Flame Kissed (Seeking The Dragon - Book One) by Alexis Radcliff: Book Review

On a romantic night at a ski lodge, 17 year-old Ella Denton has the perfect opportunity to finally confess her feelings to her long-time crush, Nick Gauss, before she goes off to college. But before she has the chance, everything goes horribly wrong: Ella is kidnapped by a mysterious grinning monster-man to the heart of the Ether-Realm, a magical land with a strange red sky at the nexus of all possible worlds. She is placed in chains and taken to a golden city ruled by the dark and brooding dragon prince, Kaden Kolrath, and told that she is now his slave. 

It seems her fate is now to be lost forever in a strange land far from home, never to return to Nick or her family back home in Havery Falls. That is, until Ella discovers she carries a mysterious spark of power… a spark that could change everything, forever. 

Flame Kissed is the first book in Alexis Radcliff’s exciting new fantasy romance serial, Seeking the Dragon. It’s a short, 15,000-word novella perfect to knock out in a single, quiet evening, and one of five total episodes.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I was pretty blown away when I ended up reading this all at once within an hour and felt almost compelled to read the next instalment. I don't usually get offers to read novellas as short as this but I was super pumped to have an opportunity to try something new, but it turned out to be a blissfully short experience and a great way to shove anyone out of a reading slump with a super relatable character and a beautifully crafted world filled with magic, golden cities, and brooding dragon princes.

"The golden city covered by an ethereal, translucent dome stretched out below us, with an enormous, sparkling castle at the center. The castle had seven towers, each taller than the next, and the largest of them rose up in the middle. Delicate bridges with intricate designs connected them in a spiral pattern, and the light shimmered across the surface of it all."

Ella Denton (another reason I thought the main character was absolutely awesome - I never come across people or characters who have the same name as me) is like any other teenage girl who is about to go off to college but first decides that confessing her love to her crush, Nick Gauss, is more than a good idea. She seems to be quite close to her adopted sister, Katie, as she once was with her real sister, Fiona, before her whole family was killed in the flames of a house fire. Ella miraculously survived and was thrusted into the care of another family where she took awhile to accept the truth of her real family's fate. Flames have always intimidated Ella and despite her constant attempts to avoid it, they come surging for her when she least expects them too.

The whole layout of the story was perfectly done, along with the story of how she came to be where she is and why she is such an introverted person who would rather stay home and play the piano than go out to a party with her adopted sister. The pace gave enough to catch on to important details and was fast enough that you don't get bored while waiting for the good bits - this is me saying that basically everything is the good bits, even before she is whisked away to a world of enslavement and magical dragon princes with bad attitudes and responsibility issues.

"I can still remember the terror I felt when I wondered what she meant by “whatever happens,” but before I could give her an answer, she’d slipped through the doorway and closed it behind her. That was the last time I ever saw my sister."

I have given this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars because I loved it enough to really want to read the next instalment, Flame Bound, but it just fell slightly flat of an amazing read. I feel that continuing on with the series will help me raise that impression to a full 5 stars. I also hope that the series will be printed one day so that I can put them all on my shelf - it's always awesome to imagine what could be of a series with such potential!

*I received a free electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you Alexis Radcliff for the review copy!

Go add Flame Kissed to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on Amazon HERE

Check out the sequel Flame Bound on Goodreads HERE and Amazon HERE
Check out Alexis' debut novel A Vanishing Glow on Goodreads HERE and Amazon HERE

Please consider donating a small tip so that I may be able to continue doing what I love! I am currently studying but I would love to be a stay-at-home mum and make a living through my blogging and BookTubing - I will do the best I can to provide top quality content that is interesting and worthy of your subscription ❤

Find more out about me at:

Website: wordsofeuphoricnostalgia.blogspot.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Twitter: ellabellabellz

Instagram: FeathersandFaith

Snapchat: FeathersnFaith

Destined for Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

The second book in the popular new Doon YA series that takes on a classic story, Brigadoon, and spins it in a new way to give readers a fresh, modern experience.

In this sequel to Doon, Kenna Reid realizes she made a horrible mistake-choosing to follow her dreams of Broadway instead of staying in the enchanted land of Doon. Worse, she's received proof she and Duncan are meant to be, along with torturous visions of the prince she left behind. So when Duncan shows up and informs Kenna that Doon needs her, she doesn't need to think twice. But even if Kenna can save the enchanted kingdom, her happily ever after may still be in peril.

The Doon novels are a part of Blink, HarperCollins Christian Publishing's new YA imprint that delivers empowering and heartening literature while maintaining a tradition of imaginative and impactful storytelling.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
So this was a book that I read in literally two days because I was so moved and interested by the first one. Having being resubmersed in the world of Doon with Veronica and Jamie was the most exhilerating thing because I had requested it at the library literally right after I finished the first. Who knew that I would be so interested in a novel set in Scotland which was basically all about a magical kingdom with royalty and a whole town of loyal citizens. Reading the reviews of the first and second books on Goodreads just gave me even more reason to sit down for hours both days just reading to my hearts content, despite the love for the series that I had already gathered through reading the first and anything that Sasha Alsberg had to say about it. It is truly going to stay on my list of my favourite books I have ever read (video to come on that too - I have like a whole list of videos that I haven't yet filmed so bear with me please!).

Destined for Doon follows the story of Veronica, now living as the Queen of Doon with Jamie McCrae as her husband-to-be, and MacKenna who has left Doon and realised too late that she has now had a "calling" where Duncan has appeared to her begging for her to return to Doon to him. Fortunately Duncan is asked to come back to retrieve MacKenna for Queen Veronica as Doon is yet again in danger and she needs her best friend to help her think straight. Travelling back to Doon is a mission for them, not only is the trip highly awkward, but they discover that the main entrance of Doon has been corrupted by a flesh-eating magical curse that has been left by one of the witches and they have to try and take the back way through. MacKennna and Duncan finally make it back to the castle in Doon and Veronica describes to her everything that has happened since her "departure" of Doon and states that it has only been two months since, though MacKenna says she has been away for at least a whole year (it is described in the first book - if you forgot - that the time passes differently between both worlds). Veronica and MacKenna work together along with the McCrae boys to figure out what is really causing the virus in Doon to spread before it completely consumes everything and Doon is lost forever.

Things I LOVE about Destined for Doon:

* MacKenna is starting to realise how much she cares for Duncan! As frustrating as she was in the first novel, MacKenna finds that coming back to Doon has made her realise how much she really cares about Duncan but has no idea whether or not he has had visions of her too. Still the undeniable bond begins to build and things finally start to look like they're working out for the two lovebirds. However it might take a lot more than destiny and visions of Duncan to prove that she really belongs here in Doon.

* Veronica is a Queen and I can't even contain myself with how cool that would be! Like seriously, who doesn't want to be a princess or a Queen? I always wanted to be one even though I was such a tomboy as a kid. It comes with responsibility but it also comes with power and respect. A position a person like me would clearly be accustomed to seeing as I like being my own boss and not being told what to do (hence wanting to be an author - no one will tell me how to write my stories. There will only be deadlines which I don't mind trying to keep up with). Everyone is destined for something and I feel that's one of the main messages that this book portrays. If I were born in Scotland and maybe a whole century earlier, I could have been on the throne right now *Subtly buys self a cool circlet crown thing that Veronica wears off of the internet to show my rightful status*.

* It's the sequel to Doon and I couldn't be any happier! When one tends to enjoy one book thoroughly, they tend to be pretty keen to get the next in the series. 'nuff said really.

Overall I have given this book a five out of five stars because it satisfied my Doon craving after suffering for a week. Yes, a week and it was horrible, okay. Now I'm gonna have to get the third one which I'm sure is called Shades of Doon because Sasha said she was going to read it while she was travelling Scotland which would have really set the mood I guess. Also, I'm gonna have to look into the play that inspired the authors Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon to write these books because when one gets a whiff of Doon, they don't go back. And I don't regret a thing.

Go add Destined for Doon to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon: Book Review

Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months. 

But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. 

Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for...or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I first heard about this series through Sasha Alsberg who is also a Booktuber on YouTube as "abookutopia" for any of you that haven't read my previous posts - clearly I've mentioned her a few times before. She is literally obsessed with this series and is basically the reason she absolutely LOVES Scotland (aside from Outlander of course). Picking up Doon for the first time, I had a vague idea about what it was all about and the fact that, according to Sasha, it's quite similar to Outlander. In my own words it's like a teen version of Diana Gabaldon's highly acclaimed book series that has been made into a TV show. One of the major reasons it's quite similar to Outlander, despite the fact that they're both set in Scotland in a very similar setting, is that one of the princes that Veronica meets in the book is called Jamie. So practically since I have been totally hypnotised by everything Sasha has said and talked about with Outlander, for some strange reason I started to imagine the Jamie from the tv series as the Jamie McCrae in Doon. Fun stuff, don't you think? This is basically how I got hooked almost immediately.

Doon is about two best friends, Veronica and MacKenna, who decide to take a holiday trip to Scotland for two weeks to get away from the hassles of life and stay at MacKenna's aunty's house who passed away when she was just a young girl. Veronica mentions that after her break up, she starts seeing visions of a Scottish dude in a kilt that keeps calling out to her which at this time, MacKenna tries to shove the idea off as a post-break-up symptom and it's probably nothing out of the ordinary. The girls go for drinks with a new friend and end up hearing about the long-lost story about Doon. The next day cleaning out the attic, they find Mackenna's aunt's rings and journal which state that everything about Doon is true because she had spent the majority of her life there. Veronica believes it straight away but MacKenna is sceptical. She ends up chasing down Veronica who has run off to the Brig' o' Doon which her aunt Gracie describes in her journal and they find themselves both travelling through a magical misty portal to Doon in a matter of seconds. The story weaves through with them being accused of witchery, falling for the princes, Jamie (the guy Veronica was seeing in her visions) and Duncan McCrae - who of which have had to grieve their father who succumbed to sickness, making new friends and discovering that Doon was in more danger than they had ever thought possible. Veronica and MacKenna realise that they were meant to come to Doon in order to help it through it's crisis and save it before it's too late. Unfortunately MacKenna isn't as prone to believing in destiny as Veronica is.

Things I LOVE about Doon:

* The fact that it is set in Scotland! In terms of my own bloodlines, I am partially Maori and Scottish with a few other things but this book being set in Scotland made me so much more interested in the country that I really want to visit. Also because I am meant to have some sort of royalty through my family and my grandmother on my Dad's side was apparently meant to be eighteenth in line for the throne of some sort (I'm going to do a video elaborating on this so keep posted and subscribed to my YouTube channel if you would like to see that). I love feeling like I can submerse myself in a storybook world where this could have been my reality if my family had of stayed in Scotland. It makes the idea so magical and beautiful. Plus it's based in a castle in a country setting so it's pretty awesome considering.

* Veronica and Jamie are literally the most realistic and cutest almost-couple! When Veronica starts seeing Jamie as a vision and then realises that he was an actual person in Doon makes it so much more interesting and hooking to me because it was like it was destiny for them to meet (Spoiler alert but not really: It was destiny). When they start to interact it's not so much an instant connection for them or so they think. The realism in this grabbed me instantly and I was feeling more and more frustrated for Veronica but I like that when a book makes me feel like the character does. That's basically the point of a book, right?

* The "calling" is the most romantic thing and I wish that happened in real life! Basically a "calling" is when a person from the real world and a person from Doon starts having visions either in their dreams or in the day, it means that they're destined to be together and that the Protector of Doon is willing it to happen. The fact that it doesn't happen to MacKenna makes her feel real bummed out and is basically more reason for her to feel like she doesn't have to stay so she can get back to her studies at her dream college and become an actress. Personally MacKenna annoyed me a bit with this but there are different types of people with different wants and needs. Plus you can't expect every character to be like Veronica. There's gotta be someone who ruins the fun.

Overall I have given this book a five out of five stars because it is the type of book I would want to forget and then read with a fresh start to enjoy the way it made me feel all over again. Who wouldn't wish that to be honest? Something like The Winner's Curse and Swoon annoyed me and I probably wouldn't want to relive that again. This book I would want to jump right into now if I could and live there forever. Thanks to Sasha again for introducing me to such a wonderful book and reintroduced me to my own roots. I might one day find my destiny in Scotland just as Veronica did.

Go add Doon to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

The Jewel by Amy Ewing: Book Review

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Being a debut novel of an author who once considered this story to be a "thesis project" made me really think about how much talent this author has. When I picked up this novel at the library, I did because I was continuing my infatuation with books about empires and princesses and all that jazz. Little did I know that when I would finish it, I would be completely pulled into the storyline and love interests that plagued the book. I found myself laughing at hilarious dialogue and literally almost crying at parts where Violet was being treated badly. The level of emotion and relatable moments was unbelievable and I don't think I've ever read such an emotional book since Breaking Dawn. I have to say well done to Amy for doing so well on her first YA fantasy series.

The main idea of the story intrigued me as so far I have never read anything about young girls in a kingdom who are born with a mutation that allows them to bear children which keep the royalty alive. They are taken away from their families living in the slums and are sent to a school that teaches them how to control their powers and acts accordingly in order to be presented to the royalty of the Jewel. The Jewel is the wealthiest area of the Kingdom being the very centre of a whole city which surrounds it in a circle, and each circle around it is a different type of reality and wealth. From the Jewel outwards it becomes a poorer and poorer state of life. Violet is from the very edge of the city where everyone is poor and is ripped from her family at the age of twelve to go stay at this school for four years before she is finally transferred to the Jewel to be prettied up for an auction and then bought off to the highest bidder as a surrogate to be their bearer of children.

Throughout the novel I constantly noticed Violent rebelling to certain things and feeling like she did not want to be controlled which is exactly how I would feel in that certain situation. Feeling like she was nothing but a tool to be used and then thrown away without feeling like she was even part of a family or to even have the chance to mother her own child. Knowing that her best friend, Raven, has to go through the same thing she does kills her inside - even more so knowing that she or her can't do anything about it. A forbidden love emerges too soon for her to even process it but she has to remind herself that in her position, she is not allowed to have any sort of relationship with anyone. The only friendship she has, and is really allowed, is the one with her mute servant, Annabelle. I feel a major pang of sympathy for Violet because she will never see her family again through this experience but she discovers some things and not everything as it seems. In terms of her powers she does better than others with growth which is why she was bought by the Duchess of the Lake. She wants to have a baby faster than any other so that it will be chosen and betrothed to the Electress' newborn baby son. All this seems so overwhelming to such a young girl at sixteen years old and I feel so bad for her being a mother myself and knowing that if I were in her situation, I would be going a little bit mental about the whole idea of it too.

Things I loved about The Jewel:

* Violet and Ash are a match made in heaven! These two were so obvious from the start. I absolutely loved every moment they managed together and the fact that they cared so much to even risk possibly being found out and executed. They're so cute and I can't wait to see how they develop in the second novel!

* The idea of the image, shape and growth powers is so unique and awesome! Considering the fact that most novels these days are writing about either the same "superpowers" or ones that just seem too typical, it's nice to see an author come up with something that's different and challenges the minds of the readers that have been buried in literature with every trope on the surface of the earth (a little dramatic but seriously though).

* I need a friend like Annabelle, although it would be nice if she could actually speak! She was the sweetest person to Violet the whole time she stayed at the Duchess of the Lake's house and always spent time with her when she had nothing to do. I loved that she was caring and was so amazing at dressing Violet up in clothes and makeup for any event she was expected to attend. I would probably cry if she ends up being killed off in the future.

* How unique and different the storyline and themes were! If every author managed to have an open mind like Amy then we'd have a hell of a lot more readers! I think some can get very bored of the same thing over and over like a love triangle or a rebellion rising and as much as I tend to love books like that, it's nice to read something that has never been written about before and it brings competition to the writing game. Readers want this to be fun and so that it's more challenging to choose who should win a book award.  We want fresh content and new names and places that are completely made up. We want stuff like this and that's why I loved it so much.

Overall I have given this book a four out of five stars for being such a dramatic change in the writing game. It has different themes and even Violet thinks a little differently from most protagonists which is what I really enjoyed. I can't wait to read the second one and find out what happens after that devastating ending which you'll have to read if you want to know what that is!

Go add The Jewel to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Outsiders by Tammy Ferebee: Book Review

Jaylen Hayes knows that she is different from all other seventeen-year-old girls. Possessing extraordinary intelligence, she is also uncannily powerful and inexplicably hated by wild animals. But it is not until she transfers to Trinity High that she learns the truth about who—and what—she really is. 

Instinctively drawn to two new classmates—the intense and passionate Indigo, and the charismatic and breathtakingly gorgeous Michael—Jaylen soon learns the shocking secret of their shared heritage, and the bloodline that extends to the stars. However, all is not what it seems, and Jaylen soon finds her newfound security threatened when a trusted friend becomes a dangerous and vengeful enemy.

*I received a copy of this book from Tammy in exchange for an honest review!*

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Well I am literally lost for words. I have just finished this novel and now I have to attempt to organised all my crazy thoughts and emotions into writing a great review - because it was literally that brilliant! When I first found Tammy and learnt a bit more about her novel, Outsiders through a video she posted on her YouTube channel explaining the book and reading the blurb so that we could have somewhat of an idea as to what it was about. I am literally so glad that I found her because this book had me pining for more and more. Basically I couldn't handle not reading it, so I did everything that was required to have the house clean and everyone fed so that I could lock myself away in my bedroom, sit down on the bed and binge read until the end. It was only a few moments ago that I finally came back to civilisation and realise that Jaylen and Michael were just fictional characters and there's no such thing as aliens with super powers (well you never know, I might actually believe that) and so here I am - back to my own life where I am suffering through a major book hangover, drinking tea and writing this review.

Now please don't sit here reading this thinking that I'm only saying this much because I offered to do a review for Tammy and I only want to give her a review she'll want to hear. Well actually, no. That's not why I'm writing such an awesome review. Before I asked for a review copy, I had the strangest feeling that this was something I really wanted to read. Now as some people may know, I'm pretty hard to impress if a book isn't written well and usually my first gut instinct about a book is right. In this case, I was absolutely right and I couldn't thank Tammy more for being so good at this and making me believe in myself more as a writer as well. Tammy has pure talent as an author and even though it was self published, I'm more than positive that a company like HarperCollins would have snatched the manuscript up in a heartbeat. Even so, I love the cover design and how the name, "Outsiders" has been made into a font which resonates the eeriness of the novel. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of awesome events that happen and relationship drama's that makes you want the popcorn every two seconds - this novel definitely has it's fair share of scares and heart attacks. I have to admit, at least twice I basically wanted to cry my heart out for the characters but I couldn't or I'd look seriously psychotic in front of Chad. But I can say that this is one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, and you are bound to want to get on!

If I could say anything about the main character, Jaylen, it would be to mention how strong of an individual she is. The fact that she has been through so much with being through foster homes and two of her mother's dying; her real one when she was a little girl and her perfect foster mother when she was much older. I wish I were as tough as her and be able to stop myself from crying so easily - that takes massive talent! The fact that she started to live with Ms. Ward, the woman who put Jaylen in and out of foster homes through out her childhood, is a pretty major difference and a bit awkward, but like any other novel there is definitely development after time being spent together. The girl Indigo, who she met at her first day at Trinity High, was a great first friendship for Jaylen and really brought her out of her shell. When Jaylen met Michael, hearts were everywhere and of course Jaylen was in denial, more so thanks to Indigo, but what school is there where a friend of yours won't get even the tiniest bit jealous over the attention you're receiving from the guy she likes too, but is thankfully more interested in you? I like how Michael was a respectful male who had a good relationship with his mum. I also like how there is a reoccurring theme of a broken family, where Michael never knew his father either. This novel definitely had a strong theme of Americanized schooling showing through how the school handled things with classes, the fact that Prom was a massive thing and the harsh yet truthful discussion in the classroom that only the 'more attractive' people are chosen as Prom King or Queen, and how the graduation is taken as a massive milestone in life leading to their future at a faraway College. This is really interesting for someone like me who isn't immersed in that type of high school culture and I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the storyline, even when it almost had me in tears.

Overall I have given this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars for its overall awesomeness and how much it drew me in. I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait until the second one is released so I can find out what happens next! Amazing work, Tammy! I hope you decide to hit me up in the future so I can read more great content from you!

Go add Outsiders to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE
(Please keep in mind that this is only the case if they have it in stock)

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith