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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Slaying Alven in Books

Mar 29, 2020  
Slaying Alven
Slaying Alven
Jordan Elizabeth Mierek | 2020 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slaying Alven is the latest fantasy novel by the versatile author, Jordan Elizabeth. Set in two different worlds, the story merges contemporary life and Dutch mythology. The Van Nuys family were gradually getting on with their lives six years after the murder of Vader (father). Unfortunately, a reluctant trip to see Aunt Annetie turns their world upside down once more.

There are several key characters in the story. Femmitie is about to finish high school and has just got her first boyfriend, Max. Tanneke, who witnessed Vader's death, has not spoken a word since. Sitske is growing up to be a strong, independent girl. Their mother, Catharina has remarried to a man named Xie with whom they have a son, Harvey. And then there is the Wittewijven ...

According to Dutch mythology, a Wittewijven was a wise woman or herbalist who took care of people's physical and mental ailments. When a Wittewijven died, their spirit remained on earth as "elven" beings, helping or hindering the people they met. The Wittewijven in this story, Wit for short, had turned to dark magic before her death hundreds of years ago. She is responsible for Vader's death and now she wants to destroy the rest of the family.

The story takes place between modern-day America and a world made for the Wittewijven, which can only be accessed by touching the words of a specific book. Over the years, Wit has trapped many people in her world and now the Van Nuys' family are her next targets. The only way Wit can be stopped is to be killed by a descendent, which, as it transpires, the Van Nuys are.

Jordan Elizabeth brings a new subject to the fantasy world in the form of the Wittewijven. Although the mythological character has featured in Dutch literature of the past, the legends are virtually unknown in the wider world.

Although the key characters are in their teens,Slaying Alven is more suited to mature readers due to some of the subjects implied. Overall, it is one of Jordan Elizabeth's best novels.
  
FD
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
22 of 230
Kindle
Ferns Decision ( sisters of Hex Fern book 1)
By Bea Paige

Death is a lonely place, silent, or so everyone thinks... Fern is no stranger to death, or the singing that accompanies it. She has always known when a person is about to die, for the singing foretells it. Her mother passed it off as an oddity never to be discussed, so she learned to tune out the voices until they disappeared for good. Or so she thought. Then one day, as she fights to bring back a dying baby in the hospital where she works, Fern hears the familiar melody once more. Except this time the voice belongs to a man with ice-blue eyes and black angel wings. As the baby takes its final breath, the angel sings his last note. For this isn't an angel who gives life, it is one that takes it. One year has passed since that encounter, and just when Fern is beginning to believe it had all been an illusion, the angel returns, and this time he's not alone. For now there are three Angels of Death and Fern appears to be their next victim.Fern's Decision is the first book of Fern's trilogy and continues the Sisters of Hex story. Although this is the start of a standalone trilogy, to get a full picture of the overarching storyline you might wish to read Accacia's trilogy first.***TRIGGER WARNING - This book contains content that some may find triggering***

I loved the first set of Hex sister books so I was looking forward to this set. I wasn’t disappointed in the first book at all I really enjoyed it although the first few chapters were extremely hard to get through with it being so close to my own heart of losing my own baby a few time I cried thinking I need to push through. It was well handled and I’m glad I pushed through a good start to the new trilogy and sister. I would recommend but with a caution of possible trigger warning if you have lost a baby.
  
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


I participated in a book blitz for The Life & Death of Jorja Graham a week or so ago. After reading the blurb and seeing a teaser, I really wanted to read this book. While is wasn't a fantastic read, it was still an alright read.

The title sounds very ominous which is another thing that made me want to read the book. It's very straight forward, and I think that suits the book just fine.

The girl on the cover, who I assume is Jorja Graham, looks a bit spooky which I love! I do sort of like the cover, but I would've liked to see the mansion which is mentioned a lot throughout the book on the cover too.

The world building was good, I thought. I found it to be believable for the most part. Towards the end, it gets a little big confusing though. I'd elaborate, but I want this to be a spoiler free review.

The pacing was a bit slow to begin with. I was starting to think I had made a mistake in buying this book. Luckily, the pacing starts picking up about thirty percent in.

The plot was alright. For about the first sixty percent or so, the book reads like a contemporary romance for the most part. However, it's like it becomes a different book for the rest of the way because it turns into more of a paranormal book. Again, I don't want to give away any spoilers, but let's just say there was a plot twist I was totally not expecting! There is a slight cliff hanger at the end of the book, and I do believe there will be another book in the series, but don't quote me on that.

I thought the character of Jorja was written really well. I instantly liked her and her charming nature. Corbin comes off as a bit of a stalker to begin with, but I eventually warmed to him and his passionate nature as well. The other minor characters were written a bit lukewarm, I felt. For example, Jorja's best friend Cat could've been written as a stronger character, but I felt that she was just a bit too bland. I would've liked to know more about her and more about hers and Jorja's friendship.

I did enjoy the dialogue, and I felt it flowed very well. I felt that maybe if this book was a bit longer and a had a bit more detail, it could've been better. There is some swearing and some violence.

All in all, The Life & Death of Jorja Graham is a decent read. The lead character is likable and the dialogue is fantastic!

I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who are big fans of paranormal romance.

<b>I'd give The Life & Death of Jorja Graham by Brynn Myers a 3.5 out of 5.</b>


(I bought this ebook with my own money from Amazon. I was not required to write a review).
  
The Art of Hiding
The Art of Hiding
Amanda Prowse | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5 stars

The main character in this book was Nina, a mother of two boys and a wife of a wealthy businessman. After her husband’s unexpected death, she finds out, that she was living in a bubble, and her husband left them bankrupt. Kicked out of her beautiful home and with pennies in her pocket, she needs to find out the way to survive.

I really liked Nina as a protagonist in this novel. I really liked her strength and her relationship with her boys. She had huge changes to endure, but I think she handled the situation pretty great. This novel was mostly told from Nina’s perspective, sometimes throwing in other character’s thoughts. My least favourite was Nina’s older son, I do understand he is a teenage boy, but a little bit of understanding and common sense from his part would’ve saved Nina so much stress. :S But again, what do I know about kids.

The narrative of this book was very absorbing to me, I was very intrigued of where the life will take Nina and her boys. There was so much loss, that it was really heartbreaking to see them struggling so much. I really enjoyed the topics which author has discussed, such as family relationships; the differences between being poor and rich, and how it affects people; use of survival skills after they were subdued for a very long time, and many more. Even though the story was engrossing, some parts were pretty repetitive for me, and that made my interest drop until a turn or surprise came along.

This novel is very well written and the language used was very easy and pleasant to read. It has decent chapter length which was divided into smaller parts as well, so the book didn’t drag to me. The ending of this novel rounded this story pretty well and left me satisfied with the outcome. So, to conclude, I enjoyed this story, filled with life-changing events and pretty strong characters. I did admire Nina and her life journey, and I do recommend to give this book a try, it has great life lessons to offer.