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Showing posts with label super powers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label super powers. Show all posts

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Review: Dark Nebula by WJ May


Title: Dark Nebula
Series: The Chronicles of Kerrigan #2
Author: WJ May
Release Date: December 2012
Format: Ebook provided by author for review



Nothing is as it seems anymore. 

Leery from the horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School, Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. looks Her expectations are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon— the boy she’s not supposed to date. All hopes of happiness fade into shattered dreams the moment she steps back on campus. 

Lies and secrets are everywhere, and a betrayal cuts Rae deeply. Among her conflicts and enemies, it appears as if her father is reaching out from beyond the grave to ruin her life. With no one to trust, Rae doesn’t know where or who to turn to for help. 

Has her destiny been written? Or will she becomes the one thing she hates the most-- her father’s prodigy.


Dark Nebula is the second book in the Chronicles of Kerrigan series.  This book finds Rae coming back to Guilder for the new year.  Devon is now her secret boyfriend because dating other tatù people is not even allowed.  I’m going to warn you now  - I’m going to attempt to be super vague about this story.  It’s not going to be released until December, but I wanted to start getting the buzz out now.  I’ve made no secret about how much I enjoyed the first book, Rae of Hope, and I was equally impressed with this book.  

The group of teens from book one are all back for another year.  Some are back for school, some are now working for the Privy Council.  Everyone is developing their tatùs more – including Rae.  We get to meet some new characters, but I really enjoyed getting reacquainted with the previous characters. This is something the author has definite talent with, creating these vibrant characters that you want to get to know more.  One of the new characters I’d definitely be interested in learning more about, though, is Reece.  He’s just a regular ol’ human with no powers, but there is definitely something special there in that boy.  I can’t tell you who he is, but I like him.  I like him a lot.  And I'm hoping he will be around for a while.

Rae is a little bit more cautious, a little bit more “by the rules” - more like Devon.  For the most part this personality evolution worked for her, but there were points where I just really wanted to see her let loose with all of her powers.  But on the other hand, that is the point of this story – she is learning to show restraint and how to be “good” in the shadow of her father who was most certainly “bad”.  Either way, she is a smart girl who is ahead of the game by being a bit paranoid of everyone.  If there is one thing she has learned since entering Guilder, is that you can't always trust everyone.

The adult in me really wants to sit Rae down and tell her, “listen, Rae, sometimes you’ve got to speak up LOUD.” when there are situations where she seems to flounder a bit between saying something or not.  But I really am seeing this girl grow a bit more, and by the end of this book she is kickin'.  The storyline moved at a steady pace and the mystery was top notch.   The climactic scenes were powerful and you know it’s a fight til the finish. The stolen kisses between Devon and Rae were perfect in themselves.  This is a YA book, so the heat level is very low.  Even with that being said, I truly think this is a series for people of all ages.  I, for one, can’t even think how many times I’ve wished I’d had super powers.  Near daily basis, maybe? Haha.  Either way, it’s a fun subject matter with enough twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued.  And I definitely think there is more to come in the story.

The cover reveal for this book was yesterday, and I absolutely love the cover.  Rae looks so strong and confident, and powerful.   I am more than a bit early with this review, but do yourself a favor and pick up the first book, and then put Dark Nebula on your TBR


About WJ May...
Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St.Catharines. With a crazy-happy childhood, she has always had a vivid imagination and way too much energy.

The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a sister -- taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life.

At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada in high jump. She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record (1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged). She attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - winning CIAU's and becoming All-American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more.

But you're not interested in her athletic career - unless of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m (5'7") and has jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occasion. She's represented Canada at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every minute of every competition. From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she lifted on her back, the days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of her mouth for lack of oxygen, the traveling around the world and the opportunity to read - her favorite past time.

Life continued with her husband (a distance runner from Liverpool, UK, who she met at KSU) and then their first, then second and finally third child. Their house became full of more imagination and stories. Wanita and her husband run an online business, dealing in antiques and collectables - particularly jewelry and porcelainAfter her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off.

Her first book, Rae of Hope - from the Chronicles of Kerrigan, published by Mitchell Morris Publishing debuted Oct 2011. Dark Nebula is available December 15th, 2012.She is represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.
Find WJ May...

Want to see my other posts on WJ May?

Review: Dark Nebula by WJ May


Title: Dark Nebula
Series: The Chronicles of Kerrigan #2
Author: WJ May
Release Date: December 2012
Format: Ebook provided by author for review



Nothing is as it seems anymore. 

Leery from the horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School, Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. looks Her expectations are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon— the boy she’s not supposed to date. All hopes of happiness fade into shattered dreams the moment she steps back on campus. 

Lies and secrets are everywhere, and a betrayal cuts Rae deeply. Among her conflicts and enemies, it appears as if her father is reaching out from beyond the grave to ruin her life. With no one to trust, Rae doesn’t know where or who to turn to for help. 

Has her destiny been written? Or will she becomes the one thing she hates the most-- her father’s prodigy.


Dark Nebula is the second book in the Chronicles of Kerrigan series.  This book finds Rae coming back to Guilder for the new year.  Devon is now her secret boyfriend because dating other tatù people is not even allowed.  I’m going to warn you now  - I’m going to attempt to be super vague about this story.  It’s not going to be released until December, but I wanted to start getting the buzz out now.  I’ve made no secret about how much I enjoyed the first book, Rae of Hope, and I was equally impressed with this book.  

The group of teens from book one are all back for another year.  Some are back for school, some are now working for the Privy Council.  Everyone is developing their tatùs more – including Rae.  We get to meet some new characters, but I really enjoyed getting reacquainted with the previous characters. This is something the author has definite talent with, creating these vibrant characters that you want to get to know more.  One of the new characters I’d definitely be interested in learning more about, though, is Reece.  He’s just a regular ol’ human with no powers, but there is definitely something special there in that boy.  I can’t tell you who he is, but I like him.  I like him a lot.  And I'm hoping he will be around for a while.

Rae is a little bit more cautious, a little bit more “by the rules” - more like Devon.  For the most part this personality evolution worked for her, but there were points where I just really wanted to see her let loose with all of her powers.  But on the other hand, that is the point of this story – she is learning to show restraint and how to be “good” in the shadow of her father who was most certainly “bad”.  Either way, she is a smart girl who is ahead of the game by being a bit paranoid of everyone.  If there is one thing she has learned since entering Guilder, is that you can't always trust everyone.

The adult in me really wants to sit Rae down and tell her, “listen, Rae, sometimes you’ve got to speak up LOUD.” when there are situations where she seems to flounder a bit between saying something or not.  But I really am seeing this girl grow a bit more, and by the end of this book she is kickin'.  The storyline moved at a steady pace and the mystery was top notch.   The climactic scenes were powerful and you know it’s a fight til the finish. The stolen kisses between Devon and Rae were perfect in themselves.  This is a YA book, so the heat level is very low.  Even with that being said, I truly think this is a series for people of all ages.  I, for one, can’t even think how many times I’ve wished I’d had super powers.  Near daily basis, maybe? Haha.  Either way, it’s a fun subject matter with enough twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued.  And I definitely think there is more to come in the story.

The cover reveal for this book was yesterday, and I absolutely love the cover.  Rae looks so strong and confident, and powerful.   I am more than a bit early with this review, but do yourself a favor and pick up the first book, and then put Dark Nebula on your TBR


About WJ May...
Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St.Catharines. With a crazy-happy childhood, she has always had a vivid imagination and way too much energy.

The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a sister -- taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life.

At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada in high jump. She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record (1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged). She attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - winning CIAU's and becoming All-American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more.

But you're not interested in her athletic career - unless of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m (5'7") and has jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occasion. She's represented Canada at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every minute of every competition. From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she lifted on her back, the days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of her mouth for lack of oxygen, the traveling around the world and the opportunity to read - her favorite past time.

Life continued with her husband (a distance runner from Liverpool, UK, who she met at KSU) and then their first, then second and finally third child. Their house became full of more imagination and stories. Wanita and her husband run an online business, dealing in antiques and collectables - particularly jewelry and porcelainAfter her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off.

Her first book, Rae of Hope - from the Chronicles of Kerrigan, published by Mitchell Morris Publishing debuted Oct 2011. Dark Nebula is available December 15th, 2012.She is represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.
Find WJ May...

Want to see my other posts on WJ May?

Friday, February 24, 2012

Forbidden Mind - Kimberly Kinrade






Title: Forbidden Mind (Forbidden #1)
Author: Kimberly Kinrade


Format: Ebook provided by author for review.


From Goodreads:

She reads minds.
He controls minds.
Together, they might get out alive.
 

Sam thinks she's months away from freedom. After spending her life in a secret school, rented out to the rich and powerful as a paranormal spy, she is ready to head to college like any normal eighteen-year-old. 

Only Sam isn't normal. She reads minds. And just before her big going-away party, she links to the mind of a young man who changes everything. 

Drake wasn't raised as a 'Rent-A-Kid.' He was kidnapped and taken there by force. But his exceptional physical strength and powers of mind control make him very dangerous, especially to Sam. 

When they meet, Sam is forced to face the truth of her situation, and to acknowledge that not all is as it seems in her picture-perfect world. For what awaits her on her eighteenth birthday isn't a trip to college, but an unexpected nightmare from which she may not be able to escape. 

To survive, they must work together. 

But will their powers be enough to save them before it's too late?



~+~+~+~+~+~

This book was introduced to me as X-Men meets Dollhouse.  Those are two of my favorites, so my answer was a definite “yes!”.

And it is true, there are X-Men-ish and Dollhouse-ish elements to Forbidden Mind.  But I think that is selling it short.  There is a giant personal element here that I don’t think either of those other stories captured.

Sam is the female protagonist.  She goes to private school and works for the school in an operative type status.  The students have dubbed the school as “Rent-A-Kid”.  Their services are sought out for different reasons, depending on the kid hired.  The element that makes “Rent-A-Kid” special is that all of its employees slash students have special powers.  Sam can read minds.  Her friend, Lucy, is basically a human lie detector.  Lucy’s brother, Luke, can walk through walls!

“Help Me.  They took me.  Help me, please.”

His name is Drake Davis, and he is a mystery.  And he needs help.   Sam hears this one day in her thoughts when she comes back from a job.  And it begins a series of questions and secrets revealed that will dramatically change her life forever.   

This story, while short, had a ton of intriguing factors to it.  First, there are the super powers each person has.  Of course that is awesome.   Then there is the whole deal of the kids being basically farmed out for their special powers to be used on assignment, which is usually some type of corporate espionage type deal.

The characters are well written, and develop well within the story.  It is a fast paced story, for sure, and full of action.  This is something I was very impressed with since the main character is telepathic, and a good portion of the story actually takes place within her mind. 

The supporting characters are wonderful and varied, and I really hope we get to know them more in the future.  If you are into private school type stories, or super power stories, then you will like this one.  I very much encourage you to read this because there are some definite twists and turns that you do NOT see coming at all – and it is very refreshing and made for a really terrific read.


~+~+~+~+~+~

You can find Kimberly Kinrade on: 


And keep an eye out on March 27 for the sequel, Forbidden Fire!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Rae of Hope - WJ May


Title: Rae of Hope (The Chronicles of Kerrigan)
Author: WJ May

Format: Ebook provided by author for review

From Goodreads:
How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth of the past?
Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan has never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to pGuilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is a very unique, gifted school. Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her. She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become marked with a unique tattoo (tatù) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatù enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their marking. Both her parents were marked though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young and never told her. Learning about her family’s past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope for her own life.



~~~~~~

Rae is a 15 year old girl who has been through a lot in her life.  At the young age of six she became an orphan in a horrific way and went to live with her aunt and uncle.  Then the whisked her away to the United States to live for the past 10 years.   Now she is almost 16 and they’ve suddenly sent her back to Britain to go to the Guilder Boarding School.

Right away she begins to meet new people, including Molly, her new roommate.  I have a feeling that everyone who reads this book is going to fall in love with Molly.  I tried to not like her, really, I did.  Initially she seemed like she was all up in Rae’s face and very nosey.  But it’s not long until you realize the girl has a heart of gold that is the size of Texas.  She is bubbly and fun, and she has a flair for style.  Molly’s joy is infectious, and her smile contagious.  And as sickly as that may sound {insert snicker here} it is completely true.  The girl could carry her own book, I’m sure!  It’s not long before Molly drops the bomb that she doesn’t realize is a bomb.  She is going to have super powers.  Everyone at Guilder will, or already does.

And that includes Rae.

What?!!?  Yeah, Rae is in a whole new world now.  But it’s proven to her quickly and she doesn’t take much time to realize this is the truth.  So then we get to meet more people, and the powers they have.  There really are some very interesting ones in the group, and I can only say that yes, I was very jealous.  I wish I were Rae!! To find out you are part of an elite group of people, and it’s not just because you are cool, it’s because you have actual real super powers?  Heck yes!!

Ok, sorry, fan moment there.

As it turns out, everyone knows about Rae.  They know her whole story.  This was getting so frustrating for me.  Like I wanted to scream at some of them “just tell me her the story!!”  Especially Devon.  Friend?  Enemy in disguise?  Love interest??  Oh, it’s so hard to tell.  I have to be honest; he wasn’t my favorite of the boys for the entire story.  I flipped like a giddy little school girl.  I was interested in Andy, Riley, Devon… even Julian was a possible champion to my Rae’s heart in my eyes.  My favorite for most of the story was Andy, he was totally flirty and aggressive, just like his wolf shifter power.

Then there was one scene… something from the past finds its way to Rae.  The scene is so full of electricity.  You’re happy, you’re sad, you feel for Rae and all that she has lost.  As a mother to a young girl it really had an impact on me.  This is just one point of many that show this book is not just some superficial YA read, there are real emotions and the author did a fantastic job of conveying everything.

I just loved Rae and her story.  She is young, feisty, and full of heart.  She’s flawed, and more beautiful for it.  The girl isn’t perfect, oh no.  She makes her fair share of mistakes.  But she will grab you right from the start and take you on this journey with her.  And you’ll be wise to go.

The sequel comes out in August, 2012.  I will definitely be waiting in line for that one.
So readers, I hope you rush right out and get this book.  You won’t be disappointed.  Bonus on top of it all, the author – WJ May, is just as sweet and nice as can be.  Why don’t you come back in a few days and see what we have for you then!  I guarantee you won’t want to miss it!

~~~~~~
Available for purchase at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords


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Rae Kerrigan