Review: The Soul Summoner by Elicia Hyder

Title: The Soul Summoner

Author: Elicia Hyder

Publisher: Forge Creek Press

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery

Release Date: November 9, 2015

Blurb: Blessed–or cursed–with a connection to the souls of others, Sloan Jordan can see the best in people… and the worst. For twenty-seven years, she's kept her ability a secret, but eleven young women have been murdered in the mountains of North Carolina, and Sloan may be the only hope of finding their killer. 

She has just agreed to help Detective Nathan McNamara with the case, when a stranger—who is as alluring as he is terrifying—shows up at her doorstep with a dark past and another puzzling mystery: she can't see his soul at all. 

Now Sloan is on the hunt for a deadly psychopath with two irresistible men. One of them would die for her, and the other would kill to keep her safe.

REVIEW:

The Soul Summoner opens quickly and gives you a recap on the main character's, Sloan's, powers.  While it's quick, it is necessary so that you have a bit of back story on her abilities, and the rest of the book isn't weighed down with lengthy explanation.  Showing the history between Sloan and her BFF was also useful right off the bat, although in the first few chapters the timeline moves MUCH faster.  Weeks pass, but that's usually the nature of serial killer mysteries.
However there was a lot less investigation in this book than it leads you to believe in the blurb.  I expected there to be a lot more serial killer hunting and a bit less  obsession over two guys that are fighting over her.  Warren, the irresisstable stranger that arrives has a lot more attention than Det. McNamara as the blurb leads you to believe, and they mostly just flirt and discuss her strange ability to call to people's souls.  While I don't mind romance in a novel, this was less mystery more...flirting on every page.  It got tiring after a while, and I just wanted them to get back to the murders!
That said, it made up for it with an explosive and captivating ending.  I always go easy on books when I feel the killer is obvious, since my brother tells me I have an unusual knack for figuring out who the killer is due to my "Hollywood Formula" (basically a joke between us about how there's always a similar formula for who the killer is), and while I knew who the killer was before the reveal, it was still a good twist.
Fans of the TV series Bones or Castle would really like this book I think!  I look forward to the next one.

Weekly Recap for October 10, 2015

I'm finally back into reading, and it feels like coming home.  It's depressing to look at someone and say "I love to read" when you aren't reading.  It feels wrong, even if the statement is true.  I do love to read, I always have, I just sort of...stopped.  Thankfully, that haunting hiatus is over and I have some catching up to do on my TBR list :)

This week I read/listened to...

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

and

Defy by Sara B. Larson

Since I'm going to have plenty more books for review, I'm working on a schedule to have some consistency.  Not quite sure what it will be like, but it'll most likely have two reviews a week, along with a couple of memes :)  I'll add a page once I actually nail something down!

Review: Defy by Sara B. Larson

TRIGGER WARNING

*Just a warning if you're thinking of picking up this book; it has a lot of mention of sexual assault.  While the assaults are not actually depicted, there is a scene when Alexa travels through the house, and you see the aftermath, which was a little too much for me.*

Title: Defy

Author: Sara B. Larson

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre:YA, Fantasy

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Blurb: Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

REVIEW:

Defy was one of those books that the cover always drew me in, but the synopsis was never enough to make me buy it.  I've never been a fan of the "girl disguised as a boy" thing, or a fan of love triangles, which the synopsis states very clearly.  But as a fantasy lover, I decided to give it a shot.

I'm glad I did!  While there were quite a few moments I had to stop my eyes from rolling, Defy was still a good book.  The story is interesting the entire way through, and Alexa was one of those heroines that always got back up, even if she didn't want to, and she always took action in the face of danger (which is the true definition of bravery if you ask me!).  As predictably as the love triangle went, and the development of romance between the characters, in the end Defy really did focus on the main issue at hand: overthrowing a kingdom.

The world that was built could have been stronger.  While many descriptions were given, they tended to focus on the same few descriptors (like the heat of the jungle, the sunshine vs. shadows).  It got a little tiring hearing about how sweaty everyone was.  However the descriptions given for characters was plentiful, and they came to life right off the page!

Fans of The Hunger Games should definitely check out this book.

Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

*This review has minor spoilers!*

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publisher: Dial
Format: Audio Book
Blurb: You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. 

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back. 

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Review: 

This was one of those books that I just don’t know how I feel about.  It’s not bad, but I’m not sure I would describe it as “great" either.  “Good” works, but it doesn’t quite convey this absence of feeling I have.  It was unusual, for sure, which fits it right into the gothic horror category.  

Violet is so in love with River that it is a little annoying in the beginning, but it soon turns out to be something she can’t necessarily control.  It made me a little uncomfortable, admittedly, because of the abusive undertones (SPOILER: River is manipulating her emotions A LOT).  Their relationship was very Twilight-esque to be honest, and the fact that Violet doesn’t run screaming from River when she learns *SPOILER* just how many people he has murdered, I was starting to fade out.  Okay, spoilers done.

The writing in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was suitable to the genre.  However it was pretty pretentious, because Violet is pretentious.  She was raised by artist parents, and often references different kinds of painting styles and artists (ones I assume are famous and I’ve never heard of as I'm not into art).  I think unless you’re into art many of the references will be lost on you (as they were on me).  Other than that I found the writing was well done, and Tucholke did a good job describing the settings.

So to conclude, I liked the writing (minus the constant art references), and the storyline was pretty good until it became more like an abusive relationship.