Showing posts with label Young Adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Young Adult. Show all posts

Review: Osric's Wand


"Osric's Wand: The Wand Maker's Debate" by Jack D. Albrecht Jr & Ashley Delay

File Size: 475 KB
Published: August 28, 2011/September 21, 2011
Language: English
ASIN: B005JQ9D8A
Paperback: 204 pages
ISBN-10: 1466269472
ISBN-13: 978-1466269477
Purchase: Kindle, Amazon Paperback, Barnes&Noble Paperback
Website: www.OsricsWand.com

Osirc’s Wand is a story about a young man who comes from the Vigile clan. At the beginning of the story, it’s duty as usual until a peace meeting among all the races goes horribly wrong. Osirc and company then goes on a journey filled with adventures and many old conspiracies and a prophecy is uncovered.

The characters were well developed and likeable. The world building was pretty good, but there may need to be may need to be some more emphasis on the backstory about why the rules and laws are the way they are and more about the “gifts of magic”. A few times there was something brought into the story that I didn’t see was essential to the story or there wasn’t any explanation of what that particular thing was or why it was important in its mention. A couple of the key characters that appear later in the story are introduced to us with their own side story, but they sort of come out of the blue and were complete strangers. At first, as a reader, I was wondering how they fit in or whether or not they were important until I followed them along until their side story unfolds and they meet up with Osric and company. The introduction to the dwarf was a bit jarring.

The action was pretty good once the journey had begun, but there was a bit too much description and fine detail in the environment where the action was taking place that seemed to slow down the pacing of the story quite a bit. At the beginning of the story it was hard to get into at first since I had to wade through all the extra details.

Overall though Osirc’s wand is an enjoyable story that will capture your imagination and the characters are endearing.



Reviewed by: A.K. Taylor

A free copy of this book was furnished by the author for review, but providing a copy did not guarantee a review. This information is provided per the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission.

Book Highlight: Crystal Shade: Ageni, Vol 1

"Thousands of stars could tell thousands of stories."
Seven year old Grace always dreamt of becoming a guardian angel; like those who guarded and guided her people and prepared to bravely fight in a dreaded mythical event, the Crystal Shade - which never came. It's not like Grace ever wanted to see Demons. Or wants to know what evil and darkness is - things that no one ever faced on her world and as the legends says, the Crystal Shade carries within -, nor does she want to die to be reborn as a guardian. But she thinks the mysterious life of angels is so noble, a fable that it sounds exciting - until it actually happens.
Crystal Shade: Angeni, Volume 1 explores the early life of a young daydreaming soul who is destined to reveal the forgotten past of her home world and to seek the answer to the eternal question; what the legendary Crystal Shade really is.
Excerpt:
“Thousands of stars could tell thousands of stories,” whispered the old man with a gentle smile. “I hope others also see the story of our beautiful star.”
Decades creased the countenance of the weary old man. He propped himself at the balcony, the silky wind ruffling his grey hair. His aged eyes never tired of the stars that pierced the infinite night sky. But despite the enchanting skyscape, his soul, which desired endless peace, was restless. He had one final promise he had made ages ago still unfulfilled; to share the past with those living in the present. A long held secret, a story to tell. Sorrow embraced him, as he knew as the sun rose to greet a new day one unheard story would pass along with him to vanish for eternity. And the time was close.
His sigh as soft as the night breeze, the old man pulled his robe tighter around him before he wandered away from the balcony. Slippered feet chafed against the cold stone floor as he shuffled to the middle of the large hall. Images of fighting angels and demons in the agony of their long forgotten war adorned the eleven immense columns surrounding a strange chrono device.
Thousands of energy orbs formed the mass of a majestic miniature galaxy under the tip of the long tapered crystal shard. Each star, a shiny orb, in this chrono device shone its story, its own truth in sapphire, orange, red, green, and purple orbs were just a few among countless colors without a known name. Clear and bright, the shard hovered untethered over the middle of this tiny world like some large mystical sundial.
The little galaxy gracefully turned between the stalwart columns. So peaceful and magnificent, its true purpose was hidden behind its enchanting mask. The shard’s polished surface mirrored the tired face of the old man who watched the device with endless respect. His eyes focused on the shadow of the sundial, which slowly crept around the crystal shard. The shadow didn’t come from the sun, which slept beyond the horizon as night stood silent sentry outside. It came from the shard itself. Even now, some of the orbs within the crystal’s untouchable dark shadow slowly changed color.
The old man closed his eyes. He was still in the hall, but his mind was far away in a forgotten world.
Majestic golden and silver colored eagle shaped crafts appeared in the bright blue sky to fly in formation under the brilliance of the sapphire sun; its eternal glow reflected from their metal bodies and sectioned wings. The crafts dove into battle against hideous dark flying creatures. Like dozens of sleek predatory birds, they fought against the evil web-winged serpentine enemies. Hunted down one by one, the metal bird craft were ripped to pieces and their wrecks left to explode in the hot white sands, where yet another battle raged.
Among the white dunes, brave winged warriors, evil demons, and humans in their shiny armor battled desperately with their crystal weapons to challenge death itself.
Purchase Crystal Shade: Ageni, Volume 1 at:
(Retailer link collection is also available there for 11 additional retailers, including Amazon, Smashwords & Barnes and Noble. Paperback is also available via Amazon US and Createspace.). The episodic release of this book, Crystal Shade: Episodes is also available here. Crystal Shade C-Store
Official website (Check it out to see what this world is all about): www.crystalshadeageni.com
Bonus:
Readers also may download a free 26 pages long introductory PDF, Crystal Shade: Introducton. Check it out HERE
About the Author:
Based out of Budapest, Hungary, Istvan began his writing and art career at a young age. His strengths include Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thrillers, as well as Spiritual, Romantic, and Political works. At the beginning of his career, two companies entrusted Istvan to create and write the stories of two of their video games. Since 2007, working parallel on several different projects, Istvan mostly developed and worked on the Crystal Shade franchise and wrote Crystal Shade: Angeni. As an artist for hire, he has created illustrations, character art, short CGI animations and marketing materials for various projects as well as for his own works, Crystal Shade: Angeni, 7 Post Meridiem, Nightfall and other unannounced projects. In 2007, Istvan produced his first short movie "15 Minutes of Fame", in which Istvan was the screenwriter, director and storyboard artist. "15 Minutes of Fame" won 3rd Place at the UPC-AXN Film Festival 2007.

Author Interview: A. K. Taylor


The Indians and the Crackedskulls are locked in the turmoil of war and presently in a stalemate.

Her enemies, Raven and Bloodhawk, have come up with a scheme to up the ante and break the stalemate into their favor. Neiko later finds out that a land she thought she had only imagined is actually real and contains a legendary and otherworldly evil within it. Not only that, she becomes trapped there and must escape the world, the people within it, and the sinister evil within.

Neiko must find her way back home and turn the tables on her enemies. Can she come back home and escape the evil that seeks to claim her?




Purchase Neiko's Five Land Adventure:
Tell us a little about yourself.

I really love being outdoors. That’s where I am when I am not at my computer writing. If it was feasible, I would have my writing desk outside. I enjoy beekeeping, just about any science, and outdoor sports and activities, archery, and target shooting (in the backyard). I wrote my first book when I was 16. I did short stories and poems before that. I also love to draw and color, so I am a bit of an artist as well. I am also a musician that played the French horn since middle school. I never pick anything easy to do; I seem to love to be challenged or I get bored. I’m addicted to action and chocolate.

What are your pet peeves (dislikes) in life?

Not too much of a fan of disorder or disorganization in any sense of the word. I don’t really like being spontaneous. I hate getting to anything late—if anything, I like to be early.

What is the best gift anyone has ever given you?

I guess it would be my laptop computer. That is what I write and do everything on. It was given to me by my husband when we were dating. It was something I always wanted and I wanted to be able to “write on the go”. I really do that.

Why do you write?

I write because I love doing it, and it is a way to channel my vivid imagination. Through writing I can share my imaginative ability with others, definitely with kids and teens…and some adults who appreciate imagination.

Does your mood affect your writing? If so, how?

Oh yeah, it does. It shows up in my writing whether I want it to or not. My sentence structure, word choice, and other things reflect my mood. When I go back for a proofread, I can remember how I felt when I wrote this and change it (if necessary) of how it’s ‘supposed to be’ or add/take away content. Sometimes my mood changes and when I get started I get into the ‘zone’. When I am in a good mood and the zone, that’s when I do my best. If it’s just not working that day, I put it aside and do something else. The last thing I want is contrived writing! I don’t like it that way!

The best thing about being a writer is…

…that I can do what I like best which is writing. I write a lot. I can write a lot of things, but for my books I pretty much stick to fantasy/science fiction action adventure. I can write just about anything, except romance. I lean too much toward the action adventure sort of things in regards to fiction since that’s what I like as a reader. I like a little romance since it can also drive the adventure, but I don’t want to focus on that as much. I like to build worlds with people and animals with my imagination and transfer them to paper or the computer.

The worst thing about being a writer is…

…not being understood by some people including family. They don’t really understand what it takes to be a writer or understand what I am doing half the time. It can be frustrating sometimes since they think I don’t do anything. Sometimes I wished I could trade places for a day.

In one sentence, what is your book about?

A war and a series of unfortunate events let’s Neiko find out that what she thought she imagined is real and she gets trapped there and must escape…

What gave you the idea for this story?

The story was based on my own child adventures in the woods and the backyard. I had the idea of combining the worlds and the thought of “what would I think if I found out that they were real?” came to mind. From this idea it just grew from there. This book is a just a gateway and a glimpse of what is to come later on.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me about a year and I half. I would have finished sooner, but since I was in high school, I had to work around school, homework, and band practice, and family. I didn’t really have “friend interruptions”.

Describe the process you took to write it.

Since I was just a teenager I had to teach myself how to write a book. I lived in a small town so there were no workshops or writers groups, and I didn’t know anyone else to talk to. Teenagers rarely or don’t go to things like that. I studied how other books were written and applied basic grammar rules and researched dialogue in the books and a teacher taught a little about it in school. After that I took that knowledge and my ideas and just did it. I would brainstorm and then write that down. Developing characters, settings, and the character’s voices were easy for me since I had been doing that in play already the narration took a little time to find, but I figured it out. I even drew the characters and colored them so I took character development to a new level. Even when it was finished it was far from perfect. I made changes over the years until I finally published it. I almost never did.

What is the target audience for your book?

Middle grade and young adults (ages 7-14)…I must add in the adults who are big kids at heart as well since they like it as much as the target audience does.

What have people said about your writing?

People have said my writing is interesting, action packed, original, inspired imagination, and vivid. Adults have even mentioned that my writing has taken them back to their childhood and reminded them about their own imaginations.

How do you want your readers to feel when they finish your book?

I want them to love to go on another adventure with Neiko and her friends. I want them to remember the characters, even though there are a lot of them. MG and YA really like the host of unique and memorable characters, and that’s the way it was when I was that age. I want them to hate who they’re supposed to hate and love who they’re supposed to love. I would like readers to tell me who they love best and why.

What’s your next writing project?

My next writing project, as far as this series is concerned, is Escape From Ancient Egypt which will be released sometime this year. Something happens in Neiko’s Five Land Adventure that leads to this one. What happens in this story will have consequences on down the road and each story is tied together. I hope to also participate in IBC anthologies and I have a small nonfiction book coming out sometime this year. I will also begin writing Book #5 Trapped in Ancient Qari as well.

GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment below for a chance to win one of five Kindle copies of "Neiko's Five Land Adventure"!!

Deadline is 11:59 pm EST, April 27, 2012.

Winners will be announced on April 28!

A.K. Taylor is a YA fantasy/science fiction adventure writer who has been writing since age 16. Taylor also draws her characters and designs her covers and illustrations which she also began at 16. Taylor has also written a nonfiction piece about self promotion. Learn more about A.K. at her facebook page, on twitter, or at her book blog.

Review: Neiko's Five Land Adventure


"Neiko’s Five Land Adventure" by A.K. Taylor

Pages: 354 pages
File Size: 1531 KB
Language: English
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
ASIN: B0051WJP0S
ISBN13: 978-1936198856
Purchase: Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover
Website: www.Neikos5LandAdventure.net


When you read “Neiko’s Five Land Adventure” by A.K. Taylor, you will read a charming and fun story that takes you back to your childhood. At least you will if you are like me and developed different backstories for your toys while growing up. It seems like Taylor did this as well as she grew up in Georgia, and her imagination really comes through and becomes the greatest strength in the book, covering up the various flaws in storytelling.

This book introduces us to Amanda Hawk, who goes by the name of Captain Neiko Kidd when she is not in high school. She is one of the top-ranking officers of an organization called the Desert Storm Falcons, and their arch-enemy is a group called the CrackedSkulls. The son of their leader, Bloodhawk, wants to kidnap Neiko and make her his wife, and throughout the story, they go to great lengths to take Neiko away from her group and her family. Right from the beginning, you can see that Taylor has a very well-developed world going on inside her head, and she has woven her mythology with both Indian and Egyptian culture in a very effective fashion.

There are some fundamental flaws to the novel that bog down the experience, the main one being Taylor’s tendency to tell more than show. Several passages serve as locations to fill us in with so much information that it stops the pacing in its tracks, including the first few pages of the book. It happens to a point where it feels that the characters are led around because the story demands it rather than the characters discovering the story as they go along. However, since I knew that Taylor started the writing of this book when she was 16, it added to its overall charm since it reads like a young girl telling this story to her friends and coming up with more and more details as she goes along. The artwork in the book is also fantastic, giving an anime style that blended well with the storytelling.

If I would ask Taylor to change anything, it would be the age of Amanda / Neiko. I know that, as a 35-year-old man, I still have toys at my desk that I occasionally pick up and play with while I’m writing, but a senior in high school sitting on her floor and playing with her action figures is difficult to accept. Especially if nobody else in the book is making an issue of her playing with toys at that age.

Despite the age issue and the story losing some steam in the second half, overall I found “Neiko’s Five Land Adventure” to be a very imaginative and fun read for teenagers. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this world unfold in future books, and I hope that Taylor allows her characters to take center stage and let them and the reader discover the next story.



Reviewed by George Sirois

A free copy of this book was furnished by the author for review, but providing a copy did not guarantee a review. This information is provided per the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission.

Review: Truth Teller



File Size: 237 KB
Publisher: UK Children's Publishing (January 3, 2012)
Language: English
ASIN: B006TI8JLY
BN ID: 2940032975953
Purchase: Kindle, Nook, Other E-Readers
Website: http://kurtchambers.net


Ten year old Charlotte is on vacation with her parents and six year old sister, Beth. On the last day of vacation Charlotte goes to buy gifts to take home to her friends. During shopping she comes across a spooky old shop and goes inside. A creepy man gives her a crystal dome; the only cost is to take care of it and to be good and tell the truth. The man introduces himself as Goffer. On the way home she peers into the crystal dome and is transported to another realm. In the realm we are introduced to endearing characters such as: Elderfield, Middleton, Swallow, and others. We are briefly introduced to the dark characters: Siren and Dagan as well as the legend of the Truth Teller. Elderfield and Middleton go on a journey to seek council with Goffer to get Charlotte home. Adventures and other characters follow.

The story was well written and the characters were well presented. The world building was great. The story is very easy to read and could be read to kids as a read-to-me story.

However there were some issues I had with some of the backstory that I felt needed a little bit more elaboration and/or resolution. I would have liked to know a little bit more about the Great War against Siren and his banishment. I would have liked to know more about the legend of the Truth Teller and what he/she actually does and more about the Truth Teller’s power and where it comes from. I would like to know some more about what would happen if Siren found out about the Truth Teller and his or her identity. When Goffer talks to Charlotte about the Truth Teller and being in her shoes, I would have found myself asking more questions about the legend and forgetting about going home for just a few more moments. As a character, she was a very keen and inquisitive girl and would be wondering the same things, judging by the connection I had with her. I say it this way without wanting to give anything away. There is a personal angle in the vendetta between Dagan and Siren that is never mentioned and doubtfully will be visited again (not trying to give anything away). What happens if Charlotte doesn’t tell the truth? I know that it would have repercussions of some kind, and it is very important aside from the moral of the story. As a reader, I can only make a guess, and I wonder if my assumption is right or wrong. Lastly, I was curious to know how Goffer knew to give Charlotte the crystal dome and not another child who may have stumbled upon the derelict shop. In some ways it seemed completely random. There had to be something to lead him to do so or something he was looking for in a child. It’s a way to tie up the seemingly random events in the beginning to where it was not so random and everything made sense and came together.

Other than these small issues it is a wonderful, endearing story. The author alludes that Charlotte will have more adventures in this realm and maybe the author will elaborate on the backstory as Charlotte goes on her adventures. I would like to read more by this author.



Reviewed by: A.K. Taylor

A free copy of this book was furnished by the author for review, but providing a copy did not guarantee a review. This information is provided per the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission.