Posts Tagged ‘myth’

Michael West
Featured Book Release:
Hades’ Disciples
July 7 to 13 , 2014

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I had to be a part of this tour!

I’d already read Poseidon’s Children and loved it, so I was thrilled to get a chance to showcase Michael West’s series and review the first two books for ya!

Come meet the cast, human and monster. Follow the mystery. Enter the world of The Legacy of the Gods!

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MY REVIEW

I’m trying to think of one thing the author did wrong with this book, and can’t come up with anything.

The setting is great. The island of Colonial Bay reminds me of the movie The Fog. The locals are close-mouthed and secretive. Being isolated from the mainland, life is very different.

The creatures. Michael got very creative. I watched the movie Dagon, and drew from that to picture these fearsome beings. Even the ones that weren’t trying to kill people must have been terrifying to behold. I also remembered some of the characters from Pirates of the Caribbean and came up with some nasty critters.

The characters. So many of them, and that’s a plus for me. I love character driven stories, and the humans aren’t the only ones I connected with.

Artist Larry and his girlfriend Peggy. On the island for a vacation, Larry is awakened by a bad dream and gets up to get a drink. Glancing out the window, he sees something off the beach. A girl is being attacked by a shark near the shoreline. But then he’s not so sure it’s a shark. Something doesn’t look right.

Carol always new Atlantis was real. Now she’s discovered it. When things start pointing to Colonial Bay, her and Alan go to investigate. What they find is beyond belief. But, once they’re drawn into the middle of an ancient myth, when the beings of nightmares attack, they’ll have to believe if they want to survive.

With action and adventure, monsters, characters to love and loathe, and mysteries from the deep, Poseidon’s Children is a blast and I’m anxious to get started on Hades’ Desciples, the next book in this series.

I’m thrilled to give this 5 STARS

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Synopsis

Man no longer worships the old gods; forgotten and forsaken, they have become nothing more than myth and legend. But all that is about to change. After the ruins of a vast, ancient civilization are discovered on the ocean floor, Coast Guard officers find a series of derelict ships drifting in the current-high-priced yachts and leaking fishing boats, all ransacked, splattered in blood, their crews missing and presumed dead. And that’s just the beginning. Vacationing artist Larry Neuhaus has just witnessed a gruesome shark attack, a young couple torn apart right before his eyes….at least, he thinks it was a shark. And when one of these victims turns out to be the only son of Roger Hays, the most powerful man in the country, things go from bad to worse. Now, to stop the carnage, Larry and his new-found friends must work together to unravel a mystery as old as time, and face an enemy as dark as the ocean depths.

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MY REVIEW

This is the second book in this series. Just wanted to warn you if you haven’t read Poseidon’s Children yet. I’ll do my best not to spoil it for you.

The story picks up around two years after Colonial Bay and, while some of my favorite characters aren’t in this story, some are.

Carol and Alan are now living in Japan and settling in nicely when someone from Carol’s past comes calling. Kari is a very close friend from back in her college days. She’s asking for their help in finding her father. He disappeared after heading off to Nepal to find what he believes is the Ark. Not that he thinks it’s Noah’s Ark.

The decision is made for them when a rampaging tiger crashes into their home, bent on obliterating them. Carol and Kari manage to take it out and Alan reluctantly joins them as they prepare to scale the frozen mountain of Makalu, the location of the Ark. Also a place of hidden danger and myth. Even the Sherpa won’t guide anyone up there. Local superstition says it belongs to the Yeti.

Earl, now working for Homeland Security, is back and has a bigger role this time. He barely survives an attack by Hades Desciples. They want the old Gods back. Seems they forgot the bit about being slaves to them. Earl forms an alliance with the creatures that rescued him and they rush to protect his partner, laid up in a hospital.

This second book delves deeper into the history of these creatures. I learned more about how they came to be here and why.

There are three clans.

Poseidon’s Children are water based. They take on the aspect of creatures from the deep.

Zeus’ Warriors are human in appearance.

Hades’ Desciples are beasts of all kinds. Some of nature and some of fantasy.

All were created by someone or something for a reason that will be revealed.

Werewolves, bats, yeti, satyrs, and many more monsters will keep your hair standing on end.

Three clans.

Three agendas

One final outcome.

And one heck of a cliffhanger ending!

Just thought I’d warn ya.

Zeus’ Warriors: Book Three in The Legacy of the Gods Series is coming soon and I’ll be there!

If you love monsters, myths and urban fantasy, you’ll love this series and I recommend you give it a go.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

Terrifying creatures exist all around us, hiding in plain sight. Ancient. Deadly. They gather in secret, conspiring, dreaming of nothing less than humanity’s destruction, and their numbers are growing.

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Earl Preston knows the danger all too well. After tangling with a horde of mythological sea monsters in Colonial Bay, he has been tasked with finding these beasts and exposing their plans whatever they may be.

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But Earl is not the only one with a mystery on their hands. At the very top of the world, Carol Miyagi has stumbled onto an artifact from Earth’s past, something magnificent held captive in a prison of ice and snow. Now, Carol and Earl must work quickly to decipher the will of the gods–a plot that defies imagination–and to stop their followers from carrying it out.

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They thought the nightmare was over, but they are about to discover that the horror has only just begun.

Amazon Links for Hades’ Disciples

Print Version ~ Kindle Version

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About Author Michael West:

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Michael West is the bestselling author of Cinema of Shadows, Skull Full of Kisses, The Wide Game, Spook House, and the critically acclaimed Legacy of the Gods series. He lives and works in the Indianapolis area with his wife, their two children, their turtle, Gamera, and their dog, King Seesar.

West avoids manhole covers and sidewalk grates whenever possible. He just doesn’t know what’s down there, and he’s not sure he wants to find out.

Author Links: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Tour Schedule and Activities
7/7 Shells Interviews Guest Post
7/7 Come Selahway With Me Interview
7/7 Beauty in Ruins Guest Post
7/7 Fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s ramblins and reviews Review
7/8 Deal Sharing Aunt Top Tens List
7/8 Jess Resides Here Top Tens List
7/8 I Smell Sheep Guest Post
7/9 SpecMusicMuse Interview
7/10 Coffintree Hill Guest Post
7/10 Armand Rosamilia, Horror Author Guest Post
7/11 Bee’s Knees Reviews Review
7/12 A Haunted Head Top Tens List
7/12 Willow’s Author Love Interview
7/13 The Rage Circus Vs. The Soulless Void Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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Thanks so much to AToMR for organizing this exciting tour!

I first discovered Nancy Straight when I won signed print copies of her first three books in The Touched Series from her tour in May. Check out her brand new blog HERE.

Since then I’ve also gotten into her Destiny Series, but that’s for another time.

I had to be a part of this. I adored these books and read them in three days. I went from one to the next until my hands came up empty.

But soon enough, I’ll be getting my hands on Centaur Redemption, the fourth book in this series.

Until then, please enjoy my reviews. I tried not to put in spoilers.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway. Nancy is giving away 5 signed print sets of these three books!

What a great early Christmas present!

Good Luck.

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Title: Touched Series: Blood Debt, Centaur Legacy and Centaur Rivalry

Author: Nancy Straight

Release date: July 13, 2012, Nov 23, 2012, and Apr 28, 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Links to find/buy your book:

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kobo

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Blood Debt

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Book Description:

Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.

My Review

After Camille’s mother dies she learns who her father is  and when she contacts him, she is welcomed into his family. She now has a step-mother and several half-brothers.

She also discovers some startling things about who and what she is. Her world is something straight out of myth. Her bloodline traces all the way back to a Centaur graced, or cursed, by Zeus.

Where to begin.

Once Camille goes to live with her new family, she finds it’s a lot more complicated than the normal world.

Centaurs have rigid customs, needed to keep the blood lines strong and pure. There are way more males than females and Camille is born of a very strong bloodline.

A blood debt is owed for something her mother did, and a vengeful centaur wants Camille to pay the debt.

And Camille’s wicked grandmother would like nothing more than to sweep her away and control her.

Camille is not a wall flower. She’s self-confident, straight forward, and strong-willed. It was fun to read how she blundered with the centaur code of living. And, of course, the author didn’t make it easy for her, with Camille literally bumping into a centaur already promised to another.

With so few female centaurs I could see why they had such rigid rules, but they weren’t prepared for Camille. She’s worldly and, while willing to learn their rules, she’s not always going to abide by them. She really stirs things up and maybe the stodgy mandates need to be changed.

It was also interesting how the author approached centaurs. They weren’t actually part horse, part man. They were likened to such a creature because of their powers and their speed.

Aah, the forbidden love rears its ugly head too. Of course, Camille sees it all as nonsense, but the male centaurs take it very seriously. There can be dire consequences for the men if they break a promise to another female or if they are not chosen by one.

As Camille navigates the centaur way of life, she’s also dealing with a blood debt that could cost her her life and a grandmother with her own agenda. She’ll have to be quick on her feet and stay sharp as she learns her true past and what it could mean for her and her new family.

With so much going on, you’d think it would be confusing. But, I dove  into the centaur way of life right beside Camille. Her brothers are yummy and each is so different. But they’d all stand in the line of fire to protect her. Funny thing is all their names start with a B. I was confused at first, just like Camille.

Her father, I’m still not too sure about. He has ulterior motives I’m not so okay with, but her step mother is great, loving and graceful and welcoming Camille into the family with open arms.

The ending is a cliffhanger, of course, as this is a series. But I don’t mind. Learning about the centaur world is a great beginning and all of the key characters are now firmly in my mind, each voice speaks to me, and I’m now very curious to see where the author takes them next.

5 Stars

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Centaur Legacy

Centaur Legacy

Book Description:

Camille and Drake are on the run from the head of the Centaur Council, seeking the mythical pasture of Thessaly and a family heirloom that may keep them safe. As their journey progresses from the rolling hills of Ireland to the snow covered forests of South Dakota, Cami learns more about her mother’s secrets, including a twin brother and a Centaur legacy that puts a death warrant on her entire family.

Camille and Drake don’t know who to trust or where to hide. Camille’s family is quick to come to her aid, but who among them can be trusted?

A supernatural benefactor forces Drake to choose between being the man he wants to be and the Centaur warrior Camille needs him to be.

My Review

**This is book two in the series. I’ll do my best not to put in spoilers.**

Drake and Camille are now on the run from the Centaur Council. Secrets are uncovered that threaten so many lives.

With the help of Camille’s family, they travel to Ireland to seek the mysterious pasture of Thessaly and an object that will protect them, then on to South Dakota and a twin brother Camille never knew she had.

My head was spinning as I read this second book. Not because I couldn’t keep it all straight, but because of how much was happening. This is exciting from the get go and really never slows down.

I learned more about how and where centaurs came to be and it was fascinating. Nancy Straight got very creative with her mythical centaurs and shocking events occurred that I didn’t see coming.

Old blood feuds arise, centaur is against centaur, and trust is hard to come by.  Camille’s grandmother is up to her old tricks, her entire bloodline is now in danger, and something happens to Drake that forces him to make a difficult choice.

As the second book in this series, I was worried it wouldn’t give me what I wanted. But I didn’t leave it disappointed. I finished reading and turned me eyes to the third book, having to read more, needing new answers, and seeking more surprises.

5 Stars

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Centaur Rivalry

Centaur Rivalry

Book Description:

The Centaur world is rocked as news spreads of the Lost Herd, Camille’s existence, and her Centaur protector. A death order against Camille’s father and family sends all into hiding.

Camille and Drake leave the country pursued by the Lost Herd as well as by Centaur Council enforcers. Camille’s twin brother Cameron is manipulated by the Council Head and is quickly becoming her newest enemy.

Amid unexpected new protectors, enemies, and romances, Camille and Drake make their plans to travel to Africa to confront the Centaur Council. They hope acceptance of Camille as Chiron’s heir, yet knowing that her link to the Lost Herd could require them to kill or to be killed.

My Review

**This is the third book in this series. I’ll do my best not to include spoilers.**

Now that the Centaur Council knows about Camille and the Lost Herd and discovers Drake’s secret, her entire family is sentenced to death and forced into hiding.

Many new characters enter the story, both good and bad, as Camille and Drake insist on facing the Council in Africa. They can only hope to change the Council’s ruling but centaur may have to kill centaur.

Some really great events happen in this third book. Some I was hoping for and some surprised me. I also met some new characters that I would like to know better. One in particular. She made a lasting impression.

Camille’s brother is brain washed by their meddling grandmother and could now become her enemy and the Council is all in an uproar about the existence of the Lost Herd, thought long destroyed, and Camille’s place in that bloodline.

No one is safe as family turns on family and spies are everywhere.

The best part about this series is the characters. I’m a fan of character driven novels and I met so many here. A few really stand out to me, whether good or bad, and even the secondary characters stayed with me. That says a lot about Nancy’s writing. She gave me such diverse personalities to engage with, each with their own voice.

Camille really steps up her game. The warrior in her comes out. She’s had enough of the running and bloodshed, and she’s bringing it to the Council. Tougher times are ahead and I can’t wait to read what’s coming!

5 Stars

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Enjoy the cover reveal of the next book in this awesome series!

Nancy hopes to have Centaur Redemption ready by the end of the year.

Centaur Redemption Cover

 

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GIVEAWAY

 5 Paperback Sets of the Touched Series (INT)

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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About the Author

Nancy Straight

I LOVE Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). I have a lead foot so I set cruise control when I drive, even in 25 MPH zones. I almost never win when I play Angry Birds, but have my 9 year old close, so he can clear the hard levels for me. I grew up on a farm and am opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to meat – just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). I am a huge fan of the show, Big Bang Theory, on CBS.  I have two fantastic sons, three rotten dogs and a husband that I adore.

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter ~ Facebook Author Page ` Pinterest ~ Goodreads Profile ~ Website

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To see other fun stops on the tour for reviews, guest posts, and excerpts click here or the tour button below.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

To see all of my giveaways click on the centaur below.

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