Kiera's Quest by Kristy Brown

• 
  
• Title: Kiera's Quest
• Author: Kristy Brown
• Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing (October 17, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• ASIN: B005WXN1RE
• 
  

One of the problems you face as an independent blogger and reviewer is sometimes real life gets in the way. Real life provides the means with which to pay for the blogging and the reviewing and sometimes it demands your attention to such an extent that you have no choice but to ignore your blogging.

This is what has happened to me over the past few months - having started a new job I have had to put reviewing, blogging and even reading on hold while I found my feet. As a result, I have a pile of books and eBooks roughly the size of Mt Everest (and that is only a very slight exaggeration)to wade through. Not to mention a lot of very patient writers waiting for reviews.

In cases like this it can be tempting to do one of two things: either just hit the delete button on everything or write a quick, generic, 'it was nice' review without actually having read the book. The former is a cop out and the latter does a huge disservice to both my reputation and the work of the writer.

I started with Kiera's Quest and was pleasantly rewarded with a most enjoyable novella. Rather than a young damsel in distress, it is the hero in need of rescuing. Zakk has been turned into a plastic doll by the obligatory - but highly entertaining - Wicked Witch. And it is up to Kiera to set him free.

Perfectly pitched in tone and style for the challenging tween market - too old for kiddy stories, too young for Twilight - Kiera's Quest is a great choice for a 10 - 12 year old girl looking for her first foray into either fantasy or more mature plot line. Enough romantic suggestion to raise a smile (or a giggle, depending on your age)but not so much that parents need to worry, this is a well crafted story and I suspect the beginning of an ongoing adventure that will keep many entertained.

Buy Kiera's Quest

Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Title: Changeling

Author: Philippa Gregory

Imprint: Simon & Schuster (Penguin)

HB ISBN: 978-0-85707-730-1
TPB ISBN: 978-0-85707-731-8
EB ISBN: 978-0-85707-733-2

It is 1453 and novice priest Luca Vero has been expelled from the monastery he has called home since the disappearance of his parents several years earlier. In medieval Italy charges of heresy are a serious matter and when Luca is summoned for further questioning hes' sure he is about to face the dreaded Inquisition. 

Instead, he is recruited to help uncover the fears of Christendom as it faces what many are certain will be the end of the world. 

Accompanied by Freize - a former kitchen hand from the monastery and who has made it his mission to look after the young novice - and Brother Peter,an older monk, Luca sets out for a nunnery believed to be in the grip of evil. The arrival of the new Lady Abbess, Isolde, has brought a reign of dread and terror with the normally peaceful nuns suffering from night terrors and showing signs of stigmata. 

With Freize and Brother Peter's help, Luca must ascertain whether the mysterious and alluring Lady Abbess is indeed to blame for the disruption at the nunnery or if she is innocent before she is burned at the stake as a witch. 

Philippa Gregory is no stranger to the best seller list - or for that matter historical Europe. She already has more than 20 novels to her name, not the least being The Other Boleyn Girl.

While Changeling is not quite as deep as some of Gregory's adult fiction, it is in no way a 'dumbed down read for kids'. Changeling is in fact an entertaining, well paced story with great characters who are easy to relate to (monastery and nunnery vows not withstanding). 

Similar in many ways to the popular Ellis Peters novels of the '80s and '90s, with Luca holding Brother Cadfael's role, Changeling is a great introduction to the Order of Darkness series and to an era often forgotten by the YA readers. 

It was a refreshing change to see paranormal issues explored in a somewhat pragmatic manner and then explained. Not that I have anything against the paranormal (or even sparkly vampires for that fact) but variety is the spice of life after all....

Changeling is a great read for any age. Older readers will get a lot of enjoyment from this novel and I'm sure the series, but if you are specifically looking for a 'transition' novel for a teenage girl, you won't go far wrong here.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Luca and learning more about his own past.

Buy Changeling in New Zealand 

Buy Changeling online

I've been nominated for a Beautiful Blogger Award

At first I wasn't sure what to do about this. You see the gorgeous Scarlett Rains who nominated me, nominated me here On A Far Away Bookshelf and I hadn't intended to have anything personal on this blog. It was going to be reviews and interviews only.

Then I got to thinking that maybe if I had been nominated via this blog, perhaps I should expand this blog a little and this could be the first step...

So first of all - a huge thank you to Scarlett for nominating me (this is where I start channelling Sally Field - for those readers to young to know who she is, she's the Flyi...oh never mind.)

Seven, scintillating things you never knew about me 

(although, seriously, it's probably better that way for all of us but the rules are the rules...)

1 - I collect Angels - largely because my family and friends call me Angel
2 - I make miniature teddy bears. My smallest is about 3cm and is wearing pyjamas and bunny slippers
3 - I practice Nichiren Buddhism and have done for nearly a decade.
4 - I am a big Bruce Springsteen fan and have been for over 30 years.  The word obsessed has been used. It's an exaggeration. Sort of.
5 - I love technology - phones, computers, tablets, GPS, ereaders, consoles, games,  MP3 players - you name it. Especially if I can get the hardware in electric pink.
6 - I love animated film of all varieties and my  favourite animated film character is Dory from Finding Nemo
7 - I am part way through writing my own YA book called Six Impossible Things.

And on to my nominees:

Shawn Lane from http://www.whatireadyesterday.com
Riya from the fabulous http://www.teenbookguru.com
Nereyda from http://www.booksandsparkles.blogspot.com
The amazing tea at http://www.yahighway.com
Megan from http://thebookbabesreads.blogspot.com
Debadatta from http://b00kr3vi3ws.blogspot.in
and the enormously talented Lisa J Cohen http://ljcbluemuse.blogspot.com

So what happens now?

Nominees write seven facts about themselves,
They link to the blog of the person who nominated them,
They link to seven bloggers who they think deserve the award,
They let those bloggers know they have been nominated.

Looking for the Best Indie Authors 2012

I thought I would take time out to just quickly tell you about the fabulous competition being run over at The Kindle Book Review - where yes, I am proud to be on the reviewing team. There are some incredible authors surfacing thanks to platforms like Kindle  - which is great news for readers and The Kindle Book Review is looking for the Best Indie Authors 2012.

So if you are in Indie author you have until May 15 to enter and be in the running for not only a spot on the list of Best Indie Authors 2012 but also to win some great prizes:

The six winners will receive $100 cash each and an advertising package with The Kindle Book Review. Only novels are eligible including YA.

It's not just about the writers though - there are also prizes for readers available – a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner, loaded with some of the very best indie books out there. Registered readers are also in the draw for free kindle books each week.

Remember, entries close on May 15 so don’t waste any time – head over to The Kindle Book Review and enter your novel or register as a reader.

You can also follow The Kindle Book Review on Twitter: @Kindlbookreview.