Showing posts with label 1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1. Show all posts

Saturday, 15 July 2017

The Salvation Project - Stewart Ross

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Synopsis:

A mutation in human DNA means no one lives beyond nineteen. Scientists working to reverse this pandemic died before their Salvation Project was complete, leaving behind the results of their research in a sealed vault – the Soterion.

122 years have passed. The civilisation of the ‘Long Dead’ is almost forgotten, the Soterion has been burned to ashes, and communities of Constants are tormented by brutal tribes of Zeds. Cyrus, Miouda and Sammy flee their burning city with a laptop rescued from the inferno. They believe it contains the key to the Salvation Project. But its batteries are dead, there is no electricity to power it, and murderous Zeds will stop at nothing to get it back…


Review:

We gather here today to witness the ending of The Salvation Project series.

Within this book we once again bare witness to the world of Zeds and Constants, after the happenings of the previous book it's safe to say not only were the character affected but so was I as a reader. If you ever thought the pacing of these books was ever going to change, you are wrong.

With this being the finale of the series I was even more eager to see what would happen and how all of this was going to play out. We follow Sammy, Cyrus, Miouda as they flee from their burning city, its lovely to see Cyrus happy again with Miouda and how she is happy with him. All the characters remained close to my heart and I still maintain a link with them somehow, they were just so real to me. In their possession is what they believe to be the key to the Salvation Project but they have no way to access it without electricity so it becomes their priority to find some and avoid the Zeds.

Along the way we meet survivors unlike any others, they are shrivelled and hiding from the world believing the sun tainted humans. But they have electricity and that's all that gets the group interested as well as providing a place to avoid the wolves in the city that they narrowly manage to escape from on their way to encountering these survivors. However there is only momentary success and they leave with a new companion and a hotter burning fire within them to carry on and finish what was started years and years ago.

In Zed world things are still as violent and bloody as always, however fractures in the ranks begin to effect the whole Zed kind. It's clear that nothing good will ever come from them except for 3 zeds who run from their tribes in search of Cyrus and the other but for a whole new reason which warmed my heart. I will not lie but they do meet, and unlike what you expect things don't go south. Well not for long anyway and its glorious to see.

Throughout the series yet alone this final instalment I prayed for success for the Constants, wishing they get the happy ending they so rightly deserve after all they have been through, all the struggles they have had and the dangers they've had to face. Stewart Ross himself stated " I honestly think it's the best book I've written. Not to everyone's taste because it's controversial, especially at the end; but you must read it." And I have to agree, its not going to be to everyone's taste and it is controversial especially the ending and you really of have to read it but for me it was to taste and although part of me was upset by the ending, more of me was pleased with it.

Each character got what they deserved in the end and I finished the book with a good hearty cry and farewell to all those in the series. Stewart created a world that teaches readers about love and loss, friendship and enemies, education and responsibilities and lets not forget the importance of being able to make a choice for yourself. Although I'm sad to see the series come to an end, I'm incredibly happy to have been on the journey with all of these amazing characters who now I look back at them , had their own reasons for everything they ever did. Much like the other instalments of the series, its a 5/5 from me. Please if you ever have a chance to pick up and read these 3 books, I beg you to take a chance and do it. I didn't regret it, I hope you wont either.

Wednesday, 12 July 2017

Ask No Questions (Detective Caelan Small #1) - Lisa Hartley Blog Tour





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About the Book
Title: Ask No Questions

Author: Lisa Hartley

Release Date: 10th July 2017

Genre: Thriller

Format: Ebook


Summary:
Some secrets were meant to stay hidden… Trust no-one

After an operation goes badly wrong, undercover specialist Detective Caelan Small leaves the Metropolitan Police for good. Or so she thinks. Then the criminal responsible is seen back in the UK.

Soon Caelan is drawn back into a dangerous investigation. But when the main lead is suddenly murdered, all bets are off. Nothing is as it seems. Everyone is a suspect - even close colleagues.

Someone in the Met is involved and Caelan is being told to Ask No Questions.
This isn’t an option: Caelan needs answers… whatever the cost.

The nerve-shredding new crime thriller from bestseller Lisa Hartley starts a must-read new series. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Robert Bryndza, it will keep you guessing until the very end.




Review:

So I got this book request whilst I was in the middle of only wanting to read thrillers/crime novels so I was beyond willing to want to read it, the synopsis pleased me and I just couldn't wait to read it. I'm not quite sure how long it took me to read, maybe 2 days? but all the way I was hooked just turning page after page after page needing to get answers and see this through until the end.

In this book we follow Detective Caelan Small, after an operation goes wrong, the backlash causes her to hand in her resignation before going on a holiday beginning her retirement. That is until she finds out the criminal from the operation that went wrong is back in England she cant seem to say no to joining the investigation once again. From the outset I loved Caelan, she;s a very straight forward and pretty much a character who I can relate to personally when it comes to her emotions and personality.

Richard Adamson, a fellow colleague of Small's is approached by Elizabeth Beckett who is an assistant commissioner for the specialist crime and operations and also part of the Mets senior management team. To him she is god and he cant even refuse to do as he's told even if it means convincing his former colleague to come out of retirement and join the Met once again. He's seen as the only one that knows her enough to be able to talk her around.

Deputy Assistant Commisioner Michael Nasenby, Commander Ian Penrith and Inspector Tim Achebe. When these 3 characters meet Small one for the first time it is clear that there are a vary of emotions towards her. Ian isn't her biggest fan and actually does as far as to rip chunks out of her verbally making no move to hide his feelings about her. Nasenby is sort of like a father figure to her, her previous boss and someone who trusts Small to do a good job. Tim meets her for the first time and is amazed by her skills of working under cover and her techniques of changing from one person to another and I'll admit I was just as amazed as he was. These 3 characters pop up consistently throughout the book and I found it quire easy to follow their encounters by the way they spoke to Caelan,

Every character needs a side kick and for our main character she chooses her own, determined not to work with Richard Adamson again or anyone else but Ewan Davies, ex army now working for the Met. Ewan and Caelan get on well for the most part, they are a great pair that I actually want more of.
One more character to remember is Chief Superintendent Adele Brady, with all of these characters to keep an eye on and think about its quite fun, hard to tell who's friend or foe if any of them are either at all. Each character plays their part, I found it incredibly hard to figure out how the plot was going to go, everything was well felt like it was all hush hush.

The whole book is gripping and full of twists you cant see coming, there are shocks and surprises in store for any reader who will turn the pages of this book. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more from Lisa Hartley and seeing Caelan Small again in the near future. Hartley created a world and situations which feel completely real, action packed and breath taking. I had to pause a few time at each twist and just take a breath or two just to let myself process what I was reading. It's a truly amazing thriller and I hope that anyone who loves crime and thrillers will get a chance to read this book because its definitely worth it. I may even go as far as to pick up copies of Lisa's previous work just to experience greatness like this. I cant give this book any less than a 5/5 and I will be processing the ending for maybe months to come. A truly amazing piece of work.



Author Information:




Lisa Hartley lives with her partner, son, two dogs and several cats. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in English Studies, then had a variety of jobs but kept writing in her spare time. In addition to this new series with Canelo she is also working on the next DS Catherine Bishop novel.



Saturday, 1 July 2017

Revenge of The Zeds - Stewart Ross



Synopsis:

The Soterion has been opened, but does it mean salvation or devastation? A horrific mutation in human DNA has resulted in a world where no one lives beyond nineteen. Cyrus and the noble Constants have opened the Soterion vault containing the Long Dead's secrets of science, art and possibly even the cure to the mutation. First, Cyrus must teach the Constants to read. But those he calls friends are falling prey to the greed and power knowledge can bring. Meanwhile, the barbaric Zeds are massing against them, determined to take the Soterion for themselves and destroy everything the Constants have built.

Review:

The second book in the Soterion Mission trilogy is just as gripping as the first, after being left internally screaming after finishing the first book, It was an easy call to quickly move on to the second book and continue the journey. I'm going to try and keep this review as spoiler free as I possibly can.

By the title alone I knew there were going to be hard times ahead for the Constants. Revenge of the zeds picks up almost exactly where we left off. In the first chapter alone their is the conclusion of a trial, funerals and the fate of Malik Timur's is found out by the Zeds. Its a pretty fast paced book yet alone chapter wise, it's perfectly paced this way and is action packed and gory. What I love about the book is that even though there are still moments of violence and action, we still get to see the quieter more thoughtful moments and its a lovely contrast and it still wonderful to see great characters being developed and seeing them interact and relate to each other.

When it comes to the characters of the book it was lovely to be back and seeing familiar characters like Sammy and Cyrus from the constants and Giv and Jamshid from the zeds. The one character who is new to us this book, is a character I didn't think I'd like but she grew on me quite quickly and her name is Malika Xsani who is the head of a different tribe of Zeds who you can really feel has determination and focus. There are many characters within this book, majority of them are new to us and that's because we get to see Cyrus become a tutor to members of Alba, he uses what is found within the walls of the Soterion to do so. What's great about this is how logically the character went about this and how well it was portrayed. Although Cyrus himself is not able toe read and write effortlessly and know the meaning of everything, he is the best they have so he is soon tutoring members of Alba whom he himself didn't pick bar 1.

I feel as though these books have lessons to learn within them and to me this book feels like it's about knowledge and how it is valuable, that it is powerful and it can be understood differently by  many. Some want knowledge in order to be able to share it with others, to make things better, but others see knowledge as something to be feared or something to be kept to oneself in order to maintain a position of power and importance. I feel as though the reference to and the plot itself backs this idea up.

This is a really good continuation of the story of the Constants and Zeds so it easily gets a 5/5 without a struggle. The ending is great, but as so many things are left unresolved there is a wonderful place for the next and last instalment. Thanks to the build up and ending of the book you are left needing the next book just to find out what happens and how so. It is yet again beyond words for me to tell you how I fully feel about this book and that I hope a lot of teenagers will pick this book up and absorb it.

Tuesday, 7 February 2017

Blog Tour: City of Drowned Souls by Chris Lloyd




Today I’m so happy to play a part in the blog tour for Chris Lloyd’s latest novel, City of Drowned Souls, the eBook version was published just yesterday!

City of Drowned Souls is the third instalment of Lloyd’s Elisenda Domènech Investigations series, and follows on from City of Buried Ghosts which follows on from City of Good Death. 



Title: City of Drowned Sould (Elisenda Domènech Investigations #3)
Author: Chris Lloyd
Release Date: 6th February 2017
Genre: Crime Thriller
Publisher: Canelo
Format: EBOOK


Summary:

When a child disappears, the clock starts ticking

Detective Elisenda Domènech has had a tough few years. The loss of her daughter and a team member; the constant battles against colleagues and judges; the harrowing murder investigations… But it’s about to get much worse.

When the son of a controversial local politician goes missing at election time, Elisenda is put on the case. They simply must solve it. Only the team also have to deal with a spate of horrifically violent break-ins. People are being brutalised in their own homes and the public demands answers.

Could there be a connection? Why is nobody giving a straight answer? And where is Elisenda’s key informant, apparently vanished off the face of the earth? With the body count threatening to increase and her place in the force on the line, the waters are rising…

Be careful not to drown.
The stunning new instalment of the gripping Elisenda Domènech crime thrillers for readers of Ian Rankin, Henning Mankell and Andrea Camilleri.


Read more about this book here
Purchase a copy of this book here




The Series So Far (Books 1&2):



Information about the Book

Title: City of Good Death (Elisenda Domènech Investigations #1)
Release Date: 13th July 2015
Genre: Crime Thriller
Publisher: Canelo
Format: EBOOK


Summary:

An intense and brilliantly realised crime thriller set in the myth-soaked streets of Girona

A killer is targeting hate figures in the Catalan city of Girona – a loan shark, a corrupt priest, four thugs who have blighted the streets of the old quarter – leaving clues about his next victim through mysterious effigies left hung on a statue. Each corpse is posed in a way whose meaning no one can fathom. Which is precisely the point the murderer is trying to make.

Elisenda Domènech, the solitary and haunted head of the city’s newly-formed Serious Crime Unit, is determined to do all she can to stop the attacks. She believes the attacker is drawing on the city’s legends to choose his targets, but her colleagues aren’t convinced and her investigation is blocked at every turn.

Battling against the increasing sympathy towards the killer displayed by the press, the public and even some of the police, she finds herself forced to question her own values. But when the attacks start to include less deserving victims, the pressure is suddenly on Elisenda to stop him. The question is: how?

Read More about this book here
Purchase a copy of this book here




Information about the Book
Title: City of Buried Ghosts (Elisenda Domènech Investigations #2)
Author: Chris Lloyd
Release Date: 30th May 2016
Genre: Crime Thriller
Publisher: Canelo
Format: EBOOK


Summary:
Be careful what you dig up… 

Still recovering from the tragedy that hit her team, Elisenda takes on a new case. Except it’s not new. On an archaeological dig by the coast a body is uncovered, seemingly executed with a spike thrust through the base of the skull – an ancient tribal ritual. It soon becomes clear that this body is neither ancient nor modern, but a mysterious corpse from the 1980s.

Assigned to the case along with her team, Elisenda soon uncovers a complex world of star archaeologists, jealousy and missing persons. They find a dark trade in illicit antiquities, riddled with vicious professional rivalries. And even though she’s staying close to the crime scene, Elisenda is also never far from enemies of her own within the police force.

Just as the case seems to become clear it is blown wide-open by another horrific murder. Elisenda must fight her personal demons and office politics, whilst continuing to uncover plots and hatreds that were long buried. How far will she go to solve the crime? Is her place in the force secure? And can she rebuild her life?
The atmospheric second crime thriller featuring Catalan detective Elisenda Domènech, for readers of Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves

Read more about this book here
Purchase a copy of this book here


My review of City of Good Death #1


City of Good Death( Elisenda Domènech series) is the first in the series. We are introduced to Elisenda Domènech herself and those who work by her side at the city’s newly-formed Serious Crime Unit composed of Alex and Elisenda' small team. We get introduced to many more characters who we do see a few more times in the book and we're all set for the whole book once all of the characters have been introduced and there's no one else hiding anywhere.

We get to see Elisenda in action and we also get to know her sad personal experiences just as the time is right. Elisenda herself is a very strong woman, she stands up for her team and always sticks to what she knows is right and pushes what she believes is right, right to the edge to see if it really is right.

Girona is a beautiful place,located in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region. In this book though, Girona becomes plagued with acts of violence and murder and it is up to Elisenda and her crime unit to catch whoever is plaguing the city.


I don't really want to give too much detail on the story because this story is one of those that can lose its touch if one thing is spoilt. This novel is so heavy. I mean heavy in the sense of when you're absorbed into this world, where acts of murders and violence are suddenlv spiking and morals are being turned on their heads you seem to feel the weight of it all on your shoulders because although immersed in the book, your real life morals are fighting head to head with the morals of the city characters and it becomes difficult to not end up on the same wavelength of Elisenda.

It is a great read from start to end, it took me a while to get into it properly just because I was finding it hard to stay immersed when it came to the short language changes that come up. That was really the only downside to me and even then it really is just a small one. There's enough detail to make you believe you're there and the characters seem to feel like you live next door to them. Deffinetly a 4.8 out of 5. I can't wait to see what's next in City of Buried Ghosts and City of Drowned Souls






About The Author:


Chris was born in an ambulance racing through a town he’s only returned to once and that’s probably what did it. Soon after that, when he was about two months old, he moved with his family to West Africa, which pretty much sealed his expectation that life was one big exotic setting. He later studied Spanish and French at university, and straight after graduating, he hopped on a bus from Cardiff to Catalonia where he stayed for the next twenty-four years, falling in love with the people, the country, the language and Barcelona Football Club, probably in that order. Besides Catalonia, he’s also lived in Grenoble, the Basque Country and Madrid, teaching English, travel writing for Rough Guides and translating. He now lives in South Wales, where he works as a writer and a Catalan and Spanish translator, returning to Catalonia as often as he can.

He writes the Elisenda Domènech series, featuring a police officer with the newly-devolved Catalan police force in the beautiful city of Girona. The third book in the series, City of Drowned Souls, is published on 6 February 2017.