Review: The Arrival (The Birthright Trilogy: Book 1) by Nicole MacDonald

The Arrival: Birthright Trilogy Book 1 

by Nicole MacDonald

Amazon Product Description:

Cat, Kassie, Sian and Loi are anything but damsels in distress.
Fed up with a lack of decent male specimens they cast a love spell in the hopes of finding their soul-mates. And inadvertently land themselves on another planet. Oops.

The Arrival, follows the girls' adventures as they stumble through a foreign and often hostile world where humans are NOT at the top of the food chain.
Friendships are forged and love teeters on the horizon while the threat of civil war looms thanks to the girls' very unexpected 'gifts'.
Will the girls master these gifts in time to survive a war in which, not only are they the ultimate weapons, but also the ultimate prize?

First I want to say that I got this ebook as a gift from the author!  In return for the gift, I have promised an honest review.  The author is fellow blogger Damsel in a Dirty Dress!  Be sure to stop by her blog and say hi!  You can buy her book (Kindle version) for only $0.99 at Amazon.com by clicking here!  So very worth the read!

My thoughts:
I have just finished reading the book (CAN'T believe the cliffhanger ending) and am DYING to get my hands on book 2!


The fast version:  This is a fantastic read!  The characters are incredible, the story is entertaining as well as well written, and the world building is amazing!  The love story twisted in with the magic and the fantastical creatures is great.  It is an all around MUST read! 


The not so fast version:
Nicole puts together incredible characters.  There are humans, dogs, cats, dragons, griffins, centaurs, more types of creatures than I can name!  Each is described in detail, regardless of how big or small a role they play!  Each is given a personality that endears them to you from the first meeting!  Okay, some of them are less endearing - Jenviet for instance (she's the "bad guy").  I was thrilled by the interactions of the griffins and the Griffin Guard and I love that Cat is able to communicate with Loushka even though she is not linked to her.  


Of course the fact that all four of the women are strong, independent, and capable makes me love them.  I was excited that they could bring all their defense, attack, and protection skills to their new world and share them with others.  The interactions of the women with the military men when faced with training are classic.  The four main characters are fantastic, but the men!!!  Nicole has created men that I go crazy for!  I love that there are 5 Griffin Guards and that four are single and one is married to such a great woman.  I know it could seem corny that there are four women searching for soul-mates and suddenly... but truly - could it work any other way?  I enjoyed the differences in the four couples and was impressed with the thought and energy that has gone into creating them for us.  The characters are the perfect blend of serious and funny.  


The author does a great job at world-building for the reader.  The world that the women find themselves in after the spell is cast is described in detail, from the scenery to the animals.  As a reader, it is easy to place yourself right there with them.  


This is a page turner, I found myself unwilling to put it down to do anything else.  I was enthralled by wanting to know MORE!

Review: The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

Pub. Date:  3/1/11

You can pre-order it at Amazon by clicking here!

    

Amazon product description:

It was a hot, sunny day when I met that crazy chicken. So hot that sometimes I think the whole thing may have been a mirage. 

My thoughts: 

I wasn't sure what to expect from a children's book on the Kindle, but it was great!  I don't doubt that the illustrations are better in color but they are still wonderful in black and white!  

The story is about a former search and rescue dog named J.J., a chicken, four chicks, and another dog they call Vince the Funnel. Two of the chicks are missing and the chicken hires J.J. to find them.   

The Trouble with Chickens was a fast, fun read!  The author does a great job of giving the animals personalities that pull the reader in.  The writing is so descriptive that the reader is able to create the characters easily and the actual illustrations only enhance the reading experience!  

The story was well thought out and creative.  I enjoyed the perspectives of each of the characters and of course I loved the fact that the chicks were after books!!!    

Three of my favorite quotes:

"Make like a sponge mister."

"She may have looked fluffy and new, but this chick had already learned that life outside the shell was not all it was cracked up to be." 

(favorite!) "Sometimes you find yourself exactly where you belong."

I would recommend this book to everyone!  I loved it!  It would be a fantastic read-aloud, a wonderful read alone for young readers, and and great, fun read for all ages. 

Guest Post from author Graham Parke

Graham Parke - author of No Hope for Gomez has requested a guest post on my blog! I am honored!   He will be checking this post and commenting back to those who leave feedback or comments!

He thought perhaps he could share a few moments of your day with a funny story.....so keep reading because this is what he had to say - - -

"I almost met James Cameron today!

      Just to be clear, it wasn't that the Avatar 3D director and I just missed each other, it was just that it was almost him, but slightly, just slightly mind you, someone else. I hate when that happens. You get so close, then, nothing…
      But this incident started me thinking. This kind of thing has been happening to me a lot lately. And not only with celebrities. Just the other day, I almost ran into Garry, a friend of mine. From a distance, at an angle, it looked exactly like him. A dead-ringer. Could have fooled his own mother. It wasn't until I came closer, and he turned his head a few degrees to the left, that he revealed himself to be just a little bit someone else. The thing was, when I walked passed him, he gave me a long, thoughtful look. He looked me over, then shook his head and turned away. But I knew what it meant. I knew exactly what he was thinking. He had almost recognized me back!
      Now, almost-Garry almost recognizing me back made the whole situation much more complicated. My mind went haywire, trying to understand this, trying to figure out the underlying meaning. Was it possible for someone who was almost Garry but not quite, to recognize me but only slightly? Was it? And, if so, what was I to him exactly? Was I someone who looked like someone he knew? It was hard to say, but it was unlikely. All I knew for a fact was that I was someone who was known by someone he looked like, but who wasn't him. And, in fact, to be fair, he probably didn't even realize that he was almost Garry but not quite.
      Are you still following me?
      Probably not. Probably your brain isn't defective to the point of reasoning this way. Good for you. You're better off for it. So, let's back-track a little. Let's just assume that the easiest explanation is the correct one. It usually is. And if it isn't, it should be. Really. Life is hard enough already.
      So, I almost recognized Garry, and almost-Garry almost recognized me (that look was unmistakable).  This must mean that there is another Graham-and-Gary combo out there. This almost-Gary actually knows an almost-Graham. And this idea has big implications. As you know, and understand inherently in the core of your being, the universe is nothing if not a little fractally-inclined. Recursion-mad. If there are two sets, there must be more. There are probably thousands. Thousands of Graham-and-Gary combos. And this, of course, is upsetting. Because the first question that comes to my mind is, what if some of them are better at being a Graham and Gary combo? In fact; what if most of them are better? What if my friend Gary and I are in fact the worst of the bunch?
      So, to summarize, I did ask almost-James Cameron for his autograph. Of course I did. I'm no fool. So, if you're interested in almost-autographs, check out my store on eBay. You won't be disappointed!"

Please feel free to leave comments for Graham Parke - as I said, he will be checking this post to comment to all my fantastic followers!  Happy Reading and have a great day!

Review: Foresight (The Gods of Fate - Book 1) by Sherry D. Ficklin

The Gods of Fate: Book 1: Foresight by Sherry D. Ficklin

Amazon Product Description:
All Grace Archer wants is to graduate from high school and get on with her life. But the Gods of Fate have other ideas. Attacked at graduation by a mysterious woman with gruesome henchmen, Grace is lucky to escape with her life. Rescued by a Fae warrior named Chris and her Aunt Phoenix, Grace learns that her mother was the Greek Goddess Pandora. Now Grace must protect her mother's urn from the crazed demi-goddess Lilith, who is determined to unleash its horrors on an unsuspecting Earth. As if her blood legacy is not bizarre enough, Grace begins to develop frightening powers that threaten to destroy her from the inside out. Can Grace find the strength to defeat Lilith? Can she learn to control her powers before she loses her mind? [The Gods of Fate - Book I | Young Adult Fantasy released in 2010 by Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. www.dragonflypubs.com | Available in paperback, hardback, and eBook]

My thoughts: 

I loved this story!  I was hooked from the start.  It's an "I don't want to put it down until the end, I can sleep tomorrow!" kind of book that leaves you looking for the sequel so you can spend more time with the characters.  If you haven't read this one - GO GET IT! 

Sherry Ficklin created fantastic characters.  Phoenix is the woman we all want to be, Chris is the man we all want to love, and Grace is that teenager that possesses all the fire we want our kids to have!  Lilith is the bad guy we all love to hate and her minions are the kind of blind evil who’s death’s we wait for and cheer about!  I was thrilled with the addition of the gods and the personalities that each one has, Hermes is a stitch!  There are too many characters to talk about them all.   So, instead of telling you more about each great character, let me just say that she builds characters that are easy to invest in.  She puts these incredible characters into wonderfully descriptive settings with details that make both the human world and the Fae world come alive for the reader.  

I can't wait for book two, I wish it was already out so I didn't have to wait!  I am excited that there will be a book three as well, because then I know I have a chance to get to know more of the characters than I have already gotten to meet.  

My favorite quote:  

"It takes no courage  at all to do the easy thing. It takes a great deal to do the right thing." 

It's Friday!!!

Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View!

This week’s question is from:

Dreaming About Other Worlds

If  you are a fan of Science Fiction what is your favorite book? If you haven't read Science Fiction before...any inkling to? Anything catch your eye?

I LOVE D.J. MacHale's series Pendragon!  I love all the books in that series.  It is one of the few YA Sci-Fi series that I have come across!  You should go check them out if you can!

So Many Followers!

I have so many followers now!  I am so shocked!  I never thought I would find myself with so many! 

With that in mind - I am having a giveaway!  To show you wonderful followers how thankful I am that you take the time to read what I have to say on occasion!

So - here are the rules:  

1. You MUST be a follower - after all it is for my followers! 

(Book Depository MUST ship free to your country)

2. You must be 13 or older.

3. You must fill out this form!  Comments are great, but not necessary to enter.

That's it - - Thanks and good luck.

The Prize: ONE book - up to $20.00 from Book Depository!

Contest ends March 1, 2011 (winner announced by 3/4/11)

There will be one winner who will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway is international as long as the book depository does free shipping to your country. Please note that if you are a winner and you live in the US I reserve the right to order the books from a store of my choosing.