{Review} The Phoenix Shadow (Arcadian Wars #2) by M.H. Soars

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: July 28th, 2015
Finished Date: July 28th, 2015

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: NA, Paranormal Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook
Pages: Unknown

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

When the walls of lies begin closing in, who do you trust?

There is nothing worse than failure, especially one that results in your school being attacked by a ruthless enemy. Still reeling from the aftermath of the previous night, Sam and her cousins must deal with another crisis: Alexia has run away.

To top it off, there are new players in town. The young Arcadians will be forced to work closely with the prestigious Nox Elite. But they will soon find out that nursing a bruised ego is nothing compared to fighting a faceless enemy, battling personal demons, and dealing with revelations that will forever change their lives.

*Note from the author: Due to strong language and mature content this book is recommended to readers 17+. This is a Paranormal Romance novel

The Review: The Phoenix Shadow is the second installment of the Arcadian Wars series and is packed full of answers…
In the last book we find that Alexia and Ethan are the ‘chosen ones’ but they aren’t really taking it very well; Alexia has ran away and her protectors/cousins are dealing with the aftermath. Whilst the answers everyone is hoping to find are more forthcoming, it only leads to more conflict within the group as relationships begin to break down and new comers put a spanner in the works. The Nox Elite are not only focussed on protecting the ‘chosen ones’ but also on finding the dealer and manufacturer of a deadly drug that is affecting the youth in town and also dealing with the possessed who are intent on harming not only other…but themselves.
So, I enjoyed this book and it was very easy to get back into. Although we have a prophecy with a pair of chosen – Alexia & Ethan – I was glad that this didn’t revolve solely around them because I was very into the other characters last time around and they share just as much of the story. Alexia and Ethan are struggling to come to terms with their status in the Arcadians prophecy, they haven’t taken the deception very well and then there is the whole siblings/non siblings strife that the deception brought to the table. Ethan wouldn’t even be helping if it wasn’t for Alexia and her views so they get on with it. I liked these two together in book one and like them together now, apart from needing to bond to release some pent up power they pretty much take a back seat for most of the story although they do share some very pivotal scenes. I liked seeing them work together and be able to be open with each other which gave them an air of maturity especially when they can put aside their grievances with the others over their secrets and lies to do what is right for the greater good.
Sam and Matthew were another stand out couple for me in book one and I was glad to see them get more of a starring role, Sam stole the show for me here and I really like her character. She has a really tough time of it in this book as Gary lets her in on her origins, she and Matthew go through turbulent times and her pull to Julian seems to be getting stronger plus her friend is barely talking to her and her sister is acting very strange for one of the Nox Elite and when you’re so in tune you can feel the others emotions….. not good.
The storyline is a very good progression but very reactional to what you find out in this book so I can’t really say much about what happens. For the most part there is a lot of relationship drama between everyone, and I don’t just mean bf/gf stuff – there is some pretty big disclosures that could affect many people. There is a lot of emphasis on the Arcadian protectors being given their memories back of a time that could be too traumatic for them and lends the question as to whether they should be given them back because it’s already affecting one of our characters. The enemy has plans afoot again and they are using possession as a tool but also drugs so the gang have to investigate that and find out where it’s coming from because it has ties to their race. Elsewhere, we get a little romance from Alexia & Ethan as they attempt to follow the prophecy, by bonding and making their connection stronger… will it work?
There are some great scenes throughout both emotional & physical. More than one character will have their life in the balance which knocks the whole group, as the secrets are unraveled a lot of emotions are raw and they all will need to build bridges with each other. The battles they have seem to be getting more frequent and more intense so let’s hope they continue to protect themselves and their charges. There’s a little twist that comes to light that brings up more questions about the prophecy and will someone please just tell me what the deal with Sam’s necklace is?

3.5 Stars!

Thank you to M.H. Soars for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

{Book Blitz + Giveaway} The Prophecy of Arcadia (Arcadian Wars #1) by M. H Soars

The Prophecy of Arcadia
(Arcadian Wars #1)
by M.H. Soars
Release Date: January 17th, 2014

Publishers:  Flyingsaucers 22 Publishing
Genre: YA Sci-fi, Paranormal, Romance 
Source: For Review

Pages: 430

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Being a teenager is tough, especially when you have to pretend to be something you’re not, and you’re in love with someone you shouldn’t. 115 years ago, a small planet called Arcadia was invaded by a vicious alien race and nearly destroyed. Cut off from their resources, the Arcadians turned to Earth for help. A group of Arcadian explorers discovered a Prophecy that claimed their salvation lay in the hands of two children from Earth. To ensure their safety, the Arcadian Council sent their most gifted youngsters to Earth to act as protectors. Samantha is one of them.

To succeed in her mission she must learn to control her Arcadian powers and keep her true identity from her best friend, and the girl she swore to protect, Alexia. But Samantha will soon realize that nothing is as it seems. Someone is trying to prevent the Prophecy from taking place and the prophecy boy hasn't been found yet. There is also a new drug circulating at school that is turning students into freakishly strong menaces.

To make matters worse, distractions keep getting in her way. Such as her love/hate relationship with her “cousin” Matthew. Or her confused feelings toward popular and mysterious Julian. She wants nothing more than to be free to live her life. But the survival of Arcadia depends on her and her friends. Free will is not an option.

*Note from the author: Due to strong language and mature content this book is recommend to readers 17+. This is a Sci-Fi/Paranormal Romance novel.

Excerpt from The Prophecy of Arcadia 

The conversation with Alexia had made me edgy. I walked toward the middle of the room, getting closer to Sam so I could have a clear look at her face. Even though I could tell she was trying to be stoic, I wanted to see if there was any sign that she still cared.

She closed the book she was pretending to read and sat up on her bed, looking at me like I was a nuisance. “You know I don’t want to talk to you. Why do you insist?”

She stood up suddenly, throwing her book on the bed with such force that it bounced and landed on the floor. My gaze followed the book’s trajectory and stayed on it for a few seconds as I tried to control my rampant emotions. Sam’s question hurt, and it subdued my anger a little. I took a deep breath and found her face again.

“Do you even have to ask? How many times do I have to say I’m sorry for what I did to you seven years ago?” My voice came out strained. I was sure she had noticed, but her angry posture didn’t change.

“Just tell me what really happened then. Just tell me, Matt.” She used my nickname — something she only did when she forgot she was supposed to be mad at me. Her voice had a pleading tone to it now, and it gave me hope. I looked into her eyes and saw all the hurt there. I wanted to tell her, I truly did, but I just didn’t know what to tell her.

“Sam,” I said as I carefully approached her. She gasped as I placed my hands on her arms. I looked deep into her eyes. That close, I could see little gray specks in a sea of dark blue. “I, I, can’t tell you,” I finally said.

She pushed me away from her with a powerful shove and I had to take several steps back to regain my balance. “You can’t, or you won’t, Matthew?”

Her own anger fueled mine. I didn’t want to lose it with Sam, but I also wasn’t able to walk away from this conversation now. She had balled her hands into fists, and that did something to me.

I hesitated to tell her the real reason because she probably wouldn’t believe me. But the swell of emotions within me just made me want to yell the truth at her. But how could I tell her that looking at her after the accident made me feel like the most despicable person in the world?

“I can’t tell you because I don’t know why!” I watched her expression change from anger to disbelief and back to anger again in a matter of seconds.

“Bullshit!” she said.

Sam was ready for a fight. Her muscles were tight with anger. The air around us felt charged, like the calm before the storm.

Ignoring the signs that we were escalating this argument beyond our control, I moved closer to her again. But now my movements had a menacing quality to them. I was letting her know she wouldn’t be able to push me away this time as I pleaded my case.

“Why can’t you believe me? Why is it so hard for you to trust me and forgive me?” My temper was rising, and I was starting to feel feverish. I opened and closed my hands, trying to control the rage boiling inside of me. My entire body shook and I knew I had awakened the Phoenix. It didn’t take much these days. Sam had the power to evoke feelings in me that I would rather keep buried.

She took a few steps back until she reached the edge of her bed and couldn’t retreat further. “Because you won’t trust me!” 

AUTHOR BIO:  I like to call myself a United Nations child. I was born in the United States but grew up in several different countries which gave me a broader perspective of life. I've always been passionate about books and stories and at a certain point had a comic book series going. With a background in fashion design I always thought I was going to follow that path. But the characters in my head kept begging to be set free. So I decided to write their stories. A couple of years and a baby later, the first installment of my Arcadian Wars series is finally done. I currently reside in New Mexico with my husband and baby daughter. I love to read novels in the YA, PNR, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and Chick Lit genres. When not devouring said novels, you may find me shopping online (I'm an expert), blogging about fashion, or trying to teach my daughter to walk (even though she's too young for that). If you would like to learn more about me and my projects, visit my Facebook page. Or you can also 'friend' me on Goodreads.

http://www.flyingsaucers22.com

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A Review for The Prophecy of Arcadia (Arcadian Wars, #1) by M.H. Soars

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: January 17th, 2014

Finished Date: March 31st, 2014
Publishers: Self Published
Genre: YA, Scifi, Romance

Source: For Review
Format: eBook
Pages: 430

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Being a teenager is tough, especially when you have to pretend to be something you’re not, and you’re in love with someone you shouldn’t. 115 years ago, a small planet called Arcadia was invaded by a vicious alien race and nearly destroyed. Cut off from their resources, the Arcadians turned to Earth for help. A group of Arcadian explorers discovered a Prophecy that claimed their salvation lay in the hands of two children from Earth. To ensure their safety, the Arcadian Council sent their most gifted youngsters to Earth to act as protectors. Samantha is one of them.

To succeed in her mission she must learn to control her Arcadian powers and keep her true identity from her best friend, and the girl she swore to protect, Alexia. But Samantha will soon realize that nothing is as it seems. Someone is trying to prevent the Prophecy from taking place and the prophecy boy hasn't been found yet. There is also a new drug circulating at school that is turning students into freakishly strong menaces.

To make matters worse, distractions keep getting in her way. Such as her love/hate relationship with her “cousin” Matthew. Or her confused feelings toward popular and mysterious Julian. She wants nothing more than to be free to live her life. But the survival of Arcadia depends on her and her friends. Free will is not an option.

The Review: 3.5 Flowers! 

The Prophecy of Arcadia is a good read and a nice introduction to the Arcadian Wars series. I’m not going to rehash the blurb because it tells you everything you need to know. We start with a prologue from 115yrs ago when a planet is being invaded and someone is sent to put a plan into action, all hope is placed in this plan and a prophecy is born… fast forward to present day where we meet Alexia, Sam & Matthew and the story will be told from each of their POVs, I enjoyed the different viewpoints throughout the book, it kept the story fresh and helped to know things that were going on in different places etc. which was handy also because Alexia is in the dark about her status in the prophecy, so the only way we knew what was going on about that was by the POVs of the people in the know. I liked all of the characters; not just the three who are voiced, there are quite a few who are charged with protecting Alexia and who all live together in one house with a parental figure. Each of these have certain abilities that help them and make them capable of being a guardian and I found it quite interesting and I’m definitely interested in all of their stories. With this being the first book, it is very much a ‘getting to know you’ book and the vast majority of it focussed on the budding relationships between Alexia and her soul mate and also Sam & Matthew and again this is where I enjoyed the differing POVs because we were getting love from both sides of the fence so to speak where one side shouldn’t fall for someone because a soul mate will put an end to any relationship and another where a romance is inadvisable when you’ve been using the ‘cousin’ card because you are undercover and are duty bound to be focussed on other things. This gave both angles a forbidden love feel and they were both sweet but I have to say that Sam & Matthews relationship hit me a lot more than Alexias. Storyline wise, I liked getting to know all of the characters, I liked learning about the protectors powers and that there were ‘prodigies’, they were touched upon but not in great detail so I’m really curious about these people. I liked that Alexia was in the dark about who she was but I wished that she had been told sooner, I liked what started to emerge in her but again, only an smidge of potential that I need to see more of. I thought the story could have done with a lot more action, we had no specific enemy until at least 80% of the way through and whilst I enjoyed getting to know the characters, I needed some action and not just at the end of the book. It was a promising start though and now the cat is partially out of the bag, I look forward to seeing how Alexia deals with her circumstances, how the relationships develop (I have my eye on at least another two possible couples), how the prophecy is going to play out and having a definite bad guy/girl to battle and bring some action & excitement.