Book Review: Beast by Parker Kingston

Self Published
Published Aug. 17th 2018
476 Pages

Aasim Daniels had a perfect life. Money, a family that he loved, a reputation that opened doors for him wherever he went, and a long-time girlfriend that he was intent on marrying. That all changed when an unforeseen betrayal and dark turn of events left him heartbroken and fighting for his life. Hell-bent on revenge, Aasim finds himself on a quest that leads him to new surroundings and right into the unexpected path of a curly-haired beauty he can’t seem to shake. 

After her ex-boyfriend Gabriel betrays her in the most unimaginable way, Reygan Haynes is done with love. Her only focus is putting the pieces of her shattered life back together and fighting with herself to resist the pull of Gabriel’s advances and demands of reconciliation. Just when she’s convinced that she has it all together, a random encounter between her father and handsome yet scarred stranger flips her entire world upside down and threatens to destroy everything that she holds dear. 

Gabriel Brown wants what he wants when he wants, and doesn’t care how he gets it. Realizing that he made the biggest mistake of his life letting Reygan get away, he’ll stop at nothing to get her back. Already on edge due to his crumbling position in the streets, Reygan’s sudden disappearance causes him to completely unravel, as he’ll stop at nothing to get her back. Not even murder.- Goodreads

Fairly tales are my thing. Retellings are my thing. Make it an urban novel, written by a Black woman and I am all over it.

I was extremely skeptical when I began reading this book. I am not big person that enjoys saying or reading curses, especially the N word. The author doesn’t shy away from that type of language within this book and that was off-putting for me. When I began reading, I wasn’t too sure how she was going to tie the traditional fairy tale to this modern version. When everything started coming together it was great. The tie in was smooth and believable in the modern sense. It satisfied my requirements for a fairy tale retelling.

But here was my issue. Reygan screamed idiot to me from beginning to end. All I can say is she has a thing for abusive men. Granted in Beauty and the Beast, the beast had some anger issues but Reygan’s first and then on going interaction with Aasim (for some chapters) are down right verbally abusive. What really through me for a loop was how she ended up in his home and the exact moment you see her feelings for him change. It was as if someone clicked a switch. I was just shocked in all honesty as to not how easy. . . well how easy it was for her to get a soft side to him.

Other than that the pace of the novel was alright. There was a lot of moving parts, which kept me interested in the book. I wanted more fairy tale aspect to this book and that is really because I am a fantasy reader. I also wanted more description of apperances. The author glimpes over this. There wasn’t enough for me to drool.

Overall, not a bad read. Long but not bad at all. But as previously mentioned the cursing in everyday conversation was a bit too much for me.

2.5 Pickles

Book Review: Imitatore by A. Rose

Self-published
January 11, 2018

In Sophie’s world, those born with one power are superior, those born with none are inferior, and she is the one destined to save them all. Sophie’s ability to have multiple powers makes her an anomaly, at the age of 23 she has six powers and has yet to master each one. At the order of her father, the Governor, those powers are kept secret in order to protect her from those who may want to exploit them. So when she meets Oliver, the Imitatore who possesses the gift of using her powers, her once peaceful world is shattered.

Suddenly, Sophie is forced to face who she is, who she is destined to be, and learn who she is no longer able to trust. Oliver and Sophie are targets for The Society, a group of supernatural beings bent on destroying her world by eradicating humans and crowning a new queen. She must stop the evil group before they kill the Imitatore and force her to be the Queen of their new world.-Goodreads

This book had a lot of good things in it and it is definitely worth the read. Firstly, I was drawn to this book due to a African American woman having powers and goes through the process of trying to master them. You don’t really see it often and I was pleased with it.

But despite this, I had some issues with the book. Sophie . . . for a lack of better term is rude and you really don’t connect with her. What I mean is I can’t say I know her. I know what she has done and what she is capable of but who she is . . . isn’t really defined and there is nothing there that makes me like her.

The book fell short in talking about her past. Yes, she is born different but it would have been a great foundation to know how she started to be in the position that she is in. The author takes too long to talk about the past and as opposed to things leading up to this new information it is just thrown in an argument or fight.

Not a lot of stuff happens and there is a lot of back forth of practicing and then going to her room. This slowed the book down a lot. But what really bothered me was there was a lot of lazy writing. Her father who was supposed to be a strong man cried more times than the word strong was used. The surprises, although surprises, were thrown in as if they were a second thought and in all my reading years, I have never seen an enemy cave and let things go, as fast as the one in this book.

I wish there was more care in the setting and I wish that some of the surrounding characters were not clingy and had a backbone of their own. Sophie needed support and it wasn’t there.

I know that I have listed some strong issues with this read but the potential here is amazing. The author tells about the magic is a great foundation. The diversity within the characters are good and the ending was a good send off to a book two was written well.

I liked the book but it isn’t as strong as it could have been. Also 20 points for not adding a love triangle.

2.5 Pickles

Book Review: Beauty and the Vampire by Zoey Hunter

Self-Published
Published Jan. 19, 2018
207 Pages

Honor student and cheerleader, Bel Winter, works hard to be a normal teenager. But deep down, she knows she is far from normal. The glowing rose-shaped mark on her shoulder is her first clue. 

As her 17th birthday draws close, Bel’s friends fear she is losing her grip on reality. Yet, Bel believes. The visions she sees are real. The men in black capes who come out of the shadows are real. 

And they are coming for her… 

On the night of Bel’s birthday, at the stroke of midnight, her world goes black. When she wakes, she is thrust into a new and frightening world—the underground Onyx City. 

It is a place rife with magic and creatures of the night. 

It is a place of dark beauty, dangerous intrigue and ruled by a beast—the ruthless vampire prince, Ezra Blade. 

When Bel makes a desperate attempt to escape her captors, she trespasses through the royal gardens, and is caught by the prince himself. Now, her fate is in his hands. Though she fears the mercurial Ezra, Bel knows he alone has the power to release her from the Onyx City. 

Can Bel tame the beast? And convince him to set her free? – Goodreads

What can I say about this book? A lot actually. Firstly let me begin by saying I liked it. Something about this book just sucked me and I liked it. But there were a lot of holes in this read.

Firstly the book promises a heart stopping romance. That isn’t exactly the case. The romance is there and its cute but heart stopping? It doesn’t even come close. What is missing in the romance is the actual courting, the stories they build together when no one is looking. In other words, the build up is missing. The attraction is there. Bel and Ezra are attracted to each other but author adds things to make it seem as if they are destined for each other.

For instance, Bel is special and she sort of knew Ezra before meeting him and I am cool with that but the author didn’t go deeper into that. There are no dreaming of a mystery man, there is no flashes of them being together. Bel sees a man she is attracted to, sees his goons and that is it.

Another thing that bother me, is Ezra isn’t a beast. He is mourning and he is angry about it. The author could have did so much with Ezra and not even on a physical level but his internal torment could have been more detailed and provided a bigger struggle in his relationship with Bel. He gave in too easy and I have an issue with that.

There is a lot of holes in this story. Mythology, traditions all of that could have added to the story making it richer and more entertaining. Also there was predictability in one situation but it is huge.

But the worst offense of this book was the ending. IT FREAKING STOPS MID THOUGHT. It is the most crap ending that pissed me off. It was there. What you have been waiting for was there and then the author stopped. Dude, I was pissed.

Despite all of this, I really liked this book and I think it is a good foundation for at least a book two. Anything more than that, I’m not sure. Would I consider this a retelling of Beauty and the Beast? Nope, but the author does add some cute references in the book.

Overall, I liked the book. I guess I’m a sucker for vampire romances *Kayne Shrug*.

3 Pickles. 

Quick five© with Cheyenne Raine

Courtesy of Cheyenne Raine

Name: Cheyenne Raine

Twitter: @rainepoetry

Website: http://www.rainepoetry.com

Books: maroon daydreams, One Hundred and One: A Collection of Poetry, lavender petals and a wild heart, charcoal thunderstorms

Buy: Amazon & Website

This woman is a sweetheart and as author her words are powerful with emotion, imagery and thought.

There is something Ms. Cheyenne mentions as a side note during our interview. I was already captivated by her but after reading her note, the support I have for her will be endless. This is extremely important and I want you to note this because its her style and it shows a side of the poet that you may not see within her poetry. 

i use lower case letters because it reminds me of how small i am. the only times i use capital letters is when mentioning God, or referring to a subject that is meant to be capitalized, like places and people (sometimes). in my most recent collection, charcoal thunderstorms, i used all lower case, even though i had originally wanted the titles to be uppercase, because it was a youthful piece of work, and being young is like being small, everything around you seems so big and wonderful and mighty. 

Why did you choose poetry as a way to express yourself? What about it makes you feel that you are able to convey your emotions better as compared to other artistic mediums?

i chose poetry because it was the easiest and most rewarding thing to do, when i first began in my second grade classroom. i feel that it allows me to be as vague or as detailed as i wish to be, and i’m able to be unfiltered and raw or dreamy and magical. it’s like a power. i have the ability to craft my words into whatever i imagine and want them to be.

What is your process? How do you get in the mood to write? How do you make it

Self- Published
2017
102 Pages

flow smoothly?

usually, poems tend to come to me at all times of the day. so, i have plenty of napkins, receipts, sticky notes and sides of the paper scribbled on with little fragments of my thoughts. it’s just a matter of sitting down to compose the full piece. also, events and emotions, places and memories tend to influence much of my work. i’m always in the mood to write, i carry a sharpie pen with me everywhere! writing is more than a hobby, for me. as for the flow, well, sometimes my rough drafts come out perfectly, and other times i have to move words and phrases around until i think it’s perfect. it’s just a matter of spilling and playing with my words.

What are you currently reading? And is it good?

i am currently reading interview with the vampire by anne rice. her work is beyond captivating! the language draws you in and the storyline is so beautifully made, one of my favorite classics that i’ve read so far, this year!

If you had to describe your style of poetry in one sentence what would it be and why?

i would describe it as: a carefully and wild arrangement of words that echo in one’s thoughts. why? because i’ve grown careful with my wording and my topics, my flow and my outcomes. i choose an echo, because it’s not heavy, it is soft. and, from what i’m told, it’s a unique and elegant voice that people remember like a summer ocean breeze. gentle.

Self-Published
2017
140 Pages

Finally, where do you see yourself in the written world, be it poetry or another genre, a year from now?

a year from now? ah. i believe that i will still be hooked on poetry, but, introducing short stories and prose, more often. like my first book, maroon daydreams, it was poetry and prose. now, charcoal thunderstorms, my second book, is poetry and short stories. maybe a few years from now i’ll experiment more, but for now, i am thrilled to even have my poetic voice out in this wild earth!

 

###

 

Short Story Book Review: A Trinity of Wicked Tales Volume One- Jilted Love by Kyla Ross

Self Published
Jan. 29th 2017
94 Pages

In this collection of dark tales lives will be savagely twisted, inner demons will be reawakened and deception will reign supreme. A quest for a fix turns bloody for two heroin addicts as their vicious endeavors land them into a gruesome pitfall. A marketing executive and car salesmen are deceived by the ones they love. Armed with rage, they set out to slaughter those responsible. -Goodreads

I don’t know exactly what I was expecting with this collection. It was a suggested read from Amazon, while I was on vacation. I am really glad I read this book.

It literally gives you a taste of what the author can do. Seriously… all you get is a taste because each of the stories take care to not dip too much into a specific character or the overall plot.

The first story called Junk for Two was a great start to the book. Ross leaves no hints to where the story is going and I am completely for that. It provided enough of a backstory and details regarding the main character, Trev, that I didn’t feel as if something was missing. As I was reading this short story, I had a sense of satisfaction, which is my biggest issue in short stories.

Story 2, Iris, was extremely quick and came off more as a shock factor then a story that can grown to become a full novel or even novella. With work it can become something bigger but in its current state, it doesn’t leave much to be desired. But it does get credit for showing off writing skills. Ross can build a story, so it is easy to get sucked in.

My favorite story, which happens to be the last is story 3, Phil. Sticking with the obsessive theme, Phil provides a much more detailed and intense story-line than the previous stories. This story can become not just a single novel but a series if written correctly. What I loved about it was how easy it was to see the events happening. I don’t mean predictability even though it is there slightly. What I mean is the flow was so easy and seamless that getting sucked into the story and wanting more was inevitable. If the first two stories does not show you the skill, Ross has then this one does.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick read. I would recommend it as a introduction to Kyla Ross.

3 Pickles