Review: Serpent on a Cross by Wendy C. Garfinkle

Serpent on a Cross
by Wendy C. Garfinkle
Published by Booktrope
Ebook (received from publisher, thank you!)
YA, fantasy

Dennah Dubrovnika is a formidable hunter and talented healer. However, she cannot control her own powers, which have suddenly reawakened in the aftermath of her mother's violent capture by a powerful warlord who destroyed their village in his wake. As she races to free her mother, Dennah is accompanied by Jeth, the man she loves. But she's increasingly, inexorably drawn to the mysterious Skallon, who is allied with her greatest enemy.

Will Dennah be able to gain a measure of control over her magic or will she lose everything and everyone she loves to its raging inferno?

Serpent on a Cross is a novel of Jewish fantasy and adventure in Medieval Eastern Europe.

When I was offered Serpent on a Cross for review, I was excited. Fantasy set in Medieval Eastern Europe? I'm history student as some may know and Middle Age is my favourite time period. I was a little set back by the aspect of religion but I thought to give the book a chance - I was so curious what kind of fantasy story it would be. However, it didn't meet any of my expectations and sadly it didn't live up it's potential.

 

Serpent on a Cross is what it promises to be but not quite. It's Jewish fantasy with capital letters because the whole point of the story seems to be displaying the religion. While it's not a bad thing, it creates a certain air for the book and as I'm not that much into religiously themed books, I grew to be hesitant when I started to read this. So many phrases and words were Yiddish and I had hard time to guess their meaning. Apparently, there's a vocabularly at the end of the story so I recommend to read it first if you're not familiar with Yiddish. However, this was something I was able to overcome quite quickly as the setting intrigued me so much. Sadly the world building was a little shaky, it was more of a given than explained which I yearned for. I can imagine that for a person who isn't familiar with Medieval customs (or Jewish customs) this story might be hard to read. A little more focus on actual world building would have done miracles to the story even though it certainly wasn't bad in the first place, just a little lacking.

 

There was lots of characters but most of them lacked depth so I was confused who was who. It took a good while to remember who was who and who did what and most importantly, what was their relation to Dennah. However, it became easier when Dennah and a little group took off to their request - then there was good number of people and no confusion who did what. Although, descriping the characters a little more in the beginning would have done miracles with identifying the specific characters. There was lots of backround and building for the villain of the story but without spoiling anything, eventually the villain wasn't anything that was described during the story. However, there was one character I found really interesting and his point of views were captivating. That's Skallon, one of the story's bad guys, kind of. In top of everything there was love triangle. Well, it didn't consume the story because the romance was left quite alone. There was lots of thinking and talking about love and lust but very little happened.

Serpent on a Cross wasn't badly written, on the contrary, but the story and characters lacked a lot. With a little more intense world-building and adding depth to characters the book would have been so much better. Now it felt like five hundred page story was forced to fit in two and half hundred pages and it ate a lot from the actual story. So while the story wasn't bad, I was unable to connect with the characters and grew a little bored while reading it because of the uninterest towards the characters. That's why I couldn't get into the story and my reading experience suffered because of that. However, if you want to read something different, Serpent on a Cross is good enough and maybe you'll be able to connect with the characters.

2 of 5 stars.

I had no intentions to bad mouth the book or the author because even though I was unable to enjoy it fully, it wasn't bad per say. This is my honest opinion and I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings.

 

Serpent on a Cross on Goodreads.

Top Ten Tuesday: Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!

 

In no particular order:

 

1. Hogwarts: I'm pretty sure this is on everyone's list who have read Harry Potter series. I'm still waiting for my Hogwarts letter and you can't convince me that I'm waiting for nothing. Mine just got lost in mail, international shipping can be so cruel. Poor owls must lost in the winter storm.

2. London: I know, I'm kind of cheating because I've already been in London once. However, I'd go back in a heartbeat. I fell in love with that city long long time ago and now that I've actually been there, I'm even more in love. London's mood, streets, feel... I loved it all and more. So yes, if there's London in any book I read, it makes me want to visit it even more (or maybe some day live in there).

3. Paris: I've always wanted to visit Paris and The Beautiful and the Cursed is most recent book that I've read and took place in Paris. Who wouldn't want to visit Paris? The cafés, Eiffel Tower, I want it all. (Yes, yes, I want to visit every major city in Europe and some more.)

4. Camp Half-Blood: Do I need reasoning with this one? Rick Riordan created so awesome place that yes, I do want to visit it. And maybe get a chance to meet Percy and his friends (especially Nico. Always Nico).

5. Mount Olympos: There's gods and goddess and immortals. Pretty much perfect reason, isn't it? And if it's in the Empire State Building I wouldn't mind that.

6. Alagaësia: From Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. I spent most of my tender pre-teen and teenage years not only with Harry Potter but with Paolini's series. I loved the first three books (Eragon, Elder and Brisingr, I haven't read the last one yet) and I always wanted to visit Alagaësia, see the dragons and Eragon and Brom and everything.

7. Post-Apocalyptic America: I do complain because most of the books takes place in America but still, I'd love to visit post-apocalyptic America. Mostly because so many my favourite dystopians tooks place there (who am I kidding, I pretty much know only one or two dystopians that doesn't take place in America... recommentations, anyone?) Anyway, no matter how gruesome it sounds, I'd like to visit there. See why it's America that survives and pretty much nothing else.

8. Under the Never Sky world: Kind of goes with the previous one but well, I want to visit there so badly. I'd love to meet Aria, Perry, Roar, Cinder and everyone one of them (yes, even Sable, I do like my bad guys). Also, Rossi created to unique world that why the heck not?

9. New Orleans: That's all because Anne Rice and her vampires. No more reasons needed.

10. Narnia: Because any list with topic like this would be imperfect without Narnia. Yet one of those childhood classics that stayed with me and I'd really love to visit there.

 

Where you'd love to visit?

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Dead New World by Ryan Hill

Dead New World
by Ryan Hill
Published by Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: October 13th 2014
YA, dystopia, zombies

Zombies aren’t mindless anymore.

Before the world fell into chaos, the undead existed only in the imagination. Now, more of them walk the earth than living. Zombies move about freely, while humans entomb themselves inside concrete barricades to stay alive.

All that, while the leader of a powerful cult – known only as Reverend – becomes the next threat to the rebuilding United States. Believing zombies to be God’s latest creation, making humanity obsolete, he wants to give every man, woman, and child the chance to become one. With his combined army of humans and zombies, he may well get his wish.

Best friends Holt and Ambrose went up against the Reverend once. Holt lost a foot and a zombie bit Ambrose…though he survived the virus, only to become a human-zombie hybrid, reviled by the living and unwelcome among the dead. When the Reverend kidnaps the woman Holt loves, the race is on to save her from a fate worse than death.

Dead New World on Goodreads.

 

Purchase your copy!

Amazon

 

Author bio

Growing up, Ryan Hill used to spend his time reading and writing instead of doing homework. This resulted in an obsession with becoming a writer, but also a gross incompetence in the fields of science and mathematics. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Ryan has been a film critic for over five years. He lives in Raleigh, NC, with his dog/shadow Maggie. Ryan also feels strange about referring to himself in the third person.

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Excerpt!

 

Disgusted with myself, I let go of Nancy and walked, alone and with a heavy heart, to Ambrose’s room. I could see him through the window, asleep on a twin bed.

“Push the red button to talk into the microphone,” Nancy said.

I pressed the red button on the control panel next to the door. “Hey, man, wake up.”

Ambrose slowly stirred from his sleep. “Who is it?”

“Your mother.”

“Ha.” Ambrose stood, draping bed sheets over his white scrubs. The days of being stuck in this small room seemed to have sapped his strength. He leaned against the wall, too tired to stand on his own for long. “Nice to see you on your foot.”

“Funny. I could say the same for you. I hear you got one hell of a hickey. Didn’t your mother teach you to stay away from strangers?”

“I never did mind her like I should have.”

I tried to get a good look at him, but the lack of light made it impossible. “They said most people don’t last a day after being bitten. You’ve made it four. I guess I should congratulate you.” Surviving this awful disease longer than most. What a terrible silver lining. I bet he wished the virus would get it over with and turn him.

“Yeah, lucky me.” Ambrose coughed into his bed sheets. “Maybe they’ll give me a prize, like some bacon or something.”

“What… what does it feel like?”

Ambrose shrugged. “Kind of like being sick. Had a fever at first, then some numbness over part of my body.”

“Is it getting any worse?”

“No.” Ambrose sniffed. “Some parts still feel like me, others… like these gray parts, nothing.” He pointed at his arm where the skin had turned a sickly gray. “They’re dead, I guess.”

Nancy loudly cleared her throat. “We need to get you back to your room. They patrol this place pretty regularly, especially when we have… guests.”

I nodded to her, then turned my attention back to Ambrose. “I have to go. I’m sorry. I wish it was me in there, instead of you.”

Ambrose stepped up to the window. The light from the hallway revealed his face. For the first time, I got a glimpse of what his loyalty to me cost him. I froze, unable to take a breath for a long beat. One of his eyes remained normal, but the other took on that awful redness. Patches of dead skin were all over his face. The guilt rising up seemed almost too much to bear. What kind of hell had I sent my friend to?

 

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Book Blitz, Quest Post + Giveaway: Day Zero by Summer Lane

 

Day Zero (The Zero Trilogy, #1)
by Summer Lane
Publication date: October 10th 2014
YA, dystopia

Elle is a survivor. 

Since the collapse of modern society, she's been living in the remains of downtown Hollywood, California, foraging for food and fighting for her life. 

And then everything changes. 

After she is forced out of her home, she heads north. What she finds is a group of bunker survivors, unlikely comrades, and the hope of a safe haven. Together, they journey toward the dregs of civilization, facing starvation, imprisonment and death. 

They are alone, but they are ready. 

Day Zero begins today.

Day Zero is a novella, the first installment in The Zero Trilogy, a novella series complementing the international bestselling Collapse Series.

Day Zero on Goodreads.

 

Purchase your copy!

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Author bio

Summer Lane is the author of the international bestselling Collapse Series, which includes State of Emergency, State of Chaos, State of Rebellion and State of Pursuit. The fifth installment, State of Alliance, is releasing January 2015. Summer is also the author of The Zero Trilogy and an upcoming survivalist/science fantasy series coming in 2015. She owns WB Publishing, Writing Belle Magazine, and is an accomplished creative writing teacher and journalist.

Summer lives in the Central Valley of California, where she spends her time writing, teaching, and writing some more. When she is not writing, she enjoys leisurely visits with friends at coffee shops, dates to the movies, hiking in the mountains and strolling on the beach.
 

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Quest Post by Summer Lane

The Names 

Names are fun. One of the perks of writing fiction as a primary job is that you get to play around with lots of names. Names should represent the personality of a character, in my opinion, so I try to match my characters with appropriate monikers. In Day Zero, my protagonist’s name is Elle. It’s a somber, pretty name for a somber, pretty girl. (A girl with attitude, mind you, but still!)

My favorite names in Day Zero are Pix and Flash – twins, a brother and a sister. I don’t want to give away anything, but I played around with a lot of names before settling on those two. Thanks to the Internet, you can find names and their meanings far quicker than in the past. It’s better to use Google than to slog through those dusty piles of baby-name books in your mother’s attic. 

Not that I’ve done that, but you get my point! Names should be memorable, and I also think that there should be a fair variety of different names in a book. For example, naming your characters James, John, Janice, Jenny and Jared is what I’d call “alliterative overkill.” Mix up the names! Make them fun, and most of all, make a character and their name instantly identifiable to the reader. 
 

 

Giveaway! (INTL)

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Stacking the Shelves (20)

 

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is all about sharing the book you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

 

Freebies

 

Broken Symmetry by Dan Rix

Darkness by Elizabeth Arroyo

 

Yeah, it shows that I'm on a book buying ban. These were freebies so no ban breaking and I was so happy when I saw Broken Symmetry free. It's been on my TBR a year, maybe, and now I have it. Now all I need is find time to read it.

 

What did you get this week?

Blog Tour + Author and Character Interview + Giveaway: Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin

 

 

Queen of Someday (A Stolen Empire, #1)

by Sherry D. Ficklin

Published by Clean Tean Publishing

YA, historical fiction

 

Before she can become Catherine The Great, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.

Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.

Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.

In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?

Queen of Someday on Goodreads.

 

Read my 4/5 star ARC review here!

 

Grab your copy of Queen of Someday!

Amazon

 

You can also watch an official book trailer!

 

A note from the author:

The true story of Catherine the Great is one fraught with betrayal, intrigue, and romance. While a good deal of my story is drawn from actual people and events, I have been very liberal in the rearrangement of dates, events, and places. Whenever possible I took my cues from her own words, intermixing my own thoughts and ideas. My thought upon the creation of the book

was simple. I looked at the woman she was when she claimed the crown and then wondered, how did an innocent girl from Germany become such a force of nature? Most people aren’t born cold or ambitious, but have circumstances that forge them into those people. And that was the story I wanted to tell in this book. I wanted to see the events in her early life that would have changed her into the person she became, and not knowing the truth of that story, I simply made something up. That is what we, as writers, do best.

 

If you are curious about the real history behind Catherine, I suggest heading to your local library and doing a bit of research. This is not meant to be a historically accurate representation, but a flight of fancy, one that I hope you, dear reader, will enjoy as much as I have.

 

Author bio

Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

 

She is the author of The Gods of Fate Trilogy now available from Dragonfly Publishing. Her previously self-published novel After Burn: Military Brats has been acquired by Harlequin and will be released in 2015 with a second book in that series to follow. Her newest YA steampunk novel, EXTRACTED: The Lost Imperials book 1, co-written with Tyler H. Jolley is now available everywhere books are sold and her newest YA novel, Losing Logan, is due for release in 2014 from Clean Teen Publishing.

 

 

Website

 

Don't forget to participate the giveaway!

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And here's exclusive author interview!

 

What books have most influenced your life?

There have been so many over the years, it’s hard to pick a few. I think the ones I recall most often are My Antonia by Willa Cather, Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews, and The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker. And all for wildly different reasons.

 

What book(s) are you reading now?

I just finished the Selection Series. I loved the first book, but got a little bored with the others. Personal preference.

 

What do you prefer: paperback, hardcover, or ebooks?

Paperback for reading, ebook for trying something new, and hardback for collecting series. I just really love books.

 

How do you overcome writer’s block?

Procrastination followed by deadline panic.

 

Your character Sophie masters many languages. How many do you speak? Fluently or not?

I speak English and French. However, I can haggle in five languages. It is literally the only German, Italian, and Swiss I know, how to bargain shop. 

Now let's interview the main character Sophie from Queen of Someday! Exclusice, of course.

 

Who are the people you are closest to?

No one, currently. Attachment is a luxury I can no longer afford.

 

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

That is both a difficult and dangerous question. I think, over the years, I have loved deeply and more than once. But my first loyalty is always to Russia.

 

What is your biggest fear?

Becoming someone I despise.

 

Is there anything you wouldn't do for your country?

If there is a limit to how far I will go, I haven’t found it yet. Perhaps.

 

First and foremost are you princess of Prussia or future queen of Russia?

I will be queen, no matter the cost. I’ve left my past too far behind me for anything else. 

Review: A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

A Walk to Remember
by Nicholas Sparks
Published by Grant Central Publishing
Paperback (purchased)
YA, contemporary, romance, historical fiction (kind of)

Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he'd fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's Baptist minister.

A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it.

Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter's life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood...

I saw the movie years ago and I loved it so much. Now, when I finally got around buying copy of the book I thought it would be good - it must if the movie was so stunningly beautiful. However, the book and the movie are quite different. The book is all true fifties fashion and more is said by little gestures than kisses and overall, it was very different. Still, I loved it and this is one of the rare times when I can say that I loved both the book and the movie even though they were so different.

A Walk to Remember is beautiful story about a boy who grows up and how his life took the form it took. A twist of fate, like the blurb says. It's stunningly emotional and there's not many books that got me crying in the end. I confess: I haven't read Sparks other books nor seen the movies (other than Notebook) so I can't say if he's other stories are as emotional as this. Whether they are or not, A Walk to Remember truly is a wonderful story. I liked how it was set in the fifties - even though I nornally don't read books set in that time - and how the gestures and manners gave the story so much more. How it shows that loving isn't about kissing and sex and all that instant physical attraction as the stories nowadays seems to be. Not that there's anything wrong with those kind of stories, I like them too but it was so fresh to read something like this. How the gestures truly mattered, how Landon and Jamie's relationship grew a little by little until it manifested. So beautiful.

And characters. Let me love all of them. Really, every single one of them. Landon has special place in my heart and it's so perfect because they all felt like real people. There wasn't the normal compination of good characters, grey characters and bad characters but a great compination of people. Sparks really got his characters right, their story and their life and I couldn't help but love them all.

Get tissues when reading this one - and what's best, it's worth every single tear. Stunningly beautiful and it will play with your heart's strings but you'll love every single moment. I recommend this to everyone!

 

5 of 5 stars.

 

A Walk to Remember on Goodreads.

Stacking the Shelves (19)

 

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is all about sharing the book you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

 

Purchased

 

 

Suicide Watch by Kelley York

Hollowed by Kelley York

 

Some may know that Kelley York is one of my favourite authors. Hushed and Made of Stars are brilliant and I love them to death. So when I got chance to order physical copies of Suicide Watch and Hollowed (they're self-published) I took it. I'm dying to read both of them and luckily I've autumn break soon - only one exam and a couple school days left.

 

And yes, my book buying ban has worked this far (one week anniversary!) because I ordered these a couple weeks ago.

 

Wrapping the Month: September Edition

What's greater way to start new month than taking a look at previous one?

 

As some might have noticed, September wasn't that good. I was on a reading slump so there's illegally few reviews posted during September - however, I can promise that there will be more during October (I have three coming soon!) There wasn't that many blitzes or any other activites than meme's but October will be better. I've actually scheduled several blitzes, cover reveals, tours and other fun stuff. So there's that. The Reason why September was quiet month was simple: school. My studies begun on August but on September they really kicked in: I had one exam and next Tuesday I'll have another (four books this time so I had to use my time for studying).

 

I've autumn break on October - a whole week without school! - so there'll be more time to read, yay!

 

I want to thank everyone who stuck with me during September, it means lot to me.

 

Some may know I put myself on a book buying ban (so there won't be many STS on October) and that's because I went a little bit crazy during September. Nineteen physical copies purchased plus tons of ebooks. Some were freebies sure, but still.

But they're so pretty together, look at them!

 

+ Interworld & The Statictical Possibility of Love At First Sight (I have them at home, not on campus)

 

I have no excuses (and no regrets because books).

 

September's reviews:

Press Play (5 stars)

The Beautiful and the Cursed (5 stars)

Marco's Story (4 stars)

Brokeback Mountain (5 stars)

 

Absolutely amazing stories, I was so happy after reading all of them. I read several other books, too, but their reviews have not been posted yet. So following reviews will be posted during October even though I read them during September: A Walk to Remember, Speak and Gabriel's City.

 

I'm so excited about October! And let's hope I can stick to my schedule and have more reviews, blitzes etc. than I had during September.



Book Blitz + Giveaway: Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner

 

Ice Massacre

by Tiana Warner
Publication date: September 18th 2014
YA, fantasy

 

A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death.

The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.

Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.

For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.

Ice Massacre on Goodreads.

 

Purchase!

FREE during the blitz!

Amazon

 

 

Author bio

 

Tiana Warner was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. She enjoys riding her horse, Bailey, and collecting tea cups.

 

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Author interview

Give us the tweet-sized version of what Ice Massacre is about.

A teenage girl is sent to battle the hostile mermaids that are driving her people into poverty. A story of love, secrets, and ass-kicking.

What makes Ice Massacre unique?

First, I haven’t seen a lot out there that portrays mermaids for what they really are: flesh-eating sea demons. But I think what also sets it apart is its almost entirely female cast. This island decides to send female warriors to kill the mermaids that plague them, because women don’t fall victim to a mermaid’s supernatural allure. We end up with an all-female war on a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Meela, an aboriginal girl who’s never been away from the tiny island she calls home, also has a pretty unique journey of self-discovery. I don’t want to reveal too much. But I think a lot of aspects make this story unconventional.

What’s your favourite thing about the book?

I love Meela’s antagonists. Meela’s a tough chick and she has a lot coming at her from all directions. Writing those opposing forces was so much fun.

What’s next for you as a writer?

The sequel! This is the first in a trilogy, and I’m hard at work on book two: Ice Crypt.

Giveaway!

 

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