Imitation

Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand

ISBN: 1482761289 

Pages: 272
Source: Mark My Words Publicity

Appearance: 

Summary:

Everyone is exactly like me. 
There is no one like me. 
The rough fabric of my cotton nightgown chafes so I lie very still. They say my discomfort comes from being built like one accustomed to niceties. How is that fair when I myself have never experienced anything but copies of the real thing? 
My entire life is an imitation. 
I am an Imitation. 
I’ve been here five years. Training. Preparing. Waiting.
And now I have a letter.
My assignment has begun. 
I am a prisoner.
I am not Raven Rogen.
I am here to die.

Hey guys! Welcome to the last review for the month of July!! I received this amazing mind blowing novel that completely blew my expectations away. A copy was provided by Mark My Words Publicity but the opinion below is completely mine :)

Ven is an Imitation, created and bred to one day take the place of her Authentic should her Authentic ever be in danger. She knows what she has been bred to do, but when her note actually comes, she is not prepared for the world that is outside Twig City. Once she steps outside the City, she finds herself wrapped up in a whirlwind of political drama. Her Authentic's name is Raven Rogen and her life is being threatened. Ven's job is to convince those threatening that she is Raven and she must quell the rebellion that Raven herself helped to create. If she succeeds all is well, if she fails, everyone she cares about will die.

I repeat again, this book completely blew my expectations. I'm pretty picky when it comes to science fiction/dystopia books so I didn't have super high expectations. BUT when I started reading I was just completely sucked into this whirlwind of events and characters and everything and I fell in love with the story. 

Ven is such a thought provoking character and honestly she was amazing. For an Imitation, Ven struggles with the concept of whether she is human or if she literally is just a scientific project. Does being human equate to having specific physical traits or emotion and intellect? Also, from creation Ven was taught that she is product and yet she feels more complex than just a product which brings her to believe that being human is more than what she originally thought. Her emotions made her someone really easy to connect to and as she discovers the answers to her questions, we are also enlightened and it definitely changes our perspectives on things.

The rest of the characters are really wonderfully created. Titus is such a complex character that just evokes a lot of confusion. Is he genuinely a nice father who loves his daughter and doesn't want to risk her life, thus hiding her and bringing out a decoy? Or is he something more twisted? You also start comparing Authentic with Imitation. Raven versus Ven. To be honest, I liked them both. Raven was a bit on the social elitist scale but she has this passion in her that you can't ignore. And Ven, like I said before, makes you question humanity and life and just makes you think on a deeper level. Linc was definitely swoon-worthy and his personality really matches with Ven's. The romance in the story receives a definite thumbs up! 

Overall, I definitely recommend this book. It was such an engaging and fun read and I definitely plan on picking up the second book. Imitation ends on a bit abruptly which made me sad but it sets up a perfect stage for book two. :)

4 out of 5 stars

 

Foreverly Obsessed,

TOUR STOP: Wings of Arian + Wings of Tavea

Wings of Arian by Devri Walls
ISBN: 1938426525 
Pages: 462
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Appearance:

CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON!! 

Summary: 

Kiora thought she had never heard a lie until she was sixteen. But she was wrong. Her entire existence was based on nothing but. She thought that evil did not exist. Lie. That magic was not real. Lie. And that the land of Meros was all there was. One more lie.
With Aleric telling her that evil is knocking on the door and that she is the only one who can stop them she has a choice to make. Refuse, or start the wildest most painful ride of her life. 
She reluctantly dips her toe into her new existence of magic and threads, dragons and shapeshifters, and the person who wants to take control of it all: the evil Dralazar. 
However, this journey was never meant to be hers alone. She will be accompanied by a Protector. To her disbelief, and utter irritation they name the hotheaded, stubborn, non -magical, (albeit gorgeous) Prince Emane. They will have to trust each other with their lives, but right now Kiora would settle for a non hostile conversation. 
And now it comes down to this, If you had never heard a lie, would you know when you heard one? Is knowing good from evil innate? Kiora finds herself having to decide who lives and who dies on those very questions.

Wings of Tavea by Devri Walls
ASIN: B00AMS2AB2
Pages: 450
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Appearance:

Summary:

Kiora is rapidly learning that evil and lies come in shades of black and white and swirling greys, but nothing could have prepared her for the shock of leaving Meros.
Kiora and her protector Emane step through the pass into a world they never knew existed but were always meant to save, only to find it far worse than they could have ever imagined. Good has been forced into hiding for its own survival, while the rest of the land bows to the Shadow, a force that pushes any remaining thoughts of Dralazar from Kiora’s mind. This land is full of new creatures, each more dangerous than the last. Her visions have taken on a deadly twist, and magic, or what comes of it, was never so real. And then there is Alcander: a Tavean, their guide, and an entirely different kind of trouble.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my tour stop for the Solus Series tour! Today I have reviews for the first two books in the series: Wings of Arian and Wings of Tavea. As always, the tour schedule is linked above with the banner so please check it out!

Wings of Arian

The first book in the series introduces us to Kiora who has been chosen as the Solus, her people's savior from the evil Dralazar. Chosen for her pure heart and her abhorrence for all things evil, she is the light that is destined to battle the darkness. Beside her is Emane, her Protector of royal blood. Wings of Arian has everything a good fantasy novel has. It has prophecies, dragons, magic, a dark evil, and a savior. I was super excited to read this because I've been on a huge fantasy kick lately and this seemed right up my alley. Devri Walls creates a beautiful world with her descriptive writing that brings Kiora's world to life right before your eyes. My one problem with the book was probably Kiora. I liked her as the MC but she felt really naive at times and almost like a little kid. I get that if you master a difficult spell you get really excited and jump around. Anyone would, but she just has this air of innocence throughout the book that after a while it makes her feel really flat and a bit annoying. I understand that she is pure of heart, but to see something evil in front of you and literally collapse because you can't bear to watch it is (honestly) not something a hero who is going to battle the world's greatest evil should be doing. As for the romance, thank the heavens for no insta-love. Emane and Kiora has a really fun relationship where they just bickered back and forth for ages and it was really entertaining. Once they got over their differences, it was really nice to see them get to know each other a bit more before the feelings started rising. And Arturo, can I please have a sarcastic Pegasus because he is amazing. All in all, it was really well written for a debut fantasy novel and it definitely pulls you to continue with the series.

Wings of Tavea

This series just gets more interesting and entertaining as it goes on. I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the characters grow as well as the addition of new characters whom I love. My one little annoyance was sadly Emane and Kiora. They had such a delicate relationship in the first book but in the second they just came as really whiny. I get it, what they're going through is pretty stressful, but again Kiora has waaaay too many nervous breakdowns in like the span of a book. Keep it together girl! Their characters were annoying but I still love them. The addition of new characters was definitely my favorite. I love Drustan and Alcander and with them comes the emergence of a love triangle. Drustan is awesome, he can transform into a dragon at will which in itself is pretty damn cool. Plus when Emane and Kiora are having their breakdowns he keep everything together. Honestly, if he didn't exist, they would have done for a long time ago. Alcander is my new crush. Sorry Emane, he wins. I don't know if I want him with Kiora because I still feel like she is a better match with Emane, but we'll see how things go in the third book. But if she doesn't want him, can I? Overall a really great sequel and a really interesting segue into the third book. :) 

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wings of Arian:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Wings of Tavea:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Everlast Series: Books 1, 2 & 2.5

Destiny's Gift by Juliana Haygert

ISBN: 1481960121
Pages: 269

Source: Xpresso Book Tours

Appearance: 

Summary: 

Thirty years in the future, a sinister New York City exists in permanent darkness. 
A student at the secured NYU, nineteen-year-old Nadine has visions of Victor Gianni, an imaginary guy she has real feelings for. Afraid of being truly insane, she explains the visions away as simple daydreams, but she can no longer deny them when she bumps into Victor in real life. But this Victor doesn’t know her, and turns her away. After the encounter, Nadine’s visions change to those of eerie fates, gods she’s never heard of, demons with sharp claws they are not too timid to use … and instructions.
To discover if she’s losing her mind, Nadine follows the vague directions—with the real, rude and reluctant Victor—leading to a man who knows it all: Nadine can restore an ancient creed by unveiling the clues on her visions, and bring sunlight and peace to the world again. But that’s only if the demons and the other evil forces behind the darkness don’t stop her first.

Soul Oath (Book 2)

ISBN: 1492897418

Pages: 334

Appearance: 

Summary:

It’s been three months since Nadine last heard from Victor, Micah or Ceris, allowing her to concentrate on her own life. But until Victor and Micah find the scepters that will restore them as true gods, their human bodies will require her healing touch and it’s only a matter of time until they wreak havoc on her life again. 
As if to prove that, Victor shows up at the hospital dragging along with him a swarm of demons. Nadine is forced to flee to safety. Despite her attempts to keep her loved ones protected, the demons find her, and they bring her to Imha, the goddess of Chaos.
Now, confronted by her greatest fear, Nadine finds a new motivation. Vengeance. And when seeking revenge, no risk is too great, including her own life.

Cup of Life (2.5)

ISBN: B00HSQFWCA
Pages: 62
Appearance: 

Summary:

His existence would mean nothing without her.
**Novella between book #2 and #3, told on Micah's POV**

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another series review!! Today I have the wonderful opportunity to review the first two books in the Everlast series as well as a novella from Micah's POV. Thanks so much to Xpresso Book Tours for providing a copy for review! Everything below is completely my opinion! :)

In regards to how the series started, the first half of the Destiny's Gift was really hard to get through. I personally could not connect with any of the characters despite the fact that I really loved the world that the story took place in. The second half on the other hand was full of suspense and action and definitely sucked me in. As for the characters...Nadine is such a naive person it kind of drives me insane. She has pretty awesome gifts but her naiveness was just really hard to look over. Then we have Victor. Victor from visions was all sweet and lovely, but real life Victor did nothing but get on my nerves. I wish we could have had more time with Vision Victor but I understand why it jumped suddenly to real life Victor. Got to keep the story moving! Then we have Micah. I'm on his team for this love triangle. He's got the accent, he's super sweet, and he made the story 100x more fun and interesting. Definitely wish we could have had more of him in the first book. Anyway, like I said, the world building is pretty good for the first book in a series. There's this air of hopelessness as NYC is now a post apocalyptic place with human sized bats and plauges and destruction. It's pretty cool. :)  

Soul Oath is probably my favorite out of the two full novels. There was just so much character development it took me a while to actually accept that who I was reading about were the same people as Destiny's Gift. Nadine goes from this naive albeit weak character to someone who is super kickbutt, fierce, and warrior life. She's learning how to fight with a sword, throw punches, and become a fighter. In Soul Oath I definitely connected more with her and so much to the point that I actually felt her emotions resonate through me. When she cried, my eyes welled up and a couple tears might even have trickled down my face. Maybe. Her character development in this book was absolutely amazing and applaudable. Victor also underwent some serious changes. He is now the leader of their little "gang" and with the world on his shoulders and his heart still stinging with betrayal, you really start to feel for him. While I had as little emotional connection to him in the first book, my heart definitely went out to him here. As for Micah, stay golden. He is still my favorite and makes my heart skip a beat. We get a little more Micah/Nadine action in this book which I definitely enjoyed. 

And last but not least, Cup of Life. This book was perfect. It gave us a little bit more of the story from the beautiful and gorgeous Micah's point of view. We get to see how dedicated and loyal he is to her and oh my gawds, cue the awws. I have nothing much to say about this book other than go read it and fangirl. Oh and make sure you have a pillow because you are definitely going to want to hug and squeeze something. 

So that's it! The Everlast series had somewhat of a slow start for me but it quickly sped up and I found myself super attached to the characters by the end. Definitely recommend, the first book might not be the best but it definitely gets better! Oh, here are some promo pics I found on Goodreads: 

↑ (screams) 

Destiny's Child

3 out of 5 stars

Soul Oath

4 out of 5 stars

 

Cup of Life

3.5 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Every Ugly Word

Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

ISBN: 9781254738590

Pages: 

Source: Mark My Words Publicity

Appearance: 

Summary:

When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.
Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.

Hey everyone! Ahh, I keep taking long breaks from the blog and I'm so sorry!! August is going to be a busy tour month so I'm definitely going to stepping up my game when that comes along. Anyway, enough of the apologies, let's get into the review!! 

(This book was provided by Mark My Words Publicity for review, but the opinion is completely mine.)

Can I say how much this book affected me? Every Ugly Word focuses on the aftermath of bullying and not the little bullying that everyone endures sometime in their life, but the real deal, where you are literally alone and pretty much everyone is against you. Where passive bystanders don't really exist because everyone just wants to see you suffer. That's a bit extreme, but essentially that's what is going on. Ashley is pretty much bullied to the point where if she did commit suicide, nobody would feel bad, nobody would miss her. That thought alone just rocked me to the core because it reveals how cruel society can be and how meaningless some people view the lives of others.

So, Ashley is bullied. Her only saving graces are art, Matt, and her older self who she can see in the mirror. Art allows her to release her anger at the world through her pictures. Matt makes her feel loved, even though he's dating one of the evilest people alive. Her older self urges her to keep going because if she survived the torments back then, Ashley can survive it now. I have to admit, the concept of the "Older Self" confused me at first but everything starts to make sense at the end. In the end, it is actually really cool how the author managed to put everything together. Older Her is sort of cursed to watch a new and younger version of herself live out the torture she had to endure and not be able to change the outcomes of her younger self's actions. 

For the romance, I have to say I was really annoyed at both love interests. Dex is a flat out douchebag, there I said it, and I don't even feel bad about it. He is horrible and evil and should just go away. Matt on the otherhand was sweet at times but so incredibly naive to the point where you want to chuck something at him. Something hard and that will hurt when it hits him. And then there's older Matt who I don't know how I feel. I hate him for doubting older Ashley, but at the end I still felt bad for him. But younger Matt is just so aggravating! He only saw his evil demon spawned girlfriend's outward beauty that he completely ignored the pleas for help that came from Ashley. Just... 

The ending completely blew me away. It was fantastic and amazing. It led to so much hope for the future and while my heart still aches from the loss of a character, I'm really proud of Ashley for surviving her tormentors and proving to them that she is better and stronger. Matt, okay, he definitely redeemed himself in the end. All in all, perfect conclusion. 

If it isn't already evident, please go pick this up! It is a bit on the heavy side so if you're not into that you might to steer clear. But if you're ready for all the heavy baggage that comes with bullying, definitely pick this up because it's just amazing.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,