Dnf at 10%. The wording could use some changing. Some punctuation mistakes. Things usually taken care of when the book is polished up for publication. Needs tweaking.

 

I haven’t actually read a lot of fairy tale re-tellings but I do have to admit this one is really great. I have to say the only Sleeping Beauty stories I knew were the ones from Disney (*coughs* MALEFICENT FTW) and the TV show, Once Upon A Time. She’s not even my favorite Disney Princess (It’s Mulan :P) but it’s quite enjoyable to read a novel about her especially with a twist.

Slumber tells the story of Rory, who’s been admitted into Spindle Ridge Asylum as a patient for killing her boyfriend Phillip. However, as the story goes on, she discovers about her past which changed everything.

Rory was an interesting character. I wasn’t attached to her that much but seeing her character grow gave me satisfaction. It was such an adventure for me to see her grow. I have to admit I liked her chemistry with Sawyer. A LOT. The other characters were interesting as well. Malisa/Maleficent came off to be a great villain, and Raven did as well.

I loved the fact that the story’s setting was in an asylum. I don’t know, but somehow that appealed to me. I think I really do like twisted books sometimes.

It’s my first time to read anything from Christy Sloat and I have to say I’m very impressed of her writing.

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The following awesome line-up of authors will be hosting a book party on November 29th:

 

11:00 - 11:30am ~ Christy Sloat
11:30 - 12pm ~ Melissa Toppen
12:00 - 12:30pm ~ Shane Morgan
12:30 - 1:00pm ~ Kimber Leigh Wheaton
1:00 - 1:30pm ~ Tiana Warner
1:30 - 2:00pm ~ Megan Crewe
2:00 - 2:30pm ~ Karen Amanda Hooper
2:30 - 3:00pm ~ Ruth Silver
3:00 - 3:30pm ~ Meg Collett
3:30 - 4:00pm ~ Laura Howard
4:00 - 4:30pm ~ Erica Kiefer
4:30 - 5:00pm ~ Cameo Renae
5:00 - 5:30pm ~ Melanie James
5:30 - 6:00pm ~ Kerr-Ann Dempster

 

Come chat with us on FACEBOOK about your favorite characters, enter giveaways, and get exclusive details about upcoming novels.

 

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The Many Lives of Avery Snow (The Past L... Twenty six year old Avery Snow hasn’t slept a full night in three months. Hasn’t slept since the day someone told her she was being watched. Since she started having dreams that leave her scared and covered in sweat.

But it turns out there is a reason Avery isn’t sleeping. It’s because she has lived three previous lives; falling for the same man over and over again. Falling for her twin soul. Her other half.

When I read the blurb for The Past Lives of Avery Snow, I instantly wanted to start reading. I love the notion of past lives, and the fact that love can withstand even time, the ultimate power.

From the moment the book started, I was drawn into Avery’s world. For a while, I thought that the writing style was really simplified, and written in a way that resembled a young YA novel, or even a middle grade novel. But then it struck me that reading The Past Lives of Avery Snow was like having Avery talking to me. It felt like we were having a conversation on my couch, and she was speaking to me about everything that had happened to her. I’m not sure if that is what Sloat intended by the writing style, but it most definitely felt that way to me. And from the moment I realised that, I enjoyed reading the book much more.

There was a general lack of descriptions of places, but the descriptions of people were ample. I like knowing exactly what places look like through the eyes of the characters, so I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more of this in The Past Lives of Avery Snow. I would have loved to see places through Avery’s eyes.

Insta-love took a front seat in this novel. Avery begins to tell the reader about Dallas, the man who works at the bar near her work. She’s had a crush on him for a while, but has never acted upon it. And then all of a sudden, they’re dating, and confessing their love for each other. I found this a little unbelievable. If it had been her twin soul, I would have been able to understand the insta-love; they’ve known each other for three lives, after all. But Dallas is just a guy she met at a bar (or seems to be), and I felt like the romance was a little rushed; albeit on the cute side.

I liked Avery as a character. She was a tad focussed on looks for my liking, and was constantly comparing herself to her ‘beautiful’ friends. And yet the men in her life were constantly telling Avery how beautiful she is. On the other hand, though, I loved that Avery didn’t smother her face in make-up; she just went natural. Like me! So I was definitely a fan of that aspect of her personality.

Avery felt pretty real to me. She was scared and confused about all the information she was learning about herself, and the world. She wished that her life would go back to normal, and I don’t blame her. Her life was a mess, and through no fault of her own.

If I had to pick a ‘team’, I would pick Landon. He seems like a more interesting character than Dallas, and I want to learn more about him in this lifetime. Perhaps in the sequel.

The circumstances that led to the final showdown in the novel were a tad confusing for me. I understood the past lives, and the Angel lore, but I wasn’t sure as to why they were having a ‘battle’ so to say.

The best things about The Past Lives of Avery Snow was how it made me want to come back for more. Every time I put my Kobo down, I was thinking about the story, and wanting to get back to it as quickly as possible. I love books that make me think about them at times when I am not reading them, and I am happy to include The Past Lives of Avery Snow in this category. I wanted to know what was going to happen next, and who Avery was going to meet. I loved that.

I am pretty interested in learning where Avery’s story leads in the next instalment of this series, and the novella about Ianni (Avery’s Spirit Guide) is definitely on my TBR list. I loved her character, and definitely want to learn more.

The ending of The Past Lives of Avery Snow was kind of depressing on one character’s behalf, so I am eager to discover what happens to them! And if Avery changes her mind about the man she loves. Someone give me The Unravelling of Avery Snow, please.

© 2013, Chiara @ Books For A Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

The Crimson Key (The Visitor's Series, B... 3 Stars

This is the second book in the The Brown House series. At the end of the first, a curse had fallen on Ephraim and Lynley, Crimson Key starts with the curse getting stronger. The only person who can stop it, and the person who is to blame for it, is Brylee. To her they are dying right before her eyes as the physical changes take place. Racked with guilt she does all she can to help but with the witches who cast the curse dead, Brylee has no choice but to call on the ghosts and ask for help. She hopes they will before more lives are lost or ruined by the curse of the Brown House.

Although the idea behind this series is a really good one, for me the execution of the plot is poor. The author fails to use imagery to evoke the feeling of fear into the reader that we expect from the synopsis. I was wishing for more description and creative writing to build mood and atmosphere, I wanted to be worried about what was about to happen, but anticipatory fear was missing altogether.

Although, hand over heart, I cannot recommend this to avid horror readers because I feel that there is a lack in depth and atmosphere to produce really scary moments, I am sure it would appeal to those seeking drama with a ghostly edge.

Copy supplied for review