Monthly Archives: November 2014

Puppet by Pauline C Harris

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Book Synopsis

 

Puppet: A Retelling of Pinocchio Penelope lives in a world of advanced technology but many claim society has yet to catch up. Marionettes have advanced in the form of robots; lifelike creations remote controlled to perform super human tasks.

When Penelope makes a deal with Jed, a marionette-obsessed scientist, she doesn’t fully realize what she’s getting herself into. In order for Jed to take her away from the orphanage she lives in, she must first agree to undergo his experiments and tests, ultimately creating something no one ever dreamed possible; the first living marionette.

As Jed shows off his scientific creation to the world, concerns arise surrounding Penelope’s abilities and what she’s capable of doing. Ordered to somehow lessen her abilities, Jed makes a desperate attempt to change Penelope to make her more human, more vulnerable. After Penelope lies to the officials about her past, Jed makes sure it’s the last one she’ll ever utter. The truth is now the only thing she is capable of telling.

As Penelope struggles with her past, her disturbingly new present, and her uncertain future, she is thrust into a magically twisted world of mayhem in search of the one thing she wants, but knows she can never have. The chance to be just a girl again. To be normal. To be real.

Book Information

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 591 KB
  • Print Length: 140 pages
  • Publisher: Patchwork Press (17 Oct 2014)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00ONDBB12

 

About the Author

Pauline C. Harris is the author of middle grade and young adult science fiction novels and published her first book at the age of fourteen. She’s currently working toward a degree in English. Other than writing, her time is consumed mainly by reading, playing the violin, watching old black and white movies, and trying to survive her college classes.

Review

I was lucky enough to obtain a digital copy of this fantastic book from Netgalley so thank so much for allowing me to get it.

The authors writing is really engrossing and makes you want to keep reading the story. All the character and plot developments in the story enables the reader to be drawn in to the story as well as to develop a strong and empathetic relationship with the main character Penelope (Protagonist) as well as the other two prominent characters Jed (the Scientist) as well as his son James.

Thus is fantastically clever retelling of the children’s fairy story Pinocchio about an orphan girl Penelope who is adopted by a man called Jed, a scientist to become his living Puppet.  At the beginning of this book you see Penelope looking at spending a further few years in the Orphanage where she lives as a result of her wrong doing and we follow her through her journey with Jed finally to being back with Jed after having spent some time locked up with the administrators. All the way through you see her strength as well as her vulnerability along with her lack of trust in people.

I loved this book because it uncovered all the strings that the main three characters had restricting them non more than Penelope. It also made me ask myself what strings I have restricting me in my life.

It is because of all of the above things that I give this book a full 5 stars out of five and would buy it for my self as well as for others.

 

Book Review: Crown of Flames (#2 Heirs of War) by Marra Valderran

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Book Synopsis: Weeks have passed since Ariana and Alec escaped from Kellen’s dungeon, but danger isn’t far behind them. The guilt of his past weighs heavily on Alec’s shoulders, and his secrets only push Ariana further away. As they travel through unknown lands and encounter multiple threats, their biggest challenge might be trusting one another.

The world appears to be going on regardless of the risks Ariana faces. The Duillaine insist that they are doing everything they can to find Ariana, but their actions betray that claim. Despite the danger and the war closing in around them, all of Anscombe seems to be more interested in the upcoming Imbolc festival and Terrena’s betrothal than rescuing Ariana.

Well…not everyone.

Tired of waiting for the Duillaine to help her twin, Zelene starts plotting on her own and finds a surprising ally in Rhaya, even as the Cynewards prepare to make a move of their own. But Zelene’s plans go awry when she finds herself with a new ability, a mysterious new friend, and more enemies within the walls of Anscombe than she thought.

REVIEW

I want to start this review by thanking the Author for allowing me to review this fantastic book, 2nd in her Heirs of War Series, so thank you Mara.

This book was even better than the first one which is always grate for a second book in a series. The four girls that we met in the first book, who will be the leaders in this world in the future were developed even further. And from this development you were able to see how strong they will be together as rulers in the future.

Ariana the girl who was captured by Kellen their enemy in the first book is rescued by her sisters and cousins and brought back to Anscomb. Along with the girl called Sheridan who believed that she was Kellan’s daughter but was in fact the kidnapped daughter of one of the Dullaine Baniers.

In this book we also see the murder of one of the minor characters, a maid at the hands of the man who everyone believes is the man who is to marry Zelene, and as a result get to see the funeral rights that are followed in the world.

The further development of the world which the story is set in enables the reader to see how the leadership etc. in the world(s) work.

We also learn what Zelene’s gift is which is to see the dead which means that she sees her mother, her ex boyfriend as well as her best friend after she died.

I loved the developments in this part of the story so much that I gave the book 5 stars, and I am sure I will love all the future books in this series that I read as Mara Velderran the author has such a captivating way of telling the story which means that the books are hard to put down.