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Showing posts with label Joss Stirling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joss Stirling. Show all posts

Friday, 12 August 2016

{Review} Summer Shadows (Benedict's #6) by Joss Stirling

28078289Posted by Donna
Release Date: July 7th, 2016
Finished Date: 11th August 2016
Publishers: Oxford University Press
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 266
Buy: Amazon UK Amazon US / The Book Depo 
 
Summer lives under a terrible shadow. It drains her, manipulates her and threatens to steal her future.

A high-stakes mission offers a temporary escape. She must use her mind-shadowing abilities to hunt down her target and find the truth.

Hal Robinson is a soldier. He does not get distracted. He wins. But what Hal wants begins to shift once he meets Summer.

They must learn to trust each other if they are going to protect the Savant community. But will their secrets allow them to find a happy ending of their own?

The Review: Summer Shadows is about Summer finding her Soulfinder and also about Victor Benedict finally finding his amongst the Savant community.

Summer’s life at home is not ideal, she has to hide secrets about her family to everyone she knows and it’s physically and emotionally draining, especially when her mother is literally draining her emotions – she’s the savant equitant of a Vampire and she’s dangerous to anyone who meets her. Because of this, Summer’s future of finding a Soulfinder is in jeopardy. But when she’s asked by the Benedict’s to help Victor find his Soulfinder, Summer jumps at the chance to help him and also they need her on board because her gift of telepathy means she’s one of the strongest people to help. While helping the Benedict’s in Afghanistan it’s there she meets Hal Robinson but will she be able to count on Hal like she needs him to?

I’ve been a huge fan of the Benedict series by Joss Stirling ever since the first book as released way back in 2010. I have to say now I’ve came to the end of their stories and the series, it’s a bit of a bittersweet moment. I’m happy but I’m also sad there will be no new books! But honestly, it’s been a great journey and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed following these lovable characters, discovering the savant community and reading about everyone’s journeys to find their loved ones – or in Savant terms their Soulfinder – and that also includes the newer savants that were added along the way.
As I’ve followed this series I’ve come to love each and every character and their journey’s and while I did love both Summer and Hal, I didn’t love their story as much as the others. I think it came down to the setting in Afghanistan and everything came with it, the war talk etc. But despite that I did really enjoy reading how Summer and Hal came together and finding out how when the two of them work together, they can take on the most difficult of tasks and that for inside and outside the Savant community.

I most enjoyed seeing where all the other characters were at and see what came next for them. I would have loved an epilogue – a really long one maybe set 15 years into the future. That would have been the icing on the cake to finish this series off. I’m hoping Joss will decide to write something like this in the future, hopefully!

In all, the Benedict series is definitely one to read if you’re a fan of YA paranormal romance and if you’re not, why not start here and see what you’re missing.

Thank you to OUP Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Thursday, 19 November 2015

{Review} Angel Dares (Benedicts #5) by Joss Stirling

24685472Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 1st, 2015
Finished Date: October 30th, 2015
Publishers: Oxford University Press
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 272
Buy: Amazon UK Amazon US / Book Depo 
 
Angel is impulsive. Disguising her savant ability to control water doesn't come easily to her. Then she meets the broodingly handsome Marcus at a music festival where they're both performing, and finds herself all at sea. For when he sings, her soul answers with its own music. Like the tide, their mutual attraction cannot be held back, but Marcus's mistrust of Angel's gift is even stronger. 

How can they ever be together if Marcus is unable to accept who Angel is or what they could mean to each other? And with the net closing in on the Savant community it's time for everyone to choose a side. 

A stunning new novel from the best-selling author of the Savants series: Finding Sky, Stealing Phoenix, Seeking Crystal and Misty Falls .

The Review: As soon as I finished Misty Falls I just knew that I had to start Angel Dares next because although Misty’s story was over, I was excited to see what would come next the Savant world and of course I wanted to get to Angel more and find out about her story. If I’m honest, I’m not really a massive fan of stories because based around music so I tried not to judge this book too much before reading and give it the benefit of the doubt and I’m surprised I enjoyed as much as I did. I think it definitely helps that the book is written by Joss Stirling though.

Like I said before, I really enjoyed reading Angel Dares. It's a great addition to the series and makes you more invested in these characters and their lives. Angel is such a fun character that you see all different sides to her personality during the story. She can be fun and honest at times but she can also be a little rash and by being so, leads her into trouble. But that's what makes this story so good. Angel is an unpredictable character so you just don't know what kind of trouble she's going to get into but you can guarantee, it'll be dangerous.

When Angel meets Marcus it's definitely a love-hate relationship but with a slight twist. Most of the other stories in the series have been about people that already know about the savant world because they're aware of their gifts. But what happens if someone doesn't know their a savant? And that's the case for Marcus. I really liked that Marcus didn't know anything about his gifts - it definitely put a strain on his and Angel's relationship but as a reader it was interesting to read. I also liked that Marcus' story brought new characters into the fold that weren't aware of their savant status. It makes me interested to know more about them! 

It's clear the savant world is becoming more and more dangerous but with every book I read, I can't help but wanting more. I'm eagerly awaiting details on Stirling's next book in the series and I can only hope she doesn't stop there either.

In all, Angel Dares is a daring and page-turning read and a story that you should definitely read! 

Thank you to Oxford University Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 
 

Monday, 16 November 2015

{Review} Misty Falls (Benedicts #4) by Joss Stirling

18857916Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 4th, 2014
Finished Date: October 24th, 2015
Publishers: Oxford University Press
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Buy: Amazon UK Amazon US / Book Depo 
 
Misty is a one-girl disaster zone. Born with a Savant 'gift' that means she can never tell a lie, her compulsive truth-telling gets her into trouble wherever she goes.

So when she meets Alex: gorgeous, confident, and impossibly charming, Misty instantly resolves to keep her distance . . . Someone so perfect could never be hers, surely?

But a dark shadow has fallen across the Savant community. A serial killer is stalking young people who have these special mental powers. 

Soon one of them will be taken to the edge of death . . . and beyond.

The Review: The Benedict series by Joss Stirling is one of my favourite YA paranormal series so I hate that it’s taken me this long to get to Misty Falls – it’s definitely the case of too many books, so little time. But I’m really glad I took the time to catch up with the series because it reminds me just why this is one of my favourite series. 

Misty Falls is about Misty, a teenage girl who has a Savant gift for truth-telling. She can never tell a lie and her gift can also extends to the people around her. So without complete control of her gift sometimes it gets a little out of control – which was see more than once in the story. And although it shouldn’t have been fun, at times it was fun to read because although we always encourage people to tell the truth, sometimes little white lies don’t hurt. I did feel sorry for Misty at times because you can see her struggles with her gift. It makes almost every day life hard for her so I definitely felt bad for her. 

I loved when Misty meets Alex because she doesn’t immediately recognise him as her soulfinder. And if you’re wondering what a soulfinder is it’s the other half a savant. Almost like soulmates but more intensive and with special gifts involved too. The two characters almost seem at war with one another and neither can understand why. I love the added suspense to the story and how it’s not an immediate connection. Alex though is a little hard to love at times though. Just because he is so guarded but that’s down to his troubled past which once we discover, I’m guessing anyone could see why he is the way he is. 

Uriel Benedict’s story is also an added bonus. I love the Benedict family and I was sad to see they would only be secondary characters in the next three books but Stirling did a good job with making them a big part of the story still so the readers don’t feel like we’re missing out on too much with them.

Misty Falls isn’t just about the two people finding each other it’s also about the troubles that come with being a savant. And in this case it’s about humans trying to expose the savants but by twisting what their really about and trying to claim they are the bad people. It added to the danger and excitement of the story and also brings new twists to the savant world. 

So if you’re looking for a new YA paranormal series to read then I’d highly recommend this series. And although each book could be read as a stand-alone, I’d highly recommend you start with book one – Finding Sky because why wouldn’t you want to start right at the beginning to see where it all began?

Thank you to Oxford University Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 
 

Friday, 30 November 2012

UK Appreciation Month; Joss Stirling - Author Interview and International Giveaway

 
To finish off our UK Apprection Month, we have Joss Stirling here today who answers some of our question, and don't forget to check out the international giveaway too.  Thank you for following this month and we hope you enjoyed it! 

Joss Stirling1) Please tell us a little bit about yourself?
The ordinary stuff is that I am married with three children and live in Oxford (which I love) but that misses out what makes me tick, doesn’t it?  So here’s another approach: if I were a stick of old fashioned seaside rock, I’d have ‘storyteller’ running down my centre.
2) At what age did you write your first book?
I did write a book called The Tapestry Room when I was nine or ten (complete with author illustrated front cover and pictures inside).  I still have it somewhere.  It was a fantasy story where the characters went through a tapestry but every time you went in the room the picture was a little different or new details had been added.
3) What was your inspiration for writing your book Finding Sky?
I’ve mentioned my daughter – she was a big part of the reason why I wrote it.  I was also inspired by a trip we made as a family to Colorado and Las Vegas.  We went on the white water rafting trip that features in the book.  In my story, Sky ends up overboard; the real outing saw my husband help pull somebody else from another raft out of the river.
 
4) Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
An interesting question and I’m not sure how to answer it.  As it is a first person narrative, Sky lived in my mind telling me these things about her, so everything was under the skin, so to speak.  I do have some favourite moments, as when she rejects Zed. I don’t like books where the falling in love happens with the heroine seemingly losing her capacity to think and question.
 
5) How can our followers connect with you?
I love hearing from readers on my website www.jossstirling.co.uk . I also have a page on Facebook.
UK related Questions:
 
1) Where is your favourite place?
Iona – an island off the west coast of mainland Scotland.  It has a special feeling to it – a long history of Celtic spirituality. The light seems to have a different quality there, picking out the colours of the landscape with the eye of an impressionist painter.
 
2) What is your favourite thing about living here?
I love England, particularly my little bit of it in Oxford.  I like the sense of history, community and beautiful countryside and buildings.  I’ve travelled a lot and lived abroad; it is true what they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.  Walking in Tanzania I remember thinking the red earth rejected my feet – I was an alien there; in my city, I walk softly and completely at home.
 
3) Is there one place you would like to visit, that you haven’t yet?
I’ve never visited the very north of Scotland so that would be my goal.
 
4) Do you have a favourite British band?
I’m playing Coldplay at the moment.  I really liked what they did at the closing ceremony for the Paralympics so have been listening to them since.
5) Do you have a favourite British movie?
Billy Elliot – a fantastic film and the acting is so moving.  Jamie Bell is incredible.
 
6) Do you have a favourite British actor/actress?
Other than Jamie Bell?  James McAvoy is very watchable but we have such a depth of talent it is hard to choose.  Alan Rickman is another favourite.  Oh and Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Judi Dench…
 
7) When you think of Britain, what is the first thing you think of?
Shakespeare
 
8) Which place in Britain would you most like to live other than where they do live?
Somerset
 
9) What's your favourite British saying?
Response to international/person crisis – ‘Right, I’ll just go and put the kettle on.’

Finding Sky (Benedict, #1)Finding Sky 

When Sky catches a glimpse of Zed for the first time, lounging against his motorbike at school, she is drawn to him just like every other girl in Wickenridge. But Zed sees something special in her that the other girls don’t have. Zed tells her they are both Savants – people with special powers like telepathy and the ability to see into the future. Not only that, she is a Savant too, and his soulfinder – meant to be together.

When a soulfinder speaks telepathically to her partner, it’s like all the lights coming on in a building. You lit me up like Vegas. But for Sky it’s just not that easy – she’s a mystery to herself, haunted by nightmares from her past before she was adopted, and riddled with doubt and insecurity. Just when Sky is slowly coming round to the idea of being with Zed she is kidnapped by a family of criminal Savants. In a chilling twist, Sky and Zed’s relationship is put to the ultimate test and the fate of those she loves lie in Sky’s hands. Will Sky have the strength to embrace her power and be brave enough to control her own destiny, or will the dark demons of her past prevent her from realising her true potential?

How would you like to win a copy of  any of Joss Stirling's books? You can choose between, Finding Sky, Stealing Phoenix or Seeking Crystal
- Just comment below with your email address and which book you would like.
- INTERNATIONAL!
- Ends 24th December
Author Bio: 
Joss Stirling is the author of Finding Sky, Stealing Phoenix and Seeking Crystal, the first books about the Benedict brothers, a family with extraordinary gifts. The stories combine her love for romance, mystery and travel - oh, yes and some seriously attractive heroes. She lives in Oxford, UK, is married with three children. You can find out more and speak to Joss at www.jossstirling.co.uk.
FOLLOWERS:  
Don't forget to stop by Misty's blog today to see Julie Belfield's post with a Giveaway.
Click on the button below.

Tuesday, 11 September 2012

A Review for Seeking Crystal (Benedict #3) by Joss Stirling

Seeking Crystal (Benedict, #3)Posted by Donna
Expected Release Date: October 16th, 2012
Finished Date: April 22nd, 2012
Publishers: Oxford Publishing 
Source: ARC For Review
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 288
Buy : Amazon UK / The Book Depo

Sparks will fly . . . Passion will ignite . . .

Crystal Brook has always been the dud Savant in her family; paranormal powers just aren't her thing. Dropping out of school with a clutch of 'E' grades and no future, she lives in the shadow of her high-flying sister Diamond. On a trip to Denver, a chance encounter with the dashing Benedict brothers leaves Diamond head over heels in love and engaged to be married. Crystal, on the other hand, is unimpressed by their charms . . . in fact no boy can annoy her as much as Xav Benedict! Back in Venice, their families assemble for Diamond's wedding and a powerful enemy seizes the opportunity to attack. Crystal and Xav must join forces to save their loved-ones, unlocking a secret that, until now, has lain deeply buried . . .

The Review: Seeking Crystal is book three in the Benedict series and author Joss Stirling is still going strong. This is one of my favourite series - ever, and they just get better and better with each book. 

This time around we see Crystal Brooks - who has always been apart of the Savant world, however she feels more disconnected then everyone towards her gift. It hardly works and it makes her feel sick. So when her sister, Diamond finds her soul finder in Tracy Benedict, Crystal has no choice but to meet the rest of his family, including Xav Benedict  who as you can guess, becomes her soul finder but there are some unexpected twists along the way. While planning for Diamond's wedding the Brooks and Benedicts come together but it's not long before trouble coming looking for the Benedicts and now, Crystal and Xav must join together to saved their families. 

I loved it, just loved it! I don't think I could ever be disappointed with Joss Stirling's work because there's so much love and magic that goes into her stories, which makes them become beautiful reads, and Seeking Crystal is nothing short of amazing. What I enjoyed about this story so much was not only did we get to see one brother find his soul finder but we found two. So this time around, we get two for the price of one. 

I've always been a massive fan of Xav's so, I was thrilled this book was about him. I adore his personality, he's very funny and he does love himself just a little bit but he's admiral, caring and honest. We've always seen him as the player out of the all the other brothers, so it was great to see him find the one for him. Now Crystal, I liked her, I really did but she was very stubborn. Not that that made me dislike her in any way but because she's stubborn, she makes rash decisions that cloud her mind. I love her and Xav's relationship because it was so different from the other brothers. I won't tell you any more because I don't want to spoil it for you but be prepared to be shocked. And Crystal comes with many secrets...especially one secret that she doesn't even know herself and let me tell you, what a game changer it is. I can not wait to see where Joss takes this, it really was a mind-blowing game changer. 

Seeking Crystal is definitely one of my favourites out of the series. It's adventuress, engaging and very captivating - one full of hope, love and hidden secrets and I loved every single minute of it. I can not wait for book four in the series and I'm dying to find out who it will feature this time.  

A big thank you to Oxford Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book. 

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Blog Tour Author Interview: Joss Stirling


As apart of her Stealing Phoenix UK Blog Tour, we have the lovely Joss Stirling on our blog today.....Welcome Joss! Thanks for joining us! 
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1) When and why did you write your first book?
I think it might have been a story called ‘The Tapestry Room’ which I wrote when I was about ten. I came across it the other day and was impressed by the dust jacket and illustrations I must have spent hours devising. The story takes the characters through a magic tapestry that changes with the developing plot – no doubt I was in my C.S. Lewis phase because that sounds suspiciously like the wardrobe.  Mind you, imitation is the highest form of flattery and a good way to learn.

2) What inspired you to write the Savant Series?
Partly it was a search for something different.  My daughter was reading the usual suspects in the Dark Romance genre involving vampires and werewolves and I wanted to give her something that would appeal to that taste but without repeating what has gone before.  I also like the idea that we might possess some kind of magic, which I suppose is just another name for a savant power without conjuring up wands and spells.  Many people throughout history appear to have possessed something extra – foresight or intuition – savant powers build on those stories.  I then thought ‘Wouldn’t it be so amazing to have some secret ability that sets you apart in an everyday school setting?’ Follow that thought and then you realize that it could also corrupt and present all sorts of issues to the chosen few.

3) How did you go about picking names for your characters?
With the Benedicts it worked backwards from Zed, which is why I ended up giving myself the challenge of finding names for tricky letters like X and Y.  I used to work for Oxfam and, during that time, I came across a fantastic photographer called Zed Nelson.  He struck me not only as very skilled but also blessed with a very cool name so I logged it in my memory and then used it, split like an atom, for two of my characters in Finding Sky.  I had already decided Zed was the seventh child of a seventh child and thought that a family like that would probably help themselves remember multiple offspring with an alphabetical pattern.

4) Who is your favourite character?
I genuinely don’t have a favourite because when I ‘inhabit’ the mind of one of them, I am them in a sense and fall in love with their guy as they do.  At the moment, Yves is strong in my mind, but it doesn’t take much to turn me back into a Zed fan.  I like my girls too as they are all from difficult backgrounds and I enjoy the way they blossom when they meet their soulfinder.

5) Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?
I am just beginning the process of thinking about Xav’s story.  Oxford has said they want it so I am preparing characters in my head. While they go about the formalities of the contract.  I have a working title but I’ll keep that close to my chest just for the moment. As some of you might know I also write under other names. For younger readers (and readers who are young at heart) I am beginning a new fantasy series next October 2012 called Dark Spies as Julia Golding.  And if you like historical romance, you might like to check out my Eve Edwards books (there are more of these in the pipeline too).  I can promise you a whole new line up of hot boys, albeit wearing doublet and hose!
<
Awesome answers Joss. Thanks again for joining us. 
And guys, don't forget to check out the stop on the tour: Narratively Speaking 

Sunday, 4 September 2011

A Review for Stealing Phoenix (Finding Sky #2) by Joss Stirling

Posted by Donna
Published Date: September 1st, 2011
Finished Date: August 19th, 2011
Publishers: Oxford Publishings
Source: ARC, for review.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
<
The Blurb from Goodreads: Yves' story. This is about getting you out...I'm stealing you. Phoenix belongs to the Community - a gang of thieves with paranormal powers. Yves Benedict - an American student visiting London - is her mark. But Yves turns out to be more than just a target. He is her destiny. Her soulmate. But the Community owns Phoenix's past and it wants her future too


The Review:
<
"Who would think my soulfinder would turn out to be a thief?" I went very still. Soulfinder? He had to be joking. That was a fairytale.

British author Joss Stirling completely blew me away with her first novel ‘Finding Sky’ and yes; she’s done it again with ‘Stealing Phoenix’. This series is definitely fast becoming one of my favourites.

This time around we see the life of another brother Yves Benedict. Yves is a savant, someone with special gifts and also an American student visiting London. While on his trip to London, unknown to him he’s being targeted by a young girl named Phoenix who has her own gifts. When Phoenix gets told by her community to make Yves her next mark, she soon runs into trouble when Yves quickly realises she’s using Savant powers and not only that, but she’s his soulfinder. Soon their quickly swept up into a whirlwind and dangerous romance, when the head of Phoenix’s community tries to use Yves for his own games.

If you haven’t started this series then I recommend you start it! It’s absolutely amazing and everyone I speak to loves it just as much as me. Joss Stirling is such a talented writer with her imaginative storylines, exciting and fast paced plots which are thrilling and full of suspense. Any person who loves a good romance story…..then this is the book for you. It’s full of loving and touching scenes that is enough to make you fall in love with it.

Our characters this time around were amazing. Yves is another hot brother to drool over and even though Yves is supposed to be the geeky brother, because he’s so into computers, he was still very deeper character. I felt everything that Yves felt for Phoenix even though the story it’s told in Phoenix’s point of view. Now Phoenix, she’s technically a thief but she’s still a loveable character, one who is quiet sassy and vulnerable. I think Joss did a fantastic job portraying the rich and the poor during this story and it reflects really well on both characters.

I have to admit there was not one bad point about this book. I really loved that Zed & Sky made an appearance and loved that their relationship is as strong as ever. Honestly, everything was fantastic and I’m excited to see were Joss now takes the next story. I can only assume that it will be from Xav’s point of view? Well, I hope so because I love him. My fingers are crossed and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book.

Thank you to Oxford Publishing’s for giving me the opportunity to review this book and asking us to be a part of the UK blog tour. 


Don’t forget Joss Stirling will be hitting our blog on September 15th, 2011.
 
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