Tag: Book 1

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: The Fixer (Lawson Vampire #1) by Jon F. Merz

Posted on by elishasbookreview

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*No Major Spoilers*

The members of the Council believe that vampires can coexist with humans. Some vamps disagree. That’s where Lawson comes in. He’s a Fixer. When a Nosferatu gets delusions of grandeur about taking over the world, it’s his job to take them out — with extreme prejudice.

I can’t remember the last time I read a vampire book. It feels like it’s been a while, and I’m excited to be back with the vampire subgenre.

This audiobook caught my attention because the model on the cover looked like a better and younger Tom Cruise. I’m all about secret agents and conspiracies. Action and mystery on every page are how I like my vampire novels.

I like how each author takes their own spin on vampire mythology. Some exaggerate their abilities and powers, some like this author make them more realistic to an extent. They look and act like any other human, but they live longer and wood is their enemy.

I felt like I could relate to the main character, Lawson. He is just a hitman with a job to do. In this novel, Lawson is after an old enemy. A vampire whose family has tainted blood and thus, makes him insane.

My favorite part was when Lawson and his human partner Talia were staking out the nightclubs trying to find their target, and the description of the clubs and what goes on in those places sounds about right, people being drunk and crazy.

Overall, I found this novel to be engaging and exciting. The action and adventure were enough to get my imagination going into high gear. I would highly recommend this novel for anyone who is looking for a good vampire story. Also for lovers of the supernatural and action, this is definitely worth a read.

Posted in Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Disarray​ by Jessie Cal

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Spoilers*

*I received a copy of the novel from the author*

It’s been four months since Mia woke up with no memory—no recollection of any of the twenty-four years of her life. She doesn’t remember getting married, or even moving to the small town of Cooper Creek. But what bothers her the most is not knowing why she keeps having the same recurring nightmare about the Chinese tattoo on her ring finger.

When Mia discovers how to trigger back her memories, she’s taken aback by the fact that her past does not match her current life. When Mia experiences a trigger so intense that she has a seizure, she learns that any further triggers could cause permanent damage to her brain.

On the edge of her doubts, will she risk her mental stability to find out the truth about her past?

My first impression of this book was not the best, to be honest. I don’t like how one author strikes fire with a “new” literary technique, and soon everyone is basically writing the same story over and over again. The best example of this is what happened during the Twilight craze. I assumed this was going to be the same situation.

I will give the author credit for originality. An amnesiac waking up from a coma and finding an unfamiliar world around her and wanting to know her past. It’s a mystery to both the narrator and the reader. The narrator isn’t keeping any secrets from the reader and both are in search of the truth.

Now time for my negatives, which are not that bad. I was rooting for Mia when she started getting some of her memories back. She’s figuring things out! Yay! I thought to myself as I reached the halfway point.

Once I passed a major plot point, I felt like the author had to constantly throw “plot twists” and “things aren’t as they seem” cliche’s at me. It got to be exhausting to the point where I had to put down the book and gather my thoughts.

I don’t mind plot twists, but when they start happening too often I start to get annoyed and start screaming at the book to just stop with the crazy twists and turns.

Also, it’s difficult to surprise me with major twists and turns. However, this novel did throw a few surprises in a way that I didn’t see coming. Although through hints that are given through Mia’s flashbacks and her seizure, I figured the “main” plot twist.

Now, this doesn’t mean this novel isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. This was a good read the pros and cons considered. I’m going to recommend this to my mom and get her thoughts on this novel. Even though we read different genres, we do have some genres in common.

Overall, I found this novel to be an entertaining read. If you love stories full of mysteries and twists and turns, you should definitely check this novel out!

Buy Disarray by Jessie Cal HERE!

Posted in Book Reviews, Novels

ARC REVIEW: Ain’t No Messiah by Mark Tullius

Posted on by elishasbookreview

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*No Major Spoilers*

**I was given a copy of the novel by the author**

***Ain’t No Messiah will be hitting bookshelves February 5***

From the day he was born, Joshua has found himself the recipient of death-defying miracles. His earliest memories include his own father proclaiming him the second coming of Christ. However, Joshua has wrestled with serious doubts about the validity of this claim all his life. How could he not, having survived a childhood filled with physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his earthly father. Now, one way or another, Joshua is going to show the world who he really is.

This novel has a very interesting concept of a religious cult, where the leader is someone’s child. Instead of Joshua’s father claiming to be the Messiah and using Joshua’s unusual birth as proof. He claimed that Joshua is the Messiah.

Watching Joshua grow up in this cult, where he was expected to be perfect, and god-like. To “give judgment” and to forgive those who followed their beliefs was intriguing. It would’ve been one thing to have him grow up in a cult solely focused on his father. However, having their cult beliefs based on him, whether he wanted it or not made Joshua more relatable as a character.

One thing I found interesting was how this novel takes place in modern times, and yet Joshua never went to a school of any kind until their father added a schoolhouse onto the church. It wasn’t until he adventured into the world outside of the cult and slowly learned how things worked in the real world.

Although Joshua has vehemently denied his father’s “gospel” that he is the Messiah. When he is defending himself, or reacting to negative outside forces. He says that he’s “casting judgment” or “the fist of God” has judged those who had wronged Joshua or those he cared about.

Before Joshua ran away from home, his father brainwashed him to believe there are millions of bad people in the world who wanted Joshua dead. He also made Joshua believe that all the tragedies in the world, like 9/11, the war in Iraq, and mass shootings were his fault.

Although, you want to believe that there’s at least one person in the world who is kind without taking advantage of Joshua’s “slowness” or “gullibility”. However, this novel takes that and makes sure Joshua doesn’t get a sense of kindness or just in this world.

I felt the ending was justified and fulfilling. The ending provokes emotions of all kinds, from sadness to anger, and even peacefulness. Things end in a way that finishes everything but leaves just enough open to have a sequel. This novel is apart of a series called “The Blessed and Broken”. Of course, I am interested in reading more from this series and Mark Tullius’ other works as well.

I would recommend this novel for those who want a dark and thought-provoking “coming of age” story. Also, if you enjoy novels about cults, this is the novel for you.

Buy “Ain’t No Messiah” HERE

Read My Q&A with Mark Tullius HERE

Posted in Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Oops, Caught by Alli Reshi

Posted on by elishasbookreview

33311439._UY2700_SS2700_ *No Spoilers*

In this sci-fi short story, we follow Mark Noland and Officer Gavson as they attempt to escape from an alien prison cell. The mission was supposed to be simple, an in-and-out job. However, due to outdated resources and unexpecting surprises, they are captured and will be killed in gruesome ways unless they can escape.

The LGBT genre is still a niche in the world of fiction, and this is not flat out LGBT, it’s more just hinted at. So I would say it has soft gay subtext involved.

Seeing Noland and Gavson work through their problems as they make an escape attempt is interesting. Their pasts are vastly different, but when it’s your neck on the line, it’s another ball game.

This was an entertaining read. I enjoyed it even though the beginning was a bit tough to start off. If you’re looking for a quick sci-fi read, this could be your book.

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