"The Midnight Labyrinth - The Guardian Chronicles" by Sahara Adalyn Moran - A Book Review

Guardians, wizards, the Midnight Labyrinth - all part of the past. Forgotten elemnts of the mighty battles fought in the ancient times of Aselda and its lands. Even the Dragon Warriors seem to be just parts of the fable stories told to the children of the kingdom of Aselda. Anyone who exercises magic is considered a follower of the legendary evil sorcerer Seuderak. The safe havens are coming to ruin, leaving no safe places to flee to. The monsters that once threatened Aselda's lands seem to have reappeared, lurking in the shadows, awaiting any stragglers.
    The only hope that glimmers in the darkness are three unlikely champions - a young inexperienced king, the most wanted thief in all of Aselda, and her younger brother. But will anyone trust them? Most importantly, can they trust each other? If they can even survive the Royal Guard, they will have even harder challenges ahead of them.

Fan-tas-tic! Sahara Adalyn Moran's debut novel, The Midnight Labyrinth, book one in The Guardian Chronicles, was an amazing tale. It had an abundance of memorable characters, vivid imagery, emotional twists, and fantastic action-packed sequences. It is packed full of amazing and imaginative creatures and races.
    Arella - one of the many main characters - is a thief, who has lost her parents and must struggle with her grief as well as take care of her younger brother, Jared. Arella is the protective, strong older sister, even though she tries to hide her weakness. Hansrai is the king-who-wishes-he-wasn't. Jared is the clueless Chosen One. Each of these characters come with an abundance of faults and weaknesses - which is fantastic! Because it makes them more realistic, and therefore, more "relatable" (I know that's not a word).
    The plot was well-fleshed-out and beautifully written, right up to the last sentence, which just so happened to be a cliffhanger!
    Language-absolutely none! Well, there is English. ;) Okay, that was kind of cheesy. There is mild violence - two sword blades are used like a pare of scissors to sever a head, among many other fight scenes. The Midnight Labyrinth comes with an abundance of monsters and creatures as well. There is no suggestive content either.
    The only disappointment that this book brought with it is the cliffhanger at the end. I mean, what happens next?!

4 of 5 stars.

God bless,

Brian

"A Book" - A Poem

The following, is a poem I wrote (one of my favorites... and longest). I hope you all like it.

A Book
by Brian Mcbride

What is a book that we should be so lucky 
to lay our hands on something so rich?
Description being more than just “blue sky” or “green meadows”.
Etching elegantly painted pictures into our shallow minds.
The rich, deep, shimmering sky dotted with billows of white.
The oceans of waving, green meadows filling a landscape.
All painted in perfect harmony in our minds.

The cascading waterfalls thundering down a cliff.
The tall evergreens standing regally; 
the fathoms of pounding wind.
The foaming oceans battling an unseen force.
The rolling hills dotted with rainbows of flowers.

Words etched so perfectly on a piece of paper.
An artist, working effortlessly through hours of endless labor,
checking, down to the last fiber of the perfect story.

Books of old, books of new.
Books thick, books thin.
All tell the story of the one within.

Emotions flood our minds as we soak up the words. 
Happy, sad,
Hateful, mad,
Loving, serene,
All mixing in with our emotions and thoughts.

The characters, described so perfectly.
Flowing fiery red hair…
High cheekbones…
Pointed nose…
Giving us an image of those who are so engrained in our memory for all eternity.
Impressing upon us the will to belong to the stories we read.

The adventures…
The climaxes…
The resolutions…

Nothing is so rich as a book.
Telling us of other worlds where light reigns,
Where the meadows are untouched,
Where the doe grazes beneath the tree,
Where the buck leaps over rotting wooden fences.

A book is a doorway.
It guides us,
It shows us rights and wrongs,
It lives in us,
And it never leaves us.

A book is rich, deep.
Never shallow.
Unforgettable, Unending.
The countless stories, unfathomable.

Illusions of old,
Magic of new,
Hide within the pages of a book.

Stories never heard,
Folktales long forgotten,
Are rebirthed.

People who have passed,
Great, or small,
Are all remembered by a book.

Without it we have no knowledge,
No understanding of right or wrong,
No imagination,
No emotions,
No way to know how to describe the earth as more than simply
“blue sky” “spherical planet” or “green meadows”.
No longing.
Nothing. 
We would be empty, void of depth.
Shallow.

A book is a blessing given to us by the Creator,
Master of all,
Author of life and all that we see.
The potter of the trees, the sea, the hills, the valleys, the birds of the air,
The beasts of the field, the fish of the sea, the man, 
you and me.

Simple pages we turn every day,
But some don’t pay attention to the magic in
Each word.
Description, destiny, love, hope, fear, faraway places.
All lie in the pages…
…of a book. 

God bless,
Brian

"Winter Sparrow" by Estevan Vega - A Book Review

TRUE. LOVE. FOREVER.
"I'll grow wings all by myself..."
    Mary is a young artist about to enter a new chapter in her life. After years of waiting and searching, she has finally found true love. She's also just discovered that her fiance, Joshua, has inherited his father's rundown countryside mansion. To add to the rising pressure, her wedding day is so close she can practically hear the music. All she has to do is accept what the future holds. Accept... and be happy.
    But something's missing.
    As the seasons change, her doubts turn to fears, and her fears become reality. Through struggle and loss, the love she once possessed for Joshua transforms into contempt. When Mary is confronted with a magical escape, the life she has and the life she dreams of will collide, awakening a mysterious change within. But no choice comes without a cost, and each one will draw her closer to the truth.

    Winter Sparrow by Estevan Vega, author of the best-selling Arson Trilogy, is a unique novella full of romance, inner struggles, and desires.
    As her wedding approaches, Mary begins to question whether she will be good enough for Joshua, her fiance, or whether he will be good enough for her.
    This novella is a journey, spanning one year; Mary's journey. She and Joshua are struck by the death of their first child - still in the womb - and Mary becomes reclusive.
    Each page drips with sorrow, love, anguish. It portrays the power of true love. It shows the lengths one will go to in order to save their one true love. It paints a picture sacrifice.
    Winter Sparrow is a romance novella to the core, with a twist on the fantasy side.
    This story, though it doesn't end necessarily happy, it ends hopeful. It ends with the hope of spring after winter has passed.
    There was no language. There was mild thematic contact; when Mary was in highschool, she was violated by a boy - he touched her breasts. Though this isn't my favorite element to have been put in the book, it was absolutely necessary to show Mary's brokenness.
    No violence. However, there were some possibly frightful scenes; there is a bat-like creature, as well is mutated women with ripped flesh and mangled wings.
    I absolutely have to give a hand to Estevan Vega for thinking up such a clever and wonderfully amazing plot and writing it. I also want to thank him for giving a copy to me to pre-read. It was beautiful!
    I recommend the novella Winter Sparrow for anyone 14-years-of-age, or older, who love a good romance/fantasy story.

5 of 5 stars!

God bless,

Brian

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth - A Book Review

*WARNING* SPOILERS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THIS REVIEW!

    One choice can transform you - or it can destroy you.
    But every choice has its consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves - and herself - while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
    Tris' initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable - and even more powerful.
    Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

    Wow, wow, WOW! Insurgent by Veronica Roth, book to in the Divergent Series, was AMAZING! It was full of amazing twists and turns that I didn't expect, emotional, physical, and mental turmoil on the main character's, Tris', part. The second installment is action-packed and will draw you in from the start.
    Contained within its pages is mystery, adventure, and romance.
    Tris is constantly having to make choices that will affect her future, and the future of her friends and family. Throughout the book, she is struggling with loss of one of her best friends, the deaths of her parents, and the betrayal of a family member. She also has to balance her relationship with her mentor, and boyfriend (two years, her senior).
    There are constant struggles of ethics as Tris has to decide what is right and what is wrong.
    There is mild language use; "h*ll" is used a few times, as is "s*cks"; a fictional insult, "Stiff" is used for the members of the Abnegation faction.
    Tobias and Tris kiss multiple times, as well as lay on Tobias' bed together, though they go no further than kissing and hugging. Tris has a constant battle and fear with this throughout books one and two.
    Violence is mild. Multiple people are either shot, or stabbed. A faction is mind controlled, though they are not aware until afterwards.
    All things considered, this book was simply amazing and my only regret is that I must now what a year for book three!

5 of 5 stars.

God bless,

Brian

Indie Author Spotlight - #1

    Every now and then, when I find the time or an awesome Indie author that I just have to share, I will share a post that puts new Indie (Independent, for those of you who don't know what it means) in the spotlight. Sound good? Good.

    Here's the banner for this new category:

Like?

    The first book to go under the spotlight is one that I just received today! One of my friends wrote it and published it with createspace.

    Please, give a warm round of applause for teenage author Sahara Adalyn Moran's debut novel, The Midnight Labyrinth!

1.

    Guardians, wizards, the Midnight Labyrinth - all part of the past. Forgotten elements of the mighty battles fought in the ancient times of Aselda and its lands. Even stories told to the children of the kingdom of Aselda. Anyone who exercises magic is considered a follower of the legendary evil sorcerer, Seuderak. The safe havens are coming to ruin, leaving no safe places to flee to. The monsters that once threatened Aselda's lands seem to have reappeared, lurking in the shadows, awaiting stragglers.

    The only hope that glimmers in the darkness are three unlikely champions - a young inexperienced king, the most wanted thief in all of Aselda, and her younger brother. But will anyone trust them? Most importantly, can they trust each other? If they can even survive the Royal Guard, they will have even harder challenges ahead of them.

    Look for my review of The Midnight Labyrinth in the future.

    The runner-up to Sahara Adalyn Moran's debut novel, The Midnight Labyrinth, is teenage author, Oliver Dahl's, debut novel, The Dreamer's: A Story of Sam Kullen.

2.

    Sam Kullen is a Dreamer. Every night he dreams, and he lives in each one. Together, the Dreamers must stop Malfix from taking over the Dream Realm, and earth itself. The Dreamers also have the ability to control events on earth and through their dreams. Sam and the Dreamers must prevent Malfix from controlling things... for the worse.

You can read my review of Oliver Dahl's debut novel, The Dreamers, here.

    The second runner-up is yet another debut novella by yet another teenage author. I present to you J. Tobias Buller's novella, The War Horn.

3.

    When the unthinkable happens, John - the son of a Norman lord - undertakes a journey to fight for the lives of his parents and his people. But its not just any quest. The malevolent Lord Gair demands the legendary Holy Grail, and John knows that Lord Gair will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

    All along, John has been making sacrifices for the freedom he seeks. But before the end, John must confront Lord Gair and stop him, before it's too late. But John's true enemy isn't Lord Gair. It's himself.

    On an adventure of daring and excitement, John must make an impossible choice. And to do that, he must learn the true price of freedom.

    Keep an eye out for a review of The War Horn by J. Tobias Buller in the future.

So, I hope you all enjoyed my first Indie Author Spotlight post! And I do hope that you look into each of these books.

God bless,

Brian