Book Review: First Frost by Liz DeJesus

Format: ebook

Publishers: Musa Publishing

Published: 22nd June 2012

Pages: 274

Main Characters: Bianca

Date Started: 6th December 2012

Date Finished: 13th December 2012

Rating Given:

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Fairytales aren’t real…yeah…that’s exactly what Bianca thought. She was wrong.

For generations, the Frost family has run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts, handing down guardianship from mother to daughter, always keeping their secrets to “family only.”

Gathered within museum’s walls is a collection dedicated to the Grimm fairy tales and to the rare items the family has acquired: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Snow White’s poisoned apple, the evil queen’s magic mirror, Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted spinning wheel…

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Frost wants none of it, dreaming instead of a career in art or photography or…well, anything except working in the family’s museum. She knows the items in the glass display cases are fakes because, of course, magic doesn’t really exist.

She’s about to find out how wrong she is.
 

When asked which books that I wanted to read from Musa Publishing this book stood out the most as it sounded like a book that I would love and I wasn't far wrong.

I love this cover as the blue is very eye catching. It also reminds me of a mixture of a looking mirror and frost which is very fitting for this story.


When I first started this book I wasn't actually sure that I was going to enjoy it as nothing was happening and everything was very much mundane. When Bicanca found out her and her families history it did start to pick up and it built up to a brilliant story that I very much enjoyed. When things did get better I found that there was a lot happening and enjoyed everything that was happening and kept me entertained. There was a bit of romance that was done in a way that had me gripped from the moment it started I would have liked to have had a bit more but only because I enjoyed it. I love the twist on the fairytale classics that we all know and love it brought out the inner child in me even if this was aimed for the Young Adult genre.

 

I thought the characters where very entertaining. Bianca started out going about her life not knowing who she really was and it was great to see her change once she found out. Her best friend was really sweet and very trusting which everyone needs. Terrence was a great male character and another sweet person who I really did feel for him. The Prince was really funny and reminded me of the Princes that are in the fairytales. Bianca's parents where great and it was nice to see that they wasn't evil like in most fairytales and even most other books that I have read.

 

Overall I found it a captivating story once it got started and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Book Review: Love Sucks by Sage Collins

Format: e-arc

Publishers Musa Publishing

Published: 27th April 2012

Pages: 258

Main Characters: Mailee, Eric, Logan

Date Started: 27th November 2012

Date Finished: 6th December 2012

Rating Given:

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Mailee Jones is about to answer the age old question: "How much love would a love sucker suck if a love sucker fell in love?"

Mailee is a Haustrix, an otherwise normal girl with a demon gene that causes her to consume love from any human she touches. Afraid of draining anyone completely, she's been leading an isolated life, relying on Eric, a hunky lust-draining Haustor and the only person she can safely touch. She's content to avoid humans for all but the quickest possible hand-brushes with the dreaded cheerleaders to keep from starving.

Until she meets Logan, a diabetic who is the first human to understand Mailee's anguish over her diet. But growing close to him means risking his love for her. Mailee's convinced it's time to do something--anything--to become human. But the only antidote requires her to release and be systematically infected by demons representing each of the Seven Deadly Sins. Sloth and Pride? Okay, fine, but sins like Wrath and Envy aren't so easy, as proven when possessed-Mailee punches the cheerleader who's making eyes at Eric. Can she honestly get through all the sins?

Not to mention this new issue--is she interested in Eric instead? Because if she turns human, she'll lose him. Forever.
 

When looking through the books from Musa Publishing this one kind of stuck out as it sounded interesting and different so I thought I would give it a try and I'm glad I did as it was an enjoyable read.

The cover is very eye catching which made me want to read this book. I love the heart and the hand in the image as it symbolizes what the story is about. I also love the different font of the title as it looks effective.

When I first started this book I thought it was a bit cheesy which I thought I wasn't going to like but in the end it grew on me. It is similar to the vampire books that are out there but this story isn't about vampires it's about a girl who can't even touch anyone and if she does she sucks the love from them these are called Haustor. There wasn't much action in this book which I would have liked a bit of action but there was other things that made up for this. I love the whole idea of using sins in a book it was fun to see how they would effect her and it did add much needed drama to the story. The ending I wasn't too sure about as it seemed a bit rushed and unbelievable. Throughout the story it was saying that once you have the love sucked out of you it doesn't come back and for most that was the case but somehow there was someone who wasn't with the most it just didn't make sense to me.

Mailee's character was sweet for the most part but when she was infected by the sins I found she was a much stronger and funny character. She did annoy me at times too as I just wanted to shake her and tell to open her eyes. Eric I liked he was always looking out for Mailee. Logan was very similar to Eric only he had diabetes making him even more endearing. I didn't think any of the relationships/friendships was that believable which was a bit annoying.

Overall a sweet but cheesy novel that had me laughing for most of the book. I am looking forward to reading more from Sage Collins.

Book Review: Phoenix by Jennifer Mason-Black

Format: ebook

Publishers: Musa Publishing

Published: 11th May 2012

Pages: 45

Main Characters: Tucker

Date Started: 27th November 2012

Date Finished: 27th November 2012

Rating Given:

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Would you recognize hope if you looked into its eyes?

At sixteen, Tucker has nothing but the clothes on his back, the bruises on his ribs, and the truth about what happened between him and the band teacher. He left home looking to escape his memories, but all he’s found on the road are new bad ones to take their place.

Then he meets Gabriel, a beautiful hustler, and Kelsey, a fire-obsessed girl with a head full of fairy tales. After Gabriel rescues him from a pair of drunks looking for a fight, Tucker’s happy to join him in the abandoned factory he calls home. All he must do in return is help keep Kelsey safe.

But Kelsey’s not what Tucker thinks she is, and safety isn’t what she needs from him. To help her, he’ll have to face the secret he’s been running from, and the flames she’s running to find.
 

This is another Musa Publishing book that I have read and it's another one that was enjoyable. I am really pleased that I am giving books that I normally wouldn't know about a try.

I love this book cover  as it's simple yet very eye catching. I love the feather which does tie in with the story and I also love the colours of it as it makes it stand out. I love the patterns that are also on the cover as this was needed other wise it would have been too plain.

Phoenix was another short book for me which I did enjoy but it was a bit too confusing for me. I was immediately drawn into this story and wanting to find out what was going to happen next which it was like that throughout the book even the end I was still left wanting more. For most of the book I just didn't understand what was happening as it seemed to start at the end and then went into the story and then went back to the end. I do think this story would have been better if it was longer so that things could have been explained better. I loved that Mason-Black told some very heartbreaking issues but it was tackled in a honest way which I don't think is done enough.

As well as the story being confusing some of the characters was also confusing as I didn't know where they where coming from. Tucker was a nice character who had been through some very tough times yet he was still standing which makes him a strong person. It did take a few pages before we actually knew his story though which was a bit annoying. Kelsey was the most confusing character as I didn't understand who she was but then again neither did Kelsey it wasn't until the end when things got cleared up a bit but I still wanted to know more about her. Gabriel was a mystery that even when the book ended I am none the wiser I just didn't get his part in the story.

Overall a very hard hitting, and gripping book that just needed explaining a bit more.

 

Book Review: The Trouble With Nightingale by Amaleen Ison

Format: ebook

Publishers: Musa Publishing

Published: 20th January 2011

Pages: 38

Main Characters: Millie

Date Started: 22nd November 2012

Date Finished: 22nd November 2012

Rating Given:

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

When eighteen-year-old Millie Scrubbings moves to new digs on East London’s Nightingale Estate, she believes she’s finally closed the door on a childhood dictated by strangers. But overnight, her peaceful high-rise turns bonkers, and a series of grisly murders leaves Millie frightened and more helpless than ever.

Millie must accept her lead role in rescuing Nightingale from its descent into anarchy, or risk all Hell breaking loose.
 

I was asked if I wanted to review this book by a review cordinator and it sounded really good so I said yes. I didn't even realize how short the book was until I went to read it.

The cover is a bit simple but I don't mind as I find it rather eye catching and that's all that's needed for the covers. I also like that everything that is only the cover ties in with the actual story.

 This is a very short book but it is still action packed and it just goes to show that less is more and some books over pack them. It did start off a bit confusing as it was like we was just thrown into the deep end without explaining the whys and hows but the further I went into it the more things got explained. I loved all the different creatures and they was described so well that I could picture them. Even though I liked that it was short I still wish that it was a longer book as i think if it was it could have easily have been a 5/5 book even an epic book.

I don't think we got a real feel for the characters as there just wasn't enough time to invest in them. Millie seemed like a feisty character and I would have liked to have gotten to know her even more as I think she could have been a very strong character. There was another character that I liked and that was Fabian as he was a funny character but again I felt like we could have done with more time to get to know him even better.

Overall I really enjoyed this book I just wish there was more of it.