Ashley Stoyanoff's Review: The Language of Souls by Lena Goldfinch

★ASHLEY STOYANOFF'S REVIEW ★

The Language of Souls by Lena Goldfinch 

Title: The Language of Souls
Author: Lena Goldfinch
Number of Pages: 146
Publication Info: Indigo Road (Nov 2012)Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Shelf: Books I BoughtRating: ★★★★

Goodreads: Here

Purchase: Here

Authors Website: Here

summary from Goodreads:

A fast-paced tale of adventure, impossible choices, and a soul-stirring romance that will leave you breathless.

Solena trespasses into hostile territory to search for a rare herb to cure the grandfather she loves. When a young enemy soldier captures her and she's accused of being a spy, Solena discovers just how much she's risked.

As a soldier, Rundan struggles to please his father, a ruthless army commander. When his father orders him to take the beautiful trespasser to the royal courts, where she'll surely be tried and executed, Rundan is plagued by an inconvenient desire to protect her.

The handsome young soldier confuses Solena. First, he cruelly captures her, and then treats her with uncommon kindness. When he risks his life to save hers, she fears she may have risked more than her life on her journey...she may have lost her heart.

"...fantasy with a side of sigh-worthy romance." --The Fiction Enthusiast

"The perfect tiny romantic escape." -- Tales of Whimsy

Young Adult Fantasy Novella

My Review:

The Language of Souls was a quick and enjoyable romance novella.  I devoured this treat in on sitting and enjoyed every page.

Solena’s journey starts with a dangerous climb into the mountains, as she makes her way to a foreign land in search of healing herbs to save her grandfather.  When she is caught trespassing and stealing, she is taken captive by Rundan, a soldier out on patrol.  He brings her back to his father, the army commander, who orders Rundan to take Solena to the royal courts, where she’ll be executed.  Will Rundan follow his father’s cruel orders, and take Solena to her death sentence, or will their budding attraction save her life?  You’ll have to read The Language of Souls to find out.

The relationship between Rundan and Solena was wonderful.  Goldfinch packed a whirlwind of emotion into this short novella that left me wanting more.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching these two get to know each other.  I loved the confusion, and the sparks of desire, as their story unfolded.

The descriptions were perfect.  Often times, I find that when reading a novella, things feel rushed, but that was not the case with The Language of Souls.  Each scene was painted vividly, allowing me to fully immerse myself into Solena and Rundan’s story. Everything flowed smoothly, from narrative to dialogue to description.

And the ending … It was the perfect mix of awkward and sweet.  I absolutely love it.  An awesome ending to a wonderful novella!

If you are looking for a quick romance that will make you smile, then pick this one up.

Review: Night Beach by Kristy Eagar.

Night Beach by Kristy Eagar
-
'Breath-Takingly Dark, Raw & Powerful'

Rating:♥♥♥♥♥
Add to your TBR on Goodreads:Here
Kristy Eagar's Website:Here
buy on Amazon:

Summary:

'Imagine there is someone you like so much that just thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless. You crave them in a way that's not rational, not right, and you're becoming somebody you don't recognise, and certainly don't respect, but you don't even care. And this person you like is unattainable. Except for one thing... He lives downstairs.'Abbie has three obsessions. Art. The ocean. And Kane.

But since Kane's been back, he's changed. There's a darkness shadowing him that only Abbie can see. And it wants her in its world.A gothic story about the very dark things that feed the creative process.

My Review: 

"This is what I love about life. The UP. You can be completely down & out one moment, and in the next you feel like you're flying, for no reason at all"

  Night Beach is simply a breath taking novel! Kristy Eagar writes with such raw passion & heart breaking reality.. ..her characters are fleshed out with raw & fragile human emotions & it's impossible to dislike any of them.

 

"It's that part of him, whatever it is that means he can do that, which has infected me. It would be easy if there was some way of getting him out of my system. That transaction would probably be straightforward enough - if he he took me seriously. But the sad truth is, I don't want just him, I want him to like me. "

I've never felt such a strong connection to a character in a novel as i felt towards Abbie..I felt As if she had been ripped right from inside me, her teenage fragile mind filled with hope & wonder for what way lay ahead, her imperfections & her obsessions....Where all mine in one form or another  ..some people may simply pitty her or Dislike her..

Yes she's obsessive.

Yes she's insecure

& yes she has a very distinctive view of the world but that's what maybe me love her so!

But the way I see it, people who go spending themselves easily don't have low self-esteem. They have really high self-esteem. If someone like me tried to live like that there would be nothing left Abbie - Page 83

  Kristy had such a beautiful way of blending abbie's reality & dreams until you didn't know where one ended & the other began.

 

 "Sleep is so strange. The fact that we have to sleep. The fact that we are helpless while it happens. The fact that we can't hold on to our dreams after we have them. It really is a mystery."

  Kristy does a fresh take on a coming of age story, with its Aussie surfer slang & true to life Characters....

“At seventeen, I’m in-between. Staring at the carnival from a distance. Not sure if I want to go forward and become an adult; liking the view too much to turn back.”

 

it also shows the beauty of first love (even if it's unrequited), first heart breaks, and understanding of our place in the world especially in family and most important the understandings of ourselves.  

"I don't want romance and stolen and kisses and sweetness and hand holding. I want something so big it's like two planets colliding, with an aftershock I will feel for the rest of my life."

  That being said its not your everyday ya novel....Night Beach does have some dark under tones, that sweep you up & catch you by surprise.

 

  Kane's never been safe. Ultimately, he's never been within reach. That's the key to why I'm so caught up on him - I know that. I'm obsessed. And what feeds an obsession is not getting what you want. "

So if your considering reading Night Beach..stop thinking about it & just grab it because Kristy Eagar is AMAZEBALLS & so is this breathtaking novel!





Review: Autumn Dawn by Lizzy Ford

Autumn Dawn

(#2.5 A Witchling Trilogy Novelette)

ByLizzy Ford

Rating:♥♥♥♥♥

GoodReads: Here

Lizzy's Website:Here

Purchase: Here

Good Reads Summary: 

Three months after turning Dark and being granted a second trial, Summer has succeeded in winning back not only her soul, but saving that of the Master of Dark as well. She leaves the hospital with some doubts as to whether or not she and Decker can be together, given all they’ve been through and how Dark his deeds were. Summer must choose whether or not she can risk her heart by taking a second chance to love the tormented Decker, whose only peace in the world is found in her arms.

Meanwhile, the fate of the Master of Light becomes more challenging. If finding a way to undo all the Dark that was done by his brother wasn’t enough, he’s compelled to a girl who shouldn’t draw his interest, but who he can’t get out of his mind.

My Reviews:

My mind was seriously like a tornado of questions for days & days after reading autumn storm..
 
"Did autumn/summer past the test?".." If she did will decker still want to be with her?".."Will they still love each other? Or will deckers darkness destroy there second chance?".." Will she be autumn or Summer?".. " What about beck? & the Baby!?"...

"Did autumn/summer past the test?".." If she did will decker still want to be with her?".."Will they still love each other? Or will deckers darkness destroy there second chance?".." Will she be autumn or Summer?".. " What about beck? & the Baby!?"
All i could do was think & Worry, think & worry, think & worry And then I saw Autumn Dawn was released!...oh Happy Days!

After dancing around the house for a while i some how managed to contain myself & quickly grab a copy in-which I  gobbled it up!...Ok so i actually had to read it 3 times to be truly content, it gave such a clear understanding of how the test worked & how summer was concealed I had to face palm myself because of all my worrying!

The tension between summer & decker when they finally saw was so thick you could of cut it with a knife, and the pure raw emotion made me cry. (why do I always cry!)

I'm totally thrilled beck found his (hopeful) other half (even if decker won't be over the moon about it, given Becky's track record....Crazy Dawn anyone!)  seriously I cannot wait to see  how things work out between them too in Winter Kiss, which will be coming soon. 

*fingers crossed* 

Read my Review of Dark Summer by Lizzy Ford Book 1# :Here

Read my Review of Summer Night by Lizzy Ford Book 1.5# :Here

Read my Review of Autumn Storm by Lizzy Ford Book 2# :Here

Review: Autumn Storm by Lizzy Ford

Autumn Storm. A Witchling Novel. Book 2#

By Lizzy Ford

Rating:♥♥♥♥♥

GoodReads: Here

Lizzy's Website:Here

Purchase: Here

GoodReads Summary:

A girl with no memory, hidden in plain sight. A boy with no hope, freefalling into Darkness.

Autumn doesn’t know why she remembers a boarding school she’s never visited, or why her reflection isn’t always … hers. There’s another girl in the mirror, a dark-haired ghost that emerges one night to guide her to a cliff near the school. Only Autumn can’t remember what happened there and why it’s so important. Beck’s gentle touch soothes her distress while Decker’s every look sets her A girl with no memory, hidden in plain sight. A boy with no hope, freefalling into Darkness.

Unable to recover from Summer’s death, Decker slowly surrenders to the Dark. He can’t live with the pain, and those around him keep Autumn’s secret too well. The guilt he feels when he falls for her – and betrays Summer’s memory – drives him farther from the Light, until he loses control and begins taking the souls of Light witchlings. As the protector of Light, Beck must choose between confronting his twin and watching more witchlings suffer. Decker realizes Beck has come between more than him and the witchlings. With neither of them willing to let Autumn go, they turn on each other.

Only one of them knows the truth. Only one of them will walk away, unless Autumn can find a way to save them both.

My Review:

*Spoiler-ish Warning*

After devouring Dark Summer then the Summer Night novelette, & being shocked into a teary mess with the cliff hanger that Summer had died & was some how reincarnated into autumn!!
i was, desperate...desperate for some answers!
Which thankfully lizzy gave me but turn me into a emotional mess yet again!...lol 

Autumn Storm sheds the whimsical teenage naivety of dark summer & thrusts both the reader and the chracters into a harsh and painful reality.

With Summer's death weighting heavily on his shoulders, Decker goes well to put it simply, he goes utterly insane & is trying to block out the pain with anything possible. Sex, Drugs, Women nothing seems enough to numb out the pain of losing his one true love.
I couldn't help but feel Sorry for decker, after reading the beautiful love affair between him & summer I was heart broken to see his internal struggle with the darkness but I was also insanely mad when he began sleeping around with hundreds, yes I said hundreds of women only a couple of months after her death. All I wanted to do was punch him in his stupid sexy face..

Tho The Internal struggle he had towards his feelings about autumn & not wanting to betray summer's memory got him off the hook.
"With a sob, he realized Summer's memory was best honored, by  doing what was right, no matter how hard it was or how much it Hurt. " Decker.
Awwww Poor Baby..

Autumn was cool & strong I mean really strong. 

After going through all the pain of her "accident" you 

would think she would just crawl into her little shell but she didn't. she took the master of darkness (even dawn! Yes Phyco Dawn!) Head On 

I also loved how she didn't play into decker's little game of seduction...
"The master of Darkness, Apparently the Master of Seduction was a better Title for him." - Autumn
She stayed true to herself and her own feelings. Which I really admired...Yes I was in total like with her but I just couldn't love her like I did summer.

Beck finally came into his true self as the Master of Light, protecting his family & the light Witchlings at any cost. He was was soo sweet, especially  when  he was trying to protector autumn from Decker & decker from Himself. Nawwwww brotherly love.

Would I Reccomend it? Yep Yep!
Would I Re-Read it? Maybe.
Would I Read More in the Series? Umm.. Hell yes! Unless I wanted to make myself go total Bananas from not knowing!

LOL

I was listening to this song today & all I could think was "this is totes decker & autumn's song!" read the book, hear the song then tell me I'm.. & why your at it try & tell sixty ain't sexy as hell! 

That's right you Can't cause his just too Damn Hot!! =p

Review: Summer Night by Lizzy Ford

 Summer Night. A Witchling Novella.  by Lizzy Ford.

Rating:♥♥♥♥♥

GoodReads: Here

Lizzy's Website:Here

Purchase: Here

GoodReads Summary:

Summer’s choice threatens to destroy not only her own life, but Decker’s, too, on the night she falls into the Dark. With both Summer and Decker trapped by their choices, it’s up to Decker’s twin to find a way to make things right.

Beck, the new Master of Light, is forced to step up in his role as the protector of Light. He discovers that sometimes, the protector must come between the Dark and its own Master in order to save them both from being consumed. To save his brother, he must risk everything – even his soul – on the slim chance Summer can redeem herself, if given a second chance. If he’s right, he’ll save Decker from a lifetime of agony. 

If he’s wrong, he’ll lose much more than Decker and Summer, for there will be no one standing between Darkness and the rest of the world.

My Review:

** spoiler alert **

I'm not sure why Lizzy decided to release this little novella between books,  but I'm so happy she did!

Summer night is the bridge between Dark Summer & Autumn Storm, It gives readers a glimpse into what happen that tragic night on the cliff & how summer became autumn.

It's told through Beck & Rania's perspective & gives you a much clearer understanding of both characters & their actions. (I though beck a bit of a Douche before but now I love him!)

"Beck began to realize that sometimes, the protector might have to come between the dark & it's master. No one deserved to handle the horrible duty serving dark alone. Compassion replaced his horror. He didn't know exactly what he had to do, but he knew he needed to do something. He wasn't going to let anyone else suffer." 

If you've read Dark Summer & are planning On reading autumn storm (which how could you not with a cliff hanger like that!)  it's defiantly a must read packed full of info!

Xx

Review: Riley's Secret By Christina Smith

Riley's Secret (a Moon's Glow Novel)

By Christina Smith

Rating:♥♥♥1/2

Goodreads

Christina's Website

Purchase

Lovers of teen young adult fiction will totally gobble up Riley's Secret...

   

With its blossoming of young  love, a cloak of darkness & mystery,  a drop dead gorgeous honey & a hint of teenage drama... It really is a perfect YA novel.

GoodReads Summary:

Megan Banks feels like an imposter in her own life; she doesn’t belong with her friends or with her parents, who ignore her. After a fire she’s indirectly involved with, she finds herself with two hundred hours of community service. It’s the charity she volunteers at that finally makes her feel like she belongs. These people, with whom she has nothing in common, mean more to her than her rich, selfish friends. 

But for some reason her supervisor, Nate Green, doesn’t want her there. He thinks she’s a self-centered rich girl who deserves to be in jail. After she’s threatened by the kids who started the fire, Nate and Megan form a strange friendship, built only for her protection. But the more she feels for him, the more he pushes her away.As they become closer, Megan knows Nate is attracted to her as well, but she also believes that he is hiding something. But she could never guess what he really is. Before she realizes what is happening, she becomes involved in a world she didn't know existed.In this strange new reality, can she finally find a place where she belongs?

My Review: 

I have to admit i didn't like megan to start with, it's not so much I hated her it's just after reading Riley's Curse I had some pretty hight expectations of the girl who would be good enough for such an amazing, gorgeous & caring guy.  

 once I got into the story a bit more, I started to quite like her, she was sweet, strong, responsible and caring.  

 But Then.. i started to dislike Nate, his character just seemed so different from the riley's curse the prequel, stalking a girl you like...Is creepy.  then breaking in to said girl's friends house to jump in bed with her while she's asleep is extremely creepy! seriously....

 

.... Where'd the hot caring & not creepy guy go!

 But seeing as it was written from a different POV I let it slip & towards the end I found myself falling back in love with him.

   

Christina has done a lovely job at writing Riley's Curse. 

There were moments of utter giggling, moments where I was close to tears at the sheer tenderness shown between the characters & moments of disbelief because of the cold & emptiness shown in other characters. 

It was a real mixed bag. 

 But like with any novel it wasn't all smooth sailing, there were moments were I couldn't help but roll my eyes at how clique it was, through out the start I felt like I was reading some boring sleep over club novel filled with high school politics & pillow fights, which thankfully slowly morphed into a wonderful ya paranormal romance novel I was more then happy to read. 

Would I re-read it?

 Probably not. 

Would I recommend it?

 If your into teen/young adult fiction...oh yes.  

Would I read more in the series?

yes, probably to find out if they actually ever have sex! I have a dirty mind & I know it!...lol

Xx

Review: Hera Queen of Gods by T.D. Thomas

Hera Queen of Gods (Goddess Unbound 1#)

by T.D. Thomas 

Rating:♥♥♥♥1/2

Pages:115

Goodreads:Here

Purchase:Here (only 99 cents)

GR Summary:

Hera couldn't care less what the other gods think, even when it's about her. And it often is. Frankly, Hera couldn't care less about anything, except doing her duty as queen - protecting order and defending the mortal world against any threats. But when the Fates go missing, Hera and a handful of other gods must temporarily become mortal to search the human world for the missing goddesses.

Hera finds that mortality begins to change her. It's not just the loss of her divine powers. She expected that. It's deeper somehow. It's affecting how she thinks, how she feels, what's important to her. And it gets much worse after she meets Justin, who defies every prejudice she once had

about mortals. At the worst possible time, and despite all her efforts, Hera's black-and-white world starts to unravel.

My Blabber-ific Review:

Two Words basically sum up Hera Queen of Gods...Frickin Awsom  Yep that's it that's my whole review...it's awesome, you have to read It, end of story... 

Ok ok an awesome  book deserves an awesome  blabbering filled review so here it goes... My History teacher must have  forgot to teach me about the epic-ness of Greek mythology or I just fell asleep in class (which is more likely) because my knowledge of the Greeks is basically limited to  Hercules, yep Hercules..the Disney film which probably has zero facts that are actually real (ok as real as you can with myths). Sad but true.... 

 

 So to help all the other bad asses out there, who use to sleep in class I've made you a little outline of the different  gods (who are basically the main characters)......  

Hera: 

 

The queen of the gods and goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings and empires. She is the wife of Zeus and daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was usually depicted as a beautiful woman wearing a crown and veil and holding a royal, lotus-tipped staff. 

Zeus: 

    

The king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and fate. He is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, whom he overthrew after Cronus swallowed his brothers and sisters and he is brother-husband to Hera. In artwork, he was depicted as a regal, mature man with a sturdy figure and dark beard.  

Demeter:

   

The goddess of agriculture, horticulture, grain and harvest. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus, by whom she bore Persephone. She was depicted as a mature woman, often crowned and holding sheafs of wheat and a torch. 

Athena:
 
The goddess of wisdom, warfare, battle strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. According to most traditions, she was born from Zeus's head fully formed and armored. She was depicted crowned with a crested helm, armed with shield and a spear.


Apollo:
 
The god of music, healing, plague, the sun, prophecies, and poetry; associated with light, truth and the sun. He is Artemis' twin brother and Hermes' elder (half) brother, and son of Zeus and Leto. He was depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long hair and various attributes including a laurel wreath, bow and quiver, raven, and lyre. 

Artemis:
 
Virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, young girls, childbirth and plague. In later times she became associated with the moon. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. In art she was usually depicted as a young woman dressed in a short knee-length chiton and equipped with a hunting bow and a quiver of arrows. In addition to the bow, her attributes include hunting spears, animal pelts, deer and other wild animals.

Hermes:
 
The god of travel, messengers, trade, thievery, cunning wiles, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics, traps, and animal husbandry. He is the messenger of the gods, a psychopomp who leads the souls of the dead into Hades' realm, and the son of Zeus and Maia. He was depicted either as a handsome and athletic beardless youth, or as an older bearded man. His attributes include the herald's wand or caduceus, winged sandals, and a traveler's cap.

So now your a bit more clued up, or maybe not at all because you skipped over it, which i wouldn't blame you for doing....learning about Greek mythology can be a bit boring...expect when your reading HQOG which is never boring.
any how..
I better get on with the review. HQOG is a true Young Adult Novel, the writing style, character development, plots etc all have a young feel to it which adults & teens could easily enjoy...don't get me wrong it's totally not a light hearted, everyone's happy kinda story there's actually a lot of fighting & death but all within the YA limits.  Romance blossoms (of course it does, I can't read book with out romance in it) & friendships are made and broken.  all classic ya plots, but it works.. So very very well, i was on the edge of seat waiting to find out what happened next even tho, sometimes I had a pretty god Idea.   

T.D. Had me laughing out loud (yes actually out loud!), giggling, fuming like mad and even close  to tears. ..
It was one of those novels you just don't  want to end because your enjoying the ride way too much.  

 I was very close to falling  in love with this novel but just couldn't quite take the plunge, maybe it was the repetitiveness at times or the immaturity shown through the characters or just the lack of detailed writing.... What ever It was it hasn't stop me from seriously  enjoying  the hell out of reading it & it hasn't Stop me from giving it 5 stars on goodreads and it sure as hell is not going to stop me from getting my hands on the next book! 

 would I recommend it? Defiantly! But mostly to lovers of YA. 
would I re-read it? maybe..... 
would I read more in the series? try & stop me! ;)

Xxx

Review: Hera Queen of Gods By by T.D. Thomas

4.5 Stars

*Review Coming Soon*

Review: Riley's Curse by Christina Smith

Riley's Curse, a Moon's Glow Prequel 

by Christina Smith

Rating:1/2
Pages:115
Goodreads:Here
Authors Site:Here
Purchase:Here

Goodreads Summary: 

See how a life can change after just one bite.

Because of one fateful night, Nathaniel Riley loses his girl, his family, and life as he knows it. His world has been turned upside down. One day, a normal teen living in the 1890's, the next a mythical creature he didn't know existed. How can he live with himself with deadly urges he can't control?

He's a monster with a conscience who wants to make up for all the pain he's caused, but how can he do that when a fellow monster wants to take everything in his life away from him.

Nathaniel Riley has lived for a long time. Before he met Megan, he had a family, another girl he loved and a world in which he was happy. Find out how it all changed in just one moment.

My Review:

I became the Riley family secret. -  Nate Riley. 

 We all say we don't judge books by there covers or categorize them before even opening the pages, but that's bull.....!

we all do it and I'm totally guilting of doing it with Riley's Curse. In my head it was under a mainstream young adult romance with a paranormal twist, but what I found  was more of a paranormal coming of age story, with a fresh take on "werewolves"

I was leaving the only place I felt at home, everything and everyone I ever knew, to make a new life. I didn't know how to be a werewolf and I couldn't help feeling as I made my way alone through the deserted roads, that my life was over. - Nate Riley.

Christina has done a really great job setting the scene  for Riley's Secret.  It cant have been easy writing through a males point of view, especially a teenaged males point of view but she really pulled it off, even if at times the narration seemed flat. 

   

I once loved the forest at night. The romance of the unknown was exciting. -Nate Riley. 

 I loved seeing Nate grow,  evolve and go through what most people would associate with becoming a werewolf, he felt real human emotions, regreat, loss, self pity, anger & loneliness my only complaint would be that sometimes I felt that the story Was rushed particularly at  key moments. 

Even though I tried to keep people at a distance, I couldn't with Sadie. In the last few hours, Sadie Clark had managed to slither her way into my heart. I would look after her, and help her in any way I could. - Nate Riley  

Riley's Curse isn't a full novel it's a novella that gives some back ground info on nathaniel Riley, so in that respect it very much delivers what it promised and now I'm all clued up on the werewolf cutie Nate I'm off to read Riley's Secret!

Would I recommend it?  Yes (but if I had the choice again I would read Riley's secret first) 

 Would I re-read it?  Probably not. 

 Am I Excited about the Second Book?  Very Much So.

Xxx