Shut Up & Read

I'd like to welcome author C. Bryan Brown to our blog today! Gritty urban fantasy that blends magic and mystery into a tale mirroring today's political climate and the loss of our personal freedoms. Every city has an underworld and St. Louis is no exception. Torrin McGlynne—driven by a selfish, misguided sense of justice—thrives in his dealings with the city’s thieves, murderers, and drug dealers. They supply him with both job security and the financial means to provide a better life for his daughters. When he runs afoul of a shadowy cabal wielding unimaginable, magical powers, he unwittingly enters into a deadly game of cat and mouse where nothing is what it seems. The stakes continue to rise until Torrin must choose between protecting himself and making the ultimate sacrifice to save those he loves the most.  Buy Links:  Amazon   ~  Smashwords See the full list of C. Bryan Brown's books on Goodreads! When and why did you begin writing? What ...

Alice's review  November 6, 2011 This book is truly AMAZING, everything i hope for in a book. Moira Young is giving Suzanna Collins a run for her money! The world that Saba lives in is cruel and gruesome but so believable, I loved the dialect it makes for and easy read. The action is there from beginning to end you will never know what will happen next! Saba is a heroine that i would love to read about in every book, and most definatley cant wait till the sequel comes out becuase this book was a wonderful thrill ride! 5 stars all the way Goodreads review See all of Alice's reviews Buy your own copy here: Amazon Barnes & Noble

Diana 's review February 9, 2012 I'm a bit confused on how to review this book. I really felt like I was reading 2 different books. I can tell you exactly where I felt the book shifted into a completely different book, so this might have been completely intentional on the author's part (though I don't want to give you any spoilers so read the book and then we can discuss your thoughts ;-)).  The first thing that caught my attention when reading this book was the writing style. It's written like you're reading Juliette's diary. The words were flowy and descriptive. It was very poetic and beautiful, but the poetry of the writing left me disconnected from the story and the characters. Juliette and Adam are great and all, but I wasn't connected enough to them to be emotionally invested in their well being. The one character that I did love, though, was Warner. He was written beautifully. The man is Psychotic with a capital P. In a sick and t...

Jen 's review         February 20, 2012 This was an amazing book. I have always been very interested in the story and life of Joan of Arc, and I greedily gobble up any bit of information I can read on her. Ever since the first time my grandma showed me the painting of Joan by Jules Bastien-Lepage, I have been entranced by this amazing person. This book was full of interesting information about Joan, and I especially enjoyed that Joan's own 15th century trial testimony was used. In the synopsis I read that the author has a decade of research under her belt in preparing for and writing this book, and this fact definitely comes through in the reading. Magnificently written, and the full color photos were an added bonus...very beautiful. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a deep interest in Saint Joan, anyone who has no idea what Joan's story is, and would like to learn more about her, and everyone in between. Thank you for a...

Kelli's review Feb 17, 2012 Generally speaking, when reading any type of fantasy/paranormal story, my least favorite genre is faeries. I don't know whether I find them boring or if the authors haven't done a good job of convincing me that this life would be great, but I typically tend to avoid them. So signing up to read this was a big deal for me. And I'd like to thank Christie Rich for changing my views of the Fae. In the beginning of the story, Rayla seemed like a brat. She was slightly selfish and mildly whiny and annoying. Not that I was a huge fan of Aunt Grace. She seemed like a sister of one of the witches from Oz. Thankfully, the book picked up once Rayla and Cassie left Moab. There was always something strange about Cassie and her family, I just didn't know what at the time. Once at school, things got truly interesting. Once finding out she was an Elemental, Rayla began being courted by a group of attractive men who were really faeries. I, of course...

Nawnee 's review   February 15, 2012 I fell in love with this story right away. The author's writing is so expressive, it wasn't hard to fall into her world and get wrapped up in the mystery and suspense surrounding Chela. The secondary characters were pretty well flushed out also I'd like to say there were two main characters to this book Chela and Farris, but her two friends (she calls them the Bermuda Three)and some of the other characters were just as involved. This book starts out with Chela breaking one rule after another she seems to be pushed to act out by what's happening with her twin brother. The rule breaking lands her in a sort of reform camp called Minders Camp this sounds like a horrible situation for her to be in but it also teaches her so many things. I don't want to give away the story so I will just say this is a unique approach to the genre the author has blended a apocalyptic society with the fallen, Chela's world just gets t...

Amy 's review   February 12, 2012   Olyvia is a young woman living in a near-future Chicago which is ravished by cancer, the newest form of plauge that is sweeping the world. Her mother runs a Hospice from their own family home where the sick come to die. Each day Olyvia is forced to witness the auras' of the sick wither and fade away. Wanting to find an escape she agrees to meet her virtual friend Mikah in person for the first time. But Mikah isn't as normal as he seems. Bound to a world of the supernatural, Mikah is stuck in a life that he dosen't want. As soon as Mikah and Olyvia meet, their worldscollide and it could just mean the end not for them but for something much, much bigger. This book was action-packed, edge-of-your-seat kind of read. From the very beginning of this book I was kind of in awe of each thing: the descriptions were beautiful, the story-line was fresh and imaginative, also there was so many unexpected plot twists and turns that I ...

Dani' s review   February 6, 2012   I started the prologue of this first installment to Marina's Tales and just after it I realized that I was mistaken to have started the book so late at night. I simply could not convince myself to do the reading in a better time the next day. So even if there were quite too many distractions for me to read all that easily, I managed to hit the pages stubbornly and resolved to adore just another tale that is worth telling. I found myself grinning as I got to every chapter. The book is written in a such a way that the reader would want to engage more in Marina's thoughts and expectations. Much of the plot was as surprising to me as it seemed to Marina and the thrill of it all pulled me more into the story. There are really few characters but I can say that the author established the role of each very well. Marina's circle was so appealing to me that I kind of envied the life she had. I must say that if Marina's narration affecte...

Mallory 's review   February 11, 2012   This is the first novel of the Sensate Trilogy. It is definitely an original story; I don’t remember ever reading anything that comes close to this particular ongoing story line. Very intriguing. A mixture of contemporary, Paranormal, Magical Fantasy, and much more, I’d be hard-pressed to assign just one label-so I won’t. I’ll just recommend it and let the reader decide to what subgenres to assign it. At age twenty-two, Alexandra is a continuing student, soon to begin work on her Master’s Degree. After the deaths of her parents, she developed a sudden need to research her family’s genealogy, and is currently urgently tracking her father’s great-grandfather, Teater Higgins, a younger son who fathered two children in West Virginia and then disappeared. Trying to track him to an old, abandoned Higgins farm in Pennsylvania, Alexandra first falls into a cistern, then is spookily enabled to climb out after she finds a mysterious...

Fanny 's review February 11, 2012 I would simply said "I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!" I love this book has a bit of everything, action, vampires, suspense, unexpected things, secrets, life lessons, romance, a heroine with a good personality-beautiful-kick-ass girl, a charming gentleman hero-sexy-hot-presumptuous-rough!!! The writer was showcased with the plot, I really liked quite interesting. She combine some of the Apocalypse (the red moon, end of the world for humans),the emergence of a kind of-resident-evil-virus-kick-ass-hunter-girl (I did not like the plot of that movie) but I love that she was able to combine this things. Have much influence from other vampire stories,has a touch of classic and modern vampire-stuff. Sloane is a very strong girl, haunted by guilt. ORION was her brother and ROOK, orion's best friend were turned on Halloween night when they were visiting a house "haunted" because Sloane insisted to go the...

Tana 's review November 29, 2011 The Raie'Chaelia is the first book in The Legend of the Raie'Chaelia trilogy, this series is y/a fantasy which is filled with adventure and of course romance. Chalice who has been raised by her grandparents and trained to fight, knows nothing of her life before her parents died. Her grandfather tells her one night she must leave and go find a man named Nathaniel Maehbeck she is to follow his instructions and Nathaniel will give her something. Chalice heads out on her long journey and along the way meets many different people along the way and finds out many interesting facts about herself and her family. She meets up with a creature named Bunejab who is quite funny, and we are also introduced to Jeremiah who is a sweet guy and knows duty comes first you like him right away. I think one of the best parts of this story is the magical/mystical portions of the story the author has a great imagination and describes everything ...

Cindy 's review February 6, 2012 Well, not really sure what to say on this one. :) This book was pretty awesome! I received this book from Shut Up & Read. I had a little bit of trouble getting into the story at the beginning. I'm not sure if it was just my frame of mind when starting to read or what, but as I continued to read I was drawn in on this new adventure. Alexa is still her spit-fire self. Unafraid of the consequences of her actions, not caring what people think of her and unsure of what to do in her love life. (I know who I would pick...just sayin') She finds herself on an unexpected mission to save someone whom everyone thought was dead. During this time, she struggles with the choices that she was forced to make (or was she?) and whether or not she is evil or just doing what was necessary to carry out her mission. Also, along the way, she finds herself drawn romantically to Kayden (my choice in the triangle by the way) and unable to deny he...

Jodie 's review   February 3, 2012   I love love love this story! My only complaint is that the book does not stand well on its own. It is simply the first part to a much longer tale. You will not be able to read this book and not buy the next ones, because it stops right in the middle of the story. What happened to the days you could buy a great big novel and the whole story was there, no matter how many pages it took?? Anyway, lets get back to the book. I think the writing is brilliant! The story is unique (at least for me)and very interesting. The characters are wonderful, the descriptions are amazing! I was caught up from the beginning. I have no idea where this story is going to go or what might happen and I love that in a book. I love the creatures, wizards, kings and peasants. The history and beliefs of these ancient people have me completely captivated. I will read every story Stephen Goldin writes, no matter how many books are in the series. I think ...

Annie's review January 24, 2012 Oh my goodness. The imagery on the first page alone made me want to drop everything I was doing (homework, laundry, dishes, homework, sleep, homework) just to read this immediately! It is a beginning unlike any I have read, and I was immediately drawn in. “A time when magic existed and myths, legends and the gods roamed the planets and walked freely among us.” Oh sigh. To be in those times. After discovering the mighty characters, you meet the little girl who is the focus of the story. She has just lost her father, but she has gained some friends in the mean times, some who have ulterior motives. So far, they are good motives, but there is something sinister going on that involves this grief stricken little girl. The story is incredible, and not like anything I have ever read before. I was drawn in with the author’s imagery, and kept drawn in by her writing. Another author stated that her writing made theirs look amateur. Well, it ma...

Buddy's review   January 31, 2012  T his book is .. un·put·down·a·ble /ˌənˌpo͝otˈdounəbəl/ .. it pulls you into the story immediately, go on read it, I'm not going to ruin the story with my review because I want you to feel the same excitement I felt reading this book! Ohhh OK! I will give you a few things to wet your whistle about this book: .. A Dystopian Society set in the flooded Republic of Los Angeles 2130. .. June (the heroine), the Republic's cream of the croup! A bad-ass chick! .. While Day (the rogue), the Republic's worst nightmare! A bad-ass dude! .. Day attempts to steal plague vaccinations for his family .. and in the process June's brother, Captain Metias of the Republic, is murdered .. June vows to avenge her brother's murder, and sets off to hunt Day! I really don't want to give too much away. I hope my review is enough to peak your interest. The character development is fantastic. The book is written in a style that ...

ShyStar 's review January 19, 2012 Beg for Mercy, in my opinion is a fantastic book. Most young adult books have an obvious love story pretty simple, other times the protagonist may be involved in a love triangle and it’s still pretty guessable which person they will end up with. Beg for Mercy however has a love story as complicated as a tangled web. There are so many guys the main character – Mercy could end up with; this allows all types of readers to choose their favourite male character. Also each chapter begins with Mercy’s SAT word for the day, I really liked this as it allowed me to expand on my own vocabulary. The book can be found for as little as 77p on Amazon as an ebook, this is a BARGAIN- trust me. Its definitely worth the read, once you start the book you will be gripped. The overall concept of the story is enticing and different. I can’t wait for book 2!! Goodreads review

Sarah's review Jan 16, 2012 I loved this book! Its your classic paranormal romance. Camille is 21 and went off to Paris to escape, if only for a while, her abusive relationship with her now ex-boyfriend. While there she walks, literally, into Gavin. And he is gorgeous! Two years later life is as normal. While definitely getting away from her ex, states away, she found herself yet again in the break up stage from another abusive relationship. Trying to avoid Andrew, the almost ex, she runs into Gavin at the book store she works at. As their relationship takes off, a dark secret comes out. Not only is Gavin not what he appears, but neither is everyone else she thought she knew. Camille is terrified and angry. But Camille is also in love, and can't give up her best friend Audrey. As she plunges deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole Camille is faced with all new dangerous and foreign obstacles. This book had me laughing, crying and on the edge of my seat. Can Camille ge...

H.H.'s review   January 28, 2012 I have just finished reading "Molly Gumnut Rescues a Bandicoot" by Patricia Puddle. That little girl can get herself into so much trouble! My heart ached for Molly as she tried so very hard to listen to her parents and Grandma. In her heart, she wanted Furble to be released back to his mother, but the danger to the tiny bandicoot over-rode all sense of right and wrong as Molly donned the hat as his protector. The author easily walks you through Molly's inner torment when she can't make adults understand her motives and everything goes horribly wrong. Molly will make you shake your head in despair and swell your heart with pride for standing up for what she believes is the right thing to do. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. To find out more about H.H. Laura, visit her website:   www.Sensates.com Goodreads review You can buy your own copy of Molly Gumnut Rescues a Bandicoot from Amazon , Barnes & Noble ...

Loren's Review: January 25, 2012 I usually do not review books, but I love reading. I have just started to read angle books and I really love them and this book did not let me down. I could not put the book down; I just had to know what happened next. I am so excited that the other books in the series are already out. So about the book, I liked how the author had a different twist with the angels and demons, they were not religious based and the angles are not good. The angles and demons have been at war with each other and each side wants to get their hands on the main character Taylor, so each side sent a guy (Gabriel and Chris) to go and get her. Taylor was a strong heroine. Taylor and Sam (best friends) have just starting their first year of college. Taylor meets Gabriel while looking for a four leaf clover and he finds it for her. She was a little uncertain about him at first and she realizes that he looks familiar and she realized that he was in one of her dreams, ...