urban fantasy

Book Review & Giveaway: Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith

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Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith
Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith

Discovery of the Five Senses: The Urban Boys, Book 1 by K.N. Smith

Publisher:  Two Petals Publishing (Sept. 15, 2021)
Category: Young Adult Action-Adventure, Young Adult Thriller, Urban Fantasy, Mystery/ Thriller, Super Heroes
ISBN: 978-0989474757
Available in Print and ebook, 340 pages

Discovery of the Five Senses

Description

Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived.

“A captivating and poetic tale of mystery, fantasy, and reality tied together by action!” 5-stars, Lars Jackson, Amazon Customer

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind.

With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, can the boys defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story — an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.

https://books2read.com/knsmith

Guest Review by Sal

Just when you think you’re safe, everything that you know can be turned upside down and your future can be put in jeopardy.

Five friends enter their local nature preserve and leave as five boys with supernatural powers, whose lives have been changed forever. ‘Discovery of the Five Senses,’ is a story about five teenage boys– Alex, Jordan, Rhee, Chase and Kinsu. Living in a small, safe town like Danville Heights, the boys are used to living quiet lives. But there is one secret in Danville Heights, and one hard and fast rule: No one enters the forest preserve.

Most of the younger people in town don’t know why their parents have forbidden them from going into the preserve. And, being teenagers, the five friends decide to enter the preserve to find out why it is off limits. But what they discover inside is nothing like what they might have thought was inside.

Soon after walking into the forest, small balls of light begin to follow them. Then, the lights begin to explode and the boys are knocked out, waking up with new and unusual abilities that boggle their minds. Each boy has a different sense that seems to have been boosted– Kinsu’s vision, Rhee’s sense of smell, etc.

Discovering these new senses is exhilarating enough for the teenagers, but soon they will have to use their powers to fight against a local gang leader who is intent on making Danville Heights his next target.

‘Discovery of the Five Senses,’ is a thrilling Young Adult novel with an excellent payoff at the end. K.N. Smith’s prose is engaging and resonates beautifully with her plotting. Readers of all ages will love this electrifying look at big subjects like loyalty, friendship, fighting for what you believe in and finding out who you really are. Highly recommended!

About K.N. SmithDiscovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith

K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. Her lyrical flair sweeps across pages that twist and grind through action-adventure and urban fantasy in edge-of-your-seat narratives.

K.N. has over twenty-five years’ experience in communications and creative design as an award-winning consultant. Reading is still her foremost hobby. K.N. inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits.

Website: http://www.knsmith.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorknsmith
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knsmith_author/

Giveaway

This giveaway is for 2 $50 Visa egift cards. This giveaway ends on Sept 1, 2022, midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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Book Review: The Shadow of Her by Aspen Bassett

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Book Title: The Shadow of Her by Aspen Bassett
Category: YA Fiction
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content Rating: PG

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Book Description

Penny Grace successfully traveled through time, outsmarted a paradox, and survived countless historical tragedies. Now, she must face her biggest challenge yet: stopping The Shadow once and for all. After terrorizing the dark world for eons, The Shadow now wants control over Earth. Unless Penny surrenders her past heroics, all life on Earth will die of thirst while the dark world drowns. But giving up would mean turning her back on everything Penny’s fought to protect, and she’s more determined than ever to save both worlds from The Shadow’s tyranny.


Penny and her nemesis Kyle team up to unravel The Shadow’s rage toward humans in hope that understanding the past can help them protect the future. As Penny and Kyle work together, Kyle opens up about his past and Penny starts to see the mysterious man less like an enemy and more like a brother. But does that mean Kyle has changed? Is he trustworthy? Or is his new vulnerability a tactic to manipulate Penny even more?


When Penny realizes the only way to stop The Shadow is to trap them both in a paradox, she needs the help of those she left behind to pull it off. But returning home to Cheyenne means facing the consequences of her choices. If Penny wants to save multiple worlds, she needs to convince the family that forgot her and the ex-boyfriend she still loves to help her make the ultimate sacrifice.

Amazon

My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I read the first two books in this series and I was looking forward to reading The Shadow of Her, which was released in early 2021. I enjoyed all three books but this last one was my favorite. Everything was resolved in one way or another, but it took trust, bravery, and tears (on my part) before everything was said and done.

Penny Grace ends up working with Kyle after she left Luke and her sister behind. It would not be her choice, but as they get to know each other, she begins to trust him and perhaps understand him. But is he manipulating her again? Can she really trust him? Only time will tell.

The characters are well developed and complicated. Their wants/needs are simple but their emotions are anything but simple. The author did a great job at making me care about the characters.

I definitely recommend The Shadow of Her for anyone who likes young adult and/or time travel novels. I do suggest reading the first two books, though.

Meet the Author

Aspen Bassett works at a library, telling stories and suggesting books. When she’s not working, she’s usually sipping hot cocoa and wondering what would happen if she had superpowers. She’s been published in multiple anthologies including Oomph: A Little Super Goes a Long Way and Inaccurate Realities.

Aspen grew up learning about chakras and auras and the true power of imagination which slips into her writing whether she intends it to or not. In college, when she wasn’t busy working on her degree in Creative Writing, Aspen also got her certificate in Women’s Meditation (basically general energy work). Now, she’s working toward a diploma in Integrated Healing Arts with a certificate in Hypnotherapy.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Book Review: The Me in Memory by Aspen Bassett

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Book Title: The Me in Memory by Aspen Bassett
Category: YA Fiction
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content Rating: PG

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Book Description

t’s been one month since Penny Grace traveled through time with Stranger, the hottie from next door. One month since she changed the course of the future, developed mysterious control over a dark force, and somehow got erased from time… Now, not even her own sister remembers her. 

Penny feels the daily sting of not belonging in her own home, so when Stranger asks for help in preventing his brother Jack’s death, she jumps at the opportunity. 

But their simple rescue mission soon turns impossible when a darkness named The Shadow offers Penny an impossible choice: win her family back by taking down The Void and restoring the natural timeline, or save Jack and ensure the world’s collapse. 

Not one to trust a threat, Penny decides to find The Void herself and demand help. Only now The Void is masquerading as a human with no intentions of risking his freedom to save a dead man. Secrets pile up between Penny and her Stranger as she struggles against an inevitable sacrifice. 

If Jack lives, Penny dies. If Jack dies, Penny loses everything.

My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I read A Penny Lost, the first book in this series, almost three years ago, and I was looking forward to reading The Me in Memory, which was released in late 2019. Unfortunately, life got in the way (I mean, 2020), but I finally read it. It did not disappoint, but now there’s a third book out that I need to read that was just released in February. I have to find out what happens!

Penny (Penelope Grace) is a twin but no one remembers her since her last time travel adventure with Stranger (her neighbor). They embark on another adventure to try to save Stranger’s brother before he dies in an accident and to fix things so that Penny is remembered by her family. Penny’s twin joins them even though she doesn’t believe Penny is real. She wants to figure things out, and she wants to help.

This book is full of time travel adventure, a touch of romance, old friends and enemies, and soul searching. Poor Penny doesn’t even know what she is anymore, so she doesn’t quite know what to do, but Stranger helps to keep her grounded. I read the first half of the book a few pages in the evening for several nights but once I got to the second half, I couldn’t put it down. The end was not what I expected, and now I want to know what happens!

I definitely recommend The Me in Memory for anyone who likes young adult and/or time travel novels. I do suggest reading A Penny Lost first, though.

Meet the Author

Aspen Bassett works at a library, telling stories and suggesting books. When she’s not working, she’s usually sipping hot cocoa and wondering what would happen if she had superpowers. She’s been published in multiple anthologies including Oomph: A Little Super Goes a Long Way and Inaccurate Realities.

Aspen grew up learning about chakras and auras and the true power of imagination which slips into her writing whether she intends it to or not. In college, when she wasn’t busy working on her degree in Creative Writing, Aspen also got her certificate in Women’s Meditation (basically general energy work). Now, she’s working toward a diploma in Integrated Healing Arts with a certificate in Hypnotherapy.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Book Review & Giveaway: A Penny Lost by Aspen Bassett

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Book Title: A Penny Lost by Aspen Bassett
Category: YA Fiction, 232 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: World Castle Publishing
Release date: Jan 13, 2018
Tour dates: April 23 to May 4, 2018
Content Rating: PG (There’s a kiss and some mild violence)

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Book Description

Penelope Grace, usually forgotten under the shadow of her twin sister’s perfection, tries her hardest to hide her freakish ability to see into anyone’s soul.

Until she senses an unusual energy like a human-shaped void in the universe. When Penny investigates the source, she gets tossed through a crack in time along with the cute boy next door. The Void follows them through history, increasing the dangers as if testing Penny. But what is it testing for? And why does it claim to know her better than even she knows herself? Even as Penny searches for answers, she must fight to survive the tragedies of both the past and future in order to get back home.

 
To read reviews, please visit Aspen Bassett’s page on iRead Book Tours.
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Buy the Book:

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My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Penny (Penelope Grace) is a twin but there’s one big difference between her and her twin Dinah. Penny has always seen auras. She is learning that she can do more than that, she can even see into a person’s soul. When she senses a strange energy at a neighbor’s house, her curiosity gets the best of her and she has to find out what is going on. She finds way more than she bargained for. In his basement, there is a door and she and the cute neighbor boy are pulled into another time. 

Penny learns that she is able to use this strange energy that she calls the Void to travel to other times. She and her neighbor embark on an adventure trying to get home, and they meet several interesting people. The Void is a character in itself. It can communicate with Penny and she (as well as the reader) has a difficult time knowing when the Void is lying and when it’s telling the truth. On top of that, all the time travel can boggle the mind but I found it creative and entertaining. The ending has a twist and I’m hoping there will be a book #2 soon.

I definitely recommend A Penny Lost for anyone who likes young adult and/or time travel novels.

 

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Meet the Author

 

Aspen Bassett works at a library, telling stories and suggesting books. When she’s not working, she’s usually sipping hot cocoa and wondering what would happen if she had superpowers. She’s been published in multiple anthologies including Oomph: A Little Super Goes a Long Way and Inaccurate Realities.

Aspen grew up learning about chakras and auras and the true power of imagination which slips into her writing whether she intends it to or not. In college, when she wasn’t busy working on her degree in Creative Writing, Aspen also got her certificate in Women’s Meditation (basically general energy work). Now, she’s working toward a diploma in Integrated Healing Arts with a certificate in Hypnotherapy.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Enter the Giveaway!

Ends May 12, 2018

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

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Book Review: The Demon Within (Last War, Book I) by Josh Gagnier

sleepygirl23 Comments

 

 

Demon Within by Josh Gagnier

Publisher: PorterMouth (Dec 18, 2016)
Category: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Tour dates: Mar & Apr, 2018
ISBN:  978-1520103358
Available in Print & ebook,  210 pages

Demon Within

 

Joe grew up listening to the voice in his head. It helped him through school, helped him gain wealth in his career.

The final temptation of power was too much. He hadn’t considered the cost.

Now he must find a way to defeat The Demon Within.

Little does he know, his every move is being recorded. Every misstep is being judged. As he gets ever closer to winning over his demon, heavenly eyes watch from above. Some root for his success while others hope he’ll fail.

While Joe fights his demon on the battlefront, the angel Michael fights for his Soul.

Will Joe win out? Will Michael be able to save Joe’s soul?

Or will the Demon win and thrust Joe into the Abyss.

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Book Review by Laura R.

‘The Demon Within’ sucked me in from page one in the prologue!  It is a courtroom scene, one the likes I have never witnessed.  It is a court that tries souls.  In this case, it is the soul of Joe.  Will he be sent to paradise?

This is a unique story of Good versus Evil. Joe has had a voice in his head for as long as he can remember.  He has relied on the voice his entire life and it helped him achieve wealth.  However, he does have demons and one may possibly be the voice he has always relied on.  Little does he know, his every move is being studied by a court in the great beyond.  His one defendant is an angel named Michael.

Josh Gagnier brings a fresh perspective on the old theme of good versus evil.  His writing transports the reader into the story to witness what happens first hand.  His characters are well drawn out.  If you enjoy dark fantasy, ‘The Demon Within’ is a must-read.  I give it 5 big stars!

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Other Praise for The Demon Within

“This author is amazingly talented, quite honestly the Dan Brown of the Dark Urban Fantasy genre. This is a book that will hook you in and you will find it very difficult to put down. I read this book in one sitting, it was that well written. I highly recommend this book. And I can’t wait for the next one!”- Andrew T., Reviewer

“The Demon Within is an outstanding read. It is a dark fantasy that will take you through twists and turns and keep you guess the whole way. The writer did a fantastic job with the creativity and complexity of the story line as well with the characters. You will not be disappointed!”- Nick Barth, Reviewer

“This book is amazing. The author has a way with words, his twists and turns keep you hooked. I couldn’t put it down. Waiting for part two, I see this as the door way into the fantasy realm!”- Andy Burk, Reviewer

“The Demon Within opens with an interesting twist on the ideas of Creation, God, Angels and Demons. It then morphs into what at first seems to be a courtroom drama – Defense and Prosecution “ministers” arguing based on a Soul’s actions to decide if that Soul is worthy of Heaven, while a Judge rules based on their arguments. The book evolves again as we delve deeper into the life and actions of the Soul in question, going back and forth between the actions and the court. The switches between each setting are very well done, and you never lose a sense of continuity. Each chapter builds on the last, leading to several INSANE revelations, and leaving you begging for more. The cliffhanger at the end makes you want to choke the author…or go all Dolores Claiborne on him until he writes the sequel (Hurry up, already!!!) A great read, and one which I will return to several times, in case I missed anything. I read this book in just a couple of sittings. The only reason it wasn’t a single sitting is that I had to go to work.”- Tommy Watson, Reviewer

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About the Author

Demon Within by Josh Gagnier

Josh has had a knack for writing from a young age; mostly poetry.  The Demon Within is his debut novel and, according to Josh, nearly wrote itself.  He is a US Army veteran and has been deployed to the Balkans and Middle East.  He has been an IT professional for about a decade.
Many of the events in The Demon Within were taken from Josh’s life and “put through the fiction blender” as he puts it.  When pressed for more details, he said he couldn’t give specifics for fear of “giving spoilers,” but, he did say the book includes fictional spins on things ranging from childhood bullying to being placed in the Las Vegas foster care system.
He currently lives in Columbus OH with his family and is working on book two of his ‘The Last War’ series.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshgagnierauthor/

 

Buy Demon Within by Josh Gagnier: Amazon

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Book Review & Giveaway: The Dragon in the Garden by Erika Gardner

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The Dragon in the Garden
The Watcher Rising Series #1
by Erika Gardner
Genre: Epic Urban Fantasy
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There is magic beneath the mundane and in The Dragon in the Garden, Siobhan
Orsini witnesses it all. No lie can fool her, no glamour or illusion
can cloud her Sight. She sees through them all and wishes she could
close her eyes. Returning to face her past, Siobhan inherits her
grandparents’ house in California’s wine country. She encounters
a talking dragon, a hot fallen angel, a demon lord, a Valkyrie, and,
oh yes, her ex-boyfriend. And that is just in the first twenty-four
hours.
 
It’s time to find out why she has this power.
 
Siobhan seeks out the Oracle and learns that only her Sight can help
mankind navigate the travails of an ancient war. Our world is the prize
in a battle between the dragons, who would defend us, and Lucifer’s
fallen angels, who seek to take the Earth for themselves. Using her
gift, she will have to make a choice that will decide humanity’s
future.
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I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Siobhan has always known that she could tell if someone was lying and that she could see things more clearly than others. She also met a dragon in her grandma’s garden when she was 5 years old. Now she’s older and has inherited her grandma’s house. The dragon is still there and angels show up as soon as she starts remodeling. She is told that she is the Watcher and that her choices will save or destroy humanity (no pressure there).

Even though Siobhan and the others are in their upper twenties, they act younger. I kept picturing them in their early twenties and it was difficult for me to get that out of my head. 

There is a lot going on in this story besides the main fight between the Fallen Angels of Lucifer and the dragons. It has love, heartbreak, and loss among other things. If you like urban fantasy, you’ll like The Dragon in the Garden.

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Erika is a sixth generation San Franciscan of Irish descent. She attended
the University of California at Davis and completed degrees in
Medieval History and Biological Sciences. A lifelong lover of books
and a scribbler of many tales from a young age (her first story was
completed at age five) she turned to writing full-time in 2011.
 
On a personal level she loves spicy food, twilight, dark chocolate (with
sea salt-yum!) and nickel slots at Vegas. Erika lives for time with
friends, a nice glass of red wine, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” &
“Doctor Who” and good conversation. Her favorite things to do are
running, cooking, reading, needlework, gardening… and of course,
writing. Erika’s music of choice is heavy metal. To pick her out in a
lineup you should know that she is very short, fairly loud, and has
dark eyebrows. The rest, as her hero Anne McCaffrey once said in her
bio, “is subject to change without notice”.
 
Erika resides in Northern California with her incredibly hot husband, their
three amazing kids, and their chocolate Labrador named Selkie. To
reach Erika regarding her books, wine recommendations, or to debate
which Iron Maiden album is the best (clearly, it’s Brave New World).
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Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Amazon purchase link in this post is an affiliate link. Purchasing through it helps sustain Bound 4 Escape.

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: Catching a Sorcerer by Sara Walker

sleepygirl25 Comments

  10-1-2013 7-51-02 PM

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10-1-2013 7-52-00 PMTitle: Catching a Sorcerer

Author: Sara Walker

Genre:  Young Adult/Urban Fantasy

Publication Date:  May 2013

Description: 

After a sorcerer kills her mother, fifteen year old Melantha is asked to help catch him. She wants nothing to do with it, but then she learns one of her classmates is the son of the sorcerer. With her spell-turner powers not yet developed, the mission will be dangerous, but it will be downright deadly if the sorcerer figures out who she is and decides she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. 

Review:

I enjoyed reading Catching a Sorcerer, a young adult fantasy with interesting characters, some of whom are quirky,  which makes it a fun read at times. Melantha is a typical teenager in some ways but it is easy to understand why she’s angry after losing her parents and having to live with an overprotective grandmother.

The story is engaging from the beginning and holds your interest throughout. Sara Walker is good at describing people, creatures, and places. I could picture myself right there with Melantha.

I definitely recommend Catching a Sorcerer. Available on Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

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About the Author:

10-1-2013 7-53-05 PMA former bookkeeper, Sara always preferred books over numbers, and finally put aside her calculator to write stories and work part-time in a library. She is the founder of UrbanFantasyLand.net, a website established in 2008 that specializes in promoting urban fantasy and speculative fiction. Her articles and fiction have been published in anthologies and online.

Author Links 

Website / Blog / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Page

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Enter to Win a copy of Catching a Sorcerer:
click here

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