The Man in the Black Top Hat by Ju Ephraime - Book Review

Once again it seems as though I've fallen off the face of the earth or at least the internet world. But, alas, gentle readers, I am still living; just overwhelmed and having perhaps the craziest summer of my life. Anyhow, I return to you today with a book review! "And the villagers rejoiced! Yea!" The book? The Man in the Black Top Hat by Ju Ephraime. 

Synopsis: Syria Warrington came home one afternoon and found an old black top hat on her front step, being a lover of all things old; she did not hesitate to take it into her home. But bringing this top hat into her home unknowingly exposed her to the spirit that called this hat home. The strange happenings that began to take place in her home from that day on had Syria questioning her sanity. Her life, as she knew it, began to quickly unravel before her very eyes as night after night she found herself in the arms of a stranger. Were her experiences real or imagined?

The Pros: I love the premise of this book, but then I grew up in a haunted house and was the center of that paranormal activity so maybe I'm bias. However, I love the physiological aspect of having a ghost stalker. You can't see them. You can't stop them. You can't really get a restraining order or call the cops. Heck, you can't even really tell anyone about it without everyone thinking you're crazy! That would drive anyone mad! Plus, the added sense that you're no longer safe in your own home and the fear that this entity will do harm to your family just adds to the tension the main character is under. Not to mention can you imagine being afraid to go to sleep for fear of what this invisible stalker will do to you? I relate to Syria's love of old things, and this helped me connect with her. I have always enjoyed things from other eras more than my own. However, I buy old furniture and pieces and make them over, I even paint them! This, Syria would never approve of. What's funny is I just barely bought a 1940's telephone from a flea market for decor in my kitchen. I got it for a steal, too, and then I went and read this book and now I'm worried that I may have made the same mistake Syria did! (Spoiler) Hmmm, I'll have to keep an eye on that phone, I'm not tossing it into a barbecue anytime soon but if it starts moving about the house, or I start having crazy sex dreams about some random World War II solider then it's out of here!

The Cons: This book is written in a style that resembles a memoir more than a traditional novel, meaning that the majority of the book is summarized. Instead of unfolding as if you were apart of the story, you feel like an outsider reading an account from someone's journal. This is acceptable from time to time in a book when events need to move along, but as a whole book it undermined the tension of the situation the leading lady was under. The book also seems to have ten beginnings, the story doesn't really start until chapter three. There was some good background info in there to help setup the story but because it was written the way it was, without action or in the moment, it felt dry. We also know who the ghost is before the haunting even begins which I felt hurt the tension and the suspense of the book. Although I did enjoy the chapter written from the ghost's perspective. I think it would've been a better read to have taken that out or put it in later. Perhaps after Syria had figured out the identity of the personage possessing the top hat first, then have him reveal to her his side of their once-encounter when he was living and how he/the hat came to be in her home. This, I think, would've made it more of a mystery and heightened the intensity of the story. Although some really creepy things do happen in this tale, my morbid side wanted the ghost to go a step further and for things to get even crazier than they did. If this is indeed based on a true story then I understand why the author didn't take things down darker paths. Despite this, I still enjoyed the book. A few random notes. This book is slightly erotic. Personally, I don't read traditional romance or erotica novels. There really not my thing, partially because it is rather difficult to write a good sex scene that isn't corny let alone a whole book packed with them! The writer of such books has to keep things fresh, change up the sex scenes, and be careful not to be repetitive in positions/situations or descriptions. I would rate the sex scenes in this book a notch or two below the steaminess of a Sookie Stackhouse novel. They're not super kinky but not mellow either. However, with all the sex acts happening with the ghost and the husband being in the master bedroom they tend to repeat each other. I do give the author credit for trying to change them up though and did enjoy some of her descriptions. Eventually when Syria finally confided in her mother about the situation her mom told her to call a "Ghostbuster" to get rid of the ghost. I thought it was funny when the mom used the term. Syria uses it in her narrative three times afterward even after she had researched paranormal activities on the internet. Paranormal Investigator, Exorcist, or Medium would've been more proper terms and Syria would know this from her googling. It's not a big deal but it seemed odd and took me out of the story. Although she never ended up calling such a person to solve her haunting issues, I did like the solution she and her friend eventually came up with and how the book ended. 

Overall I give this book four hats/stars. It's a good, steamy read for any paranormal lover or twisted weirdo like me. I enjoyed this book and the heebbie-jeebbies it gave me. Though it may have ruined me from thrift store shopping and frequenting flea markets for a while. My hat is off to the author for creating this chilling tale. 

Now go forth and give this haunted, twisted romance a read, but do so at your own risk! Muwa-ha-ha-haaa! You can find it here.  Till next time.

R.J. Craddock

Eye of Persuasion by Adrienne Monson - Book Review

I picked up this book whilst sharing a booth at SLC Comic Con from my fellow author and long time friend, Adrienne Monson. We were there as members of the Utah Fantasy Authors (UFA) branch of the League of Utah Writers (LUW). There were ten other authors involved in the UFA booth besides Adrienne and myself, everyone with a book or two to sell. Although I've only read a few of the books that we were offering in the booth I only took home two of them. One of them was Monson's new novella "Eyes of Persuasion" a historical romance with a fantasy twist thrown in for good measure.

Synopsis: When her parents are murdered, Lady Maybrick is taken in by an abusive uncle to help pay his gambling debt. But Isabeau has a secret, a talent hidden since birth. Her gift helps to keep her out of the whorehouse and out of trouble--that is, until she meets Everett Radcliff. Hard working Everett Radcliff detests high society and finds plenty of excuses to avoid it. But when he meets Lady Maybrick, he can't help but be enthralled by her violet eyes. When he hires an investigator to uncover a crook, his path crosses with hers, throwing them into a world of mystery, murder, and, surprisingly, love.

The Pros: "Eyes of Persuasion" is a fast-paced, plot-driven easy read. Set in eighteenth century London, taking us everywhere from high society balls, to the dirty hustle of the shipping industry of London's port. This tale is well researched making the reader feel as though they've fallen through the pages back into time. This book begins like many a historical romances with a unique, yet unappreciated, high-born maiden forced into an engagement with a man she doesn't love, but has no choice but to marry. However, Isabeau Maybrick is no ordinary lady, as we find out within the first couple chapters. The author endeavors to deliver a fresh look at this era with a heroine who has not only a special gift but some modern day gumption. Fast-paced and unpredictable this book delivers some interesting twists that will pleasantly surprise readers.

The Cons: Although well-written with it's attention to the details and lingo of the era, the story felt rushed. This might be due in part to the fact that it is a novella and not a typical novel. It felt more plot driven then character driven, a pattern I noticed in Monson's other book, "Dissension" (book 1 in the Blood Inheritance Trilogy) Depending on the reader this may or may not be a bad thing. My issue is, that with the plot taking up the entirety of the book their is little time to develop characters or create emotional depth in even the most intense scenes. I struggled to connect even with the principle characters, Lady Maybrick and Everett Radcliff. Although I found their relationship somewhat entertaining, the story rushes their romance along too quickly. Personally, I feel that the book would've been greatly improved had it been a regular novel; giving the characters more time to grow and their relationship would also feel more genuine. As it is, I found that I wasn't invested enough in the characters to be drawn into the suspense of the story. Some of the secondary characters felt very under developed and somewhat two dimensional such as Isabeau's abusive gambling Uncle  Brig. Although he's not a huge part of the story, he's in it enough that I found his actions and motives puzzling because his character is never examined. He comes off more as a stereotype then a real character and this took me out of the story from time to time. The dialogue was a little weak here and there also taking me out of the action.

Overall the book is unpredictable and easy to read.  It's length and ever twisting plot combined with the setting makes it an entertaining escape for a rainy day. I give it four stars. A decent book executed fairly well. But, as always, don't just take my word for it, go out and read it yourselves!

Now go forth and pick up this book "Eyes of Persuasion" and come on back to share your thoughts with us when you're done.

Till next time,
R.J. Craddock

Copper Descent by Angela Hartley - Book Review

“Copper Descent” is the tale of Nina Douglas, a Native American girl with a secret. She walks into the dream world, even though her mother forbids it. Nina and her family are the last of their tribe, their village destroyed by Sinuf, a dark god from before the beginning of time. Nina's mother is afraid that Sinuf will find Nina in the dream world and take control of her, turning her mysterious gifts into something dark and sinister. One night the dream world shows Nina a terrible vision of the future. Afraid her mother will be angry with her for walking into the dream behind her back, Nina keeps the vision to herself. Her decision ends up costing her dearly and turning her world upside down. Guilt forces her to make a difficult choice sacrificing a part of herself forever. At last she is safe from the dark wolf of her dreams… or so she thought. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's been a while since a book has really impressed me, especially a debut novel by a new author. This is the case with “Copper Descent.” Right away you’re drawn into the story, and your attention is held by the author’s creative attention to detail. She has a talent for blending the modern world and realistic settings with Native American folklore in a way that makes everything seem plausible. The pacing is great in this book. I never once found myself getting bored or wanting to skip ahead. As is the case with most books the best character is the Villain. In “Copper Descent”, Angela gives us Sinuf, an interesting twist on the classic image of Lucifer with roots in both christen mythology and Native American lore. The effect is an antagonist that is sexy, deadly, haunting and somehow likable in a bad-boy-kind-of-way.The kind of guy that lures women with tendencies towards fixer uppers. I found myself hoping that maybe Nina could turn this cold-hearted serpent around so that perhaps he could redeem himself in the end. At first I found that I didn't really like Nate, Nina's love interest. He came off very immature and just plain rude at first. Later on, when he came back into the story, he seemed to have grown up some and turned into my second favorite character. The story was never predictable and kept you guessing. 

My only complaints are these: The action seemed a bit choppy in the last couple chapters. This wouldn't be a big deal as most modern books seem to be written this way, except that this book was not up until the end. It's not really noticeable except in two spots where it took me out of the story. Perhaps in the excitement of wrapping up the book these moments were rushed a bit to render the scenes a little confusing instead of having the natural flow the rest of the book had. Secondly, the ending wasn't what I was hoping for. There was a bit of a Wizard of Oz ending to it, "You had the power within you all along." Although it was well-written and made perfect sense with the book, the final fight seemed to easily won for my taste and a was little anti-climatic. My last issue with the book is that I never fell in love with the leading lady, Nina. She was well-written and had complexity to her, and had some good dialogue and great hero moments, but for some reason I never really became invested in her. I don't think this is at all the author’s fault, just for some reason she just didn't resonate with me. 

Despite these minor flaws I still found “Copper Descent” to be a wildly creative, well-written, and exciting read! I give it five stars. I would recommend it to anyone with a love for Urban Fantasy, Horror and an interest in Religious Mythology and Native American Folklore.

Now go forth read, and decide for yourself if it's as good as I say it is. And if you love it, too, make sure to tell everyone you know about it. You can find the book or follow the author at the following links.

Amazon
Goodreads
Blog
Foxhollow

R.J. Craddock

"Chest of Wishes" -Book Review

"Chest of Wishes" is  listed as a paranormal romance novella  by Natashiah Jansen and Zhu Hsia. It is also the first novella I've ever read. I prefer full length novels myself because you can really get to know the characters and get immersed in their world. Which is why I have to say this story would've been better as a novel. As it is it's a fun quick read with an intriguing premise that catches you up in it's tale right away. However to make it a novella a lot of details were smudged over and a great deal of the story was told to us rather than shown. Since I'm a novelist myself I am unfamiliar with novella writing etiquette, although telling instead of showing is considered a "No, No" with traditional novel writing. I feel like the author could have shown us the portions that were simply told and the story would have been richer, and the mystery aspect of it more intense.

A personal pet peeve of mine is when the characters are never physically described, which is the case with this story. I had to go a long just imaging generic people in the roles rather then feeling like I was reading real flesh and bone individuals. I still enjoyed the story despite this but some description would have made this story just a little bit better.

I am unfamiliar with modern day Egypt society so I was confused as to weather it's normal for Egyptians to have western names like Adam, Mark, George and Mary. It took me a bit out of the story as the love interest was named Isis and her mother and father had Egyptian sounding names. Every one else's names made them sound like they were English or American not Egyptian. Again like I said maybe this is normal in Egypt today. However it seems really out of place for the wealthy Egyptian family to have a daughter named Isis and a son named Adam.

I enjoyed the back story twist that involved Mark's mother. It added a whole other layer of intrigue which I think was nicely done. Overall I really enjoyed the tale of "Chest of Wishes". I just wish it had been told with more attention to detail while keeping the energy level building to the finale. I would recommend it to anyone who likes quick, fun, reads with an element of magic and history.

Now go forth and pick it up for yourself. It is available now for just .99 cents. You can get it here.

Till Next time,
R.J. Craddock

The Princess and The Prom Queen by Jaclyn Weist - Book Review

Nowadays there are as many different kinds of books as there are readers. Furthermore, there are many different ways to publish a book in today's ever-growing digital age. Besides the big publishing houses, we now have smaller presses and many self-publishing options for the modern author in which to choose. This book in particular was published by a small Utah press called Trifecta books.

First off, the cover and title did little to peek my interest, both unimaginative and typical of the YA market. However, I decided to look passed this and give the book a chance.

The Pros:
The concept is clever and wildly imaginative putting a twist on my favorite fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty"and combining it with time travel and the old classic "The Prince and the Pauper." The book begins with  Jenny a typical teenage girl from present day USA who wakes up to a prince kissing her, in a mid-evil castle discovering that she has switched places with Princess Genevieve who happens to be the real life person the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale was based on. This gives the story two interesting settings and concepts. The plot is fast-paced for younger readers, and the story is not too predictable with some good plot twists.

The Cons:
I desperately wanted to love this book because of the "Sleeping Beauty" element, but alas I just couldn't and I'll tell you why. First off the inciting incident happens too fast. We're only a few pages into the book, we've barely even met Jenny, and we're suddenly thrust into another time when she awakes as princess Genevieve. We don't have time to care enough about her before her life gets turned upside down. Generally the industry experts will tell you to introduce the inciting incident early in the book, but I feel in this case this idea was taken to an extreme. There is little to no description or world building which made it a very bland read. For me the beauty is in the details. One can get away with little description in a modern timeline but typical Fantasy readers expect to be drawn into a whole new world. Descriptive writing that creates atmosphere is how this is done. Because of the lack of detail this book reads more like a first draft then a finished novel. Everyone has heard the saying "Show, Don't Tell" well... this book tells and never shows. The dialogue is basic giving little to no sense of the characters' personality. Some plot points are weak and unbelievable such as: Jenny's parents are far too willing to believe that their daughter has been replaced by a mid-evil princess. I would've liked to have seen a little more skepticism on her parents' part. I have a hard time imagining any reader over twelve really enjoying this book. I, myself, never got emotionally involved with the characters perhaps because they were two dimensional and never felt real. In the end the villain is defeated too easily, the ending wrapped up too fast, and a solution to the main conflict of the book solved too conveniently. Had the ending been better I would've given the book another star.

Also, I noticed nine missing or misused words. Had this been self-published I would've dismissed this but as a professionally published novel this looks bad. As a self-published author I know my books have a few mistakes in them. Whereas I don't have the resources to hire a team of editors to find every flaw in my novels, this book, being published by a press, that claims to have experience should not have this many mistakes.

"The Princess and the Prom Queen" is a creative tale with a decent plot that just didn't reach it's full potential. I give it two stars. So low a rating I have never given a book in my life. I generally don't like to leave a bad review. As an author myself I know what it feels like to receive a review like this. However, I feel so passionately about my bad experience with this book I feel I owe it to other readers to share my thoughts and feelings. On the upside a few bad reviews lends a book more credibility for perspective readers. When a book has only five and four star reviews one can't help but wonder if they're all written by friends and family. As a close I want to add that as beauty is in the eye of the beholder so merit is in the mind of the reader. What was an unsatisfying reading experience for me might be a great experience for another reader. To best judge if you would agree with my critique of this book I would recommend reading my other reviews or just plain reading the book for yourself. Click here to get "The Princess and the Prom Queen" 


Now go forth and read and then read some more!
Till Next time,

R.J. Craddock

Fire Light by J. Abram Barneck - Book Review

April 17th - 19th I will be at the Salt Lake City Comic-Con sharing a table with the Author of this book. I figured I better know the other novel in which I'm sharing my booth. So I got it on kindle, and jumped right into it. Here are my thoughts:                                                                                                                                                                              J. Abram Barneck's "Fire Light" is a unique YA Urban Fantasy set in the Great Salt Lake Valley. The protagonist, Jacob Stevens, is a seventeen-year-old geek turned jock who will do anything to seem normal, although he's anything but. Then one day he meets Charles O'Brien, an FBI agent who brings with him an ancient magical textbook and some bad news for Jake: someone is trying to kill him.Why? Because it turns out Jake is a Druid.  Some mysterious organization has been hunting down all the Druids, even the potential ones, like Jake, with the intent to exterminate the ancient society. Running for his life, Jake is torn away from his family and the life he took for granted. Helping O'Brien uncover the identity of the ones responsible for this genocide, Jake is thrust into a dangerous world filled with magic, Nightwalkers, and even a Vampire King! Sounds exciting right? Well, it is and it isn't. Although the writing was excellent throughout the book, and the plot was very well thought out, for me "Fire Light" had a few weaknesses.

1) The inciting incident doesn't happen until chapter twelve. For those of you who don't know what an inciting incident is here's the definition. When an event happens to the protagonist forcing their lives to change from the norm to adapt to the story's plot. Pretty much it's the part that kicks the story off and gets the ball rolling. Most writing gurus and creative writing courses teach that an inciting incident should happen in the first act, within the first few chapters in a novel or the first ten pages in a screenplay. If this was a typical epic Fantasy novel like Robert  Jordan's "The Eye of the World" the reader would expect this kind of build up because the writer is introducing them to a whole new world. However, the author of "Fire Light" spends the first twelve chapters of the book just getting us acquainted with Jake. We learn about his parentage, his sister, his geek lifestyle and we meet his friends and other supporting characters. All good things to learn as this helps to establish Jake's character, but it drags on a bit. Had I been a beta reader for this book I would've suggested condensing this whole segment to help the story move along more quickly. 

2) Just before the story finally picks up, the author forces a love connection between Jake and his sister's best friend Kendra. At this point it was the last thing I wanted to read, I just wanted the fantasy element to happen already. Also, I found Kendra's character weak and inconsistent. She's described as confident but then goes on to do things that make her seem insecure, childish, and desperate. I found it hard to care about her and was relieved when the inciting incident finally arrived and Jake was taken away into another world. I found myself hoping we'd never see Kendra again. 

However, once the story took off, it kept on going! The pacing from chapter twelve on was fantastic, keeping you interested and wanting more. Later, another female character was introduced, Alexis, who didn't annoy me and I found I suddenly needed to finish the book more because of her than anything else. The author managed to surprise me in some places and that's not easily done. The author didn't shy away from darker subjects yet kept things somewhat PG-13 with which I was impressed. He kept the dark fantasy world realistic without getting too morbid for young adult readers to enjoy. The ending was action packed and exciting without being too over-the-top or unbelievable. The big climax did not disappoint as many YA books do, and kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. When it was all said and done I found myself eager to read the next book! Which unfortunately does not yet have a release date set. 

Is "Fire Light" a worth while read? Yes. Will I be reading the next book in the series? You betcha! Does it take a while to get going? Sure, but the pay off makes it's well worth the wait. So, overall I'd give "Fire Light" four and a half stars! 

Now go forth and pick up "Fire Light" by J. Abram Barneck, (at the following links) and find out for yourself what "Fire Light" is all about. Till next time.

R.J. Craddock

Amazon

Barnes & Noble
Facebook Fan page

Wings – Book Review

Every once in a while I read a book and am blown away by the creativity of the concept. So blown away, in fact, that I wish I had written it myself. One of these books is “Wings” by Aprilynne Pike. It's a YA Urban Fantasy wherein a teenage girl named Laurel discovers what looks like giant pedals growing from her back! While trying to hide her body’s strange reaction to adolescence, she seeks out the answers to her true identity. Because it turns out her parents aren't her parents, she was found on their door step when she was three. So who is she really? It just so happens she's a Fairy, and those pedals on her back are her wings. In this story the author creates her own folklore wherein Fairies are really highly-evolved intelligent plants. That’s right, plants. They are grown, not born. Once they hit maturity the females grow giant flowers out of their backs that humans have always mistook for wings. The Flowers can be pollinated by the males who have spores on their palms.

Sorry if I'm giving too much away here but the concept is so original, it's too cool not to talk about it. But never fear there’s a lot of story going on with our heroine, Laurel, as she comes to terms with who she really is and how to balance her life between the human and the Fairy world. Filled with adventure, action, love triangles, and teenage angst, it's a great read for anyone who enjoys a fun twist on the classic Fairy lore.

“Wings” is book one in a four-part series by Aprilynne Pike. I've read the first two: “Wings” and “Spells.” They are both excellent. I just bought book three “Illusions” and I can't wait to see what happens next in Laurel’s crazy, mixed-up human/Fairy world.

I give “Wings” a five star rating. A good-clean-fun and wildly imaginative read. Now go forth and check it out for yourself. Aprilynne Pike, whose work is worth getting to know.

R.J. Craddock

City of Ash (Mortal Instruments book two) - Book Review

I don't know about you, but I love to read series. However, sequels rarely tend to live up to the first. This is as true in books as it is in film. If you've read my review of book one “City of Bones” then you already know how much I loved it. There were a few things that made me mad though. At first I was so angry with how all the relationships got resolved yet completely torn apart by the end of the book that I seriously considered not reading the next one. However, the author cleverly included a sneak peak of book two at the end of book one. After I read it I knew I had to go out and buy the next book a.s.a.p. So, with some trepidation I started “City of Ash.”

Now, I'm assuming that you've read the first book already because otherwise the rest of this review is going to spoil it for you. So you've been warned. Picking up where we let off, we dive back into Clary's strange new world. Nothing is what she thought it was. Her artist mother (who’s still in a coma) is really a trained demon hunter. Her father is a derange psycho bent on doing whatever it takes to remake the Clave even if it means aligning with demons and possibly destroying the world. Did I mention that her first love, the gorgeous Jace, turns out is really her... BROTHER! Yeah, that’s the part the made me so mad! Of course this makes things awkward between her and Jace. In case you forgot they made out once before they knew they were related. However, this is good news for Simon, Clary's best friend, who’s always been in love with her. At the beginning of book two he finally makes a move on her, and Clary is willing to give it a shot since she can't be with the man she loves. You'll have to read the book to see how that turns out. On top of that Valentine (her crazy dad) is still on the loose, and he has the mortal cup. Now that everyone knows that Jace is really Valentine’s son, no one trusts him. Especially when another Mortal Instrument goes missing and Jace is the only one who knows who has it. If this wasn't stressful enough for Clay, there’s something strange going on with Simon, he's not quite feeling his usual self. You'll see what I mean. Also, Clary and Jace discover that they both have interesting talents they never knew of.

The farther you get into the book the more the tension builds. It's discovered that Valentine is up to no good again. Jace is forced to stand up to his father and decide which side he’s really on. There’s even a Luke and Darth Vader moment between them. I'm happy to say that “City of Ash” is one of those rare sequels that lives up to the first. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Again a few things that didn't quite work for me but all together it’s a great read. I was so tantalized by the ending of the book I was going out of my mind till I bought the third one. Let me tell you that it's a series that’s worth reading all the way through.

I give “City of Ash” a four and a half star rating.

Now go forth and read it yourself. I will be back soon with a review of book three “City of Glass”.

R.J. Craddock

Night World - Book Review

Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, and Shape-shifters; they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules, and falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World. A good comparison to Adrian Monson's Vampire novel "Dissension" is L.J. Smith's "Night World" published by Simon Pulse.

A young adult series that also features Vampires and other supernatural beings; the author also has a similar tone of voice to Monson's. You might know L.J. Smith better for her bestselling series "The Vampire Diaries", the books that inspired the popular TV show.

"Night World" is comprised of four volumes; each volume includes three separate tales. These stories at first seem to have nothing in common, other than the fact that a human(s) comes into contact with a member of the Night World, the encounter changing the course of their lives forever. However, each tale intertwines into a rich tapestry of death, magic, danger, mystery, ancient civilizations, blood, and forbidden love.
In Volume One of this Saga the three tales are: Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness, and Spellbinder.
Secret Vampire: fun-loving Poppy discovers two startling truths: first, she's dying of terminal cancer. Second, her best friend, and secret crush, James, is actually a born Vampire (she explains this concept in the book; you'd have to read it to understand). James could save Poppy by making her immortal, but it's against the Night World's law to make new Vampires. The punishment for breaking this law is death.

Daughters of Darkness: when three Vampire sisters are on the run from The Night World they hope to take refuge with their estranged aunt who lives in a small human town, only to find out that their aunt has been murdered. With the help of siblings, Mary-Lynnette and Mark (humans), they set out to solve this mystery, all the while trying not to get caught by their own kind.

Spellbinder: After being expelled yet again, high school seniors, Thea and Blaise; two Witch cousins find themselves starting a new school in the middle of the school year. If they get into any more trouble they'll be sent to stay with Aunt Ursula at her place nicknamed "The Convent." Everything would have been fine if Thea hadn't met her true love on the very first day of school. Blaise whose use to getting all the attention from the opposite sex can't stand that there's a guy in school who is resistant to her charm. It's dark magic verses white magic as the cousins battle over Eric. But neither realizes that far more is at risk than just a broken heart.

"Night World" Volume 1 is a great read. It's fast-paced, yet descriptive, with interesting characters and plots that grab your attention from the first page and never loses it. L.J. Smith's writing is so well done that even someone like me (who's picky about YA books) could enjoy it. Over all I would give this book four stars! It's a great escape from our mundane human reality.

No go forth and give it a read. Each book in the series is even better than the last. You won't regret starting this series.

R.J. Craddock

www.rjcraddock.com

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - Book Review

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - Book Review

A couple of years ago when I first began writing my book "The Forsaken" I was trying to explain the concept of my story to my sister--a former librarian and ex-Border's employee (so she's a book fanatic like me)--and she said it reminded her of these books about The Shadow Hunters. She couldn't remember what they were called, and I had no idea what she was talking about. Anyway, a year later I was at a Christmas party for my local chapter of The League of Utah Writers and I won a copy of "The Mortal Instruments, Book One: City of Bones" in a raffle. I was excited because I'd seen the cover at the bookstore and thought, "Ooohh! Nice Cover. I think I want to read that book." So, getting it for free was great. However, I was in the middle of three other series at the time and just put it on my bookshelf, saving it for another time; where it stayed untouched for two years. Then recently as I was designing the book cover for "The Forsaken", I was looking at some of my favorite books and came across "City of Bones." I decided to finally read it.

Now, I don't usually read much Young Adult novels because of three main factors: first, the story telling is watered-down for a younger audience, leaving it with very little atmosphere or description. Second, the conceptions of the stories (in Urban Fantasy and regular Fantasy at least) feel under developed because a younger audience apparently can't handle complex world building. Third, the characters and dialogue seem unrealistic because they exclude the natural sexuality of teenagers so it can be a YA book. I don't know about you, but I was a very hormonal, boy-crazy teenager, even though I was good girl. But nonetheless, those kinds of thoughts and feelings are natural at that age. However, I understand not wanting to include sex in these books, but all too often YA books seem to ignore sexuality all together which, to me, makes the characters seem unrealistic.

However, never fear Cassandra Clare has none of these issues in her book "City of Bones." As far as storytelling and description, Cassandra is awesome. I was not bored in the least; she gave great details at pivotal moments which really enhanced the mood of the book. The world building/concept of this series is amazing for a YA book, for any book really. "City of Bones" is rich in detail and unique mythology built off of biblical references and old legends. It's pure genius. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised at how three dimensional her characters were, and appreciated the realistic sexual tension between them, while still maintaining a PG-13 vibe. The dialogue was great, giving each character their own individuality without seeming written or cliché. It even made me laugh out loud a few times.

Finally, someone has written a teenage heroine that doesn't annoy me! I love Clary Fray. She's got wit, sarcasms (one of my favorite things) personality and spunk. Like many books do, "City of Bones." has its own love triangle--well, it's really a love octagon--but unlike other YA books, I actually felt like this one made sense. I can totally understand why two guys would fight over Clary, she's irresistible. Also, I can see why she would be torn between her two male leads. She has the good boy next door in Simon, but he's got more to him than that with his own sarcasm and wit and an endearing sense of loyalty that every best friend should have. On the other hand we've got the bad boy, Jace who isn't just a stereo-type but has real depth and vulnerability, taking the edge off his cold, arrogant exterior making you want to know him better. Not to mention he's sexy as can be and the chemistry between him and Clary is electric and believable.

I have to admit that it took me until chapter five to really get into this book. Not because the story telling wasn't good, it was. Nowadays books are faster paced, like movies, where you start off the book with a life changing event. (inciting incident) The thing I've always preferred about books is that you can take your time to get to know a character, establish their background and hang on tight as their lives become a roller coaster ride. However, once I got to know the characters, I was hooked and stayed riveted until the very end. I have to hand it to the author for her subtle foreshadowing that gave hints of the outcome of the book yet left me completely unprepared for the twist at the end (you will be, too). All too often the ending of a book is less surprising and more predictable. Although I was a little mad about the ending, eventually I broke down and bought the next book because I was too invested in the characters not to read on. Overall I give this book a 5 star rating. The Mortal Instruments is my new favorite series from my new favorite author.

"The Mortal Interments: City of Bones" movie comes out in August 2013. I can't wait to see it. Below I included a music video of the song that I think should be Jace's theme song, or at least what Clary thinks of him. I can totally hear this song over the end credits of the movie. Also, I included the movie trailer itself. I hope you enjoy both the videos and go out and pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.

R.J. Craddock

Jace Wayland bad boy theme music:

City of Bones Trailer: