The Murder Complex #1 The Murder Complex

Presenting The Murder Complex #1 The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings.

Here is the summary of the book;

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

REVIEW ==

Futuristic, violent and cyberpunk-ish. A debut novel by Lindsay Cummings. Well..... The flow of the book does take some getting used to. And bits and pieces identifying with some of the other mainstream dystopia is visible but it is quite interesting to read once you get over the initial hiccoughs. 

Of course with how well authors have explored this particular genre these recent years that it is literally impossible to find something new. There are exceptions to the rule ..... obviously but while The Murder Complex starts complex and takes a bit of time to settle.... It is still an enjoyable tale of woes and wows. 

As far as the characters Meadow and Zephyr are concerned. Well they felt a bit cliche. Meadows the kickass heroine, going the extra mile for family and just about nothing phases her at all. Zephyr, well he is no different just falls too quickly for Meadow..... You that part wierded me out a bit. But he has his own secrets that he plays close to the chest. That soon comes to nip him behind. 

Resulting an insta-romance and plain running for their lives.... As I said the narrative takes a bit getting used to and there were some terms thrown here and there that made no sense at first. It rushed a bit too but I appreciated it nonetheless. 

"Just violent, blood thursty and chilling enough to keep you interested"

Genre :     Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopia

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Release Date: 10th June, 2014

My Copy: bought(paperback)

Rate:             4/5 (Really Liked it)

Buy:         Amazon | Book Depository 

Kendra Chronicles #4 Beheld by Alex Flinn

Presenting Kendra Chronicles #4 Beheld by Alex Flinn.

Here is the summary of the book:

#1 New York Times bestselling YA author Alex Flinn is back with magical twists on four fairy-tale favorites, each featuring a little help from Kendra, the witch from Beastly, as she searches through cities and centuries for her lost love.

Being a powerful witch, Kendra has survived it all. Since she first beheld James over three hundred years ago, Kendra has tangled with witch hunters and wolves, helped a miller’s daughter spin straw into gold, cowered in London as German bombs fell, and lived through who knows how many shipwrecks. But her powers have limits, and immortality can be lonely. Kendra isn’t ready to stop searching for the warlock she had met centuries ago.

With the help of her magic mirror, Kendra will travel the world to reconnect with her lost love—and, of course, she can’t help but play a hand in a few more stories along the way.

Featuring retellings of favorite fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and The Ugly Duckling, Alex Flinn’s latest young adult novel, Beheld, is fresh fairy-tale fun from beginning to end.

REVIEW ==

It is a concurrent  theme among fairytales and some-such that be it an enchantress, a fairy godmother or the supportive witches in general never get much space for their stories to be told. Exceptions have always been there but never do you see the good witch ever be the protagonist of the tale. 

Beheld by Alex Flinn in that regard is definitely something new and something different. Definitely a good different. Following the same format set in a previous novel of the series Bewitching. It began with Beastly and finally comes this book that shines a big light on Kendra, the fairy godmother and explains her story in full. I definitely like the tale all the more for that. 

Of course a fairy godmother is never without her charges really and that is definitely true as we see snipers of Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, The Ugly Duckling and East of the Sun and West of the Moon..... But she deserves her happy ever after too and Beheld holds that for her. Most of all Beheld promises and delivers on a well balanced plot and some very innovative characters in the mix. 

"Magical and insightful and just fairytale-like"

Genre :     Young Adult, Romance, Fairytale re-telling

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 10th January, 2017

My Copy: publisher & edelweiss

Rate:             4/5 (Really Liked it)

Buy:         Amazon | Book Depository 

As I Descended by Robin Talley

Presenting As I Descended by Robin Talley.

Here is the summary of the book:

“Something wicked this way comes.”

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.

REVIEW ==

Macbeth... in modern era. Robin Talley's As I Descended is definitely a silent creeper. Just like the play, there is horror,  there is paranormal and the atmosphere is just as morose and creepy enough to give us the heebie-jeebies. 

And characters Lily, Maria, Deliah brought Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Duncan to life in a different but appreciative form. 

Of course it wasn't a true copy but Talley appreciatively plays around with the plot and it's LGBT characters to give her story the much needed extra kick to distinguish itself from its source. Really  if you know Macbeth..... You are set for an adventure down the rabbit hole of despair and deliciously devious scheming and playing about with forces our characters barely understand.

At the end of it. It's keeps us hooked and after the conclusion, satisfied enough to make us say "WOW".

"Atmospheric horror, dark magic and a slow spiral into ruin. A fitting re-telling of Macbeth"

Genre :     Young Adult, Shakespearean Re-telling, Paranormal

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 6th September, 2016

My Copy: publisher & edelweiss

Rate:             4/5 (Really Liked it)

Buy:         Amazon | Book Depository