This is a fantastic start to what looks like an exciting trilogy! I loved it!

Nicholas Hallow is a fantastic character. I liked him very much; and felt extremely sorry for him, as he dealt with a tragedy that destroyed his world. When he is sent to live with his godmother, Nicholas has no idea what mystery and danger awaits him.

This is an exciting, danger-filled YA Fantasy novel set it Cambridge, England. I found myself completely hooked from the first page! The characters come alive as the tale unfolds. Samuel Wilkins is Nicholas's parents friend. I liked his spirit! At 71 years old, he's still got a lot of it! Nicholas's godmother seemed a bit flighty to me, but when I read the full story of how she became that way, I could understand why. She's a powerful witch, but emotionally damaged by an event in her past. Isabel is a unique character, and her snarky and sarcastic comments had me giggling! I liked her very much! It's amazing what havoc a misfired spell can do to your perspective! However, there is one character that sent chills down my back, and her name is Malika. She is a creepy and dangerous individual! Well, I suppose you would have to be, working for a demon!

I struggled to put this book down, and couldn't wait to get back to it when I had to! There are several twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming, but they just added to a totally enthralling read! By the end of the book I still had some questions that needed to be answered, such as: Why were the Sentinels created/formed? Who or what is Esus? And, what will happen next? I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy as soon as I can!

Joshua Winning has written a debut novel that had me sitting on the edge of my seat! I loved his fast paced writing style, which made the story flow beautifully. This author is one to watch. If he's not careful, he'll be on my favourite authors list in no time at all! 

As this book is a Young Adult fantasy, I highly recommend this book to young readers aged 12+, and adults who love YA stories filled with witches, demons, supernatural beings, danger and adventure! - Lynn Worton

"The world feels oddly strained, like a line pulled too taunt and apt to snap, smashing everything in its path."

Master Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain have survived every attempt to stop them, but their enemies are determined to kill Mari, the only one who can save her world from a storm of destruction. As armies begin to gather and cities seethe with tension, Mari, Alain, and their friends must prepare to confront the storm in the place it first appeared: the broken kingdom of Tiae.

The dangers facing them demand perilous raids, tough battles, and more than a little piracy. Beating the Mechanics Guild and the Mage Guild that have controlled the world of Dematr for centuries will require an unprecedented alliance under Mari's command of rebellious Mechanics, Mages, and common folk who know that together they can change the world, but separately they will all lose.

Review 5*

This story is the fourth book in a fantastic epic fantasy series called The Pillars of Reality. I absolutely loved it!

Mari is a fantastic character. I liked her immediately when I met her in the first book. I love her determination to do the right thing, even at the cost of her own life. A Master Mechanic, Mari has faced many threats to her life from the Guild Masters on the world of Dematr and survived. Mari has been foreseen by Mages to be 'The Daughter of Jules' and fated to free the world of Dematr from the tyranny of both the Guilds - Mechanics and Mages - and to unite the Mechanics, Mages and Commons against said Guilds. This time, she finds herself on a dangerous mission on the sea in an attempt to reach the broken kingdom of Tay and walking in the footsteps of the legendary Jules of Pacta Servanda. Together with her friends, and Alain, she will have to dig deep to survive the oncoming storm.

Mage Alain is also a fantastic character. I liked him a lot from the start. He was one of the youngest Acolytes to achieve Mage status at the age of seventeen. He has been taught from a young age not to show or feel any emotions and that the world he lives in is an illusion, where nothing is real. I love how this character has grown as the series has progressed. He tries to show more emotion, even though his Guild had virtually beaten it out of him. He hides a dry wit under that emotionless mask.

I listened to this story in audio format, rather than read it. MacLeod Andrews once again narrates the story. He does a fantastic job of bringing the story to life. Even Alain, who's voice is meant to be flat and emotionless comes across with subtle hints. You would think that Alain's voice would be monotonous, but it's not so. I love the way he brings all the characters to life with different accents, inflexions and tones. He even makes the women's voices sound perfect for each character. As for his narration, he read the story clearly and concisely, and his pacing was perfect. I would definitely listen to more books read by this narrator.

The story continues from the end of The Assassins of Altis and sees Mari and Alain joining with several new characters as the action heats up. Mechanic Caylou (not sure of spelling as I listened to the story so have no reference and have spelt it phonetically - it could be Kayloo or another variation) makes another appearance. He is one of Mari's friends from the Mechanics Guild, along with his girlfriend, Ally, who also makes an appearance this time. Mage Asha also makes another appearance, but there are also several other new characters that are now integral to the plot. There is Mage Dov, who is Asha's uncle, and Mechanic Dov (no relation) whose relative had once lived in Marandur. Sien, a princess of Tay, plays a significant role in this story, too. There are a few more characters added, but it would take me too long to mention them all.

I love the world building in this series. It is familiar though strange at the same time. It has a mix of steampunk and modern day technology, but this is due to the way the Guilds restricted people from creating new things. The story is full of action, adventure, and danger and I found myself an emotional wreck at times. In this story, the characters travel to the Sea of Backer, where pirates, traders and Imperials rule the waves and danger threatens on all fronts. The action is ramping up as the storyline reaches towards the climax. Have you ever read or listened to a story and felt utterly emersed in it? It happened to me as I listened to this book. These characters have come to life for me and have become my friends. This book ends with a slight cliffhanger, which had me eager to listen to the next story in the series, The Servants of the Storm, as soon as possible.

Jack Campbell has written a fantastic science fiction series. I have added him to my favourite author's list, as he's found a fan in me. I love his writing style, which is fast-paced and descriptive, and the flow of the story is good too.

Although there is now some mention of scenes of a sexual nature, it’s not shown. I do not, however, recommend this book to younger readers under the age of 15 due to some violence. I do, however, highly recommend this book if you love dark or epic fantasy, steampunk or action/adventure and supernatural/paranormal romance genres. - Lynn Worton

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~BOOK BLURB~

The Empress

S.J. Kincaid

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It’s a new day in the Empire. Tyrus has ascended to the throne with Nemesis by his side and now they can find a new way forward—one where they don’t have to hide or scheme or kill. One where creatures like Nemesis will be given worth and recognition, where science and information can be shared with everyone and not just the elite.

But having power isn’t the same thing as keeping it, and change isn’t always welcome. The ruling class, the Grandiloquy, has held control over planets and systems for centuries—and they are plotting to stop this teenage Emperor and Nemesis, who is considered nothing more than a creature and certainly not worthy of being Empress.

Nemesis will protect Tyrus at any cost. He is the love of her life, and they are partners in this new beginning. But she cannot protect him by being the killing machine she once was. She will have to prove the humanity that she’s found inside herself to the whole Empire—or she and Tyrus may lose more than just the throne. But if proving her humanity means that she and Tyrus must do inhuman things, is the fight worth the cost of winning it?

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~MY QUICKIE REVIEW~

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I really loved the first book in this series and like most people I thought it was going to be a stand-alone.  I was fine with that, but someone must've really wanted this story to continue…and continue it did. 

One of the things I loved about the first book in this series was its darkish feel and unfortunately this was missing that darkish-ness most of the way through, added to that, the first half was way too political by far.   I was really leaning towards a 3.5 Star rating on this, right up until the end. 

That ending saved this from a lower rating…because…I loved that ending.  Thankfully, Nemesis pulled through and oddly enough, Tyrus did too, in a way.  I can see a lot of readers not liking where this book was going by the end, but I am not one of them.  I'm really intrigued to see where this story goes in the final book…I'm hoping since it was mentioned, that it will involve going to Earth in some way…I just wish they would have someone else narrate the audiobook.

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~MY RATING~

☆4.2☆STARS - GRADE=B+

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~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~

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Plot~ 4/5

Main Characters~ 4/5

Secondary Characters~ 4.2/5

The Feels~ 4/5

Pacing~ 4/5

Addictiveness~ 3.5/5

Theme or Tone~ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style)~ 3.8/5

Backdrop (World Building)~ 4/5

Originality~ 4.5/5

Ending~ 5/5 Cliffhanger~ definitely a "to be continued"

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Book Cover~  It's okay…

Narration~ ☆3☆ for Candace Thaxton, I don't really like her voice…too nasally and I wish this series was done by someone else.

Series~ The Diabolic #2

Setting~ Outer Space

Source~ Audiobook (Library)

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The final book in the Raven Mysteries reaches almost as high as the first book and higher than any of the middle ones, mainly due to the introduction of Rob the Rival Raven and a level of insanity that renders the events of previous books almost normal seeming...

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Set in World War II China, fantasy author Ricardo Alexanders takes you on an action-packed thrill ride full of twists and turns in DRAGON TOMB.

While defending his country against Japanese invasion, archaeologist Chuan-Jay Hoo is taken as a prisoner of war when a behind-enemy-lines rescue mission goes horribly wrong. His captors force him to take part in the excavation of an ancient tomb, a process that unearths the true origin of Chinese civilization.

The excavation ends; but China is still in dire need of help. Teamed up with American adventurer Dr. Harry Jones, a close friend of President Roosevelt, Chuan-Jay returns to the tomb and convinces the guardians of the tomb to interfere human affairs.

The tide of the war is turned but no one sees what is coming next: the rise of an otherworldly evil. Neither the Allies nor the Axis powers can stand in its way. Soon, our world is at the brink of Armageddon. At the final moment of human civilization, Chuan-Jay finds himself standing alone in the tomb of the First King, as the last line of defense for the survival of mankind.

BOOK INFO

The Last Resistance: Dragon Tomb by Ricardo Alexanders
Series n/a; standalone
Genre Adult Historical Sci Fi Fantasy
Publisher Independent
Publication Date November 8, 2017

Amazon https://amzn.to/2nqBtGw

Trailer https://youtu.be/qbs7k1nXAv4

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36567207-the-last-resistance

Intro

The year is 1939. An expedition to the most mysterious tomb in China awakes a nameless force and changes the fate of mankind forever… In the prison camp, protagonist Chuan-Jay (CJ) Hoo stumbles into Akagi Hikoichi, his old roommate at Boston University and the commander of the Japanese expedition force. One night, Akagi confesses that he is looking for the Ninth Cauldron, a mythical device said to be buried with the First King. He tells CJ that Japan can win the war with the power of the Ninth Cauldron and he has convinced Emperor Hirohito about that. CJ does not believe a word out of Akagi’s mouth.

Dragon Stone

“This is crazy talk, Akagi! Xia may have existed and the tomb could be under one of these hills. But the dragon and all that supernatural crap… I don’t know how you even convinced yourself. Akagi, you are an archaeologist!”
“You will believe me once you see this.” Akagi reached into a hidden pocket in his winter jacket and took out an eyeglass case. He opened the case. There was the necklace CJ had seen many times from a distance.
Akagi picked up the chain and let the small, slightly blackish pendant dangle in the air.
“Diamond?”
“Yes. Take a look.” Akagi nodded.
CJ took the necklace from him. It appeared to be an emerald-shaped solitaire diamond with a slightly dark-reddish hint. It looked like about one carat, not too big, not too small, with one end sitting on a four-pronged white-gold setting. Dangling in front of Akagi’s gas lamp, the stone’s surface appeared to be smooth and shiny.
“A small stone with visible inclusions. What about it?”
“Take a close look.” Akagi handed him the magnifying lens.
Something is inside.
CJ realized this immediately, as there were some strange reflections of light from within the diamond.
“The polarizer,” Akagi reminded him.
As he held the lens, CJ’s jaw hit the ground. The inside of the diamond was like nothing CJ had seen before. Beneath the hard surface was a core with the shape of two identical tetrahedrons superimposed over each other in opposite directions. The core looked purple and appeared to be spinning clockwise, like it was floating on water in the middle of the hardest thing in the world.
Even more bizarre, the core appeared to have a mind of its own. Most of the time, it spun at a very low speed. Sometimes it would speed up a little, then slow itself down. Its rotation totally disregarded the motion of the diamond.
“What…How…” CJ, dumbstruck, finally managed to utter a few incoherent words.
“It is called the heart of the stone. The corner pointing up channels energy down from the sky to the Earth; and the one pointing downwards draws energy up from the Earth. Together, they create a perfect balance.”
“What is this stone?”
“It was said to be the amulet of the First King. According to my secret scrolls, he lost it in one of his last battles. When it resurfaced about twenty-seven hundred years ago, it was named the Dragon Stone. Others call it the Blood Dragon Stone.”
“The secret scrolls? Can I read them?”
“No, you can’t. They are locked safely in my museum in Tokyo. About another thousand years later, the Dragon Stone showed up again briefly before it disappeared from this world.”
“It is indeed out of this world.” CJ agreed on this part. “How did you find it?”
“I bought it. The guy I bought it from said it was kept in his family from the time of Xia.”
“He lied, just trying to score a sale.” CJ knew the antique business too well and had not heard of anyone in China with a family tree that could trace back to the time of the Xia Dynasty.
“He probably did. But when I took it back to Tokyo and studied it, it really fit the pieces of information of the Dragon Stone that I pieced together from those scrolls.”
“According to the -quote- Secret Scroll -unquote- again.”
“It was also said that part of the king’s soul had grown into this stone and it will wake up once it gets close to the king’s dead body.”
“So that is why you were…”
“Yes. Every time I put it close to my heart, I can feel something special, maybe the soul of the First King.”
“Really? Can I try it?”
“No. Not unless you agree to join me.”
“No. Like I said before, I am not going to help you steal our national treasures.”
“Not so quickly, CJ. Think it through.”
“What’s to think through?”
“Well, let me give you a little hint. You probably already know that this is a top-secret mission. The whole expedition force was shipped directly from Japan and operated under a fake unit name. Only our highest commander in China, General Yasuji Okamura, was briefed. So…” Akagi stopped for a second. “At the end of the mission... I am pretty sure you know what I mean.”
CJ fully understood Akagi’s words.
“I can get you out alive. So think about it. Don’t rush.”
Not saying anything, CJ stood up and prepared to leave.
“You speak perfect Japanese. I might even be able to get you a Japanese passport.” Akagi added, “Then you can go wherever you want and do whatever you want.”

TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate DRAGON TOMB by Ricardo Alexanders, we're giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and two autographed paperback copies of the book! Once your initial entry is confirmed, additional entry options are unlocked!

LINK: http://bit.ly/2Osyton

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open to internationally. Three winner will be chosen, one to receive a $25 Amazon gift card, and two to each receive an autographed paperback copy of the book. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Ricardo Alexanders. Giveaway ends 8/17/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted. Winners will be chosen on or about 8/22/2018.

ABOUT RICARDO ALEXANDERS:

Ricardo is a descendant of the Great Yyu, a.k.a. the first king of China. He lives in Massachusetts and enjoys experiencing all kinds of cultures around the world. After obtaining his doctorate in science, he became fascinated with time-travel. As an aspiring writer, he loves to write time-travel fictions that blend fantasy, science, and real history together.

In 2017, he published his debut time-travel novel Dragon Tomb, the first book of his TLR (The Last Resistance) pentalogy. This history science fiction series starts from World War II, during which a young archaeologist discovers the true origin of Chinese civilization and saves the world from Armageddon.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website http://ricardoalexanders.com/

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/alexanders_h

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/bollywood.invasion/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17314511.Ricardo_Alexanders

Amazon https://amzn.to/2MpFgOX

http://puretextualitypr.com