Remnants: Season of Wonder by Lisa T. Bergren

 ABOUT THE BOOK:

Andriana is a Remnant, one of the gifted teens born on the seventh day during the seventy-seventh Harvest after the Great War, and destined to act as humanity’s last shield against the horrors that now plague those who remain.

After years of training in stealth and warfare, Andriana and her Knight protector, Ronan, are finally ready to answer the Call and begin the life they were designed for. But as they embark with the other Remnants on the first of their assignments, they quickly discover that the world beyond their protected Valley home is more dangerous than they imagined.

The Sons of Sheol will stop at nothing to prevent Dri and Ronan from rescuing anyone sympathetic to the Remnants’ cause. And as the Remnants attempt to battle the demonic forces, other enemies close in. Dangers intensify, but so do Dri's feelings for Ronan--the one emotion she is not meant to feel. In the midst of their mission, Andriana must find a way to master her feelings, or risk compromising everything.

MY REVIEW:

 I think that Dystopian and YA are two of my favorite genre's to read which made REMNANTS a story that I thoroughly enjoyed. From the very beginning of the book when Andriana and Ronan escape the evil forces that will haunt them throughout their journey, to the very end where we are left with many unanswered questions and a burgeoning forbidden love, REMNANTS took me on a roller-coaster adventure that has me breathlessly waiting for more!

I loved the characters of REMNANTS. Each one of the Remnants has a gift that The Maker has given them to use for his purpose. I think Ronan may be my favorite character of the group. Just because he makes such a hunky knight-in-shining-armor...oh wait, wrong era! He is Andriana's knight though, without the shining armor part. I'm kind of partial to men that protect women.

While the Remnants are definitely on mission for The Maker I did not find the story overly preachy. Spiritual forces abound in the forms of both good and evil, but it seems that evil is prevailing. I'm looking forward to book two to see what unfolds next!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa T. Bergren 
Lisa T. Bergren is the author of over forty books, with a combined count of over 2.5 million copies sold.

She has written best-selling children’s books, award-winning YA (River of Time Series: Waterfall), popular historical fiction, contemporary fiction, women’s nonfiction, and gift books. She is a writer and editor residing in Colorado Springs, CO, with her husband and three children. You can find out more about Lisa at LisaBergren.com.

 

Check out other books that I have read and reviewed by Lisa:

The River of Time Series:

Waterfall
Cascade
Torrent
Bourne
Tributary

The Grand Tour Series:

Glamorous Illusions
Grave Consequences
Glittering Promises

To purchase Remnants:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1sw88q4

B&N: http://bit.ly/1eon8x9

BAM: http://bit.ly/1edUmos

GIVEAWAY!!!!

Author Lisa T. Bergren is giving away a signed copy of Remnants to one winner on my blog today. Leave a comment to be entered to win.

Countdown City: The Last Policeman book 2 by Ben H. Winters

In book two of The Last Policeman trilogy COUNTDOWN CITY, the earth has only 77 more days before a giant asteroid destroys it. Once again Hank Palace is on a mission to solve a mystery. An old family friend has asked him to find her husband who has gone missing. As Hank searches for Brett Cavatone his investigation leads him through many twists and turns. Was Brett the devoted husband that his wife led Hank to believe or has he embarked on a crusade that will put him and anyone looking for him in danger? 

I really enjoyed COUNTDOWN CITY. I found Hank’s desire to help a family friend and his tenacious ability to not give up until he completes his mission admirable. In a setting that has turned into “every man for himself” it is refreshing to see Hank’s character caring for his fellow human beings. Hank is an unwitting hero with a desire to fulfill a promise that he has made. I’m looking forward to the last book in the trilogy with the hopes that somehow the earth will be saved and for Hank’s sake set to rights once more. I have a feeling that his sister will be very much involved in that endeavor! An entertaining sequel to THE LAST POLICEMAN. 

For more information about COUNTDOWN CITY visit the publishers site: Quirk Books. There is also a very SHORT bio on the author Ben H. Winters! 

Read my review of the first book in the series The Last Policeman.

I received my copy of COUNTDOWN CITY from the publishers Quirk Books for my honest opinion. The book will be released July 16, 2013. 

Glitches by Marissa Meyer

Glitches is a short prequel to Cinder. It tells how cyborg Cinder comes to live with her adoptive family. From the very beginning her step-mother did not want her. Of her two step-sisters Peony is the only one that pays any attention to Cinder. Confused and rejected Cinder tries to find a way to fit in with her new family.

My only problem with Glitches is that it wasn't long enough! Having only 26 pages Glitches just gives the reader a taste(or tease) of what is to come in Cinder and Scarlet. Yes, worth the few minutes it takes to read, but again longer would have been even better.

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Selection started out with 35 girls and now in The Elite it is down to 6. America is still confused about her feelings for Maxon. Sometimes she feels that her heart will break when she sees him with another one of the girls, but then she will see a side of him that reminds her once again why she feels so inadequate to be the future Queen. And what of her feelings for Aspen? Her boyfriend from home, now a guard in the palace. He is still the only one that she feels truly knows her. If she is chosen by Maxon what will happen to her friendship with Aspen? When America distances herself from Maxon and he turns his affections elsewhere will America realize her mistake or has she lost his trust for good?

I actually found myself liking The Elite better than The Selection. There seemed to be much more going on in The Elite. Also it seemed that we were able to see more of the characters personality, the author dug a little deeper and gave the characters more complex feelings. In The Selection I was all for America and Maxon getting together. In The Elite I now have my doubts. I still like Maxon, he has a depth to him that I didn't see before. But he also made me angry because he seemed wishy-washy,  one minute he was telling America she was the girl for him and then in the next he would be all over another of the girls. I also got frustrated with America for not showing Maxon more of her true self. Plus the fact that she continues to lead Aspen on. But all of those feelings and relationships are what keep The Elite entertaining. And don't you just love the cover?

Which cover do you like better? I like The Selection cover better. Both are beautiful, but for some reason The Selection draws me to it more. Check out my review of The Selection HERE.

Sneak by Evan Angler

It has been a month since Logan has escaped his marking. DOME has been clearing out all of the Markless in an attempt to find Logan. He's managed to stay one step ahead of them so far. Logan is making his way to Beacon where he hopes to find Acheron, a prison that may not exist, and to find his sister who may not even be alive.

Mr. Arbitor is being demoted because of the antics of his daughter Erin. Breaking into DOME, stealing equipment and maybe helping a Markless escape causes Mr. Arbitor's boss to send him back to Beacon. Exactly what Erin wanted to happen. Reunited with her mom, Erin was hoping that they could be a family once again. Also realizing that she can once again help Logan, Erin sets out to find him and Acheron in Beacon.

Using an Underground Network to help get them to Beacon, The Dust also make their way there to help Logan. Finding Acheron is not an easy task and breaking someone out of it could prove even more difficult.

One of the complaints I had about SWIPE(the first book in the series) was that we didn't really get the background of how this dystopian world came about. In SNEAK there is a note from the author filling in some background which was very helpful. While the SWIPE series is marketed as a Christian series I found very little evidence of that in either book. Logan does get his hands on a Bible in SNEAK, but really there is very little said about it. I think that the series becomes more "preachy" about the government role in our lives rather than a religious role. That is very understandable considering that the series takes place in an apocalyptic world that has become "all inclusive." Which really means that the government wants total control.  I really enjoyed SNEAK, and look forward to the next installment of the SWIPE series.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Little Red Riding Hood complete with hood and a Big Bad Wolf!

Scarlet and her grandmother are farmers. They sell their produce to the local stores and taverns in the nearby town. When Scarlet first meets Wolf she is startled by his looks, yet drawn to him. They are soon thrown together in the search of Scarlet's missing grandmother.

In the meantime Cinder is working at escaping prison before the Lunar Queen Levana has her put to death. Cinder and renegade Captain Thorne set out to find why Cinder is so important to the Queen and to hopefully find out more information about the dead princess Selena.

Both Scarlet and Cinder find secrets about themselves that have been kept from them for years. Will they be able to grasp who they each are before it is too late for the people of earth?

Scarlet was every bit as good as Cinder! I was not disappointed...well maybe a little bit at the ending, but only because Scarlet ends with a HUGE cliffhanger! I enjoyed reading Scarlet's story and her attraction to Wolf(there are a couple of sigh-worthy tender moments!). But I also enjoyed jumping back into Cinder's story and to read how both Scarlet and Cinder's lives collide. A bit of romance, a bit of suspense all set in a dystopian world~doesn't get much better than that!

Thanks to my friend Karin at Karin's Book Nook(and the Edgy half of Edifying and Edgy) for allowing me to borrow her ARC copy of Scarlet. Karin received her copy at TXLA in Houston in April. Scarlet will be available in February 2013 and I plan on buying a hardback copy to go with my copy of Cinder. Love the covers!

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Unwholly is the sequel to Unwind. It has been a long time waiting for this sequel. It did not disappoint!

Unwinding is still taking place. Children between the ages of 13-17 can be unwound if their parents sign the paperwork. The age used to be to 18, but has now changed to 17 which has caused a shortage of available parts. This has given rise to black market pirates.

Characters from Unwind are also in Unwholly. Connor, Risa and Lev are still fighting the battle for the right to live. Each one has a different battle that puts them in constant peril.

There are also new characters in Unwholly. One a horrifying creation that has taken unwinding to a whole new level.

I was not disappointed in the excitement of the story. The introduction of new characters kept the story from becoming stale. I'm looking forward to the last book in the trilogy and can only hope that it doesn't take another 4 years to come out.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

America is in love with Aspen. But Aspen is a Six and America is a Five. It is not common for a person to marry someone in a caste lower than they are. Plus America's mother has her heart set on America trying out for the Selection. A lottery of 35 young girls who get to go to the palace to compete for Prince Maxon's hand in marriage.

Thinking that he is doing America a favor Aspen breaks up with her and insists she put her name in for the Selection. Never dreaming that she will be chosen, and heartbroken over Aspen breaking up with her America puts her name in.

Having been chosen as one of the 35, America arrives at the palace determined to stay in as long as possible in order to help her family out financially. When a bout of homesickness and panic causes America to be too outspoken to the prince she fears that she will be going home soon.

Maxon appreciates America's candor. They soon have an understanding between them to become friends and to share secrets with each other. Maxon vows to keep America to the very end of the Selection process so that she can continue to help her family out.

Still in love with Aspen, America becomes confused by her growing feelings for Maxon. If they are only friends why is she so jealous of the time that the other girls get to spend with him? When Aspen is drafted into service at the palace, America becomes even more confused. She has never stopped loving Aspen, yet she now has feelings for Maxon. When rebels attack the palace it forces Maxon to narrow the Selection down to just 6 girls. Will America be part of the Elite group or will she be sent home?

I really enjoyed The Selection. Set in a dystopian society of castes I am reminded of all the Disney princess movies that I used to watch with my daughters. Although in this story there are two Prince's to choose from. I have to say I am not a fan of the love triangle. There are things I like about both Aspen and Maxon, but I'm voting for Maxon to win out in the end. The Selection is set to be a trilogy so I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

I received and ARC copy at ALA in January.

Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

For 7 months Tom has been training Benny, Lilah, Nix, and Chong how to survive in the Rot & Ruin. Preparing them for their trek east in search of the jet they all saw fly over them months before. Nix cannot wait to leave all of her memories behind. Lilah cannot wait to feel freedom outside of the fences. Chong is only going for an overnight camping trip to further his training and of course to be with Lilah for a little while longer.

Once in the Rot & Ruin though things do not go the way they planned. Things seem to be happening in the Ruin that indicate that Gameland is once again up and running. While checking out a dead body they encounter Preacher Jack. A man whose title doesn't match his evil countenance.

When they all become separated things go from bad to worse. Not only struggling against the living dead, they are also having to contend with an evilness in humans that they never thought possible.

Once again Jonathan Mayberry has kept me on the edge of my seat! There were times in the story that I would get so stressed out that I had to set the book down for a while! This is an ARC copy that I received at TXLA in April. Jonathan Mayberry was kind enough to autograph it for me. It comes out in stores in August of 2011. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Tom and Benny Imura survived First Night when the world as they knew it turned upside down. Where the dead became reanimated. They lost their parents that night.

Mountainside is their home now. A town surrounded by fences to keep the zombies away. Benny is now 14 and has to choose a job in order to keep receiving his full rations. Tom earns a living as a bounty hunter. He goes out into the Rot & Ruin to find people's family members and put them to death permanently.

Benny loves to hang out with Charlie Pink-Eye and his hoodlum friend The Motorcity Hammer. He loves to hear their stories of how they kill zoms out in the Rot & Ruin. In Benny's mind compared to Charlie and Hammer his brother Tom is a coward.

As time has finally run out for Benny to find a job he agrees to go with Tom out into the Ruin to see what the "family business" is really like. What he learns is that Tom doesn't just randomly kill zombies. He teaches Benny that each zombie used to be a REAL person, a member of a family and deserves that respect. Tom "quiets" the zombies he is sent out to find. He reads them a letter from their family member and he then quiets them so they are no longer roaming around as zombies. It gives closure to the family member. This confuses Benny as he has a strong hate for the zombies and after all of Charlie's and Hammer's stories he has never thought of them as being real people.

Benny finds that not all bounty hunters are as compassionate as his brother Tom. In fact he hears about a place that some of the bounty hunters take innocent children to and make them fight zombies. When Benny happens to get a collector card of the "Lost Girl" one day he finds that this is a "mythical" girl that is supposedly out in the Ruin who may know some of the dealings of the bounty hunters.

As a storm rages over the city and the fence fails Benny finds out to what lengths these bounty hunters will go to protect their interest in the gaming park. Benny and Tom go out into the Ruin to rescue Benny's friend Nix and to find the Lost Girl who may be able to show them where the games take place. What happens while out in the Ruin is horrible and will change their lives forever.

Oh my goodness! Why have I waited so long to read this book? It was soooo good! Really though I'm glad I waited because I have my copy of Rot & Ruin and the sequel Dust & Decay autographed by Jonathan Maberry. Dust & Decay comes out in August but I snagged an ARC copy at the TLA conference I went to. Yay me! Anyway, this was such a good book. I had to close it several times because I couldn't take the suspense, but then I would have to open it and read on to find out what happens! Even though this is a zombie book I was more interested in the human relationships that were going on. Excellent read!