Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #1
Pages: 316 (Hardcover)

Release date: August 30th 2011
Published by: Tor Teen

Summary: (Goodreads)

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

Review:

Anna Dressed in Blood is the first horror book (that I’m aware of) that I have read. It follows the story of Thesius Cassio Lowood, better known as Cas, a young ghost hunter who travels with his mother around the world to kill ghosts that do harm to people.

This was the first horror book that I’m aware of that I’ve read because this has been the only book that gave me chills, goosebumps all over my body, made me look constantly over my shoulder to see if some strange something is lurking in my back, and ultimately because this has been the only book so far that screamed horror to me.

The first half of this book was really good. I loved Anna even though she scared me. She is vicious and barbaric. She wouldn’t think twice before she snaps your neck or rip you in half (literally) once you step into her house. The readers would get real curious as to why she spared Cas’s life.

The second half of the book though was a landslide. One wouldn’t think it real should there be rumors about ghosts that rip people in half and hide their bodies, but the first half of the book made it somewhat believable. However, the second half went over the top. First, how Anna was saved was very abrupt. Second, the romance was not believable. And third, I didn’t buy the underlying and ultimate conflict in the book.

Despite the disappointing parts though, Anna Dressed in Blood is a very quick read and will make for a very good read for the Halloween.

Mithee

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Title: Cryer's Cross

Author: Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children Publishing

Rating: 3 stars

A small and quiet town, Cryer's Cross, was shocked when a teenage girl went missing. The townfolks searched everywhere and couldn't find a clue, until they finally gave up and returned to their normal life. But Kendall, a teenage girl with OCD, couldn't ignore it and pretend it didn't affect it. Especially after her boyfriend, Nico, went missing as well. What happened in Cryer's Cross? Was the missing teens has anything to do with the newcomers? Or was it about old secret that was hidden for years?

I actually had high hopes on this book. I've read many reviews and it sounded very good. Perhaps that's the problem with too much exposure; you expect too much. It doesn't mean I think this book is bad; it was okay however I expect more from it. It suppose to scare me but I didn't feel that way at all.

One thing that keeps me reading is the main character, Kendall. It so fascinating for me to read the point of view of an OCD; it makes me knows more about OCD and how it affects people who have it. For those who like psychology element in a book, I think you might like this.

Lynossa

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Changeling and The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Changeling is a part of Celtic Mythology; according to the tale, faeries like to switch human baby with their own sick baby. What happens after that? Some said the human babies were eaten, some said they were raise in faerie world. Most of the stories centered around the human baby, but in The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff, the main character is the faerie baby.

Title: The Replacement

Author: Brenna Yovanoff

Publisher: Razorbill

Rating: 4 stars

In small town Gentry, Mackie Doyle is dying. he's allergic to iron, blood, and consecrated ground. He is a replacement that left in a crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Despite his origin, he would give anything to live among us, to play music and spend time with Tate, an intriguing girl. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing and a faerie baby left in her place is dead, willing or not Mackie is drawn into the Mayhem and finally accept his true nature.


I love this book. I seriously love this. The dark elements in it is just perfect in its portion. although at first I was annoyed by Mackie who seemed couldn't grow backbone, eventually he stepped out and be the person Tate knew he is. He didn't turn into some kind of superhero, but he is hero in a way. Other characters are great as well; I like Mackie's friends and family. Not only that by I also fell in love with Mayhem; okay it's creepy, seriously creepy but it also awesome in its creepiness. The characters in it are so scary, I probably fainted on the spot if I met them in dark alley. You have to read this!

Lynossa


I'm going to giveaway a copy of this book or Mistwood by Leah Cypess, depend on your choice. All you need to do is fill the form HERE. It opens internationally and ends at July 25. Good luck!

Changeling and The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Shapeshifter: Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Shapeshifter is an ability to shift into any creature - animal and mystical creature. This power usually held by creature from Otherworld or spirit. I took fancy of shapeshifter after I played Neverwinter Nights and one of the Druid's ability is shapeshifting into animals of other magical creatures such as golem or balor. I won plenty fights using this ability :D

In Celtic Mythology, there are several stories about shapeshifter. The most notably is the legend of Kelpie. Kelpie is an Otherworld creature who could shapeshift itself into anything it wants; man or animal. Although its favorite form is a white horse. It lured people to ride it and then took them into the lake to the Otherworld. There's also mythology about shapeshifter as the one portrayed by Leah Cypess in this story; a magical forest spirit who could turn itself into any animal and possessed huge power that man can't compete.

Title: Mistwood

Author: Leah Cypess

Publisher: Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins)

Rating: 4 stars

Isabel is a shapeshifter, she lived in Mistwood until Prince Rokan caught her. The Prince bound her and asked her to serve and protect her, just like she did to all kings in the past. The problem is, Isabel had lost her memories; she didn't remember what happened in the past and why she's in Mistwood instead of  guarding the king's family. Not only that, she also couldn't shapeshift inside the castle. What had happened in the past? Why people seemed relieved that she couldn't remember anything? And what should she do when someone showed up and claimed to be the real prince?

I really like this book. I'm always fascinated with Celtic Mythology and shapeshifter is part of it. For me it seems so romantic yet terrifying that one is able to shift into any creature one wants. Shapeshifter aside, I like this book because of the strong main character; I had enough with damsel in distress and Isabel is definitely not. I liked her initial cold and intimidating attitude but I also enjoyed her development, especially after she realized her true nature. Other characters are also interesting; especially Clarisse. Even though Isabel can't stand her, the truth is they are quite similar. Rokan is very human; I like the way Leah Cypess didn't make him overly handsome or overly powerful. He surprisingly very human with all the doubts and flaws.

If you like shapeshifter like me and had a thing for a strong kickass main character who don't need men to rescue her every five seconds, you'll love this book.

Lynossa

I will giveaway a copy of this book, the details will follow later!

Shapeshifter: Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Celtic's Gods/Goddesses:Morrigan's Brood Preview + Giveaway

Just like other mythologies, Celtic myth also had its own gods and goddesses. Morrigan is one of the most famous goddess in Celtic Mythology. There are many fictions portrayed her; some as a villain, some as a hero. No matter how she was portrayed, she always a strong and powerful woman.

Title: Morrigan's Brood (Morrigan's Brood #1)

Author: Christopher Dunbar & Heather Poinsett Dunbar

Publisher: Triscelle Publishing

Teaser: The sound of howling wolves echoed through the hall. The walls almost began to shake, and the end of the grand joke came to a sudden end before completion.
A stratling bang from upstairs echoed through the lower basement as a door slammed open and closed. Shrill screams moved through the halls and into the lower chamber. Sound of growls, thuds, and cries of pain continued. All conversation stopped.

I've received the ebook copy of this series few days ago and haven't got the chance to finish it. But based on what I've read so far, it's great; I believe Chris and Heather Dunbar did an extensive research on this one. I'll review it as soon as I'm finish.

The couple had agreed to giveaway a copy of Morrigan's Brood and Morrigan's Brood: Crone of War
 for one lucky winner. All you have to do is fill the form HERE.
This giveaway opens to everyone around the wold and ends on July 25th.

Celtic's Gods/Goddesses:Morrigan's Brood Preview + Giveaway

Christopher & Heather Dunbar on Celtic Myth

Celtic Mythology for the Dunbars

Heather: I find all mythology to be fascinating.  However, Celtic mythology is my favorite.  I grew up reading a lot of classical mythology stories, and it kind of got a little boring after awhile.  My interest in anything Celtic intensified in the mid-nineties, when I spent a wonderful summer in Europe as an intern.  I worked in Epping Forest around London and then backpacked through Western Europe.  The history and mythology of the ancient peoples in Europe just inspired me unlike anything else.  I wanted to learn more.  I still love learning about it.  It’s so multifaceted, and one could become lost in examining all the stories.
The Celts seemed to love tales involving characters who could be both villainous and heroic.  Today, many authors strive for the same thing in our books.  I feel proud to have a Celtic heritage (my family is primarily Germanic and Irish).  After my travels, I went back home to Texas and began to study everything I could about the Celtic tribes of Europe.  A lot of them suffered during the Roman era due to constant invasions, and their culture faded and merged with the Romans, except in Scotland and Ireland.  Today, more people are discovering the wonderful tales within Celtic mythology and realizing that the stories still resonate with us.

Chris: Until I met Heather, my only understanding of mythology had come from classical Greek and Roman mythology, and to a much lesser extent, Viking mythology.  Celtic, Asian, African, Polynesian, and many other mythologies were not covered in school.

I feel somewhat connected with Celtic mythology, as half of my heritage is from Celtic lineage.  The Celts were a great people, and their culture, beliefs, and language spanned all of Europe, western Asia, and even eastern North America, as recent archeological evidence has demonstrated.

Much of Celtic mythology has been lost, as the Celtic races have been usurped by other races and by other faiths, yet some elements of the Celts have survived, most notably in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, the Isle of Man, and Cornwall.  Celtic languages (Irish, Scots, and Manx, for example), customs, and beliefs have seen recent revivals, and I am happy to learn of so many people who, like me, are rediscovering the Celts.

Our favorite Gods/Goddesses/Myth creatures

Heather: Hmmmm… there are so many to chose from.  Yet, I will have to admit that my favorite is The Morrigan.  I do love to read about other deities and heroes, such as Lugh, Brigid, Cernunnos, and Cu Chulainn, but The Morrigan just really spoke to me when I learned about Her.

Chris: I would have to say The Morrigan, though since the question below asks about Her, I will say that, given that they are the chief beings in our series, I would say vampires… though not the Hollywood vampires with which most people are familiar.  I like the old-world vampires, before even the name “vampire” was known.  These beings, who consumed the life essences of mortals, had many names, respective of their cultures of origin.  Deargh Du, Algul, Ekimmu Cruitne, Ekimmu, and Lamia are just a few names attributed to these blood-drinkers.

The Morrigan

Christopher & Heather Dunbar on Celtic Myth

Jules Watson on Celtic Myth

During the writing of my five Celtic novels, I received emails from places as scattered as Panama, India, Malaysia, Germany, Spain and Romania. These readers say they always had a "thing" about Celtic legends. So I began calling us all "The Lost Tribe". Since the Celts believed in rebirth, I say maybe we lived in Celtic lands once, and now are dispersed across the globe! True or not, Celtic myths are popular worldwide. But why?

Well, perhaps it is because they celebrate nature, with divine “spirit” held in every animal, tree, and stream. They include a mysterious Otherworld that lies just beyond our fingertips. In this fast-paced, technological world, we yearn to connect to nature, to know there might be “more” out there…realms where magic exists.

Celtic legends are peopled by noble heroes and fiery maidens, and in their stories, the Celts risk everything for honor, courage, and passion. We also long to be swept away by love, to see ourselves as honorable and brave, to “live free or die”. Unlike the intellectual Romans, the Celts were all about emotion. It may have doomed them, but we react to the glory and tragedy in their stories. It’s a more stirring world than the one we often find ourselves in.

My favorite Celtic myth is about the Irish hero Cuchulainn. He is the poster boy for Celtic honor and nobility – pure of heart, despite being deadly with a sword. Although not the central character, I tell his story in my most recent novels, The Swan Maiden and The Raven Queen. As often happens in Celtic myths, Cuchulainn’s fate is sealed by the greed and selfishness of others. He ends up having to fight his best friend and soulmate, Ferdia, to the death. It is Celtic tragedy of epic proportions. I loved writing it!

My books The Swan Maiden and The Raven Queen are based on Irish myths. The Swan Maiden is about the tragic heroine Deirdre, imprisoned by the ageing King Conor. She runs away with the warrior Naisi, and is chased by Conor’s knights, including Cuchulainn. Cuchulainn loves the fugitives, and his efforts to keep them safe while not betraying his honor, and Naisi’s efforts to stay free without betraying his honor, are very moving.

For The Raven Queen, I tackled the legendary warrior-queen Maeve, who was the force behind the great Irish heroic epic, the Cattle Raid of Cooley. Described in early stories as promiscuous and a brutal war-mongerer, she was too fascinating for an author to ignore!

Both these books involve the sidhe, the magical beings of the Celtic Otherworld. The sidhe appear in most Celtic myths as semi-divine warriors and maidens, kings and queens, and mischief-makers. I made them more elemental beings of spirit.

Birds and other animals are important in Irish myth. Maeve is associated with ravens. Ravens invoke prophecy and the Otherworld, a perfect totem for a warrior-queen who must call on the spirit world to defeat her enemies.

Deirdre, alone in Scotland, begins sensing the sidhe and also learns to “see” through water and fire – becoming almost a nature spirit herself. So I made her totem the swan, because in Celtic legends swans were also messengers of the Otherworld. Deirdre transforms into a spirit swan many times during her life.

My earlier historical fiction series, The Dalriada trilogy, is set in Scotland. The Romans are trying to conquer Britain, with my plucky band of Scottish Celts trying to stop them. Like in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon, I made my heroine a Celtic priestess. Although the books are adventure romances, this meant that I could weave in hints of real Celtic legends - an Otherworld of unseen powers who transform from animal to spirit; the rebirth of souls; our sixth sense; and the ability to foresee the future.

Though this trilogy is based on history, I found I could not resist the song of the Celtic Otherworld, either!

Ms. Watson had agreed to giveaway a copy of The Raven Queen to one of the lucky reader. The detail will be given tomorrow along with my preview of The Raven Queen! Visit her HERE!

Jules Watson on Celtic Myth

Drowning in the Dark by Alisson Karras

Title: Drowning in the Dark

Author: Allison Karras

Publisher: You Come Too Publishing

Rating: 3 stars

Samantha Carver lives with her uncle's family after the death of her father. Although it felt hard for her to adjust, her cousin Terry, always made her feel comfortable. That's why when a girl in her school was killed and Terry was accused to be her murderer, Sam felt her little comfort was torn away, especially because she knew who the murder, or what. Zombie and ghost are new thing for the small seaside town in Oregon but not for Sam, and now she must do something to stop the invasion.

I would give higher rating if only the story was longer and more complex. However it was too short and left me feeling unsettle. Overall the plot was good and the mystery in it was quite interesting. The characters were okay; no one really special except Shane. I think he's the most interesting character in here; when he entered the story, I felt excited. Sam was okay but not special, I've read plenty character similar to her. She develop a little, especially in the way she welcomed her family into her heart, but other than that, nothing much. The action scenes were pretty good albeit a bit rushed especially after Sam gave herself to save Terry.

In short, this is a good story and has many opportunity to develop into better in the future. If you like horror but not a die-hard fan of it and looking for a short reading, this one is for you.

Lynossa

Drowning in the Dark by Alisson Karras

Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Gathering
Series: Darkness Rising #1
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Pages: 359 (Hardcover)
(Goodreads)

Release Date: April 12th 2011
Published by: HarperCollins

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

Review:

In The Gathering, our protagonists live on a research island with more or less 200 residents. The place is surrounded by forest which is inhabited by cougars, bears and other wild animals. Rafe is the newest guy in town. Nobody knows where he and her sister, Annie, came from. Maya thinks he’s a playboy and a poser. She doesn’t like him all too well. But after one incident in the forest involving Annie, Maya starts to think that there might be more Rafe than meets the eye. But she also couldn’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding a deadly secret. A secret that, maybe, has something to do with her own past.

The Gathering is the first book in the Darkness Rising series, a companion series to The Darkest Powers series. The Gathering focuses mainly on world-building, so the plot is rather slow-moving. There were a lot of questions that arose from the first half of the book alone, but unfortunately, most of them were not answered. In fact, after reading this book, I got more questions than answers. So this actually feels like an introduction or a prologue to the real first chapter, which is the second book.

The characters are likable enough, though it was a little hard to connect with them at first. Daniel, Maya’s bestfriend, for me was a little unrealistic. He’s too serious, sure, mature and responsible for his age. Maya’s other bestfriend, Serena, who was also Daniel’s girlfriend died a year before but Maya still mourns for her loss. Maya likes tending to injured animals and they seem to heal faster when she’s around. She is witty and sarcastic but tends to be unforgiving to people who have shown her their bad side.

The only (two) thing(s) that ruined this book for me was the whole “mysterious, new guy that the female protagonist should avoid but is too hot to resist” she-bang. I usually don’t mind books with this kind of character, but there was this book I recently read that has the same idea which I really didn’t like. And now, it has affected the part of my brain that says that those type of characters are okay. The plot is very predictable too. It lacked a great deal of suspense.

Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

Title: The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen 1)

Author: Amanda Stevens

Publisher: HarlequinTeen (MIRA Books)

Rating: 4 stars

Amelia Gray is a graveyard restorer, she also could see ghost though she pretends she couldn't. For years she followed her father's rules to keep her away from all those spirits until she was involved in a murder case that happened in Oak Grave, a cemetery she was restoring, and a haunted detective with a dark past.

At first I thought this was YA and quite heavy on the romance, until several people on twitter convinced me it wasn't, so I give it a shot. It's not that I don't like YA, it just that some YA promote supernatural while the truth it was romance with small portion of supernatural. But that's not the case with The Restorer. Since the first time we've been introduced to Amelia, we knew that she see ghost in daily basic. However she pretends she couldn't because if the death knew, they will cling onto her and made her life miserable. That's why she continue to follow the rules from her father, who also could see ghost, and probably even more than ghost.

It was a bit slow in the beginning but picked up the pace toward the middle. The mystery element in this book is great! I read it in the middle of the night and I felt chill in my bones, it was awesome. Not only the ghost element, which is quite scary, but also the murders and the secrecy element that attached to the whole thing. Relationship between Amelia and John Devlin, the police detective was quite obvious and it quite dominating Amelia's mind, but it didn't overshadow the murder mystery, as a matter of fact, it made it more interesting because somehow Devlin's ghosts and his past related to the mystery

Overall this is a great reading for you who like supernatural, mystery, and a bit of chill on your bones.

Lynossa

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

In The Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane

Title: In The Arms of Stone Angels


Author: Jordan Dane

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Rating: 4 Stars

He looked thinner, not like the strong boy I remembered. His golden skin that once looked like sweet caramel had turned pale. And someone had cut his long black hair to make him conform to what they thought he should be. If White Bird knew what they'd done, he would have fought them. And I would have given anything to see the fire in his eyes again. But in his condition, he had no fight left...
.... 
"Oh, my God. What have they done to you?" I whispered, not recognizing my own voice. "What have I done?"

14 years old Brenna Nash escaped for Oklahoma after a horrible murder of a girl in her class, a murder she accused to be done by her best friend, half-Caucasian half-Native Indian, White Bird. Now, two years later, she returned to Oklahoma and learned that White Bird was locked in a mental hospital since that day. Feeling guilty for not stepping up for her friend, Brenna decided to seek for the truth; whether White Bird is the true killer or not. Unfortunately the whole town seemed to against her; the sheriff thought she was involved in the murder and the local bullies harassed her. Seeking comfort in graveyard, she tried to unreveal the mystery, but some people who knew the truth would stop her at nothing.

I really enjoyed this book; I'm a mystery lover and this book satisfied my thirst for it. Along the way I guessed who might be the culprit was - and it turned out my prediction was correct, yeay. At first I felt annoyed with Brenna for being an angst teen, but along the way I saw more about her and I liked her. She has many layers and behind her seemingly egoist behaviors, she actually care a lot. Another thing I like about this book is there's no damsel-in-distress moment, wooohooo! I can't tell you how much I love it; I've read too many books (YA and non-YA) where the girls were just hopeless and constantly need to be saved. That's not what happened to Brenna. She was bullied yet she's still strong and continue trying to save White Bird. Of course, due to his condition, we could only met the 'real' White Bird near the end of the book but Brenna explained a lot about him, she made me felt like I knew White Bird too. Sometimes I was annoyed with the way the girls in YA book describe the boys she love, but not in here. It was clearly that Brenna loves him, but she never went over the board with her love; it's love, not adoration.

Not only that, this book also covers plenty issues; starting from racist, bullies, prejudice, and sexist. It was a bit unfair for the adult in this book; most of them portrayed either as prejudice people with hidden motives. But hey, sad as it seems, it's also the fact. It remind me how often we look at other people based solemnly on how they dressed and to think about them based on whether they have benefit for us or not. The supernatural element in this book was done subtly but nice; it didn't way over the top. Actually it seemed like something that could happen in our lives. I felt like I've learned something about Native Indian from this book; about their custom and practice. In these days where people of the world mixed together in almost everywhere, it was sad that in some areas (especially small town/village) racism is still alive and kicking.

I think this book is a must read for YA fans who like mystery, strong heroine and bigger issue than I-love-a-super-guy-but-I-can't-be-with-him-because-he's-immortal thing.

Lynossa

ps: This review is part of April is NetGalley month. I received the e-copy of this book from NetGalley, thanks!

In The Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane

Review: Katrina, The Beginning by Elizabeth Loraine

Title: Katrina, The Beginning
Author: Elizabeth Loraine
Series: Royal Blood Chronicles #1
Pages: 338 (Paperback)
(Goodreads)

Release Date: August 19th 2010

Source: Received for review from the publicist

Summary:

The High Regent has called members of each royal vampire family to council. Katrina Von Dracek wonders what this will mean to her.


Does the council really intend to start a new covern in the Americans or is there something else?


All Katrina's vampire senses tell her evil is around them and that she will be the one called upon to save them all.

Review:

I was struck with how fast Katrina, The Beginning’s pace was; perhaps, a tad too fast at first. It was practically like being ambushed with too much interesting information that when it finally ended, you’d feel lost as if you have to read it again.

On Plot:

One thing I liked in this book aside from the pace was that there were so many important and interesting events that happened all throughout the book- some parts dragged with girly conversations between Katrina and her girlfriends, but the others are important to the story’s plot. I liked that these parts left me absorbed into the book, although in parts like these, I wished that the plot would slow down a little so as I could absorb the details (which I noticed was lacking) and get a good grip to what was already happening. I was also surprised by how quickly the romance bloomed; I found it interesting, though I was also worried about how Ms. Lorraine was then going to pull off the rest of the story, because we all know that romance is an important factor in Young Adult Supernatural novels. But Ms. Lorraine didn’t disappoint. Like I said, there were so many important and interesting events that happened in this book. I was surprised by how these events flowed by themselves. It left me wondering where they came from – not because they seemed force, but because they came out almost naturally. This book will really leave you constantly guessing what would happen next.

On Characters:

I don’t know why, but somehow, Katrina reminded me of Katsa from Graceling. They really don’t have any similarities aside from being strong characters, but Katrina gave off Katsa vibes… or maybe it was just me. Aside from being a talented fighter, Katrina also has a girly side to her that Katsa was missing. Katrina has girlfriends whom she gossips to about boys and pretty clothes. I found this slightly annoying, to be honest. The parts where she was having girly conversation with her girlfriends seemed like fillers. There were also parts where the minor characters seemed to exist only to make a story – like they were there because it would be convenient to have them there. I found it hard to connect with the characters. In fact, the only character I liked was Quinn…

All in all, Katrina, The Beginning was a nice enough read. It has a great potential and I recommend this to all who liked Firelight by Sophie Jordan and Halo by Alexandra Adornetto.

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Barnes & Noble

Watch the Trailer:

_________________________________________

About the Author:

Hmmm. I've always been creative, art, music, decorating; all life long passions. I married my high school sweetheart a talented General Building Contractor and raised a son and a daughter who are very 
 creative in their own rights. I've worked in the business world, became a decorative painter and longed for 
 an outlet for my other artistic talents.

I have been a lifelong fiction fan, and for years I knew I was supposed to write a book; I just didn't know about what. I did, however, envision characters that were strong , independent young women as heroines.

Since I was very young I have been fascinated by vampires from Dracula to the present day. Although I love all the books where the settings are high schools and the characters are young, I always wanted to 
 know more. What had they done in the centuries before? Where had they been? What had they seen
 and lived? I wanted to fill in their time line, their history. From that curiosity, those questions, is where
 these books come from. These long lived vampires have hundreds of years of history and I plan to
 chronicle that. So, start here with Katrina, enjoy the vampire past and look forward to the vampire future.

Fangfully,

E. Loraine

Visit the Author: Website

Visit the Royal Blood Chronicles website

Review: Katrina, The Beginning by Elizabeth Loraine