The Homicide Chronicle

Defending the Citizen Accused

by Ralph Shamas

Blog Tour Hosted by
The Masquerade Crew

“Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder”: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Overall Rating:  4 stars

Addiction Level:  I ignored the hubby and puppy until I finished it.

Believe-ability:  The setting is believable.

Dystopia Factor:  The world has been turned upside down and all hope is lost, but maybe our hero/heroine can save it.

~~~

Perry and Aria had to go their separate ways in Under the Never Sky.  For both of them it was a coming of age story.  Both have a better idea of who they are.  Their maturity continues in Through the Ever Night.  Who knew being thrown out of their homes would be for the turning point for each?

Oftentimes I am frustrated when authors write in multiple perspectives.  I am not convinced the narrator changed.  Rossi uses third-person point of view very well.  Though the story alternates between Perry and Aria’s point of view, I am never confused or annoyed at the prose.  Instead I have to keep reading.

I liked the character development of both Perry and Aria.  Perry struggles to rule as the new Blood Lord.  As he makes unwise choices, the characters and I cringe.  It is satisfying to see him struggle and then come out triumphant.

Though Aria is younger than Perry and newer to the “outside,” she is a more mature character.  She sees the bigger picture and is a good match for Perry despite what the tribe may think.  Perry saved Aria in Under the Never Sky, but she saves him in Through the Ever Night.  In the end they prove to be a good match, both committed to one another.

The journey is not over yet.  It will continue, and I desire more!  Right now!  Can Perry and Aria save the tribe before the aether destroys everything?  Will their love survive this time?  Can I survive the wait until next year for the conclusion?

Non-stop Action: The Vanished by Sarah Dalton

Overall Rating: 3 stars

Addiction Level:  I read it when I had spare time.

Believe-ability:  The setting was believable.

Dystopia Factor:  The world is starting to disintegrate.

~~~

I was very excited that I only had to wait six months to read the sequel!  The Vanished picks us right where The Blemished leaves off.  The heart-pounding action of book one greets you as you begin book two.  Mina, Daniel, and Angela have been saved from Murder-Troll, but will they reach the compound?  Dalton teases the reader for a couple of chapters.  Once they reach the compound one might think all is good.

Most people might relax once they reach safety but not Mina Hart.  Though she finds a new home with the Clans, she still craves excitement.  She finds it with the Clans and on a scavenging trip.

Dalton creates a realistic character whom I loved and hated.  Mina struggles with her feelings for Daniel, becoming her own person, and knowing when to use her powers.  She is selfish and selfless.  She leaves on a scavenging trip without notice to her family, but she protects her family and friends fiercely.  She is a contradiction, but she struggles like many teens people do.

The Compound reminds me of the Rising in Matched.  Everyone thinks the Compound will be perfect, but it too has its own quirky things like the Children of the People and the bad guys!  No place on earth will ever be perfect…sigh.

Dalton leaves a trail of bread crumbs and foreshadows the villains’ evil actions.  If you are good at solving mysteries, you will enjoyed The Vanished.  If you are clueless like me, enjoy the surprise.

The Vanished felt a little rushed, but Dalton likes to pack in the action.  (The Blemished is full of action.)  The scavenging trip and the resolution seemed a bit rushed to me.

I found the ending satisfying until the last paragraph.  The cliff hanger leaves you wanting more!  Where will Mina Hart go next?

Many thanks to Sarah Dalton for providing me with an ARC to review.  If you cannot wait for book number three, do not worry.  She is publishing two new stories in a spin-off series.

Spring Break Spectacular Giveaway!

   We are so excited here at Apocalypse Reads because Spring Break is finally upon us! Actually, Spring Break for Rebecca is over and I still have a week before mine, but close enough! Of course we want to share our excitement with you so we've decided to have another giveaway. This time we are happy to be offering a $10 gift card to the e-book vendor of your choice! We figure that everyone needs a new book for Spring Break and with all the great recommendations we've been offering up here on our blog, you should have the chance to decide what it is you’d like to try.

   What do you have to do to enter this stunning giveaway, you ask? Well, first you need to hop up and down on one foot for half a minute, then stick a whole pouch of Big League Chew in your mouth and blow the biggest bubble you can manage, all while entering your information in the window below. Of course, you should also follow our awesome blog and catch us on Twitter. Yup, that ought to do it. (Heck, I might even throw in a new pack of Big League since you'll have wasted yours all in one sitting.)

Happy Spring Break! We can't wait to hear what you've chosen to read!  (You can enter daily to increase your chances of winning!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will run from March 17th-31st. We will announce the winner on April 1st. 

1st Person Blah POV: Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi

Overall Rating: 2 Stars

Addiction Level:  I read it when I had time

Believe-ability:  Some aspects were real; others were not

Dystopia Factor: The world is starting to disintegrate.

~~~

Rossi is a very talented third person point of view writer.  One reason I enjoy Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night is they are both written in third person.  I empathized with the characters and felt like I knew them.

Roar and Liv is written from Roar’s point of view.  I like and admired him in Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night.  In Roar and Liv I found him whiny and annoying.  The first person point of view was not successful for Roar’s voice, because I did not believe the story came from him.

I had also hoped to see more of Liv.  I feel like she got short-sided in the series.  She was more appealing in both books than in this short story.

On the positive side I like that I got more background information on the Tides.  It helped fill in some gaps in her novels.

This is not a must-read for Under the Never Sky fans.  Borrow it from a friend if you want to understand the Tides more.

P.S.  Roar and Liv contains the first two chapters of Through the Ever Night.  If I read it before Through the Ever Night was published, I would have been pulling my hair out.  I enjoyed Through the Ever Night.  Review to come!