SKY’S END by Lesley Young

by Lesley Young

Book Blurb

A secret she must never share. A secret that two warring species are determined to control. A universe’s future at stake.

Twenty-year-old Cassiel Winters joins Earth’s new space academy in hopes of finding her brother, one of Command’s top pilots and her only family, who’s been reported MIA. But she quickly realizes she may not be cut out for life in space, where female cadets are outnumbered, competition’s fierce, and she’s already failed her hand-to-hand combat test once.

Even the station’s most respected officer, Lt. Damian King, probably can’t help Cassiel pass the second time around-so why is he so interested in her progress?  If only one of her freaky deja vu visions would offer an answer instead of mysterious messages like hide.

When Cassiel’s manipulated into a perilous mission, she encounters a warrior species bred to protect the universe from an even greater threat. And she learns that her secret visions are at the heart of it all.

Now Cassiel must fight to control her own destiny and race to save her brother-even if it mea ns pretending to be the pawn of Prime Or’ic, the cold-as-steel Thell’eon leader. Even if it means risking her life, facing hard truths, and making the ultimate sacrifice.

My Review

Owl Rating:

This was a great book 😀  I watch a lot of sci-fi but I’m just now getting into reading sci-fi and I can honestly say I think this was a great way to start.  I mean, I’ve been reading Dystopian books since before they were popular as well as Urban Fantasy etc…but straight sci-fi not so much.

One of the things that drew me into this story was the voice.  I’m a big fan of voice.  Like a character’s voice can make or break a story for me.  With Cassiel, I was in LOVE with her voice from the very beginning.  It popped off the page in such a way that I felt like the scene was unfolding in front of me.  I thought her voice was fresh, young, and I loved reading all her inner thoughts and such.

I also really like the world Young created.  I felt it was believable and I didn’t feel like she watered things down.  Sometimes sci-fi can be such a tough genre since it’s so rich that it can just go right over people’s heads but Young did a great job of balancing the backstory and explanations of the world with the present.

Oh, and the action.  Boy was there action.  I thought Cassiel was such a boss.  I love me some strong/kick-ass heroines and I definitely thought Cassiel fit that bill.  Plus she was funny, maybe she didn’t mean to be but there were definitely some very funny situations throughout the book (or at least things I thought were funny).

The only thing that didn’t quite jive with me, yes I said jive, was the romance.  That’s probably mostly because I’m a real nitpicky romance in books person.  I often would prefer the kick-ass heroine without her needing to have a love triangle.  For me, some of the romance seemed unnecessary.  I didn’t understand where it came from, its purpose, and so forth.  However the action, plot twists (oh, yes), and of course Cassiel overshadowed that part enough for me to still love the book!

A huge thank you to Samantha Lien from JKS Communications for letting me read and review the book.  This is a 100% honest review, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it.  It’s truly wonderful.

So, go buy yourself a copy today (the link takes you to the author’s page).  I don’t have any comp titles for you but if you’re looking for a fast-paced read, a great, funny, and realistic, kick-ass character, and some Sci-Fi elements then SKY’S END is the book for you!  Also, FYI I felt lie this was a YA/NA crossover.  Oh, and there’s going to be a sequel!!!

Note of clarification: My rating of this book is technically a 4.5 but since I rate in owls, and I don’t practice animal cruelty there are four owls up there 🙂

What are some amazing Sci-Fi books you’ve read recently?  

Whimsically Yours,

PnC

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill

by Cristin Terrill

Book Blurb

“You have to kill him.” Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

My Review

Owl Rating:

I. Loved. This. Book.

When I was asked if I wanted to read & review this book, I immediately said yes.  I was becoming really interested in the “New Wave” of YA Time Travel books and wanted to explore one of them myself.  So ALL OUR YESTERDAYS came at the perfect time (timing really does play a big part in everything).  Speaking of time, wow.  Like WOW.  So the book starts out so strange yet captivating.  You have a feeling you’re not in “our time” but that’s about it.  I LOVE it when authors trust their readers, this book is a prime example for that trust done well.  When you’re jumping from time periods, when there are gaps in the story, you have to trust your reader and your reader must trust that no matter how crazy things get, you’ll set it “right” in the end.

OMG.  So, yeah.  I was completely in the dark from page one (practically).  And I loved it because the story, the writing was so good that I had to keep reading.  Speaking of opening pages that hook you, writers this is a book to add to your “to-study” list.  Em reeled me in from the beginning because I had to find out why she had to do what she had to do, what was up with the instructions, who were these people around them (I mean “The Doctor”, come on…answers please), what happened to our world?!?!?!

Oh and then Marina and James…I’m not sure I can say anymore (without spoiling) but so many feelings.  Okay this is spoilerly but not really at all (I know, I’m making no sense..basically if you want to be 100% in the dark instead of 99% don’t read).  Most people when there’s time travel don’t introduce past characters to their former selves for fear of interrupting the time continuum but in this book it works so well.  And the romance, well nothing puts the pressure on romance more than time travel and…yeah…I’ll just let you read the book yourself.

I think the one thing I really liked about this book, aside from the action and adventure and romance though was the characters.  I still can’t believe this is her debut.  It takes a truly talented writer to have characters interact as she did.  Displaying their past and present selves, the growth they all make/changes they will inevitably make.  It’s crazy good.   Even though it was dark time, there was still hope, the characters held hope within them.  Hope that they could change things and that their yesterdays wouldn’t lead to such a dark present.

I just want more, more backstory, more of the characters, more of both worlds/times.  But I guess that’s a sign of a book well done because I could see myself immersed within the worlds Terrill created over and over again.  I also think she did a great job with keeping up the action and not frontloading on the backstory.  Again, that trust aspect was key to the book’s success in my mind.  That’s a big part of what made me give it my five owl rating.  Trust me when I say you’re going to want to read this one folks 😀  It comes out September 3rd so look for it in bookstores then or pre-order it today! (link goes to author’s website)

In addition, the author has created this absolutely ahmazing ALL OUR YESTERDAYS  prequel web series.  It leads up to the beginning of the book so go for it although I will warn you it will make you want the book NOW.

**This is a 100% honest review, I received the book from Publicist Samantha Lien from JSK Communications to read & review**

Oh, and speaking of wanting the book now.  I do believe I’m giving away one copy of the ARC of ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill.  The ARC is not to be resold, it’s for your personal enjoyment, although I hope you’ll post your review.  It is for people living in the U.S. ONLY (sorry, but I’ll have future giveaway that’ll include people living internationally as well).

This is what the ARC cover looks like, different from the final one but still very cool!

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

What’s your favorite “New Wave” subgenre within YA or any book category???

Whimsically Yours,

PnC

The Next Big Thing: Week 21

Hello Everyone,

I was tagged last week in The Next Best Thing by Ally Malinenko & Beth Fred, which is where I get to share with you my current WIP.  I was also tagged in a similar Next Week Thing awhile ago.  But the exciting thing about this post is that you will be one of the first to get a sneak peak at what is to be my NaNoWriMo Project!!!

What is the working title of your work-in-progress?

The Time Traveler’s Secret

What is the genre?

YA Sci-fi (maybe/probably dystopian…I didn’t plan/want to write a dystopian but it’s turning out that way)

Where did the idea come from?
Oh haha, this is a great story:

Once Upon A Time…I had this disease called writer’s block, now usually when I get this disease I just write because technically I don’t actually believe there is writer’s block (I know, I’m confusing you).  Anyway, I was trying to find creative writing prompts to get me started then I found this sentence: 

It was less than a second, maybe less than half a second, but it changed everything.  

It came from http://writingprompts.tumblr.com/.  And no I don’t plan on using this sentence, exactly.

Well after I saw that I saw this:  

So then I kept thinking time traveling detectives, it changed everything….boy you should see the word doc I have on this, it’s a jumble of incoherent thoughts, and that’s how I knew I was on to something brilliant ;).

Well after all of that craziness, I came up with some more stuff, which I’ll share in a later questions, including the main character’s name: Maia.

And, of course, me being the mythology obsessed person I am, the name Maia was chosen for a particular reason.

And that folks is how a story is born.

What actors would you choose to play your characters in a film version?

No idea, I don’t even know all of the characters yet…but I will update this when I do 🙂

Write a one-paragraph summary:

No judging…this is a blurb-in-progress…no it’s not really one paragraph:

Rule #1: The Authority is Supreme

Rule #2: Do not be seen

Rule #3: Always be on time

Maia is a good girl.  As the daughter of The General –the leader of The Authority, the rulers of Phynicia, she’s an example of the model citizen: she does what she’s told, no questions asked.  As a member of Phynicia’s time traveling force, it’s her duty to go forward/backward into time to complete missions. 

The nature of these missions are known only to those who they are given and the mysterious “Authority”—the ones who dictate the missions.

As first in her graduating class Maia is the first to receive her an unaccompained mission: go back in time and kill Dr. William Carver

Maia knows this is a great honor yet she’s hesitant, although it’s against her teachings to ask questions she wonders why she has been chosen to kill this man who’s crime is unknown to her.

On the day of her mission something goes wrong, she arrives at the site too early and runs into Dr. Carver’s son Zane.  At that moment a member of The Authority’s guard arrives and kills Dr. Carver…

Now Maia and Zane are on the race of a lifetime, flitting forward and backward through time to find out why Dr. Carver was killed, what really caused earth to go into its Second Dark Ages, if the authority is to be trusted, and Maia’s place in all of this.

Yet what Maia doesn’t know is eventually a decision will have to be made, a decision of whether to save Zane’s world, the world of the past, or to save Maia’s present and thus her future.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

An Agency.  Hopefully BLOOD OF ISIS will garner me an agent however if it doesn’t, I plan on querying this one/one of the MG ones I’m working on. 

How long did the first draft take to write?

Not written yet…just outlines and words LOL

What other books would you compare this to, in your genre?
As well read as I consider myself to be, I’m not super into YA books with time-traveling themes (unless I’ve forgotten older titles I’ve read)…so as for right now I have no idea nor have I heard of anything similar (minus the million YA dystopian books with themes of resisting “The Authority”.  However if you’ve read Veronica Roth’s Divergent, part of the idea for The Authority came from the Erudite…if you’ve read it, you should get my meaning…the other inspiration was Marx’s The Communist Manifesto.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

1. My crazy thought process
2. The Twilight Zone (original TV series)
3. Divergent 
4. The Communist Manifesto (the reason why is complicated/long but if you want to guess/know you can comment below)
5.  My intense love for all things sci-fi & dystopian 
6. My want to write something along these lines for a while

What else about this story might pique the readers’ interest?

Well it’s definitely going to be fast-paced…it will include time travel, to different worlds and times, mysteries, clues, and romance 😉  I’m in love with it and I’ve barely written it yet…it’s so different from BLOOD OF ISIS…exactly what I need.

Thanks Beth & Ally!  I’m tagging:

E.R. Arroyo…her book Sovereign is out!!!

Julia Byers

Emma Meade…she has a great book out too!!!

Cecilia Robert

Uglies (Time Travel Tuesday – Part One)

Book Blurb

Tally Youngblood is about to turn sixteen, and she can’t wait for the operation that turns everyone from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to party.

But new friend Shay would rather hoverboard to “the Smoke” and be free. Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn’t very pretty. The “Special Circumstances” authority Dr Cable offers Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all.

The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

My Review

Sidenote: For this book review there will be no Owl Rating, I love this book so much that to rate it wouldn’t even express my true feelings.  It would be like giving Harry Potter a five star rating…no, it’s way more than that.

“The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.”  That is the first line of Uglies by Scot Westerfeld.  And what a first line it is, this in combination with cute nicknames such as Tally-wa and Shay-la is the language of the world Westerfeld created, and it’s a book series that in my opinion truly started (or at least added to) the dystopian crave.

 Why I love this book: Well, first of all it’s the first book in the series, and Westerfeld creates a world that is highly plausible.  A global catastrophe occurred and the solution: create a system in where there are “city-states where people have a set life path.  First you’re Ugly (aka normal) until age 16, then you get a surgery that makes you Pretty and allows you to party your life away.  Simple, right?

At the time the book came out (2005), I was twelve and in middle school so a book where the main character feels ugly, is trying to find herself in this new, confusing world perfectly identified with me.  Sure there are natural pretties (celebrities of old who we consider to be gorgeous  but for the most part everyone is the same.

Not to mention the combination futuristic technology and of Tally (the good girl) and Shay (the trouble maker) creates a fun-filled adventure.

Oh and…Uglies was picked up a year ago to be made into a movie…it is currently in pre-production so we shall see 🙂

Thanks for reading!  Look out for my review of Blue Bloods (Blood Bloods – Book One).  And don’t forget to enter my book giveaways!

**This is a 100% honest review**

ISBN: 0689865384 (ISBN13: 9780689865381)

Edition language: English

Original title: Uglies (Uglies, #1)

Series: Uglies #1

Characters: David Baranov, Tally Youngblood, Shay, Peris

Literary awards: South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult Book Award (2008), Georgia Peach Honor Book Award (2008), Abraham Lincoln Award (2007)

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Whimsically Yours,

PnC