to learn as she descends through the realms, being her message to the world. I think that has more substance than taking the mickey out of essential mathematics.


The ending was possibly the only weakness. Endings can be challenging and some of the biggest criticisms I've had on one of my books is the abruptness of the ending. In my case it was part one of a three part trilogy.
So, I see with satisfaction, a second book is available to read in the Red Rabbit series. I will endeavour to read and review one-day soon.




Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: $0.99c (at time of review)
Wordcount: 88,000 (appx)
Author:Laura Eno

Friends of Choice by Linda Nelson

Blurb: Karla's parents have sold the house and now she has to move. She hates the thought of moving to a new town. This will mean leaving her best friends behind. Her parents told her it was because of her Dad's job and Karla thinks they have not been fair to her. She wonders why she can't have a say in moving or where they are moving to. 


Reviewed by Dale:

This is a dark moral tale that provides a frank warning to unwary teens. In this case seventeen year old Karla Centen. Technically this story has a few challenges. There are a few loose sentences that a good editor or proof reader might help with. Chapter 20 was repeated as chapter 21, which seems like a very elementary editing mistake, i wonder why it hasn't been fixed nine moths after publication. Also as some other reviewers have pointed out the story doesn't have a lot of substance in the first few chapters. As a male I kept waiting for something to happen and it only did after two hundred pages. I almost felt as if the story was buying its time for the party scene at the end. I changed school many times as a youngster and I hated it. that gut wrenching feeling gnawing at your belly, the confusing sounds, different smells, so many new faces, classes and then the dreaded "Here's the new boy tell us about yourself" speech at the front of the class. Nelson could have brought those feelings flooding back, but failed to capitalise on the most significant part of the story prior to the ending. That and the relationship she had with her mother.


Typically, in a story we have characters and we develop our own feelings towards these characters. A good writer can make us love, hate loathe or adore the characters in their stories. With Karla I wasn't sure what to feel. She hated her mum, but the relationship on the page was quite shallow. Its like some things are barley hinted at, her mothers drinking for example, and other things Nelson almost bludgeons you with. (the girls snickering foreshadowing some sinister plan).

***Spoilers from here on***

I felt, I really felt for the poor girl when she was gang raped by a bunch of one dimensional characters we know nothing about. But what about her friend Carol? If she was such a whacked out junkie that all she cared about was her stash of drugs why wasn't that explored more over the length of the novel? Her actions seemed a little incongruous to me. Maybe that's how junkies really behave? The ending too was a little bit off. A reader wants an outcome. Carol got away scot free, as did the other three guys. I think another chapter could have worked here. Exploring Karla's return to school, facing her old friends and the consequences of the parties involved.

There is a moral here. I think we all know that misplaced trust and a desire to fit in as the new girl make someone an easy target. Is it a little heavy handed to warn teens off parties, alcohol and drugs with a pack rape, near fatal overdose and car accident? Maybe but I have kids too...

*** Spoilers end***

I guess the bigger question is what will teens take from this? Its all well and good how parents like me feel, but will the message get through?

It took me a long time to finish this book. Several weeks in fact. When i did finally finish it I was in two minds as to whether to review it or not. I'm still undecided about this one so I invite you to be the judge. If you do read it please leave your comments.

Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: $0.99c (at time of review)  
Wordcount: 44,000 (appx)
Author: Linda Nelson

The Adventures of Kid Combat Volume One: A Secret Lost By Christopher Helwink

Blurb: Kid Combat - the books used in schools around the United States - is now available everywhere! Evil. Corruption. They are everywhere in Elmcrest. In the first volume of this exciting series, Kid Combat's group struggles to open their new secret base, keep their identities a secret, and save one of their own from being kidnapped. Meanwhile, a trap is set, one that Kid Combat falls right into... 


Reviewed by Dale


Having just reviewed something that pushes the boundaries of Young Adult to the adult end of the genre I thought it time to try some thing a bit more tween friendly.  


The kid combat series has been pushing its way up the barnes and Noble top 200 list for young readers and with such a mysterious looking cover I couldn't hold off reading it any longer.


What Helwink has created here in his debut for the Kid Combat series is an exciting groundwork for a fantastic concept. The opening gambit jumps in, James Bond style, with Kid Combat neck deep in enemy territory, mission accomplished all that remains is escape. Escape from a highly fortified, highly guarded enemy strong hold. How does he do it? Well you will have to just read the book to find out. But it does involve some pretty slick writing and a great imagination on Helwink's part.


Often when writers set up stories that they know will be an ongoing series they needlessly bog the reader down with endless details setting the scene, filling in all the gaps and over fleshing the setting in the first book. Helwink doesn't fall into this trap and charges headlong into the adventure adding just enough detail as he goes to keep the story fluid. Some major elements only falling into place in the final chapters. The mysterious secret base known only as 'the playground'  being one such example. He also leaves plenty of questions unanswered, compelling reason enough to go find the other books in the series. "The Heist of Spring Road Toys" and "Jones Strikes Back".


Of course the ultimate hero is only convincing if he faces a truly powerful arch nemesis. So who is Kid Combat's Moriarty? His evil other half that plots to destroy the town that Kid lives in? The nasty Phillip Arthur Jones and his mewling minion number two fill the roles. Jones is a very believable villain, especially post recession.


Kid Combat isn't alone in his quest to rid Elmcrest of this malevolent menace. He is accompanied by the familiar band of sidekicks. There is the braining computer whiz, hacking military satellites and local power grids. The strong-willed and clever girl, the comedic twins and a raft of slick gadgets all helping Combat in his missions.


The most amazing thing about this series is the price. They are all free. Yes thats right you can download all three books in the series for absolutely no money down. Amazing. Suitable for eight years and up, but be warned exciting scenes may cause hearts to race and nails to be bitten. 


Look out for the other Kid Combat books reviewed on here soon.


Age 8+ (Advanced Readers)
Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: Free (at time of review)   Dont wait, Helwink might change his mind!
Wordcount: 32,000 (appx)
Author: Christopher Helwink