jbronderbookreviews

Courage and Other Demons by Jill Daugherty

5 stars

(Excerpt from Goodreads) “It occurred to me as I stared into the darkness that it was probably a good thing it had taken so long for me to see Simon for who he truly was. If I hadn’t fallen in love with that sweet and kind boy, I wouldn’t have gotten on a plane with him to fly halfway across the world; I wouldn’t have trusted him enough to do what he was asking me to do. And as angry as I was, as much as I hated what my life had become, I knew I had to do what Simon and the others were asking me to do. It all came down to one inescapable belief. I would have to kill or be killed. There were certainly other pieces of the puzzle that were more complex and harder to understand, but that one piece was very clear and unrelenting and it drove me forward, even in those moments when giving up seemed like the most sensible choice I could make.”

The end of the world will start in the suburbs of Denver with a faery transfer student from Ireland. If you think that’s totally ridiculous, then you understand how Maggie O’Neill feels. In all of her sixteen years, faeries were something you read about in children’s books. They didn’t actually show up on your doorstep. They didn’t kiss you and make your knees go weak and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Until Simon Brady, that is. Simon changed everything. He makes her heart race and her skin burn with excitement, but he has also changed her core beliefs about the world and made her see it as a dark and dangerous place filled with monsters that belong only in the lines of faery tales. There is no doubt in Maggie’s mind that she loves Simon, but can she see past who he is and find a place for him in her heart?

Maggie is your regular high school girl. She has for family, a boyfriend, and everything seems to be one track for her. Then she meets Simon. There is something about him that draws her to him but she tried to keep her distance. The problem is Simon is a faerie and he is trying to stop Balor, another faerie from taking over the world. There is a prophecy and Simon knows that it is about Maggie. The problem is trying to convince her of that so they can save the world.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I loved Maggie. Here she is doing her own thing then gets thrust into the world of faeries and a prophecy. She isn’t brave, she would rather just go home, but she steps up and still fights. If that is not the true definition of courage I don’t know what is. I really liked the love between her and Simon. I am not a fan of the insta-love so it was really nice to have a developing relationship.

It was so easy to get sucked into this book. It flows well and I just could wait to find out what was going to happen next. The ending was a bit of a shock but it is a great lead into the next book.

This is a great book for any age. If you like young adult fantasy/paranormal stories, you need to get this book. It’s going to be hard to put it down.

For more information on Courage and Other Demons or to purchase the book make sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble,and Goodreads.

I received this book for free from Samantha at Roger Charlie in exchange for an honest review.

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Parsen Holt – Slinger by Robert James Dellamano

4 stars

(Excerpt from Goodreads) A taut, gripping western filled with unexpected encounters, interesting characters and exciting adventure!

Join Parsen as he’s forced to layover in a small town that he doesn’t want to be in. And whose residents don’t want him there either.

Will Parsen make it out of town alive?

Read the tale and find out for yourself!

Parsen is in town because his horse came up lame. But he doesn’t get much of a rest before his name causes quite a stir. Parsen is a gunslinger, but he knows his skills and he knows many people think they can make a name by killing him. There is a man that wants to even the playing field for others like him, a kid that figures this is the only way to get out of town, and some thugs that think they can force Parsen out of town. Clearly he is not going to get much of a rest before having to head out again.

I liked this story. It was short and too the point. Parsen has a great history and I have to say that he has more control than I would have in these confrontations. Although he doesn’t come out of all of them without some bruises, he does take care of the problem.

The writing is really well done and the fight sequences are well put together. Although this is a short read you don’t want to pass it up. I would like to read more from Robert. I can’t wait to see a full length novel.

For more information or to purchase Parson Holt – Slinger make sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.

I received this story for free in exchange for an honest review.

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