[Cover Reveal] The Breaking of Bonds

Synopsis

A human sacrifice throws vampires of two worlds, trueborn and baseborn, into an escalating conflict. One side pushes for revenge, the other for freedom. The trueborns stubbornly hunt for Anthony and Louis, pushed by Hesrah’s desire to avenge her human best friend, Alexa. The baseborns are divided between rallying with those challenging the rule of Ankhsis and obeying the trueborns.
What emerges from the portal between Earth and Ankhsis in the middle of the turmoil rocking both worlds is more dead than alive. Neither human, nor baseborn, and certainly not trueborn. This new being will either damn them all or be their race’s most powerful weapon. Will they trust it not to destroy them, or will Ankhsis decide putting it down is the only solution?
In the end, who is guilty? Who will pay? Will anyone survive its wrath?

Pre-order Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00Y4P5C5U

Excerpt

Hesrah was growing impatient; she wanted to return to the portal, so she decided she needed to push them to finally share their information with her.
“What is it that you have discovered that needed my immediate attention?”
Anhubis took out an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket and threw it on the table. She reached out to it and found a few photos in it. Louis, strapped down to a chair, all bloody and beaten. Good for him!
“What is this?” she asked, looking at Anhubis from under knitted eyebrows.
“One of our baseborn friends – we still have a few of those – followed Anthony after the events in Juliana Park. He managed to send these over before being caught.”
“Do you know where he was?”
“Yes, but they are long gone.”
“Why would Anthony do this to his partner in crime?” she asked, tilting her head.
“God knows,” Anukh stepped in. “Maybe they were never partners. Maybe he found out who Louis really was.”
“Can you find them again? Or do I have to bring an Inner Sanctum squad over here?”
“Don’t you dare!” Anhubis said in a thundering voice, pointing a threatening finger at her. “The Inner Sanctum will not meddle on Earth. I will find them again.”
“Make sure you let me know the moment you do,” Hesrah said, her eyes boring into him.
“Won’t you be too busy guarding the portals, waiting for your precious human friend?”
His mocking smirk, more so than his sarcastic words, got to her and in a blink of an eye her fist raced through the air, connecting to his face. As he fell to the ground, she lunged and got on top of him, her fangs piercing the skin of his neck. Her nostrils flared at the spicy cologne he was wearing and she managed to squeeze a few drops of his blood before Anhubis threw her off of him. The fight would have surely escalated if Anukh wouldn’t have stepped in to stop them.
“Are you both crazy?” he hissed, a deep frown line marring his forehead. “Anhubis, you are the head of the High Council. Surely you can tell how ill-advised being inconsiderate towards humans is. And you, Hesrah! You are a part of the Inner Sanctum and your mother’s daughter. You should both be ashamed.”
When they moved away from each other, Anukh, with a half sad, half disgusted smile, said a hurried good-bye and left the room.
“If you ever talk about her like that, I will kill you with my bare hands,” Hesrah said through clenched teeth. To her, that was not a threat, it was a promise, and she suspected Anhubis knew it, as he nodded quickly and took a step back.

 

The Edge of Hope (Bad Blood I) by Alina Popescu

Everyone she loved betrayed her. She felt lost and broken. Getting away from the pain and embracing a new path, Alexa decided to leave her old life behind and chase a long forgotten dream in Malta. There she met a gorgeous man, bearing the scent of fresh love. He led her to a new city to explore, Amsterdam. Is the tall, dark, and delicious man a dream come true or just a risky gamble?
Alexa chose hope and new beginnings over fear and warning signs only to be brutally dragged into a world she never really thought existed. Vampires, their feuds, and her future held tightly in their hands.
Trapped in a mysterious world, Alexa gives love chance after chance. Following her quest of self-discovery in a blood bound world, will she survive the journey?

 

Ebook

Take advantage of the sale for book 1 – 99c on Amazon.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00JEBJXDQ

 

Paperback

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Edge-Hope-Blood-Volume/dp/1497436303/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Edge-Hope-Blood-Volume/dp/1497436303/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-edge-of-hope-alina-popescu/1119064391
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4729236

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and even won awards in local competitions. She has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm, which explains her deep love for vampires and is also to blame for this trilogy.

 

Social Links

Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

Memorial Weekend Read-a-thon: Goal Setting

I stumbled across this on Facebook somehow, and even though I always seem to be the last one to sign up for these kinds of things, I love taking part in something that gets my reading and writing brain fired up. 

Host by Jessica over at Lovin' los libros, the read-a-thon is pretty simple. Everyone's goals seem to be about reading and getting ahead on review and blog posts. I decided to follow the trend because I need a little push in both directions.

Goals

1. I have so many books that are half-read for whatever reason. I'm going to finish up at least 5 this weekend. I have not decided which ones yet. (I'll update if I decide)

2. I've got at least 5 more reviews that need to be written and 3 discussion topics. I plan on getting all of those done. 

3. And of course, I'll be checking out the twitter happenings at #memorialreadathon. 

4. Bonus: Plan ahead!

The Friday 56: May 22

For today's Friday 56, hosted by Freda's Voice, I picked a re-read of one of my recent favorites. 

The rules:

1. Grab a book, any book. 
2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
3. Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
4. Post it.
5. Add your (url) post at Freda's Voice. 
6. It's that simple.

What book I chose: Yield the Night (Steel & Stone #3)

Summary

After surviving a round-trip to hell, Piper figures she can survive anything. After all, she just lived through the devastating loss of her Consul apprenticeship and a torturous stint at boarding school. How much worse could it get?

Well, she wasn’t expecting a group of crazy radicals to burn her home to the ground and take her prisoner.

The Gaians, a.k.a. the crazy radicals, plan to rid Earth of daemons and they need Piper’s help. In exchange for her cooperation, they promise her the answer to all her problems: magic. With her own magic, she could reclaim her apprenticeship, the only future she’s ever wanted. But her magic comes at price — it could kill her.

With the life she’s always known crumbling around her and her future slipping from her grasp, she needs Ash’s help one more time. But the greatest danger of all lies within her, and no matter what she does, she may lose everything — including him.

The 56

Ash's hand swung toward hers. She could see the perfect trajectory as though someone had drawn a diagram over the scene: her hand swinging toward his, his arching down toward hers. His hand would close securely around her wrist, her grip locking around his in turn. In the slow motion bubble of time in her head, relief swept through her. 

And then Seiya yanked Ash back from the ledge. 

Horror filled his eyes. His fingertips brushed hers as their hands swept past each other's. 

Her bubble of slowed time popped and her scream filled her ears as she plunged into the icy river.

[Cover Reveal] The Fading Dusk

The Fading Dusk

by Melissa Giogio

The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio
(Smoke and Mirrors #1)
Publication date: July 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

In the gritty city of Dusk, seventeen-year-old Irina makes her living as the street magician Bantheir’s assistant. The job isn’t glamorous, but she loves the crowds, the shows, and most of all, the illusion of magic. But Irina’s world is shattered the night she is arrested and charged as Bantheir’s accomplice to murder—murder by magic.

Real magic, the kind that’s been forbidden since the old wars.

Irina finds the idea of flashy showman Bantheir using actual magic to kill someone laughable, but she’s the only one who sees how ridiculous the claim is. But how can she convince everyone Bantheir is innocent when they’ve already made up their minds? Desperate, Irina must decide who she can trust to help her win her freedom. Is the surly, handsome Captain Leonid telling the truth when he says he believes Irina is innocent, or is he just using her to get to Bantheir? What about Aden, the sweet soldier and longtime fan of Irina’s who claims he’s on her side?

Irina said she wanted to know the truth, but when she stumbles across a dark secret that changes everything, will she be strong enough to survive?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809058-the-fading-dusk?ac=1

About Melissa Giorgio

Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English. She's always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl. Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels. When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan.

The Sight Seer, published June 12th 2013 by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly, is the first book in the Silver Moon Saga. In November of 2013, An Autumn Dream, a Silver Moon Saga novella that takes place between books one and two was published. The Soul Healer, the second book in the series, was published in April of 2014. A Promise of Magic, the second novella in the Saga, was published in November of 2014.

Look for the final book in the series, The Shadow Stealer, February 27th, 2015!

Author Links
Twitter | Facebook | Wordpress | Instagram | Pintrest 

 

Friday 56: May 15

I love meme that are quick, easy and require minimal effort on my part. So I decided to give this Friday 56, hosted by Freda's Voice, a try. 

The rules:

1. Grab a book, any book. 
2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
3. Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
4. Post it.
5. Add your (url) post at Freda's Voice. 
6. It's that simple.

What book I chose: The Wrath & The Dawn

Summary

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

The 56

" The boy of ice and stone...
Who dashed her heart against a jagged stone, only to walk away without so much as a glance.
I will not let him win. For Shiva's sake. 
For my sake. 
I will learn the truth. Even if I have to destroy him to get it. "

[Release Day Blitz] The Wrath and the Dawn

I am so excited that THE WRATH AND THE DAWN by Renée Ahdieh releases today and that I get to share the news, along with a special introduction from Renée herself!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Renée Ahdieh, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed copies of the book and some beautiful book inspired scarves, courtesy of Renée, Penguin Teen, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

A letter from Renée Ahdieh.

There are not enough words to express how thrilled I am to share THE WRATH AND THE DAWN with you! From the moment I typed the first word, I felt connected to Shahrzad and her world in a way that carried me through the long process of publication to where we are today. 

Everything about this process has been a dream come true, and hope you love my book half as much as I enjoyed writing it. In celebration of release day, I'll be giving away a signed, first edition hardcover of the book, as well as a gorgeous scarf . . . or two!

Always remember to make it a story worthy of you!

Renée

About The Wrath & The Dawn

Title: THE WRATH & THE DAWN

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Pub. Date: May 12, 2015

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Pages: 388

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all. 

About Renée

Renée lives in North Carolina (Go Heels!) with her husband Victor and their dog Mushu. Her YA fantasy novel, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, will be published on May 12th, 2015. In her spare time, she likes to cook, dance salsa, and wreak havoc on the lives of her characters.

She’s also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as an active member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

WEBSITE| TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | TUMBLR  |PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a hardcover of THE WRATH AND THE DAWN and a beautiful book inspired scarf (IMAGES BELOW)! US Only.

Ends on May 22^nd at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy birthday to me [Fun facts and a giveaway]

 


Today is Star Wars Day... and it's also the day I turn 26 years old. I used to think 26 was sooooo old. It's interesting how that thinking changes as we get older. I certainly don't consider myself old yet, and I've got a long way to go before I do. 

I wanted to do something fun to mark the occasion and I just love numbers. So I decided to write 26 things to know about me. Since the date is 5/4, I'm also including 5 authors to follow and 4 bloggers to check out. Lastly, I was born in 1989 so my goal is to get 89 bloggers to link up to this post and follow some new people. 

26 Things to Know About Me - In no particular order

These 26 things are a random assortment of thoughts about my life, both funny and serious topics. 

1. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the Star Wars movies. I used to walk down to the library at least once a week to rent one of the movies on VHS. For all you youths out there, VHS is a big tape you used to put into a machine to play your movies. 

2. My dad taught me to read before I went to school, because having books read to me was not satisfactory to my 4-year-old self. I always wanted to do things on my own. My dad actually doesn't really remember doing it, but I clearly remember him sitting with me on the living room floor with my pieces of paper that had the dotted lines, showing me how to make each letter. 

3. I got my first library card around the age of 6 because the librarians noticed how often I came in to check out books. It was one of the proudest moments in my childhood.  

4.  My brother and I caught a garter snake as a pet once. We named it Luke, after Luke Skywalker. Our mother did NOT approve. 

5. I've also been obsessed with Greek mythology since the sixth grade. I still remember the projects we had to do for class. We had to create a temple based on the god/goddess we were assigned. I drew Aphrodite. I loved doing it, even though Aphrodite is one of my least favorites in mythology. 

6. My favorite color has never changed. It will forever be red. 

7. I hate onions and cinnamon so much that I tell people I'm allergic. 

8. My freshman English teacher, Mr. Martin, was the first person in my life to tell me I had a talent for writing. He told me to never be shy or ashamed of my ability to think differently than my classmates. I will always be thankful of him believing in me 

9. In high school I was a busy little bee. I played four varsity sports, had a weekend job, was an honor student, in the school play and the president of my school's NHS. Looking back, I have no idea how I did it all, but I wouldn't ever change a thing.

10. Growing up I was a painfully shy person. So when I went to college my requirements were that I had to go to a school that was at least three hours from home. It also had to have a good journalism program and it had to be somewhere none of my high school friends were going. I wanted to get outside my comfort zone, even if I hated it. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. 

11. I did an internship for a backpacking magazine in Sydney, Australia, the summer after my sophomore year of college. The best part about writing for them was getting to skydive, repel down a mountain and climb the Sydney Bridge.

12. I hated coffee until after my college days when I discovered how much a reporter really needs it in order to pump out story after story. Nothing made me feel more like a journalist than the first time I enjoyed black coffee. 

13. Confession: When Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone came out, I stopped reading after the first chapter because I couldn't get into it. (Forgive me, I was about 10 at the time). I'm glad I gave it another try a while later. 

14. My favorite music is hardcore and post hardcore. Bands that are loud, fast and appear at Warped Tour. People are always surprised, but I appreciate that the lyrics are more real and meaningful. 

15. I'm currently working on my first novel. I hope to dedicate more time to it this summer and might post some preview chapters later this month. *Fingers crossed*

16. It took me three weeks to put this list together. It's hard to think of 26 interesting things about yourself. 

17. I live in a house with two roommates, two cats and a brand new 16-week old puppy (pictured). Their names are Atemis, Athena and Stella. We're a busy bunch. 

18. I met Steve Carrell once when I was a reporter. He's cool as shit too. I was interviewing his parents for their 60th wedding anniversary and his dad surprised him with the media. I still have the thank you letter his parent's sent me for writing such a nice article about their lives. 

19. Currently, I'm a designer and copy editor with the local newspaper. I gave up being a reporter because I was burned out and wanted something different. I've found that I love designing much more. 

20. Since I'm not writing as a reporter anymore, I needed a way to keep writing. That's how Book Nerd Paradise came about. 

21. Other than reading, writing and playing in a few sports leagues, I also enjoy learning about finance. I'm currently teaching myself about the stock market. 

22. I'm a napkin hoarder. I have them in my car, on my nightstand and in my silverware drawer. You never know when you'll need a napkin. 

23. I love watching TV shows like The Originals, Once Upon a Time, Sleepy Hallow, Big Bang Theory, The Flash and Agents of Shield. Marvel movies are also my addiction. 

24. My favorite thing about blogging is doing things like blog hops, or read-a-thons, where I get to meet new people and have discussions with people who share the same passions as me 

25. One of the most important things I've learned in life is that you'll never be happy until you learn to be yourself. Society tries to put everyone in a box. Some people are ovals who will never fit into a square. Don't ever be afraid to be who you are. 

26. Another life lesson that I've learn is that you can't be afraid of rejection. You will most likely not be successful the first time around. There's always going to be someone out there who is better than you. But instead of giving up, take that as an opportunity to learn from them. Never stop learning and never stop improving. 

5 Authors to Follow

1. T.L. Shreffler. The author of the Cat's Eye Series is the person who got me interested in reading more indie authors. (You can read my reviews of Sora's Quest, Viper's Creed, Volcrian's Hunt and Ferran's Map.) Not only is she a great writer, but she also posts helpful tips on writing and the editing process for self-published authors on her website. 

2. Chanda Hahn. I have read the first book in The Iron Butterfly series at least four times now. The three-book fantasy series is one of the best I've read in a while. I can't wait to see what else she comes out with. 

3. Annette Marie. This author is a recent find for me. She has the first three books out in her Steel & Stone series and it's not finished yet. The series is a little bit darker than usual in the YA fantasy genre. That's why I love it. I read all three books straight through so far. 

4. Becky Wallace. The Storyspinner, published this March, was Ms. Wallace's debut novel, and she happens in book 2. 

5. Emily Wibberley. I won her book, Sacrificed, during the YA Spring Fling Giveaway a few weeks ago. I won 10 books that day and started with hers. It was a lucky, random pick because it turned out to be an excellent read. Be sure to check out the review later this month. 

4 Bloggers to Check Out

1. Olivia's Catastrophe. Ms. Olivia has always been an active blogger on my site and in the blog community in general. She always has interesting content and is just a fun person to interact with. I loved taking part in her Fantasy Favorites Read-A-Thon earlier this year and I hope it continues next year. *Sorry I couldn't participate more this year, Olivia!*

2. Candace's Book Blog. I follow Candace mostly on Facebook and she's got some great weekly link ups for bloggers to promote themselves. The Saturday Situation is a weekly link up for bloggers to share their latest reviews and giveaways. She's also one of the blogs that host the Boost It Tuesday, where blogger link their Facebook pages to the post and then go around to other blogs to comment, like and add pages. 

3. Parajunkee. These ladies are pretty well known around the book blogosphere. While I wanted to promote lesser know bloggers, I couldn't over look these guys. They've got great articles and tips on blogging that's helpful for both newbies and veterans. 

4. The Indigo Quill. I just like the content Lis Ann has on her site. She's always got something interesting to say and she picks books to review that are more along my reading tastes. 

89+ (I hope) Bloggers to Meet &  The Giveaway

Grand prize: You choice of any e-book you want valued at $10 or less
Runner up prize (2): Winners get their choice of printable bookmarks from my Etsy store

So here's how this part works. I'm a big, BIG fan of meeting other bloggers and getting to know them. I'm always looking for new blogs to follow and read. 

This giveaway is pretty simple, you can visit and follow as many blogs as you want. You get one entry for linking up, just put your blog name in the entry space. You can also have up to three entries where all you have to do is tell me what other blogs you followed and how. You can follow through Facebook, Twitter, GFC, Bloglovin or any other way that can be verified. The goal is to get to know other blogs while getting your own name out there. You do have to link up first before you follow your fellow bloggers. 

If you are one of the first people to link up, then enter first section and check back later so you can follow three other bloggers. 


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[Review] From the Ashes

From the Ashes

by Shelby K. Morrison

Publish date: May 3, 2015
Genre: YA fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads summary

For eighteen years Aia Wynnald has lived a lie. Raised as a highborn in the Kingdom of Tharien, she’s filled her days with tutors and archery lessons. But simmering beneath her polite surface is a dangerous gift, one which she must keep a secret. Aia is a Bender. And in Tharien, Benders are feared and hunted.

When her unruly power breaks free with dire repercussions, Aia’s lifelong goal of independence shatters. As she scrambles to piece her life back together while evading capture, she disturbs a vengeful force intent on destroying the kingdom.

Now, with the help of an unlikely ally, Aia will decide the fate of Tharien. To rescue those she cares about will require accepting what she is. But can she risk becoming the monster she’s dreaded to save the very citizens baying for her blood?

My thoughts

There are three main components I like when reading a fantasy story: action, a kick-ass/realistic heroine and a nicely done romance. Those things are usually what draws me to a story, but I won't toss a book aside if it doesn't have these things. From the Ashes has two out of three, with the third being a possibility down the road. 

Action. This book starts off with a bang, almost literally. We open up with our heroine, Maia (nicknames Aia), as she runs away after knocking her prick of a brother upside the head with a log from a nearby fire. While most of us with siblings have definitely felt the desire to do that at some point in our lives, we don't do it with our illegal Bender magic. 

Benders are hunted in the land of Tharien for no other reason than they exist, and therefore have the potential to become dangerous people. After Aia accidentally decks her brother with her magic, she has to run for her life from the Breakers. Breakers are the people who dedicate their lives to hunting down Benders and capturing them. Upon capture Benders have the choice the be Cleansed (death) or Drained (becoming an empty version of themselves). However, Benders who hurt anyone else lose that choice and are automatically Cleansed. 

This aspect of the story really made me think of the Salem witch trials. Neighbor turning on neighbor was all it took to be convicted of being a witch. In From the Ashes there is no real way to tell if someone is a Bender. All it takes is a finger point, and if the suspect runs, they are considered guilty from there on out. 

Heroine. There are two main characters in this story, Aia and Cole. Cole is the Breaker lieutenant charged with capturing Aia and bringing her in. Aia manages to evade capture on her own in the beginning. She doesn't use her Bender skills because she's afraid that if she does, she will become exactly what the people fear. Deadly. Dangerous. A killer. 

When she's found by a group of Breakers, she doesn't resort to using her magic. Instead she uses her non-magical skills and shoots those assholes with her freaking bow and arrow. She bad ass enough that she doesn't even need to use her magic to escape at this point. 

What I really love about Aia is that she's smart, resourceful, hard and she has a love for the people of Tharien. She's guarded and used to pushing her emotions down in order to prevent flareups in her magic. I love characters like these because they have so much potential to grow and become the greatest heroines. In the beginning she's lost, just trying to figure out how not to die. 

Soon she has a cause worth fighting for, and she find people that she realizes are worth saving. 

Romance. The romance between Aia and Cole here is so subtle that sometimes I convinced myself I was making it up. At first, Cole doesn't think Aia is even worth saving, so he uses her in his plans to save Tharien from the "evil" Bender, Illicina, bent on taking her revenge. I put evil in quotes there because Illicina is so much more than people think she is. But you will have to read to find out about that. 

Ever so slowly, we see Aia and Cole come to respect each other, and Cole sees something different in Aia. He sees her determination, her courage and her willingness to die for the very people who would see her Cleansed. 

There's no steamy kisses, or stolen moments in a dark corner. No vulnerable scenes where they confess their fears to each other as they're about to die. No white knight riding in to save the damsel in distress. 

But I can still see the very subtle beginnings of what could develop into beautiful relationship later down the road. I'm rooting for these two to find their happily ever after, even if it's not with each other. I definitely think this story has a lot more to come, and this is only the beginning. 

The Technical Stuff. The writing in this book is strong, with very few grammatical or structural errors. As a reader, you can really feel what each character is going through and what motivates each decision they make. 

For these reasons From the Ashes gets a solid 4.5 stars out of me. The story is strong, with great writing. There really isn't a whole lot more you can ask for. 

** I was provided a copy of this book in return for an honest review

Get it here
Amazon | Barnes &Noble

About Shelby

Shelby K. Morrison is the author of Shattered, devout member of the Pointless Research Addicts support group, and was voted Most Likely to Be President in high school. She believes fiction should be an escape and any great escape involves a world of wonder, characters you wish you knew, and good food. She can usually be found in three places; her office, the couch or....well just those two unless an overcast day calls her out of doors. She has a particular weakness for animals, Studio Ghibli movies, and Flamin' Hot Cheetos (resulting in a frequently stained keyboard). She is not opposed to tokens of appreciation, particularly edible ones. But if you really want to make her smile, drop her a line! 

Author links
Facebook | Twitter | Website| Amazon | Barnes &Noble