Never Never by Collen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

Rating: 5 Stars

Title: Never Never (Book 1 of a series) This is a serial.
 
Author:  Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
 
Publisher: Hoover Ink
 
Genre:  Young Adult/Suspense/Romance

Length: 140 Pages   

Summary :  


Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.

Complete strangers since this morning.

He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget. 

Review: 
  
First, I want to address something I've been seeing around Facebook and on various review sites. Please note the part above where I mention that this is a serial. This is noted on the Amazon page. The authors announced this ahead of the release and it has been fairly well known within the book/reading community. As part one of a serial, this book ends in a major cliffhanger. I've seen lots and lots of people complaining about this. The authors have announced that the second book will be out in mid-May. I have no idea if there is a part three or when it will be out if there is. So now you have been warned. If you choose to purchase this book, do it with the full knowledge that there is a cliffhanger and it's a serial.

Wow. Just wow. This book pulls you in and doesn't let you go until the end of the ride. Even then, you'll be thinking about it for days. Strap in and put the safety bar down, because you're gonna need it with this one! There are so many twists and turns in this book that you're not going to know which way is up when the ride is over.

I love Silas. He's a total sweetheart (so far) and seems to genuinely care about people. Especially Charlie. Even without knowing the full story, he knows that she's important to him, and that's all that matters. Charlie is a little harder. She's a little more abrasive and a little harder to like but she grows on you. She's independent and determined. She also redeems herself by how she treats her little sister and the fact that she's not liking who she used to be.

Overall, I loved this book. I loved the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about it for days afterwards. I love that I am completely clueless as to where this may or may not be headed when I'm usually really good at figuring things out. And I absolutely cannot wait for May!

Purchase Never Never (Volume 1) on Amazon. (Just click the title)

Wingspan by Samantha Combs

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars 

Title:  Wingspan

Author:  Samantha Combs

Publisher: esKape Press
     Cover Art: For the Muse Designs

Genre:  Young Adult, Paranormal - could possibly qualify as Dystopian

Length: 189 Pages   

Summary :  

Chessa Dawning never thought she’d be on the run. Yet, she was, having left the only home she’s ever known, staying two steps ahead of the men chasing her and falling for a resourceful ex-criminal with colorful friends.

Most of the time, Charlotte Lake can’t believe her life. The reluctant leader of a rebel faction called the Ginger Nation, Charlie’s days are filled with planning surveillance, rescuing detainees, and exposing government conspiracy. Surrounded by loyal friends and soldiers, she knows she can never reveal the true nature of her quest: finding her real father.

When a sudden twist brings the two girls together, revelations about the past will make them rethink where they came from and define the future in ways they never could have imagined.
Not every scientific breakthrough is a gift.  

Review:

I love fast paced stories that keep you on your toes, and keep you scratching your head trying to figure out what's going on. Wingspan met that criteria and then some, so it was a fun read. Government conspiracy, rebel factions, great big teddy bear men, girls on the run and a hot guy mixed with suspense and danger? Heck yeah!

Well written with fleshed out characters, I really enjoyed getting to know the players in this story. Chessie seemed a bit childish after realizing what her age was actually supposed to be, which was somewhat of a contradiction. On the one hand, it could be chalked up to her being sheltered. On the other hand, she lost her mom at a very early age and takes care of her dad, which usually matures kids beyond their years. It didn't come across as annoying though, because I spent most of the book thinking she was younger (see below), so she was still a fun, interesting character. The dad was a hilariously stereotypical nerdy scientist, but you could tell he genuinely cared about what was happening. Charlie was a bit of an enigma, which made her mysterious and interesting. I especially enjoyed Mickey. A great friend, loyal to the bone and protective of those he cares about, he is there every step of the way for Charlie, and the rest of them when the need arises. I want my own Mickey. 

With a few twists and turns along the way, I found myself suspecting different people at different points of the story. I had a suspicion about who the traitor was earlier in the story, but then the plot took a turn and I was still relatively surprised when it ended up being revealed. 

I did find a few misspellings here and there or sometimes the wrong word used, but the story is intriguing and fast paced enough that I could overlook them. There was a continuity issue that I'm hesitant to mention, because it's possible that it was a misunderstanding on my part. Charlie and Chessa are supposed to be the same age but, for some reason and from the very beginning of the book, I thought that Chessa was much younger. Like high school age instead of Charlie's stated 22 years old. 

With the political atmosphere being what it is these days, I thought the political component of this book was really interesting. It really makes you think about what the government is working on that the public isn't aware of. And what they're capable of that nobody considers. 

A great way to pass an afternoon, I really enjoyed this book. I've read Samantha Combs before and this was a little bit of a change from what I'm used to from her, so I had a lot of fun seeing where the plot would take me. It didn't disappoint, and being able to surprise me with the bad guy is an unusual feat, as I can usually spot them at least halfway through! I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

Blind Sight (Through the Eyes of Leocardo Reyes) by Ermisenda Alvarez

Rating: 4 Stars


Title:  Blind Sight (Through the Eyes of Leocardo Reyes)

Author:   Ermisenda Alvarez

Publisher:  Ermilia LLC

Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary Paranormal Fantasy

Length:  173 Pages (For Leocardo's side only)

Summary: 

 A blind girl drawing is abnormal even on the magical island of Edaion where leaves brush themselves into piles in the middle of the night. So when Odette Reyes, a girl blind from birth, begins to experience ominous side effects of the island's "gift," her brother Leocardo and best friend Aniela must figure out what the doctors cannot. As an immigrant, Leocardo is not biased by accepted rules of magic and determines that Odette's drawings are premonitions. Aniela grew up with magic and knows premonitions are impossible. She determines Odette is a medium channeling voiceless spirits.

Who is right? Whose eyes will you read through?

Snatched out of their life in Spain, Leocardo and his blind sister Odette find themselves on an island with no recollection of the trip. After foiled attempts to escape, Odette’s strange behavior gets worse. Even after learning the island has bestowed magic upon them both, Leocardo faces the possibility his sister is having a mental break down. Just as he thinks he is settled in, job and romantic life stable, Odette disappears.

Read Aniela's side of the story in "Blind Sight Through the Eyes of Aniela Dawson" by Eliabeth Hawthorne.

(Summary hijacked from Amazon)

Review: 

 I've been reading this book off and on for the past couple of weeks, and sadly, I'm not finished with it yet. It's been off and on only because I was on vacation (at the beach!) and then catching up from work, otherwise I would be done with it by now. I'm going to write a review up to the point I've reached. It's not something I normally do, but since I agreed to be part of this blog tour, I wanted to get a review up ...even though the authors were fantastic about me going on vacation and said I could just post an excerpt. So, on to the review....

The format for this book is different and not something I've seen for a long time. Two books. Both titled the same. Each told from the perspective of a different character. Each written by a different author. I remember reading books as a kid where you would read one side, then flip it over and read the other side. While I haven't had a physical copy in my hands, this concept sort of reminds me of that. I was intrigued and excited about the whole idea! As a writer, I cannot imagine how incredibly difficult writing like this would be. You would have to know your writing partner very well to pull this off.

I let the authors choose which side to give me, and I received Leocardo's side. The other side is from Aniela's (aka Ana) perspective. You get lots of exposure to Ana throughout Leo's side and I can only imagine that the same is true for Ana's side. At this point, I can't speak as to whether or not they are stand alone reads, but why cheat yourself, anyway? It's also interesting that one perspective is from an outsider and the other is from a native.

I found the beginning slightly confusing. The story seemed to jump ahead a bit, without much explanation as to what happened. Some of it comes back later in flashbacks that Leo has. Some of it (so far) has not been explained at all. I understand that it's supposed to be because they don't remember it but it makes it confusing for the reader. If I'm this confused as a reader, how confused would the characters be? And, taking that into consideration, I can't believe how relatively calmly they take everything. Leo does freak out a bit, but not nearly as much as I think I would.

Leo seems to be a well fleshed out character. He is a devoted big brother to Odette and feels an overwhelming responsibility to her. I thought it was rather strange that they lived together at the beginning of the story, rather than Odette living with her parents. Especially considering that she is still in high school and blind. Leo was going to college at the time and I don't know many college guys that would want their blind little sister living with them unless their parents were gone.

I also really like Ana. Even though she is young, she knows who she is and seems to be fairly independent. She will do what she has to do to help Leo and get things done, regardless of the consequences. She is strong, but also vulnerable when it comes to Leo.

Odette, on the other hand, comes across more like a spoiled brat. We don't see a lot of the relationship between Odette and Leo, other than the fact that they live together, but she treats him horribly enough to make me question his devotion to her. Sometimes she seemed sweet and in the blink of an eye I would be wondering if she was bi-polar. I just didn't connect with her at all.

 So far, I'm really enjoying this book! I'm about 2/3 of the way through and anxious to see how it ends.  Right now I'm giving it four stars. If that changes when I'm completely finished with it, I will update the review. It's definitely something I would recommend anyone to check out, if only for the fun and unique quality to it. Once they start reading, I'm sure they'll be hooked.







This post is part of the Blind Sight Blog Tour. Blind Sight is an urban fantasy novel written in two volumes, each telling the story through a different character's perspective.

Provex City (The Lorne Family Vault Series, Book 1) by Michael Pierce

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars 

Title:  Provex City (The Lorne Family Vault Series, Book 1) 

Author:  Michael Pierce 

Cover Art: Ashley Stewart 

Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal  

Length: 312 Pages   

Summary :   

Fifteen-year-old Oliver Grain begins his school year fighting off bullies, learning about the boy who committed suicide in his room, and trying to understand why his history teacher, Mr. Gordon, has taken such a personal interest in him.

Do you believe in ghosts? Do you believe you can make bullies simply disappear? Do you believe you can walk through walls?

Mr. Gordon tells Oliver: "When you truly believe anything is possible, you will be able to open doors where there were only walls." And one of those doors leads Oliver to Provex City, which puts him in far greater danger than he can possibly fathom. 

Review:  

If you've read any of my previous reviews, you know that I love a good ghost story. Once I saw the offering of ghosts in the summary, I was sold. And Mr. Pierce didn't disappoint. Don't be fooled though - that is only a small part of this story. Provex City is so much more than that. There are so many layers to the story that it does make you stop and think here and there and when it comes to the YA genre, I think that is an excellent thing. Challenging young minds to think outside the box is always a good thing. Heck, it challenged my mind and I am most definitely not a young adult.

I'm not used to male leads. I honestly think I've only read two other books in this genre that had a male lead, so it took me a bit to sort of get in the mind set of how a teenage boy would think rather than a teenage girl. Once there, everything seemed to be exactly on target with how one would think, react, etc.

Oliver is a typical teenage boy. One that is, in my opinion, more realistic than the stereotypical football player that is always Mr. Popularity. Oliver gets bullied, looks up to his older brother while simultaneously always feeling like he's living in his shadow, he is artistic, confused by girls and hates gym class. When he meets Desiree, they just seem to click, much to her boyfriend's chagrin. Having several classes together, Desiree introduces him to some of her friends. Oh, and did I mention that he is living in the room of a boy that killed himself?

I actually love that Oliver is somewhat of an underdog, while his brother is the more likely hero. The converse situation that comes about in the end was unexpected. Mr. Gordon is an interesting character and a little mysterious. You know what he's about but at the same time you don't. It's a mystery hopefully to be solved in upcoming sequels. Throughout the course of the book, however, it is Mr. Gordon who teaches Oliver about the things he is capable of and gives him the confidence he needs to succeed. He explains the science behind Oliver's abilities in one of those "so simple it's confusing" sort of ways. Also, Desiree's boyfriend, Eli, is a mystery. Sometimes he is nice, other times not so nice and at times he seems to have ulterior motives that aren't revealed to us.

The world building was fascinating and makes you wish you could visit. It also raises some questions about things like parallel universes and dimensions. 

This is a well written, complex and intriguing first book from Mr. Pierce. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters, the suspense that kept me reading and the threads that were left dangling. I very much look forward to checking out future installments of this series. If you enjoy the YA genre, this is an author to check out, especially if you are looking for an original paranormal.

Rating: 5 Stars 

Title:  Ghost Island

Author:  Bonnie Hearn Hill

Publisher: Black Opal Books 
     Cover Art: Black Opal Books

Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal

Length: 193 Pages 

Summary : 

Is Aaron a dream or something much more deadly?

Livia Hinson has just begun a Seminar at Sea when a storm hits their yacht. Now, she is stranded with the other students on an island off the coast of California. Far away from her foster home and her heartbreak, Livia finds Aaron, the perfect love. But the only way they can be together is in her dreams.

The other students are having tempting dreams of their own, and Livia begins to realize that the storm has blown in more than rain. Is Aaron flesh or spirit? Can he come to her world, or will he pull her into his? Together, they explore the blurred territory between love and illusion on a dangerous journey that will force Livia to make the most important decision of her life.

Review: 

A great late night, spooky read - preferably with the lights out. Ghost Island starts out detailing a trip a bunch of students are about to embark on as they participate in a "Seminar at Sea" but end up on an island to wait out a storm. It reminds me a lot of the books I used to read as a teenager by Christopher Pike, where the lines of reality are blurred and you can never tell what is real and what isn't. 

Livia seems to be a pretty average teenage girl that has had a hard time recently. Her mom has disappeared, her dad has been accused of murdering her, she's been in foster care and her boyfriend has broken up with her. Not the easiest few months for a teenage girl. When a teacher offers her a chance to attend a "Seminar at Sea" for the summer, she sees her chance to escape her life for a few weeks.

Unfortunately, before they can begin their trip they get stranded on an island to wait out a storm, but strange things begin to happen. Nothing is what it seems, dreams are strangely real and some of the other kids are....different when they wake up.

I loved the mystery and suspense of this story. It's one of those delicious plots where nothing is what it seems and when you think you have figured out what or who is real, there is a twist that leaves you digging back in. The characters were typical teenagers and well portrayed. Livia was very likeable but most of the others left me realistically equally liking and disliking them.The only thing that left me a little perplexed, and was never really explained by the end, was the complete about face of one character's behavior.

The ending was left open enough with some of the characters that it leaves you with a few questions. A possible sequel? I'm not sure. There are enough questions left with the characters that it's possible, but I'm not sure where the plot would go. It would be fun to find out though. Definitely worth checking out.

Ice Princess by Jennifer Anderson

Rating: 4 Stars 

Title:  Ice Princess (Honey Creek Royalty Series)

Author:  Jennifer Anderson

Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
     Cover Art: K.J. Jacobs

Genre:  Young Adult Romance

Length: 69 Pages 

Summary :  
 
Mya Newman never minded the routine or quiet that came with living in a small country town like Honey Creek, Ohio. For her senior year, she craved something exciting to happen instead of it melting into a cookie cutter routine like the previous years.

When a new girl, Audrey Moore, moves to Honey Creek, Mya finds herself caught in a triangle. She discovers hidden feelings for her best friend, Michael Graves, but he seems to have eyes for the new girl.

After Mya’s father becomes ill and eventually passes, she turns to her best friend, Michael. Never leaving her side, she can’t help but wonder if he’d rather be elsewhere. With fear of rejection and loss of friendship, Mya decides she can’t confess her recently discovered feelings.

When Michael and Mya share a dance at the Winter Formal, does she confess her true feelings for him? Or does she shy away, forever longing to be the princess who finds her prince?

Review:

 I wanted to review this book partly because of the story but also partly because it takes place in my home state of Ohio. This was a quick, albeit emotional, read that I really enjoyed. I loaded it on to my Nook and read it each night before bed while we were on vacation in Myrtle Beach. It only took me two nights and that's only because I was dead tired by bed time. 

I loved the characters of Mya and Michael in this story, or M and M, as their parents call them. They were very real and engaging - especially Michael.  Mya's internal struggle as she deals with her jealousy of Michael's relationship with the new girl, Audrey, is such a typical teenager that it hit all the angsty checkpoints and ran the gamut of angry, sad, and resigned emotions - and was entertaining all at once. Understandably, Mya is worried about destroying their friendship but her heart knows the truth before her head does and watching her figure it all out was interesting. Her attitude about Audrey was surprisingly mature for her age and watching the internal struggle to get there was interesting.

Her relationship with Michael is heartwarming and endearing and kept me rooting for them through the whole book. I loved Michael's devotion to her and how he always seemed to know when she needed him and exactly what she needed. Michael is at that age where he is getting past the most awkward phases of being a teenager and becoming a man. He knows who he is and what he wants and is prepared to be patient.  

The subplot of the illness of Mya's father is heartbreaking and very well portrayed in the space given. It was so sad and brought me to tears in a couple of places, relating to what it would feel like going through that as a teenager. 

Being from Ohio and familiar with the general area portrayed (Fayette County), I was surprised that more scenery wasn't described within the story. We just drove through that area last night and I found myself thinking about this book. Ms. Anderson could have taken more advantage of the beauty of the area. 

One note to the author - it's pop, not soda! And, yes, I am laughing as I type that. Anyone native to Ohio will understand.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be checking out future installments of the series. I recommend any teens looking for a new series or romance to read, or anyone that enjoys the Young Adult genre give this one a chance. 

Spellbound by Samantha Combs

 

Rating: 4 Stars
 

Title:  Spellbound

Author:  Samantha Combs

Publisher: Astraea Press

      Cover Art: Elaina Lee

Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal

Length: 233 Pages

Summary:

Logan Daniels has always led a sheltered life in sleepy, predictable Lancaster, New Hampshire. But when beautiful Serena suddenly appears at school one day, his comfortable existence becomes anything but as he finds himself falling in love with her. There’s something special about Serena Starr. He realizes what it is when he sees her unleash her spells. Soon, a mysterious and foreboding presence settles over his placid home.

Logan and Serena find themselves battling darkness and evil with an ominous mission: it wants Serena and will stop at nothing to have her. Tearing apart Logan’s town, threatening his friends, even causing harm to his family, the demon will spread its doom over every facet of Logan’s once placid life. Logan matures in ways he could never have imagined as he struggles to protect those he loves, including Serena. But he can't do it alone.

Serena hails from a long line of able and powerful women who will aide in the battle and perhaps settle a score of their own. The strength of the coven and Serena's love will be behind him, but ultimately this is Logan’s fight to win. But, will he? 

Review:

I usually try to write my reviews in a way that I don't need to give spoiler warnings, but I think with this one I'm going to need to. Not that I plan on giving away anything huge, but comments here and there might be a bit more revealing than I usually like to be. So on that note.....


SPOILER WARNING     SPOILER WARNING     SPOILER WARNING     SPOILER WARNING     SPOILER WARNING     SPOILER WARNING     SPOILER WARNING 





This book is different and unique for the Young Adult story - or even, really, for any genre. It is filled with action, romance, mystery, suspense, magic and even a demon or two - all some of my favorite things. It's a fun read that kept me engrossed in the story just to see what was going to happen next.

The author did a great job with the characters in this story and making them sound like teenagers. Having two teenage boys myself, I could (at times) see my kids and their friends behaving like the kids in Spellbound, especially Logan's friend, Dave. The plot has been developed very well and even the history has been well thought out and developed.

Serena came across as that beautiful high school girl that most other girls are prepared to hate, but she was very nice and extremely likeable. She had this odd mix of sweetly vulnerable mixed with fierce and strong. She is also very loyal to her family and those she cares about.

Logan is the typical teenage boy who is into sports and popular at his school. He is a genuinely nice guy and everybody seems to love him.

The book is written in first person and the point of view switches in each chapter from Logan to Serena. I wasn't too sure how I felt about this, and I'm still unsure. On one hand, it was nice to see what each character saw/thought/felt/etc. I did find myself wishing we were in the other point of view at times, just to see how they felt about something. On the other hand, it could also become confusing at times. Especially considering that not only were you switching point of view but also gender. I've never read another book that did this, so it was definitely unique!

The pacing, when there is action, is done very well, though it does tend to lag a bit towards the middle. It picks back up again but there are parts that I felt could have been removed and it would have kept the story moving along more smoothly. On the flip side of that, some things I felt moved too quickly. The intensity of the relationship between Serena and Logan seemed to happen overnight, Logan's acceptance of the fact that Serena and her family are witches and Logan's acceptance of Serena being able to read his mind (which, let's be honest, I think would freak anybody out if you suddenly found your boy/girlfriend inside your head), just to give a few examples. I could list more.

The magic involved in this story was fantastic. I loved the scene in the backyard, when all the coven sisters were preparing for the fight about to come, and you got to see a little of which each individual could do. I completely loved the magic and I found myself wishing I knew more about some of the coven sisters. I could see this becoming a series in the future, not necessarily with Serena and Logan, but instead with the coven sisters getting their own time in the spotlight.

I'm not a big fan of the cover. I love the colors but I find it misleading. To me, with the sea in the background, it almost looks like it should be about mermaids or something. And I'm really not sure why there is a beach on the cover. I don't remember the beach being mentioned in the book and if it was, it was very brief.

All in all, this was a great read. I really enjoyed it and will definitely continue to read the series. This is a great addition to the Young Adult genre.

Kindle:




Paperback:

The Soulkeepers by G.P. Ching

My Rating: 5 Stars

Title: The Soulkeepers (The Soulkeepers Trilogy #1)

Author: G.P. Ching

Publisher: DarkSide Publishing

      Cover Art: Adam Bedore/Anjin Designs

Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Young Adult with some religious elements

Length: 272 Pages with a bonus preview of the book Anathema by Megg Jensen at the end.

Summary: 

When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. Made a ward of his uncle and thousands of miles from home, a beautiful and mysterious neighbor, Dr. Abigail Silva, offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom. In exchange, she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a gifted warrior charged with protecting human souls. He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions Dr. Silva's motives for helping him. 

Review: 

I'll be honest, the first time I sat down to read this book I had a hard time getting into it. I finally set it aside for a while. It wasn't the book's fault. Or the author's. I just had a lot going on in my life at the time and couldn't manage to summon the focus necessary to absorb this book. And it deserves that kind of focus.

There are so many things going on that you need to be able to concentrate solely on this book to give it the attention it deserves. It's like one of those movies where you can't risk looking away for a second or you will miss something. That said, you want to trust me on this: it's worth it.

For a teenager, Jacob is a strong character. He is well developed, as are all the characters, with all the flaws and quirks necessary to make him become real. He has a very strong sense of self and loyalty. He is a kid who knows who he is and he refuses to let anybody change that. Even in the small town atmosphere that he finds himself in. When he is taken from his home in Hawaii and forced to live with his Uncle in Paris, Illinois, Jacob has to adapt to an entirely new way of life. Not only is he living with relatives that he never even knew existed but he also has to leave island life far behind. No more sand and sea, casual attitudes and acceptance of his differences. Here his differences are glaringly obvious and he's not allowed to forget it.Jacob also slowly becomes aware of the fact that he is different in other ways too. Ways that aren't quite....normal. In a quest to figure out who...or what....he is, and his quest to find his missing mother, he is brought together with Dr. Silva and they have adventures quite unlike anything I have read before.

Even the secondary characters, Malini (I loved this character), Uncle John, Dr. Silva, even the kids at school, just leap off the page at you. It's like they are sitting next to you telling you their stories. Malini is Jacob's best friend and love interest and she is lovely. Mature beyond her years and determined not to forget her heritage like her parents seem to being trying to do, she is the perfect counter-character to Jacob. Malini helps Jacob adjust and settle in to this new life. She is very accepting of his differences and determined to help him figure things out. And Dr. Silva? Well, I'll let you discover her on your own. She is distinctly unique.

This author will keep you guessing until the very end on who the true "bad guys" are and who the good guys are. Each character has so much depth to them that you truly see what real people they are and that everybody has flaws. The plot is very well developed, so in depth, with so many twists and turns that it will keep you engrossed from start to finish. There are some Christian elements to the book, but I won't say more than that because I don't want to give anything away. I will say that it's not "in your face" Christian but very intriguing and interesting. The worldbuilding involved in this book is fantastic and I could see it in your mind as clearly as a movie.

This book has it all. Teen angst, magic, good versus evil, fantasy, first love and suspense. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It leaves you wanting to see what happens and wanting to return to the world of Jacob and Malini. Entertaining enough, that any editorial flaws (which I didn't notice many) are easily overlooked because you are so drawn into the world that you just don't care. As the first in a series, it is easily a stand along novel, so no worries there. Thoroughly enjoyable. This book is available in both paperback and for ereaders.