Indie Book Review: No Quarter by Helen Jones

No Quarter (The Ambeth Chronicles #2) by Helen Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

No Quarter (The Ambeth Chronicles #2) by Helen Jones is the sequel to Oak and Mist (The Ambeth Chronicles #1), which I reviewed in this post. In effort to prevent spoilers (for both No Quarter and Oak and Mist), I’ve intentionally kept this review a bit vague and focused more on my experience as a reader than the novel itself.

No Quarter continues Alma’s journey in Ambeth and her quest to recover the lost Regalia. The story picks up literally where Oak and Mist left off — on the same evening and at the celebration where the reader left the characters. I found this an interesting choice, but having read Oak and Mist recently, I was able to get right back into the world. I do wonder if this would be jarring for those that read Oak and Mist when it first came out.

Most of the action of No Quarter revolves around Alma’s romantic and other relationships, with the search for the Regalia relegated to the background. While I appreciate a good romance story and love triangle as much as anyone, I admit this disappointed me a little. Don’t get me wrong — the story is still plenty entertaining and the novel provides a lot of great character building — but I would have preferred more about the quest for the Regalia and the “fantasy” elements of this young adult fantasy romance.

However, the end of No Quarter changes the tone of the novel entirely. Again, to avoid spoilers, I cannot be specific. What I will say is this: as a reader, I was simultaneously surprised, saddened, and excited by the twist at the end. It sets up a lot for the next book, and I cannot wait to see how the quest for the Regalia plays out given these changes. As an author, I applaud Jones for the bold (and probably difficult) choice she made with the end of the book.

Once again, Jones proves herself to be an excellent storyteller. No Quarter is a (mostly) light read, and it is delightfully easy to be captivated by the world of Ambeth and the emotions of the characters. Jones expresses several themes through her characters (young love, growing up and finding one’s self, loss, etc.) and gives the reader the opportunity to explore and think on how those experiences have changed the characters (and perhaps the reader, herself).

Overall, No Quarter is a light, fun read with a rather surprising twist at the end. It definitely leans more toward the romance side than the fantasy, but I have a feeling that this will be welcome for most readers. The ending, while shocking, sets up several exciting possibilities for the third book in the series and will likely leave the reader anxious for another trip to Ambeth.

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If you are interested in reading No Quarter and would like to help sponsor my writing and research, you can purchase it through my Amazon Associates Store. By doing this, you will not pay a cent extra, nor will the author receive a cent less, but I will receive a small commission on the sale. Simply click the book’s title or the book’s image.

 

Indie Book Review: The Dream Walker by Michelle Murray

The Dream Walker (Land of Mystica Series #1) by Michelle Murray
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Dream Walker (Land of Mystica Series #1) by Michelle Murray transports the reader to the land of Mystica, where a once-trapped wizard has escaped his magical bonds and is wreaking havoc on the kingdom. Miranda, a seemingly-normal college student from the human realm, begins to have dreams about a distraught king in a magical land. When Miranda goes to a local bookstore to research her dreams, she learns that she is actually a dream walker — a person with the ability to see into other worlds during dreams and even travel to those other worlds. Recognizing her destiny, Miranda transports herself to Mystica and takes on the quest of saving the land from the evil wizard.

The Dream Walker has everything fantasy readers crave in a novel. Mystica feels like a land where anything is possible and offers a captivating variety of fantastical locations, magical acts, and amazing creatures and beings. It features everything from wizards to dragons to chivalrous huntsmen. Readers will easily become enchanted with the world Murray has created and enjoy the twists and turns of Miranda’s journey.

From a plot standpoint, The Dream Walker moves quickly from one part of the quest to another. There is rarely a dull moment, which makes for a fast read. The language is straightforward and a bit simple, and when combined with the steady action, it makes for an engaging, family-friendly story for children and young adults.

At the same time, my main critique with The Dream Walker is that the plot moves a bit too quickly. The book itself is rather short and feels to be written more in summary than in scene. As someone who was intrigued by the concept and adored the land of Mystica, I would have liked to have more detail of Miranda’s adventure and for the novel to have had more room to develop characters and really immerse me in the plot, as opposed to jumping quickly from one bit of action to the next. Likewise, I will say that the language was a bit too simplistic for my taste (but again, that is more acceptable for a children’s novel), and the novel definitely needs the touch of a good proofreader.

Overall, The Dream Walker (Land of Mystica Series #1) is a fun fantasy adventure that takes place in a magical, intriguing land. With a bit more fleshing out of the plot and less summarizing, this could be a fantastic novel. As it stands, it is a quick-paced, light read, perfect for children or young adults looking to embark on a quest.

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If you are interested in reading The Dream Walker (Land of Mystica Series #1) and would like to help sponsor my writing and research, you can purchase it through my Amazon Associates Store. By doing this, you will not pay a cent extra, nor will the author receive a cent less, but I will receive a small commission on the sale. Simply click the book’s title or the book’s image.

Indie Book Review: Oak and Mist by Helen Jones

Oak and Mist (The Ambeth Chronicles #1) by Helen Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Oak and Mist (The Ambeth Chronicles #1) by Helen Jones is a young adult fantasy novel. It follows the journey of Alma, a seemingly-normal teenage girl, who learns she is prophesized to find the lost Regalia of the land of Ambeth and restore the balance of Light and Dark in the world. If she fails, Ambeth and the human world will be lost to the Dark and eventually fall to destruction.

For fans of fantasy, Oak and Mist’s fictional realm, Ambeth, will be a dream. The land is beautifully described and has just the right amount of magic to be enchanting without feeling overdone. However, Ambeth is not perfect and peaceful. There is a subtle danger lurking behind the beauty, not only in members of the Dark but also in certain themes of the land, which leave the reader feeling just the right amount of unsettled.

The main characters in Oak and Mist are well-developed. Alma is a typical teenage girl—a little bold, a little shy, and very much prone to being love-struck. Caleb also has decent depth, as he struggles to balance his intellectual interest in the quest, his friendship for Alma, and his deeper feelings for her. The side characters are also well-developed; though they are not as complex as Alma and Caleb and sometimes feel a bit flat.

As far as plot as concerned, Alma’s quest is captivating and keeps the reader guessing. At times, the plot does become more preoccupied with Alma’s love life and friendships. While this provides good character development, I would have liked to actually sit in with Alma on some of her meetings with the elders and learn more about the lore of Ambeth. Moreover, the non-quest aspects of the novel take up so much of the text that the actual first part of the quest feels a bit too easy and makes the ending seem rushed. Likewise, at times, Alma’s crush on Deryck feels way too juvenile. I understand that this is a young adult novel, and I remember what it was like to be a teenage girl in “love,” but at times it feels forced and makes Alma seem shallow.

Overall, though, Oak and Mist is a fun and enchanting novel. Ambeth is a gorgeous and mysterious realm, and Alma’s quest will surely continue to be an intriguing adventure. I expect the target audience will enjoy the romantic subplot and some of the drama more than I did and will strongly identify with Alma and the other young characters. Fans of young adult fantasy will adore this novel.

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If you are interested in reading Oak and Mist and would like to help sponsor my writing and research, you can purchase it through my Amazon Associates Store. By doing this, you will not pay a cent extra, nor will the author receive a cent less, but I will receive a small commission on the sale. Simply click the book’s title or the book’s image.

Indie Book Review: The Slapstyx by Annabelle Franklin

The Slapstyx by Annabelle Franklin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Slapstyx by Annabelle Franklin is a charming children’s novel. It follows twins Gemma and Georgie on their mission to stop the Slapstyx goblin tribe from producing dirt and put environmentally-UNfriendly cleaning product ZOOM!!! out of business.

The Slapstyx contains numerous characters and themes that children love. It has magic – goblins, mermaids, and dreamwalking – that is playful and never too scary. Georgie and Gemma are both ambitious, clever, and kind. While I would have liked to have seen a bit more personality distinction between them, both girls are well-developed and very likable. The villain, Zachary Zigstack, is comically portrayed and the perfect level of evil for the twins to face. The side characters, while a bit simple, are developed enough for a children’s novel and touch on issues that many children have to tackle, including friendship, a parent’s remarriage, and (step-)siblinghood.

The over-arching theme of The Slapstyx is environmental consciousness. Franklin spends ample time explaining how ZOOM!!! adversely affects the environment. While much of the plot is enveloped in magic, there are still “real-world” elements that teach children about environmental issues, such as hints to capitalistic greed, toxins in the ocean, and animal endangerment. The environmental theme is well done and a great way to introduce children to this issue.

The writing itself is clear and simple, which allows the story and the characters to be the focus of the novel. The tone of The Slapstyx is playful and witty. Even in moments of danger, Franklin keeps the tone light and inserts comic relief. However, the novel does end on a rather violent note. While I do not think it was too violent for children, it did come as a bit of a surprise after how playful the rest of the novel was.

Overall, The Slapstyx is a fun novel with an important message. If your child (or even you) likes magic, adventure, take-charge characters, and socially-conscious themes, you will enjoy The Slapstyx.

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If you are interested in reading The Slapstyx and would like to help sponsor my writing and research, you can purchase it through my Amazon Associates Store. By doing this, you will not pay a cent extra, nor will the author receive a cent less, but I will receive a small commission on the sale. Simply click the book’s title or the book’s image.

Indie Book Review: The Sleeping Angel by Margarita Morris

The Sleeping Angel by Margarita Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Sleeping Angel by Margarita Morris is a young adult supernatural mystery that perfectly mixes past and present to reveal the sinister secrets surrounding Highgate Cemetery.

In the present, the novel follows Lauren and Tom as they search for the connection between Isabelle Hart, a woman who used to live in Lauren’s house, and the death of Tom’s father. In the past, the novel recounts the life of Isabelle through her diary as well as provides glimpses into those around Isabelle through their journals and memoirs. Despite having seven different narrators throughout the novel, the past and present pieces fit together seamlessly, each divulging just enough information to keep the reader desiring more. The sections of the novel are short, action-packed, and end on such intriguing notes that I frequently couldn’t put the book down.

Unfortunately, that is all I can say about the plot without risking spoilers. However, there is much to comment on in relation to the writing of The Sleeping Angel. Morris does a fantastic job of writing to suit the voices of each of her characters. Even if they were not named, it would be easy for the reader to identify the narrator, as each is so distinct and personable. Morris also had a great knack for writing in time-appropriate language. Her word choice feels authentic whether she is writing from the perspective of a young woman or gravedigger in 1870, a teenager in 1970, or a teenager or professor in present time.

My one critique about The Sleeping Angel is that, at times, it was difficult to tell what the supernatural “rules” of the world were, so-to-speak. The novel features paranormal elements, namely ghosts or spirits, but the characters themselves were unsure about how much of what they experienced was real, and other supernatural subjects were considered to be highly unrealistic by the characters. While it is clear which paranormal elements were “real” in terms of plot, I still found it a bit unbalanced in terms of the world Morris created (which was strongly based in present day reality). However, this seems to be a mostly subjective critique, and it did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel.

Overall, The Sleeping Angel is a well-written, well-executed paranormal mystery. The multiple story lines intertwine perfectly for an enjoyable journey and satisfying conclusion. If you love young adult paranormal/supernatural tales, historical fiction, and a dash of mystery, you will adore The Sleeping Angel.

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If you are interested in reading The Sleeping Angel, it is FREE on Amazon! Simply click the book’s title or image to be taken straight to the sales page. As always, if you would like to help sponsor my writing and research, you can purchase other books at my Amazon Associates Store. By doing this, you will not pay a cent extra, nor will the author receive a cent less, but I will receive a small commission on the sale.