Review: The Outside by Laura Bickle

The Outside

Author:Laura Bickle

Release Date: September 3, 2013

Publisher: HMH Books

The Hollowed Ones Book #2

ISBN:   0544000137

ISBN13: 9780544000131

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian
Review Copy Source: Netgalley

One girl. One road. One chance to save what remains…

After a plague of vampires is unleashed in the world, Katie is kicked out of her Amish community for her refusal to adhere to the new rules of survival. Now in exile, she enters an outside world of unspeakable violence with only her two “English” friends and a horse by her side. Together they seek answers and other survivors—but each sunset brings the threat of vampire attack, and each sunrise the threat of starvation.

And yet through this darkness come the shining ones: luminescent men and women with the power to deflect vampires and survive the night. But can these new people be trusted, and are they even people at all?

In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, it’s up to one Amish girl to save her family, her community, and the boy she loves . . . but what will she be asked to leave behind in return?

I absolutely adored THE HOLLOWED ONES, it was nothing like I thought it would be and so much better than I could have imagined. THE OUTSIDE follows Katie and her "English" friends after they were kicked out of her Amish community.

I continued to enjoy the characters. Katie does not change much but I liked her the way she was so that was no big deal. Alex was protective and loving and Ginger was a good companion. They journeyed long and hard and met other survivors along the way. I cried a few times but I'm an emotional reader so that is to be expected. There were a few odd parts in THE OUTSIDE. Without going into spoilers I will say that I think maybe because one was pretty religious and "miracle" like and the other was too alien for me. Was not impressed by those parts at all and they were big moments. There was plenty of fighting and danger with close calls keeping the characters on their toes.

The ending was OK. I was hoping for something a little more but it ended well.Overall THE OUTSIDE did not blow me away like book 1 did. It was still great but it just did not pull me in as much as I wanted it to. 

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

Promo & Giveaway: Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick

Monsters 

Ashes Trilogy #3

B&N   Amazon  Indiebound

The Changed are on the move. The Spared are out of time. The End...is now.

When her parents died, Alex thought things couldn't get much worse-until the doctors found the monster in her head.

She headed into the wilderness as a good-bye, to leave everything behind. But then the end of the world happened, and Alex took the first step down a treacherous road of betrayal and terror and death.

Now, with no hope of rescue-on the brink of starvation in a winter that just won't quit-she discovers a new and horrifying truth.

The Change isn't over.
The Changed are still evolving.
And...they've had help.

With this final volume of The Ashes Trilogy, Ilsa J. Bick delivers a riveting, blockbuster finish, returning readers to a brutal, post-apocalyptic world where no one is safe and hope is in short supply.

A world where, from these ashes, the monsters may rise.

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Among other things, I was an English major in college and so I know that I’m supposed to write things like,”Ilsa J. Bick is.” Except I hate writing about myself like I’m not in the room.

Helloooo, I’m right here … So let’s just say that I’m a child psychiatrist (yeah, you read that right) and an award-winning, best-selling author of short stories, ebooks and novels.

Believe me, no one is more shocked about this than I … unless you talk to my mother.

Find Ilsa and her books

Website / Twitter

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 US Only

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Review: Blood Bond by Jeanne C. Stein

Personal Demons

Author: Lisa Desrochers

Release Date: September 14, 2013

Publisher: Tor Teen

Personal Demons Book #1

ISBN:  0765328089

ISBN13: 9780765328083

Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Publisher

As a vampire, Anna Strong has an immortal life…but now she’s running out of time.

Anna’s relationship with shape-shifter Daniel Frey has given her hope for a future with him and his son—especially when Frey proposes…

But just when Anna starts to think her life couldn’t be better, she must fly to France to be at the side of her dying mother. There she learns that not every vampire accepts her Chosen One status. And one such vamp is about to go rogue—by leading his followers in a fight to usurp humanity…

I was a tad bit surprised to see BLOOD BOND because I thought that HAUNTED was the last book of the series but I am not complaining.

There was not a huge conflict, big fight scene or close call with death in BLOOD BOND. The total feel of the book was about emotion, bonding and finding peace. Although BLOOD BOND had a different feel than the past books I still ended up really enjoying it. We got to see a softer side of Anna as she navigated her mothers sickness and her relationship with Daniel. There was a bit of vampire politics going on but it was not in the forefront of the story.

Now the question is, will BLOOD BOND be the last book for the Anna Strong series? I would not be disappointed if it was not as I enjoy reading about Anna but I feel Anna has reached happiness.

I gave it 4/5 stars

New Releases: 9/8-9/14

Are you reading this? Do you know someone else that might want to read this? Encourage them to follow UFI and leave a comment!

Tues Sept 10

 Antigoddess (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake 

 The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

 Darke London (Uncanny Chronicles #1) by Coleen Kwan

 Monsters (Ashes Trilogy #3) by Ilsa J. Bick

 Relativity by Cristin Bishara

 Rogue (Croak #3) by Gina Damico 

 Thin Space by Jody Casella 

 Thornhill (Hemlock #2) by Kathleen Peacock

Thurs Sept 12

 Briar Rose by Jana Oliver 

 

What are you dying to get your hands on this week?

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Deamhan by Isaiyan Morrison

UFI welcomes  Isaiyan Morrison Author of Deamhan. Thanks for Joining us!!

My name is Isaiyan Morrison and I'm the author of Deamhan. I'm currently a student pursuing my Bachelors in Creative Writing and eventually I'd like to teach ESL. I'm also a veteran and an avid gamer.

            Deamhan is the first book in the Deamhan Chronicles. They are different from the normal sanguine (blood) vampires that most people know about today. I love reading stories about the supernatural, but I've always wondered if something new could be introduced into the vampire genre. After researching I learned about psychic vampires and I decided to write about them. I wanted my "vampires" to be different.

            Deamhan feed off the psychic energy of humans. However, like vampires, they don't like sunlight (they don't sparkle) and they can die from being staked (they have a hatred for anything "wood" related.)  Among that, I promised myself that Deamhan would be mean and ruthless. They don't cry about their existence, they kill to survive, and they like it. I wanted survival to be part of the main storyline and an important aspect of their nature.

            Deamhan took about 10 years to research and to write. There are so many different types of vampires in vampire lore and unfortunately, I couldn't pick them all.

            The second book in the Deamhan Chronicles, Sensual Appetite, was accepted by my publisher Rainstorm Press. I'm currently working on the third book in the Deamhan Chronicles and I'm also writing Deamhan Tales, short stories involving characters from the main storyline.

           

Youtube Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvXvINwJpH0

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An avid gamer, writer, and lover of history, Isaiyan Morrison was born and raised in Minnesota. She moved to San Diego, California while in the Navy. After serving four years of active duty, she moved to Los Angeles.

After a few years, she moved back to Minnesota where she started to pursue her dream to be an author. 

Besides writing, she also likes to read, surf the internet, watch movies, and play video games. She likes warm drinks, pico de gallo, and her love for cilantro is legendary. 

At one point she was sponsored to participate in video game tournaments. During that time she traveled to Canada, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Caribbean.

Her novel Deamhan, the first book in the Deamhan series, was accepted for publication by Rainstorm Press for release in mid 2013. She’s currently in talks to have the second book Sensual Appetite published by the same company. 

Other novels the author has completed are The Carriers (Sphere Episode One,) The Bond (Sphere, Episode Two,) and Old Farmer’s Road to name a few.  

She’s currently writing the third Deamhan book titled, Revelation, and Maris. The Brotherhood Files. 

Find Isaiyan and her books

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Deamhan
Deamhan Chronicles #1

Amazon

Deamhan have survived by remaining hidden in the shadows. Ramanga, Lamia, Metusba, and Lugat have been overshadowed by what humans know as the modern vampire. But what if vampires aren't the real threat?

One woman's search for her mother who disappeared without a trace on the streets of Minneapolis takes her into the precarious world of Deamhan, psychic vampires who rule the underground nightlife in the city's most darkest corners.

She gains the trust of the only other human familiar with the Deamhan lifestyle. With his help she finds not only can the Deamhan not be trusted but it s her own father, president of a ruthless organization of researchers, who has diabolically maintained that distrust.

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Week in Review: 9/1-9/7

Books Ive Bought/received

* Seven Years by Dannika Dark- eARC- Tour Provider
* Salvage by Alexandra Duncan- eARC- Edelweiss
* Hell's Belle by Karen Greco- eARC- Netgalley

Books I Read

Blood Bond by Jeanne C. Stein
Inhuman by Kat Falls
Burn with Me by R.G. Alexander
Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

Reviews Posted

Silence of the Wolves by Hannah Pole
Vengeance Borne by Amanda Bonilla

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Do you have any reading pet peeves? I want to know about them

* Monday- Guest Blog for The Outside by Laura Bickle

* Wednesday- Interview for Charming by Elliott James

* Thursday- Promo and Giveaway for Chosen by Benedict Jacka

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 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.