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Showing posts with label T.G Ayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label T.G Ayer. Show all posts

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

Blog Tour for Fire by T.G Ayer; Review


Fire (Hand of Kali, #1)Posted by Melanie
Release Date: July 25th, 2013
Finished Date: July 26th, 2013
Publishers: Self Published
Source: For Review 
Format: Kindle 
Pages: Unknown
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Normal people sneak out to a party and have fun. Maya Rao ends the evening by incinerating the guy who attacks her. 

Nik Lucas, sexy, new in town and totally forbidden, happens to walk in on her. Normal guys would run for the hills. Nik knows a whole lot more than he's telling.

Maya doesn't believe the gods are real, doesn't waste her time with mere mythology. But when gods, demons and hellhound's become the new normal and wielding fire becomes her new skill, she must decide what it is she really believes. 

Can Maya accept that normal is something she will never be because it isn't normal to be 
...the Hand of Kali.

The Review: Fire is the first book in the new YA series ‘The Hand of Kali’ which is inspired by icons of the Hindu religion.

As the synopsis tells us… we have Maya, a teenager brought up by parents who believe all things about their religion – not Maya though, she refuses to see them as any more than stories. Her parents aren’t so strict that they would force Maya to believe if she doesn’t want to (unlike her poor friend Ria whose family are uber religious) but they still try to instil the teachings into her and she is about to find out exactly why….Maya is invited to a party – first time ever!!- so she disobeys her parents to attend with her friend Joss, when there she gets into a dangerous situation with a boy and after he attacks her, watches him spontaneously combust or so she thinks and to make matters worse her crush – new guy Nik Lucas – just happens to witness the event. When he takes her home to safety, he urges her to confess to her parents who in turn have a confession that is going to turn her whole world upside down.
So, I really enjoyed this book. I liked Maya’s character and I liked the fact that she has Indian heritage, it is the first time I have read a book with a main character from that background and I like how she is portrayed, I like that she pushes the boundaries of what is expected of her and is trying to find her own identity and I love that her parents allow her that freedom to do that & to choose whether she follows their faith or not. I also like that through her friend Ria we see the flipside to that and how oppressive parents with faith can be, I think it gives us a good contrast because whilst I would consider Maya’s rebellion to be tame, when you compare that to Ria - she could be classed as delinquent. I also like Nik, with his secrets, who he is, what he’s capable of & his affection for Maya, I’m hoping for lots more from them.

The storyline was really good, I really enjoyed how the Hindu gods were used as the premise for the plot. Mayas role in the story was great and I love to see a reluctant hero come through their fears & doubts to realise their destiny. I also liked that Maya wasn’t a pushover, wasn’t ready to believe just for the sake of it but she was willing to try. I liked how the first part of the book was quite focussed on Maya’s learning, not just of her power but who she would be fighting, what she is destined for and I believe we are only just getting a glimpse of her capabilities and then the second part of the book took on a more fantasy feel which opened up the larger world with its realms, characters & enemies which, as I said are based in Hinduism. I loved this! I love it when a subject I know nothing about is brought into a book and I end up being really interested ,enough to go and google it when I finish reading and I have to tell you that TG Ayer has done that to me with more than one of her books. I love that she brings something new & introduces me to new things - like this and Norse mythology. I can always tell how much effort & research is put into her books and this is no exception.  I can’t even begin to explain the appeal of this book because it’s one of those where you just have to read it, to appreciate it – which I do and as always am left wanting more. 4*s

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

A Review for Skin Deep by T.G Ayer

Skin Deep (DarkWorld, #1)Posted by Guest Reviewer, Melanie
Release Date: April 30th, 2013
Finished Date: May 21st, 2013
Publishers: T.G Ayer Books
Source: For Review 
Format: Kindle 
Pages: 390
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 


Panther Shape-shifter Kailin Odel just wants to be normal. Leaving her clan, and her Alpha responsibilities, to live with her grandmother in Chicago had been the best thing for her. Only then did she discover her ability to track and kill the soul sucking undead creatures called Wraiths. Now she protected the humans, and had something to be proud of.
But, when she discovers the body of a murdered shape shifter, Kailin has to come to terms with the reality that her own kind are just as vulnerable as the humans. 
The closer Kailin gets to the killer the more she has to face the intricacies of her people. When the time comes can she accept who and what her real purpose is?


The Review: I freakin’ loved this book!

As the synopsis states, Kailin Odel is a panther shifter who left her clan to live a ‘normal ‘ life, but life has turned out to be anything but normal for her. Even though she is in the care of her Grandmother, she is pretty much left to her own devices which enables her to hunt ‘Wraiths’ – undead entities that inhabit the living like parasites, feeding on their souls - something Kai found she had a knack & the vision for. So, whilst jostling school, her part time job as a trainee rehab councillor & hunting the soul sucking undead – life is pretty hectic for our main character and it’s about to get worse…. When the flayed body of a shifter is flung from a car, Kailin goes to help but ends up becoming a target herself. Wounded and not wanting to become part of a police investigation for fear of revealing her secret, she lies to the leading detective, Logan Westin – a man she feels an intense connection to. With the disappearance of other shifters & rumours of a drug able to intoxicate even shifters being distributed, it becomes clear there is more to this than meets the eye and as Kailin tries to rally the various shifter clans, she becomes the target as someone wants her dead! What she is about to find out will rock her world but can she be strong enough to defeat the enemy?

So yeah, I loved this book. It was exciting and filled with action just the way I like them. Kailin is an admirable character, seriously independent and trying to live as normal a life as possible but feeling obliged to hunt the Wraiths that only she can see. We all know things don’t always go the way we want them and even though she distances herself from her family clan, blood is thicker than water and when she comes across a threat to them, that side will always have a priority in her life, however much she wants it otherwise. Her age confused me, I think she is 17/18 and is an over – achiever, she did come across as very mature and it felt like I was reading about someone who was 20+. This was the same with her love interest Logan, he was a great character, quite mysterious with his own story that is begging to be told but again, way more mature than his given age – 17- and also in a job with power & responsibility that doesn’t quite fit his age range. Anyway, apart from that, I really liked their lurve connection and it hints at a possible cosmic thing or maybe it was his own power surfacing, I’m not sure but you all know how much I love soul mates so here’s hoping.

I loved the world they are from, I’m a huge shifter fan anyway but when you add other supernaturals to the mix then I’m definitely interested. The storyline was great , quite a gory start to a whodunit and once the murders/abductions got going, the wraith hunting took a back seat but that wasn’t a bad thing because it didn’t stay that way. I loved the different POV’s and really appreciated the killer’s POV too because it gives greater insight into what’s happening and you get a ‘feel’ for the kind of person they’re dealing with. I loved the twists and turns along the way and the secrets that came to light, it seemed to be that everyone was hiding something with the revelations causing some great drama and none more so than the latter 20% of the book because even when the killer has been found, we are still in for more and I loved it! With the non stop action & drama throughout, this book took on a UF feel and held my interest all the way through which was perfect for me. My only grumble was that I wished the characters had been in their 20s because as I mentioned, they had a more mature feel as did the storyline & it would have allowed some extra hotness to the romance aspect but it doesn’t detract from the fact that this was awesome read and I personally can’t wait for the next. 

Friday, 19 October 2012

A Review for Dead Embers (Valkyrie #2) by T.G. Ayer

Dead Embers (Valkyrie, #2)
Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Release Date: August 31st, 2012
Finished Date: October 7th, 2012
Publishers: Evolved Publishing 
Source: ARC, For Review
Format: Kindle
Pages: 398
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Valkyrie-in-training Bryn Halbrook just can't catch a break. With her boyfriend stuck in Hel and the taunting laughter of Loki still ringing in her ears, she struggles to concentrate on her training and duties in Odin's realm. The last thing she expects or wants is more adventure—but then treachery, a shocking abduction and a chilling discovery send her forth on another perilous, globe-hopping mission.

As the ultimate battle, Ragnarok, draws closer, it's a race against time for Bryn, Fenrir and their team to discover who kidnapped her foster brother from the halls of Asgard and what's causing the mysterious deaths of so many of Odin's chosen warriors.

In the exciting sequel to DEAD RADIANCE, Bryn encounters dwarfs and dragons, new friends and old foes—but worst enemy of all may be the person she trusts most!

The Review: The synopsis hits the nail on the head because this certainly is an exciting sequel!

We join Bryn in Asgard more or less straight after she allows Freya to take Aiden to Hel, in the effort to save his life following the poisonous stab wound he received from Loki. She’s down, she’s holding onto a lot of guilt but is determined again to do the right thing by Aiden and that means continuing with her training and trying to find a cure for him. Just as her training starts up again, things also take a turn for the worst with the escape of Loki and her foster brother’s disappearance which heralds even more misery for our friends as the einherjar become unobtainable, severely thinning out Odin’s supply of warriors. To make matters worse there is another who is afflicted by the same poison that holds Aiden in his state and unfortunately they hold Bryn responsible for the situation, leading them to give the ultimatum – find the cure…… or die! Things really can’t get any worse for Bryn right now right?....... wrong! Things can get way worse…………… and they do, leaving Bryn just as confused & feeling alone as ever, even when surrounded by people she would die for.

So, I really enjoyed Dead Embers – it took a little while to kick off but when it did you were hit with non-stop action. Bryn is a more than capable character that you can really get behind and route for, sometimes it confuses me just as much as Bryn that everyone seems to assume she knows everything about their world and the past because of her heritage but really she’s just learning about everything along with the reader. I really can empathise with her as she tries to shake off her ‘little girl lost’ persona to try and be the warrior Valkyrie that everyone wants her to be, she’s still struggling, still winging it and learning as she goes. We see that her need to belong and be a part of the ‘family’ dynamic at Asgard could also be her downfall but something seems to be clicking in her though, so hopefully there will be some breakthrough that will set her above everyone else. I’m not going to lie – Aiden was a big miss in this – I think Bryn was a bit more solemn because of it and I missed the romance, I did appreciate the bits we did get, especially the first visit with him because the depth of the feelings came across so well and I clung onto that.

The storyline was great, in this book it took on more of a fantasy feel than the first because the world has started to expand with her adventures/quests. In the first we met dragons and we meet them again in this but we also meet Dwarves and enter their realm which is quite an eye opener in the end. We also meet more of the gods – namely Thor & Tyra – we get a glimpse at just how organised Loki has actually been in his plans to bring about Ragnarok and to what lengths his followers will actually go to help. I like that it blends that world with our world so that the threats are felt from every direction and that the ‘bad guys’ aren’t predictable and most definitely think ‘outside of the box’ because It is filled with a good few twists and turns that no one sees coming and things that were forgotten about or thought concluded, actually aren't and bring with them some harsh surprises and realities. The ending is again most heinous but leaves me really excited for book three because a lot of threads have been opened up in this and I’m excited to see where they’re headed.

I’m still loving all of the Norse mythology and enjoying learning about it, I know how factual book one was, which really impressed me and I’m still impressed by this and have yet to find a book  featuring it of the same calibre so I am definitely carrying on with this awesome series…..bring on book three! 4.5 stars!

Thursday, 1 March 2012

A Review for Dead Radiance (A Valkyrie Novel) by T.G Ayer

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Expected Published Date: February 25th, 2012
Finished Date: February 12th, 2012
Publishers: Evolved Publishing
Source: For Review
Format: Kindle
Pages: 381
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The Blurb from Goodreads: For as long as she can recall Bryn Halbrook has seen a golden aura around certain people, and it is only when her new best friend Joshua dies that she understands the glow means death. Bryn struggles to adapt to a new town and a new foster home while trying to deal with the guilt of being unable to save her friend. Until mysterious biker-boy, Aidan Lee arrives.
When Aidan unexpectedly takes off he leaves behind a shattered heart, a tonne of unanswered questions and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn is a Valkyrie. Bryn is faced with questions about Aidan’s real identity, the real reason he came to Craven, and that Odin, Freya and Valhalla just might be real.
As if accepting her new wings, new life and new home in Asgard isn’t difficult enough, Bryn is forced to find and return the precious necklace of the Goddess Freya. The only problem is – if she fails, Aidan will die. The mystery of a Mythology is easy to enjoy. The reality is much harder to accept.

The Review: Bryn Halbrook is alone. Has been really since her father died in suspicious circumstances and her mother rejected her. She is passed around the foster care system and lands in Craven and finally gains a friend in Joshua. That is, until he starts to glow, brighter and brighter. Soon Bryn comes to realise that this glow means death,  Joshua is going to die and there is nothing she can do about it but watch as he brightens day by day and when he does die, she is alone again. Trying to wade through the turmoil of emotions and the towns’ rejection of her, she starts to despair. . . . Until she hears the rumble of a motorbike, announcing the arrival of her new foster brother - Aiden Lee.
She is inexplicably drawn to this mysterious young man and him to her, she opens up about her ‘gift’ but soon after he leaves and she is alone again. What he really leaves though are answers to why he was really there and who he really is and it rocks Bryn’s world to the foundations as she finds out that she could be a Valkyrie, a beautiful, winged warrior of Norse mythology. He is not the only one to think so either and when her life is put in danger she is whisked away to somewhere she never dreamed of , thrust into a different way of life and sent on a quest with a huge stake – if she fails, Aiden will die!

Well, what can I say except this book was brilliant! I couldn’t put it down and loved everything about it. The characters – Bryn, poor Bryn, all alone in the world after the death of her father at 13 years old. Her mother had left when she needed psychiatric help for her ‘glow vision’ and never returned, nor did she want her when her father died so Bryn has that lonely, rejected feel to her. It seems like she always will wherever she goes, she never fits in and people are always willing to see her in a bad light. She clings to first Joshua and then Aiden who actually show her some friendship, craving them. It’s quite sad how she is for the first part of the book but that all changes as the discoveries are made and she finally feels like she belongs somewhere. There are always going to be people who have it in for her but she starts to feel enabled and brave and in the end she has something to fight for and will stop at nothing – quite the transformation. She is of course the stand out character, so well written that it was so easy to empathise with her, feel everything she was going through and all the other characters compliment her effortlessly. Aiden is an excellent pairing for her, just as tragic, with parental issues and an expert where she is concerned. The connection between them was just lovely.

The plot was also excellent. The story line, how it came about, what she learned about herself, there was always something going on, finding out new things and facing challenges, I was never bored – the pacing was great and it was jam packed with information on the mythology involved. This is one of those books where you can tell the author has put a huge amount of effort and research into combining all the elements that have gone into making this story believable and educating the reader in Norse mythology backing it up with evidence all the way. It was great to read something other than Greek mythology and the Norse has really got me curious. I had known only of Thor, Odin and Loki so it is all new to me and really piqued my interest so I did a little research and you would not believe how factual this book really is, down to the names and owners of property. Bryn’s namesake is even known as the chief Valkyrie in Robert Wagner’s works, I’m really blown away by it all. I loved that we have a modern day Valkyrie and how it came about, very plausible and it’s a shame we can’t meet her father and get answers. This has been an amazing read that has kept me on my toes as we follow them on their journey, learning about the new world they’ve become a part of, Bryn learning about herself, what she may be capable of, trying to save lives, doing the right thing and finally feeling as if she belongs somewhere. It takes you through times of happiness, hope, love, sorrow, faith, despair, determination – a real emotional rollercoaster that had mine all over the place and my heart beating in time to theirs as if I was going through it with them, I was that involved. I could gush on and on about my love of this book, but I won’t. . . .  I’ll leave it for you to discover for yourself. Just know that this is an awesome first book in a series that is fresh and new, using Norse mythology as a backdrop with both modern day and old world characters that will captivate you as you search for the answers to the puzzle of who is Bryn Holbrook & just what is she capable of? Oh, did I fail to mention the most heinous of cliff-hangers? Well yeah, there’s one of those too.
 
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