REVIEW After three books The taking finally has a conclusion! Ari and Jackson started out enemies in Gravity. Jackson had an almost unconscionable secret power over her and that was what drew me into this story in the first place. In Gravity Ari was very strong. Her father is the commander and she is his legacy in every way. Taught to fight since she was small, she is confident and powerful. Jackson is equally powerful… only we find out that he’s not what he seems. I admit, I rather enjoyed the personal connection these two had before they got together a little more than the after. I liked the idea of the Taking. It put normally strong Ari in a completely powerless situation. But once they got together much of that was sidelined for the plot. I loved how in book two, Hover, Ari was off her game and Jackson’s… Read more »
Posts Tagged: dystopian
GIVEAWAY and REVIEW: The Letting by Cathrine Goldstein
REVIEW The Letting was a very original dystopian world where young girls are “grown” and harvested in order to supply some sort of youth serum to a population in a “Utopian” city. It’s a good premise that was captivating and interesting. Veronica billings, or Veronica Killings—as the “rebellion” calls her—is responsible for more deaths than any other Leader in history. The problem is, she doesn’t realize she’s a killer because everything she’s ever been told has been a lie. I thought that was probably the most intriguing thing about this novel. I really liked the fact that no one side was altogether good or evil. There was a lot of moral ambiguity in here. Veronica has a blood type that is rare and which the leader of her government requires to keep him alive – he’s not a vampire! He’s a hemophiliac. So this sets up the conflict. Veronica is… Read more »
GIVEAWAY and EXCERPT: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel
I pre-ordered this book because it sounded so fabulous when I signed up for the blitz. I haven’t had time to start it yet, but over the holidays, this is definitely on my list. EXCERPT “You were right, Ivy,” [Bishop] says quietly. “It does bother me. The way our choices are taken away from us.” I’m almost scared to breathe. He is confiding in me, opening up to me exactly the way my father and Callie wanted. “Why didn’t you say something right then?” Bishop sighs. “I’m not…I’m never going to be the guy who lays it all out there. That’s not me. Until I really know someone, not much gets out. It’s just the way I’m built.” “Okay,” I say, waiting. If nothing else, I understand what it’s like to have a part of your personality that’s not easy to change. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings,”… Read more »
$25 GIVEAWAY and EXCERPT: Dead New World by Ryan Hill
“Everyone save a bullet for yourselves.” Ambrose handed Ollie his pistol, giving him two to use. I pulled my own handgun out. Despite the presence of the Reverend, or because of it, the zombies continued their pursuit. They were almost within fifty feet of what remained of our squad, and Ambrose was the only one still shooting. “Ollie, build us a fire,” Ambrose said over his gunshots. Ollie dove into his backpack and pulled out a firewall. He tore the plastic tube open and removed several feet of a putty-like substance. Stretching it out with his hands, he made a circle around us. He lit a match and tossed it at the firewall, igniting it. The putty burst into a five-foot high flame that surrounded us. Zombies hated fire. They wouldn’t come anywhere near it. The firewall slowed the dead meat down, and we unloaded the rest of our ammunition… Read more »
$25 GIVEAWAY and EXCERPT: For the Love of Death by Tamara Rose Blodgett
EXCERPT “Hello?” Gramps voice bellows into the phone like falling gravel. “Hey Gramps, it’s Caleb.” “I know who it is. I’ve got caller ID as part of my bundle, ya know.” Caller ID. The most archaic thing on the planet. Jade’s lips quirk, easily making out his side of the conversation. “He needs another ear replacement,” she says quietly. I nod, putting a finger to my lips. “Right. Listen, Gramps… Deegan and Paxton are MIA. Ya know where they are?” Jade and I stopped at two kids. Felt like ten. There wasn’t enough protection in the world for our kids as Randoms. We still worry. The open line buzzes. “Both the kids were here. Pax and I changed the oil out on the Camaro…” Good, Pax needs that connection. “There was a little incident with Deedie.” Jade covers her mouth with a hand, eyes wide. I wrap her forearm with… Read more »
COVER MADNESS GIVEAWAY HOP: Surprise Prize you won’t want to miss!
Your prize, should you win, will include the signed copy of TSOT plus any one of the books below. If you are INT the book will be sent via The Book Depository if available. Otherwise they will all be sent from Amazon. If you entered early, enter again. The RC was broken. a Rafflecopter giveaway REMEMBER – YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN a different prize in each participating hop blog, so click all the links to go to those giveaways! About Katja Millay Katja Millay grew up in Florida and graduated with a degree in film & television production from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She has worked as a television producer and a film studies and screenwriting teacher. The Sea of Tranquility is her first book. Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads
GIVEAWAY and EXCERPT: State of Pursuit by Summer Lane
EXCERPT Here’s the thing that nobody tells you about being in love: It’s hard. Anything good in life takes work, and lately, a lot of blood, sweat and tears. My relationship with Chris Young has always been defined not just by mutual attraction, but by the fact that we were brought together in the middle of a post-apocalyptic warzone. Flowers and dinner dates? Never had those. Firefights and battle fatigue? That’s more like it. Wartime hardship has always been the dominating factor in our romance. It’s what brought us together, it’s what’s kept us together, and now…it’s what has torn us apart. Being separated from Chris is more difficult for me than being separated from my father. Because through everything, Chris has been the one that has kept my feet on the ground. He’s been the one to protect me, train me, and teach me how to survive. The fact… Read more »
KINDLE GIVEAWAY and REVIEW: Peaceful Genocide by JA Reynolds
Peaceful Genocide is a young adult dystopian-ish SF story that centers around two central teenage characters. Mitzi and Deuce. Mitzi is as damaged as they come, while Deuce is as normal and well-adjusted as a teen can possibly be. While Mitzi has been abused by pretty much everyone she ever trusted, Deuce has lived a life dictated by football. He’s a team player. Mitzi… is not. Deuce is practical… Mitzi is paranoid. Deuce is calm… Mitzi is emotional, relational, and angry. Deuce is open to working with people, sees the bright side, and genuinely tries his best to be the strongest link in the chain at all times. Mitzi… not so much. So Mitzi and Deuce, along with two other characters, Paisley and Ralph, both of whom are much younger than our hero and heroine, find themselves in a top tier, but secluded, research facility where they say tests are… Read more »
$10 GIVEAWAY and EXCERPT: RecruitZ by Karice Bolton
“One-Mississippi-two…” Gavin’s words wrapped around me. I prayed silently to the same God I’d prayed to many nights before. He listened then and I hoped he’d listen now. I grabbed two knives that were in the kit and flipped the blades open, locking them in place. The anodized orange handles were larger than the actual blades. Not comforting. I handed one to Gavin. “There’s still a Louisville Slugger on the floor behind us,” Gavin said. His brown hair was cut short. That was one of the first things he did after we were vaccinated. A haircut and a shave to celebrate our survival. He still looked young but not as young as we both did before the outbreak. I slid toward the center console, crawling as far from the passenger window as I could get. Gavin’s breathing was heavy, and I felt the heat rolling off him as he continued… Read more »
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