jbronderbookreviews

Spellbound (Tales of Naimonet – 1) by Thalia Blake

Naimonet: Eleven islands far to the southeast. Eleven Kingdoms filled with magic, romance, and adventure!

Two princesses in search of a future of their own choosing.
A vision of a sapphire crown with waves crashing against dark rocky cliffs has brought Merione and her sister Ezabelle to the faraway island of Mulrane in search of a destiny that is worth living.

Destiny comes at a price.
When Ezabelle becomes Queen of Mulrane, can Merione rely on the bond of sisterhood to save her from uncertainty, and her sister’s wrath? Cursed by the disgraced mage of Mulrane, Merione must choose between her sister and a prophecy that will put a new king on the throne.

From the sunny shores of Rayterre to the bitter snows of Rosfaill, Naimonet is waiting for you…

Enter the world of Naimonet where fantasy, loyalty, desperation, and prophecy will sweep you away. Begin your adventure with Spellbound: Book 1 of the Tales of Naimonet.

This 74,000 word young adult novel is suitable for all ages. It can be read as a standalone and contains no cliffhanger and a Happily Ever After that you won’t see coming.

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About the Author

A Canadian living in the fantasy land of New Zealand, Thalia Blake is a lover of history, fantasy, and cheese. She can’t get enough of books that are packed with adventure, magic, and feisty heroines who aren’t afraid to take control of their own destiny.

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My Review

4 Stars

Ezabelle and Merione are two sisters on a quest for a new home. They find it on the island of Mulrane. There Ezabelle becomes the Queen and Merione tries to help her sister with her visions. But things don’t go as planned as Ezabella is a horrible Queen and Merione becomes cursed by the disgraced mage.

This was a captivating story. I was instantly draw into the sisters plans to find a new home. We gets hints of what is to come with Merione’s visions and she can see the blood that is going to be spilled with Ezabelle’s rule. I loved Merione with her visions and magic. I felt for her as she wanted to be loyal to her sister but she has her own issues to work with.

This is a wonderful story that had me hooked from the first page. I hoped things would work out for the sisters but just knew that is not going to happen. I quickly devoured this book and can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, A Captive Heart to find out what happens next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Ari at Candid Book Reviews for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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Reentry (Mars Endeavour – 2) by Peter Cawdron

After almost dying on Mars, astronaut Liz Anderson returns to Earth, but not to a hero’s welcome. America is in turmoil. The war is over, but the insurgency has just begun. So while life on Mars may have been deadly, at least up there she knew who the enemy was. Along with her, Liz has brought the remnants of the artificial intelligence that waged war on two planets. Buried somewhere deep within the cold electronic circuits lies the last vestiges of her dead partner Jianyu. Liz is torn, unsure whether he’s somehow still alive in electronic form or just a ploy by an adversary that will go to any length to win. Heartbroken and treated with suspicion, she finds herself caught up in the guerrilla war being waged on Earth, wondering if the AI threat is truly gone, or if it has only just begun.

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About the Author

Peter is an Australian science fiction writer, specializing in hard science fiction.

Hard science fiction is a misnomer as far as categories of literature go, as it sounds harsh and difficult to understand, but that is far from reality. Hard science fiction is simply plausible science fiction, fiction that is written in such a way as it conforms to the known laws of science, and that makes it more interesting, as there’s no magic wand the protagonist can wave to get out of trouble. Peter’s forays into hard science fiction could best be described as informative science fiction or enjoyable science fiction.

Peter is a fan of such classic science fiction writers as Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke and Michael Crichton and their influence on his style and story lines is readily apparent. You can follow Peter on Facebook or Twitter or find him posting some interesting tibit on his blog

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My Review

4 Stars

After the fight on Mars Liz Anderson and two other astronauts have been called back to Earth after to discuss the AI war. Liz is bringing back the hard drives that contain the information on the AI but also contain he deceased lover, Jianyu’s brain. Liz explains and argues about what happens to the American government she also wonders if Jianyu is still alive or if it is just a plan for another attack. At the same time we see Lucifer and Nyx, they survived the war and Lucifer has plans for Liz.

When I saw this was the sequel to Retrograde I was excited to read Reentry. Reentry picks up right where Retrograde finished and doesn’t spend much time revisiting the first book so I recommend reading them in order or you will be lost.

I think this is a great continuation of the story. Now Liz has to come back to Earth and share what happened on Mars. While on Earth she has some strange events happen that make her not trust anyone and crank up the tension of the story. Are we really safe from the AI or are they going to come back and finish their job?

I think this was a great read. The science was sound and showed that Cawdron really did his research. It also makes you think twice about how helpful AI could be.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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