John Hennessy's Blog - Posts Tagged "ya"
Book Review: "Anna Dressed in Blood" by Kendare Blake
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare BlakeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Anna Dressed in Blood ***This Review contains spoilers***
They say 'don't judge a book by its cover' and that is so true, but what is also true that 'Anna Dressed In Blood' has one of the most strikingly awesome and at the same time, hauntingly beautiful covers that I've ever seen.
One thing writers have to do is make their star character as real as they can - so that you feel, what they feel. Another thing that is needed is a character to play off against, that is at least as interesting as the character of the title.
In this aspect, Kendare Blake has succeeded and then some. Anna is a truly terrifying ghost, but she's made more real to me not by her interactions with those she ***SPOILER ALERT*** ultimately kills (and who didn't cheer a lot when Mike got his comeuppance? Maybe I shouldn't be happy about that, but I was, as Cas says so honestly later in the book 'Mike was a d*ck').
The gore factor is rather high in this book, but that's okay - there is no need to spare readers of the 'gory details' because from the off, this book is about killing, and lots of it.
If the mystical story of the athame had not been so well built up, I am not sure I could 'buy' the fact it sends ghosts back to the nether world....but again, all the key points are told so well, you are just carried along with the story.
All the characters have a purpose, but it's Cas, our hero, and Anna - yes - our heroine - an anti-heroine' if you like, but still, the kind of girl I like :)
So Anna rips a few people apart and blood drips from her body, and she's got weird veins...also her dry clean bill must be horrendous - but she comes across as terrifying and yet you just can't fail to be attracted to her.
I totally buy the feelings Cas has for her, because they are two sides of the same coin - Anna kills because she can't help it - Cas kills because he simply has to. In both cases, it's in their blood.
This is not a 'young' YA book. I expect it would hit a 15 even an 18 certificate if it ever appeared in UK cinemas.
Thankfully, Kendare Blake has crafted a wicked tale that is not a case of 'Ooh! It's a ghost!' - no - the scares are more clever than that, and I honestly didn't see the twist until the end...which made the book even better.
It's such a pleasure to read a book that works on every single level - great story, believeable characters - and you will be rooting for Thomas, Carmel, and Cas's mom for different reasons to how you feel about Anna and Cas.
What will live with me is the vivid description of Anna. She's got her back to you on the cover, and be glad for that wise decision by the creator of the cover, because having read the book, you will be in no doubt what Anna looks like, and I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep without Anna's devilish stare pervading my sleep just before REM kicks in.
Kayako from The Grudge? Anna is MUCH more scary than that!
Bravo to Kendare Blake - I wait with great anticipation for 'Girl of Nightmares' in June 2013.
View all my reviews
My Current Reads, including The Selection by Keira Cass
I'm reading The Selection by Keira Cass. I'm also reading Wizard's First Rule, Truckers, This Is Not a Test, Lords of the Rings (again), and many others.
This one, from HarperTeen, has promise. It seems a bit of an X-Factor meets Hunger Games meets Don't Tell the Bride mash up, but it may come into it's own a bit later.
The cover is fantastic, but that in itself shouldn't be the reason to buy it (it wasn't - I bought it on recommendation) but it's a big pull all the same.
I've read so much YA in the past year that maybe, just maybe, I am a bit jaded on the sector, but this is shaping up to be a good read. More when I've completed it.
Release Date for 'Dark Winter'
Okay. So the draft has been completed. And then re-drafted. Then re-drafted several times more. The script has been through editorial, some friends have had snippets of the script, and well, friends, we are all but there.
So I have a date for it's release - 9th October on Kindle (and other devices) and printed version to be available soon after that.
I prefer the 'hard copy' version of books but can see some merit in e-books. Whichever one you happen to be, I hope you'll try this book and see something different in it.
It's my first 'official' novel, so I don't know how it will be received. Sometimes, you just have to go for it and
see what happens.
So I have a date for it's release - 9th October on Kindle (and other devices) and printed version to be available soon after that.
I prefer the 'hard copy' version of books but can see some merit in e-books. Whichever one you happen to be, I hope you'll try this book and see something different in it.
It's my first 'official' novel, so I don't know how it will be received. Sometimes, you just have to go for it and
see what happens.
Book Review: Waterfall (River of Time Series, 1) by Lisa T Bergren
Waterfall
You can't beat a great fantasy, and this series has all the makings of one. Our heroine, Gabi, is a real firebrand and yet you don't get the sense of the epicness of the story until you are some pages in.
When the story opens, we learn that Gabi's father was a much respected archeologist had died, but her mother continued with his work regardless, bringing both Gabi and her sister Lia along for the ride.
I like that the story starts with its base in Italy, a country I had the good fortune to visit in 2010. I loved the energy from the outset, with 5:00am starts being the norm for the two sisters to go out on digs with their mother.
As I was reading, I couldn't help but think of Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. That's no bad thing. I spent many enjoyable hours watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, and playing Tomb Raider for hours on end.
The great descriptions Miss Bergren uses dropped me straight over the shoulder of the trio when at an important site, and there's loads of those in a super old country like Italy.
So I felt immediately drawn in.
There is a huge MacGuffin at the start of the story and it's so big, I couldn't let on here, you'll just have to read it.
But suffice to say that Gabi's first encounter with Italy's past comes to face her, head on, literally.
We find ourselves back in time with Gabi seeing and experiencing at first hand how the ruins used to look, before they were actually ruins.
At this point I wondered where the story was going.
That's when I was happiest. This YA aimed book doesn't foist some hack handed dystopian world on you. Whilst that's no bad thing, there's been rather too much of it in YA for a while, so this acted like a breath of fresh air with its detailed historical perspective on things.
This is where the book is at its strongest, so I forgive certain things like that Gabi fights with much apparent ease. She is skilled in fencing, but that wouldn't necessarily translate to being a great swordfighter, much like practising Tai Chi forms wouldn't make you a super skilled martial artist that was ready for battle.
That wouldn't be so plausible, and yet, the story is told which such style and verve, it just carries you along.
I'm being picky of course. James Bond has had many situations where he could have been killed, but you buy it because it is 007 ! So whilst Waterfall has its flaws, I think it is leading to a much bigger story with scope I cannot yet imagine, and it is that which will make me read others in the Rivers of Time series.
Fun, fearless, cool, and different. My favourite fantasy book of 2013.
You can't beat a great fantasy, and this series has all the makings of one. Our heroine, Gabi, is a real firebrand and yet you don't get the sense of the epicness of the story until you are some pages in.
When the story opens, we learn that Gabi's father was a much respected archeologist had died, but her mother continued with his work regardless, bringing both Gabi and her sister Lia along for the ride.
I like that the story starts with its base in Italy, a country I had the good fortune to visit in 2010. I loved the energy from the outset, with 5:00am starts being the norm for the two sisters to go out on digs with their mother.
As I was reading, I couldn't help but think of Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. That's no bad thing. I spent many enjoyable hours watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, and playing Tomb Raider for hours on end.
The great descriptions Miss Bergren uses dropped me straight over the shoulder of the trio when at an important site, and there's loads of those in a super old country like Italy.
So I felt immediately drawn in.
There is a huge MacGuffin at the start of the story and it's so big, I couldn't let on here, you'll just have to read it.
But suffice to say that Gabi's first encounter with Italy's past comes to face her, head on, literally.
We find ourselves back in time with Gabi seeing and experiencing at first hand how the ruins used to look, before they were actually ruins.
At this point I wondered where the story was going.
That's when I was happiest. This YA aimed book doesn't foist some hack handed dystopian world on you. Whilst that's no bad thing, there's been rather too much of it in YA for a while, so this acted like a breath of fresh air with its detailed historical perspective on things.
This is where the book is at its strongest, so I forgive certain things like that Gabi fights with much apparent ease. She is skilled in fencing, but that wouldn't necessarily translate to being a great swordfighter, much like practising Tai Chi forms wouldn't make you a super skilled martial artist that was ready for battle.
That wouldn't be so plausible, and yet, the story is told which such style and verve, it just carries you along.
I'm being picky of course. James Bond has had many situations where he could have been killed, but you buy it because it is 007 ! So whilst Waterfall has its flaws, I think it is leading to a much bigger story with scope I cannot yet imagine, and it is that which will make me read others in the Rivers of Time series.
Fun, fearless, cool, and different. My favourite fantasy book of 2013.
Cover Reveal: Dark Winter via Ashley of the Bookish Brunette !!
Okay, so you may have seen the cover floating around. A few other places doesn't hurt though, and Ashley's blog is one the best. And it is certainly the best if you are as crazy about zombies as team BB are!
http://www.bookish-brunette.com/cover...
You should really subscribe, unless you've done so already!
http://www.bookish-brunette.com/cover...
You should really subscribe, unless you've done so already!
Dark Winter: New Facebook Page
If you like the book, please 'like' and I will add more info to the page over time.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Here's the facebook page:-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-W...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Here's the facebook page:-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-W...
Free Kindle copy of Dark Winter !!
24 hours only though
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Winter-J...
All I ask if you get a copy is PLEASE let me know what you thought of it on GR and Amazon! Thank you!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Winter-J...
All I ask if you get a copy is PLEASE let me know what you thought of it on GR and Amazon! Thank you!
