Review: Lightpoints by Peter Kassan

Lightpoints by Peter Kassan
Publisher: Melange Books
Publication date: March 24th, 2013
Number of pages: 210 pgs
Format: E-format
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

What if you suddenly discovered you had a sense-and powers-that almost no one else in the world did? When Amanda Lindner Nichols, a 24-year-old graphic artist living with her husband in Queens, New York, is revived from a near-death experience, she discovers she perceives everyone around her as points of light-but not with her eyes. She soon learns she can not only perceive the life energy of others, but she can give and take it. With the help of others like her, she brings her husband Chris to the brink of death and back to bestow on him the same remarkable faculty, and they're the happiest they've been. But not for long. All over the world, people who've been revived from their own near-death experience at just the right moment discover themselves with these same unusual powers. They find ways to use them-some for good and some for evil. When Amanda and Chris encounter a ruthless group of gangsters with the same faculty, tragedy follows-and Amanda faces the greatest challenge of her life.

I was given this to review by the author, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Peter.

This story starts off quick when we see Amanda Nichols being attacked at Grant Central Station. From that point on, when she survives, she discovers something has changed about her. She is not all the same person she was before the attack happened. She has inhierited some special abilities in which she is able to see people's essence's around her, aka light points.
It's a frightening experience for her, but she soon discovers she is not alone...

Amanda soon finds herself on a journey of self discovery in determining the things she can do, what does that mean for her marriage and her family if she is the only one who can do something like this.
This novels goes through all emotions and situations.  From death, horror, love, discovery of one's self, friendships and so much more.
This may be Peter Kassan's first published novel, but it was done in a way that can hook a reader to the story to the point of no return.
It may not be the most descriptive novel I have read, but it is as engaging as any other. The characters, the experiences they endure an the things Amanda has to experience throughout the story just manages to pull a reader into the world Peter has created here.

This novel is a rarity. It's a story you don't find around often, so when you do, you cherish it for what it is.
A great vision, characters, relationships and a plot to boot.  This is one unmissable book.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review: The Keepers by J.L Block

The Keepers  (The Keepers Trilogy, #1) by J.L Block
Publisher: J.L Block
Publication date: March 19th, 2013
Number of pages: 251
Format: E-format
Purchase: Amazon

Ava's ordinary life is shattered when she is attacked and becomes involved in a secret society of magic.

Alongside the Keepers, Ava needs to mediate as the magics collide and are becoming out of control. She must Keep the increasing amount of secrets safe - even from her family. But there's a rising tension within this group as Ava replaces a fallen Keeper, and it becomes an issue of trust. The Rogues, betrayers to this creed, threaten to devastate the Keepers, who think themselves safe.

It will take both Ava’s inner and outer strength to overcome the chaos, or as she now knows, the Visma and, by extension, the mysterious Rogues that surround her.

I'd like to thank the author for giving me this chance to review this book. I was given this free in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set in an New Adult setting, but also reads like YA, so it could be classified as both. The main character, Ava led a perfectly normal life for a while, but everything changes dramatically when she is attacked and finds herself involved in a new type of society.
She'll have to go through some trials and tribulations, but in the end, I found that she became a stronger person because of all she had been through and dealt with.
She goes from being average, to becoming this whole new person, and in a world she had no idea that even existed, but when she finds herself involved with the keepers, it opens up a whole new experience for her.

An action packed story with a touch of romance, this is a great story to get yourself into if you are looking for something a little bit different, and yet so familiar.


This is my first book by J.L Block, and she also happens to be Aussie like myself, so I was intrigued. The world she created, these characters and the world-building fasincated me. It was definitely a great start to this trilogy.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review: Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J Redwine

Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J Redwine
Publisher:  Balzar & Bray
Publication date: September 1st, 2012
Number of pages: 403 pgs
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository | Book World Australia

Rachel’s world is confined to the protective walls around her city. Beyond them are violent wanderers, extreme terrain, and a danger straight out of legend: a beast called the Cursed One that devastates everything in its path.

When Rachel’s father goes missing, she is desperate to search for him. But her attempts to flee the city bring her to the attention of its overbearing ruler. His efforts to control her make the world within the walls seem as dangerous as that outside.

Her only chance at escape is Logan. Once her father’s apprentice, and now her only protector, he feels that helping her might mean losing her completely. But if he can put his feelings aside, they might be able to save more than Rachel’s father. They might be able to break down the walls, and set their people free.

Defiance is the debut novel for break-out C.J Redwine. She successfully carves a delicious and enticing story about one girl's hopes to find her last living family. A story based on hope, despair, faith and love.
This is a book which surely you would put on your to-read list, right? *waits for nods all around.*

Rachel lives in Baalboden, one of the few places deemed livable, where everything else was cut off and called The Wasteland, where there is nothing but a monster lurking abouts devouring everything out there. Baalboden is a civilised community where Rachel's father works as a courier, not to mention being the best tracker out there, but when one day he does not return from a trip, Rachel starts to get worried.
The longer he is gone, the less people think he would have survived. Rachel is adamanent. She fully believes he still lives, even if the city now has deemed him legally dead, and her protectorship has been transferred from her father, to... the boy she wished she never could see again.

Meet Logan. The boy of Rachel's dreams and nightmares. The two share a complicated history that she doesn't want to think about for fear it will dread up all the embarassing thoughts from that time of her life, but when Logan suddenly becomes her protector aka guardian, she is forced to spend more time with him than she would have liked.
But that doesn't stop her from wanting to escape his clutches and go search for her father, but unbeknowest to Rachel, Logan also is planning on searching for him as well... when the time is right.

Rachel is really a strong and kickass character.  She is seventeen years of age, a few months from being deemed an adult and no longer need a protector if she so wishes, but until then she doesn't have much of a choice.
The fact she does not give up hope on finding her father and fully believes he is still alive out there, even though everyone else has written him off as being destroyed and killed out in the wastelands, she does not give up on hoping. I admired that about her. 
Logan is also an amazing strong character. He comes from a background he isn't proud of. He has had a hard life since his mother was taken away from him as a child, and had to live on the streets until Jared, Rachel's father took him in and gave him a job. I can imagine he felt like he was giving a second chance at life and didn't want to ruin that by doing anything that would put that in jeopardy. 

This story is written in both Rachel and Logan's POVs. It's interesting to see things from both of their perspective, as they deal with the same, and different things at the same time. You can understand where they are both coming from. They are alike and yet so different. They hope. They love and they fear, and not all in that order.

The relationship between these two was probably one of my favourite things about this book, if not the favourite thing. It was so real and honest. So hard and yet so heartbreaking. The love story these two have going on didn't just start. But it's from this point forward when it starts to progress into something that is worth fighting for.

If you are interested in a story about love, mystery, loyalty, family with kickass characters in a heartbreakingly dystopian world, then this is for you.

I look forward to August when the sequel comes out. I can't wait to see where Rachel and Logan's story goes to next.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

 

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: August 2nd, 2012
Number of pages: 404
Format: Paperback
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add to Goodreads

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

Let me first say --- how badass is the over, right? I mean, I like the US cover, but this one... shows who she really is, and I love it.
For months I had heard about this book and how amazing it was. From the glance off, it didn't seem to be something I'd like, but after pondering --- I caved. And I was so glad I did.
This book was great, more than I could have ever imagined it be. The characters were charming, strong-willed and interesting, the plot was captivating throughout the book, especially when the story really got moving, and of course we slowly have a small triangle that begins to form.
Triangles seem to be everywhere these days. Some books they work, and are done well, but others are horrible and everyone gets hurt one way or another.

Celaena had spent more time than she wished to remember in the mines of Endovier, but when she gets given the opportunity to get away from there, from that life. A chance at freedom --- she takes it. There is just one catch: She has to battle in a competition to win against many others. She has to be the champion. If she succeeds though, it could be the best reward she'd ever receive.
She is a character everyone should be able to admire. Coming from a horrible past, she'll do whatever she needs to survive. Most people would have given up, but not her. This one is a survivor.

We are also introduced  to two lovely love interests. It didn't cross my mind until I started to see moments, and that was where I thought.... "Could this turn into a love triangle?" and I hadn't read any reviews, so I had no idea this was a possibility. I should have known though, most YA books have triangles. I'm not sure why --- is it to create drama, entertainment for the readers? Or is it a way to create an obstacle for the main couple, so they don't get together too soon? Hmm.. I know I have my preference, and I think it could be learning the way I want.  I didn't mind the other love interest guy though. He was sweet, maybe a little..superficious, but kind nonetheless. Both guys have different things going for them, and we can only wait and see who Celaena chooses to be the one for her. 

Lets talk about the guys for a moment before I move on...
First we have the prince. He is the one who brought Celaena to be his champion for the competition. His relationship with her does change throughout the book. While he is expected to marry, he does find himself interested in Celaena more than one would like. He is more flirty and isn't afraid to show his feelings.
And then we have Chaol.. He is Captain of the Guard. He is meant to make sure Celaena does what she is told, and keep her in line. He is steel headed and very cold and very rarely will let any emotion show on his face. But as he begins to get to know his charge, you can see the cracks in his facade begins to peel away.

The plot of the story was very compelling and about half way through the book, I could not put this down. It was engaging to the very last page, especially as the action picked up quite swiftly. It is definitely a page turner. I yearned to see what was coming next for our beloved characters.
Sarah crafted a very in depth and addicting world, with characters to love and a journey to be discovered. I look forward to see what is next for Celaena, Dorian and Chaol.
I need also to check out the available novellas, so I can understand more about this world than I already know. 

Verdict: 4.5/5