80AD - The Jewel of Asgard by Aiki Flinthart

Blurb: What happens when you take a pair of ordinary, miserable 14 year olds out of their ordinary, miserable lives and throw them into another world and another time? Chaos, fear, magic and excitement - that's what. When Phoenix and Jade somehow end up in the bodies of their own warrior Avatars in the online fantasy game, 80AD, they have to play the game through to get home. Do they have what it takes? 

 Review by Dale:

Forgive my tardy return to reviewing, I have been unwell with a lingering flu for several weeks now. So without further delay I present the latest Chilli Tween Review for your enjoyment.

This story is very unique, and I think that Flinthart has a recipe here that should be easily reproduced as a series. I notice she has banged out one every two months. I'm not sure if thats how fast she writes or if she had written them previously and that was the time taken to get them through Smashwords' meat grinder?

The premise is immensely entertaining, the two main heroes get sucked into a computer game reality and discover that they have to play out the games premise in order to save themselves and their own world. So far so good.

The setting of the game is also brilliant. Roman occupied Britannia. Every little boy loves the Romans, and spicing them up with giant Ogres and Elves just makes the scene every more exciting. I can imagine nail biting ten year olds ripping through this one nice and quickly.

The story works well, has a good structure and one scene links very well into the next with a well tempo'd style. The meticulous attention to historical details is great to see. A history lesson without beating anyone over the head about it. Readers are learning because its important to the story, not just a nice snap in. The writing is well targeted at the 8 - 12 year reader, it is easy to follow, with no overly convoluted narratives. It has a great flow that will keep young readers interested. There are still a lot of editing errors in this book though, basic typos and grammar or layout errors. It is a little distracting.

The characters are well handled. That is the two main protagonists, Phoenix and Jade. The other two companions don't get a lot of screen time to reveal themselves too fully. I thought the young thief, Brynn was a great sidekick. And the idea of Marcus the young Roman had great potential but he never really got a chance to come out. Maybe he shines more in book two? I would have loved to have seen how his first century attitudes contrasted and conflicted with the pair from the twenty first century.

Another small bug bear was at the end. Flinthart had done a great job bring all the protagonists and antagonists together in a spectacular last stand. There at the nail biting conclusion, Phoenix, a hairs breadth from razor sharp roman steel has a crisis of conscience. So instead of maintaining the great momentum she had established, the whole story collapsed into a mental conversation about the ethics of retreat. I think that could have been written a bit differently that allowed the characters to have their reflection on the implications of their actions but maybe after we were allowed the action scene to maintain its momentum.

It will be interesting to see how Flinthart's writing matures over the series as well. I know my writing changed the more i wrote and I know I'm learning a lot by reading and reviewing other writers too.

All said and done its a great story! One I'm sure the target readers will love and I'm definitely keen to read the other books in the series and review them here. I give it 4 stars. It's FREE too so why wait, scull down and click on the download link now!

The cover art is great too. Im glad that the author has taken the time to get some professional art rather than the stock clipart you see too much of in indie publishing.

Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: $0.00c (at time of review)
Wordcount: 60,000 (appx)
Author: Aiki Flinthart
Author's Blog: Here

Evanescent by Kristen Portillo

Blurb: Brinn Kiernan is an immortal living in a human body. The problem? She doesn't know it. She must find a cure to the symptoms that plague her before they end her life. Meanwhile she must also dodge attacks on her life by her estranged and immortal, identical twin sister. Will her human body give out on her before she finds the cure or will her sister get to her first? 



Review by Dale:


I seem to be on a roll of recent, fossicking out new and exciting nuggets in the indie world. But this time I've managed to smash all previous conceptions as to just how good indie writers are. 


Kristen Porttillo is a serious threat to the dominance in popularity of the mainstream supernatural romance writers. If I was Stephanie Meyer I'd be afraid, very afraid.

This story is epic, at eight hundred and ten pages on my iPad it is not a quick read. Thats because Portillo has taken her time to create a rich and lucid stage for her characters to play their parts. Each character, unique and careful scripted into the story. There is no wasted dialogue, no random prose or imagery. Every noun, every verb every tantalizing adjective is leading the reader to a fantastic climax. And not just the love, but the adventure thats in store for Brinn as well.

This is a story about love yes, but also about supernatural creatures, Vampires, Miphares, Werewolves and other mysterious and imaginative folk Portillo has created. But above all else it's the writing itself that is so fantastic. The symphony of colorful and thoughtful imagery, the infinite attention to the smallest details. Portillo writes you into Brinn's world. You are an active bystander, experiencing the smells, the cacophonous beating of enamored hearts and heaving of unrequited love right along side her.

A classic triangle of love. Jack the dashing and insanely handsome classmate who pursues Brinn inspite of her disdain for him. Intoxicated by his good looks but uncertain of his intentions Brinn finds herself falling for Jack. But the more time she spends in his company the more she realizes it's a means to seeing more of Seth.

Brinn is affected by the audacious good looks of Seth but his aloofness and apparent dislike for her causes her great angst.  This love triangle twists and turns for most of the first part of the book. Then the heart pounding chapter thirteen marks a turning point in the story and heralds the point that makes it impossible to put this book down.

So who does Brinn finally end up with? The rascallious and cheeky Jack, whose sweet kisses cause hot flushes to rise from Brinn's core? Or Seth, from whom a mere glance is enough to send Brinn into a lustful stupor? Well you will just have to read it to find out.

This book is so exceptionally entertaining, so well written, I have to give it 6 stars! 

So to all you Supernatural lovers, you Twilight junkies, you Vampire Academy attendees, go buy a big bag of candles, some coconut oil and cinnamon (trust me) Download this book and experience it for yourself.

Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: $0.99c (at time of review by voucher  JB88X code)
Wordcount: 175,000 (appx)
Author:Kristen Portillo
Author's Blog: Here

Adventures In Funeral Crashing by Milda Harris

Blurb: Sixteen year old Kait Lenox has a reputation as the weird girl in her high school and maybe it has a little to do with the fact that Kait has a hobby crashing funerals. At one of these, Kait is outted by the most popular guy in school, Ethan Ripley. Yet, instead of humiliating her, Ethan asks for her help, and Kait finds herself in full on crush, as well as entangled in a murder mystery. 


Reviewed by Dale


I seem to be on a run of chic lit at present. This little gem I picked up yesterday. Its one of those frustrating books that you should never take to bed with you. For two good reasons. One being that Harris has a habit of leaving chapters as cliff hangers, forcing you to stay up till way past the candles best hours. And two, even though you begrudgingly put the ebook reader down and turn out the light your brain still can't resist thinking about 'who dunnit'.


I had my suspicions early on and I was kind of right, but none the less the plot does a great job of rolling you around from suspect to suspect. I think this is a difficult genre to write in and its very evident that Harris has planned this story out well. It has a crisp, fresh momentum that reads well and entertains easily. 


One of my favorite parts of well written stories are what I call the eddies. If a story is a large river, with the main plot the major flow, then its the tiny eddies and back flows that fascinate and add so much depth to a great story. The drama between Kait and Ariel, not overly relevant to the main plot but such a treat to read. I found myself greatly enjoying the asides as the flowed through the book. Kyle and Suzie another great little sub story that has me thinking about my own school days. Sigh.


The characters were full bodied, aged well and believable. There were even a few 'ah ha' moments for me that might have made my school dating shambles a bit more tenable had i only known. (Or read this!)  


It is funny that the last two books I've read have both had men that go beyond perfect as the leading men in the stories. This one has silky hair, the last story had chocolate hair. I guess I'll never be a chic lit writer, I never think of hair. 


So conclusions, this is an easy one. Its good, in fact its very good. Its easy to read, hard to put down and has very likable characters. The story is compelling and although nothing new, it has so much happening around it you certainly won't get bored!. 5 stars, click on the link below and go get it!






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

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