Friday, April 13, 2018

Review of The Golden Vial by Thomas Locke



About the Book ~

When a hidden evil threatens to destroy the realm, a young orphan, untested and untrained, could mean the difference between victory and total defeat.

Vulnerable and weakened by grief after a terrible loss, Hyam has been struck by a mysterious illness that threatens to claim his life. Seeking to help Hyam and restore the realm, Queen Shona travels to Hyam's remote hometown to find answers and offer aid.

Dally has always had abilities far beyond those of a normal human--far-seeing and magic come naturally to her. Before the arrival of Shona and her army, Dally had always kept her abilities secret. But with an ancient evil bearing down on her village and the fate of the realm hanging in the balance, the orphaned servant girl steps forward to do what no one else can. Will the battle claim more than Dally is willing to give?

For more information about Thomas Locke and his books, check out his website here!

My Thoughts ~

The Golden Vial will devastate and enchant you, and this epic story of good versus evil is absolutely a book worth reading! Thomas Locke's lyrical prose will suck you into this world quicker than you can turn the first page. Trust me.

Something happened... We'll call it an event because I don't want to give away any spoilers. An event occurred in The Golden Vial that devastated me, and I will NEVER get over it!!! Why? I have my reasons. ;-) The story ends with one of the cunningly crafty endings that leaves you with more questions than answers, foaming at the mouth for another book. Alas, I think this is the end of the series... *whimpers*

While Dally's point of view came out of another dimension, I actually rather loved it! Despite the devastation of The Event, Dally proved to be such an awesome character. She suffered great loss and painful trials, and I loved seeing Dally discover her purpose in life as well as a new kind of family in some of our favorite characters from the previous books.

Four Stars ~ The Golden Vial proves once again that the world readers are immersed into in the Legends of the Realm Series is one every fantasy reader should discover. The Golden Vial is the third book in the Legends of the Realm Series, and I'd recommend reading the previous books, Emissary and Merchant of Alyss respectively. Fans of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Donita K. Paul, and Patrick W. Carr would enjoy this series.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclaimers Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer


V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Review of Reclaiming Shilo Snow by Mary Weber



About the Book ~

Known as a brilliant mind that could hack her world’s darkest secrets, seventeen-year-old Sofi Snow is the most wanted teenager alive. She found her way to the icy, technologically brilliant planet of Delon to find Shilo, the brother everyone but Sofi believes is dead.

But as she and Ambassador Miguel partner to find her brother and warn those on Earth of Delon’s dark designs on humanity, Sofi’s memories threaten to overtake her, distorting everything she holds true. She knows the Delonese once kept her in a dark, deceptive place . . . and destroyed a portion of her life. Now, the more they discover of Sofi’s past, the more Sofi feels herself unraveling—as each new revelation has her questioning the very existence of reality.

In this harrowing sequel to The Evaporation of Sofi Snow, Sofi and Miguel must trust each other and discover the secrets locked inside Sofi’s mind as the line between what’s real and what they imagine begins to slip away . . . threatening to take the human race with it

For more information about Mary Weber and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Do you hear that sound?

That's me. Still screaming due to the otherworldly awesomeness of this book!

RECLAIMING SHILO SNOW IS AMAZING!!!!

And yes, all caps were necessary. Reclaiming Shilo Snow is like the culmination of all my love for Stargate, Ender's Game, and The Hunger Games assembled into one epic novel!  How does one not scream about something like that??

After a cliffhanger that left my fingers bleeding from clutching the rocky edge for dear life, we are finally dropped right into the middle of the fast-paced action, discoveries, devastations, and a battle much larger than Sofi and Miguel realized. A war for humanity. But no spoilers. ;-)

Reclaiming Shilo Snow added Inola's perspective in addition to Sofi and Miguel's perspectives. While it threw me off at first, I quickly found it to be a genius addition to the story because it kept us connected to the events happening on Earth as well as giving us a peak into the villainous Inola, allowing us to see why she made such horrific choices and a flawed, yet true love for her children. It humanized her, an important theme in this novel.

Acting as a springboard, this dystopian duology raises awareness and opens discussion about human trafficking. While the story itself is utterly enthralling, this is one of those stories where you see the author's heart cut out of her chest and laid bare for all the word. You can feel Mary Weber's anguish over the actions of humanity and her belief in the power of love pulsing through the characters. <3 Truly, this is a story about the need for love and compassion for all.

Five Stars ~ A thrilling conclusion to a spellbinding duology! Reclaiming Shilo Snow is the second book, and I cannot stress this enough: read The Evaporation of Sofi Snow first!! I can't wait for Mary Weber's next book! *weeps and gnashes teeth* <3

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclaimers Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer


V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.