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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Janna of Castle Ambrose in Books

Sep 10, 2019  
Janna of Castle Ambrose
Janna of Castle Ambrose
Jordan Elizabeth Mierek | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Inappropriate mix of Young Adult and sexual content (0 more)
Janna of Castle Ambrose is the first book in The Serpent Riders series by the versatile Jordan Elizabeth. Set in the fictional land of Hamlin, Janna, who lives in Castle Ambrose, loses her father, brother and sister when an usurper invades the kingdom and slaughters hundreds of people. From then on, Janna has vows that the new king will be destroyed, however, it is not until she is 18 and discovers two of her friends are alive and imprisoned in the capital city that Janna finds the will-power to escape her tattered home and put the world to rights.

With the aid of a secret ability to freeze people and being the only person in the country to know of the existence of sea serpents, Janna sets off to the capital where she worms her way into the castle by becoming the apothecary's apprentice. To save her friends and defeat the usurper, Janna must round up rebels across Hamlin. Yet, as she adjusts to her life in the city, Janna realises there are two sides to every story and she may not be on the right side after all. With the rebels rallying troops from across the sea, she may be too late to prevent another civil war.

The story ends with one side becoming the victors and Janna's sea serpents earning their right to come out of hiding and being accepted by human society. The narrative is fast-paced with days, weeks and months speeding past within each chapter. There is an eclectic mix of characters whose personalities pull the story in different directions.

Janna of Castle Ambrose contains some adult scenes that may be unsuitable for younger readers. Although no sex scenes occur per se, they are eluded to in heavy detail. This is a new aspect to Jordan Elizabeth's writing, however, the young adult writing style clashes with the adult material.

Being the first book in a series, it is clear the story is going to continue, however, as the main issue has been resolved, the plot of the next book is unguessable. We shall just have to wait and see.
  
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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Devouring (The Devouring, #1) in Books

Feb 15, 2019  
TD
The Devouring (The Devouring, #1)
Simon Holt | 2008
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
For a book classified as young adult horror, THE DEVOURING defies the usual so-called teen horror and actually does feel horrific. I wouldn't say it's in the same league as some of the best adult horror books out there, but it holds its own and the author does a terrific job creating a tense and creepy atmosphere. I've never been one who has ever scared easily, but if I had read this at a younger age I just might have become a little paranoid. The narrative is swift, engaging and simply told (I simply 'devoured' it. Oh har har har. Okay I'll shut-up now. ;P). Reggie is relatable and strong, while Vour Henry if effectively disturbing, and Eben is enigmatic. The other characters are fine for their purpose, although I do wonder at the twins, and I have a feeling they might feature more in the sequel, which I look forward to reading. A warning for the queasy: disturbing and violent imagery is used quite a bit, so some people might want to pass on this book.
  
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated Everealm (Everealm, #1) in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
Everealm (Everealm, #1)
Everealm (Everealm, #1)
J.D. Wright | 2014 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little confused going into this novel because I wasn’t sure what to expect. From what I have researched, this is supposedly young adult. While the writing style makes it seem YA, there themes not appropriate for that age range. I guess new adult would be more appropriate?

Regardless, the cover is absolutely gorgeous and reflect the feel of the novel. As a fan of fantasy and fairytale retellings, Everealm was a novel I didn’t even know I was looking for. The world and creatures she paints with her words are nostalgic of old childhood fairytales. While it still has many [cliché] themes that seem to be found in all YA novels (love triangle, etc.), the author added her own touch. It is a guilty pleasure feel good novel, free of heavy complexities that makes a novel more work than pleasure.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and the feel that accompanied reading it. It is nothing groundbreaking, but the author has a lovely style that could be great.