Lineage (Elemental Ninjas #2) by Mon D. Rea | ARC | A Book Review

This is book two of the Elemental Ninjas. I had a paperback copy of book one given by the author and he also gave me an ebook copy of book two to review. Thanks again Mon D. Rea. 

This continues the adventure of Sakura and Temujin. This time, another one joins their crew- Sasha. This was the same Sasha who Sakura played with when they were younger. The same kid who helped Sakura broke through the vault for the scroll. This time, he's also grown, just like Sakura and wants to go on an adventure of his own and wants to prove much about himself. So, will this trio get more things done or just get into more trouble?

This could be summed up as Sasha's adventure. It's because it focused more on Sasha. It doesn't mean that Sakura and Temujin were left out but it's just that most of the story is spent on Sasha's school and here, Sasha has to face some of his fears. Before the story ends, the three have to fight for their lives which was what was expected when they embarked on this quest but hoping to not happen. Unfortunately, it happened just too soon. 

Even if this story had more Sasha in it than Sakura and Temujin, or all three of them, it was still very engaging and entertaining. I still enjoyed it. I guess, it's a good way to introduce Sasha and showcase what he can do and contribute to the team. And with how his adventure in the school went, there was a lot he can contribute. He, in some way, has mastered some of his skills and has mastered a part of himself. He has conquered one of his fears and proved to be the hero, instead of some loser who's joke was on him. 

In this story also, the tension between Sasha and Temujin to fight for Sakura's attention is a bit coming to the surface. Temujin is now feeling that Sasha might prove to be a very good rival for Sakura's heart. Not too mention, that these two- Sakura and Sasha, were best friends and now reunited. These two have a lot of history together and what would Temujin have to top that. So, I'm welcoming this growing tension and I am not sure yet who I will be rooting for, but I'm leaning towards Temujin because he's more of the underdog in this rivalry. At the same time, the thought of falling in love with your best friend from childhood who is very familiar and comfortable, is not a very bad thing also. Hmmm...who will likely end up with Sakura's heart? For now, Sakura is not showing any clues or signs as to who she is more partial with. It seems, for now, this two boys hold their own place in Sakura's affections because they both shared an experience(s) with Sakura. But who will eventually hold her heart in his hands is still a big question. For now, Sakura's focus is just on their quest and to make sure that the scroll will not fall into evil hands. 

Though, this showcased more on Sasha's character development, I am glad that the author did not lose sight of the whole story. This side adventure of Sasha actually has a connection to the trio's quest as a whole. They have found valuable information that might just actually be a key to helping them with defeating the enemy. I didn't expect to actually find out about that. It was done very cleverly that you won't be expecting that there was actually a bigger picture in that little pit stop on their way to their destination. Wow!

I give this book 5/5 hippocamps. Hippocamps meant sea horses but they're reptiles. Sasha's mastery of the blue ninja's technique to call out to marine animals is very impressive. This reminds me of Percy Jackson being able to ride Pegasus and his ability to command the sea and communicate to its creatures. I am looking forward to learning more what Sasha can do. He's hell-bent on proving everyone that he's grown and can stand his ground, especially his family and the people at his school. I also liked the special surprise at the end of the story. That was really special and it calms my heart to know that these trio will not be alone and unguided in their adventure. Someone is tracking their progress and is also rooting that these unassuming heroes will succeed in their quest. So, at this point, I don't know what to expect next. I am just excited to follow these three to where they will take me. So, onward to the next stop, adventure, lessons that await. 

Give hope to others even when you leave none for yourself. 

Most of us were just too shy to express our feelings to others, and it was human nature to take time for granted, thinking that keeping our feelings secret was a good thing. We would leave words of appreciation unspoken till it was too late. 

- Mon D. Rea, Lineage -  

 

Children of Neptune (Children of Neptune #1) by Makenna Snow | A Book Review

I have always been fascinated with mermaids. There's just some haunting yet adorable quality about them. I can't count how many times I have watched Disney's "Little Mermaid". And lately, books about mermaids seem to end up in my arms. This is the second book of three about mermaids that I read this year. I got this one from Netgalley.

So, this is a story of a 16-year old princess. An heir to the throne and is next in line to take over the rule of the kingdom of mermaids. They're in an invisible island protected by Neptunes's power from humans. This princess is Jet. She's homeschooled and is very much protected from the life of ordinary teenagers in their kingdom. Then, out of a suggestion from one of the members of the council, Jet is to join the high school and mingle with the people. This is also a way for the royal family to reach out and appease the people's increasing unease and distrust of the ruling family. To Jet, it's really a challenge because she doesn't know how ordinary teenagers act or what they do for fun. Add to that an assignment his father, the king, had entrusted to her. She had to succeed in it because a lot is at stake.

This is like mythology meets the modern world. It's a fusion of those two things. The story obviously talks about the descendants of Neptune, God of the sea. They're sheltered from humans and yet they also have their own technology which to humans could be compared to the internet and mobile phones. Just because they're from the old world, doesn't mean they have to remain in the old era.

It's amusing to watch Jet blunder through high school and learn things all on her own. She has a lot of things to learn and it doesn't help that there's a teacher that's out to make sure that she doesn't succeed. It's more than she bargained for. Like a normal high school, she gets to meet the most popular girl and of course, crushing on the cutest and kindest guy in the campus. Jet has to prove that she's not just a fragile princess and that she too can hold her own even out of her comfort zone or more appropriately a fish out of water.

What I really like about the story is the fact that Jet can talk to animals and she has this really cute pet sable named Peppercorn. The name is even too cute. I can just imagine Peppercorn being cute and cuddly. Jet has the ability to talk to animals and her conversations with Sable are just so hilarious. Listening to their conversations, it would sound like Sable is the older of the two. It seemed like sarcasm is Peppercorn's forte and Jet is not exempted from that. Often, Jet is the target and recipient but it's also evident that these two have a very close and special bond that cannot be questioned. Peppercorn is first and foremost loyal to Jet and she knows how Jet thinks and often, she's like Jet's conscience and her number one motivator. I really like the relationship of these two.

With regard to the background story and how Jet's people came to be, the author did provide enough background and history for the readers to understand how the kingdom sprang out and how humans didn't even know they exist. And as the story progresses, more information about families, other characters, rivalries and hidden agendas were unveiled. Apparently, envy and the thirst for power is not only a weakness for humans but for Neptune's children as well. 

The Quadrivium. A lot of the things and events in this book happened or is centered in this place. This is their high school. The council has a meeting chamber within the campus also. A lot of whispered conversations and plans are plotted and conspired within its walls. It's halls and rooms are privy to a lot of secrets. 

This story also reminds me of Nancy Drew. Jet being given a special assignment by no less than the king and also because she has a personal stake in the success of the mission. So, like Nancy Drew, Jet has a tendency to stick her nose in places and things bigger than her. Like the young spy, Jet has a very strong instinct and often her gut feel would lead to interesting places and stumble into very unexpected discoveries.

All in all, this is an interesting story with a lot things thrown into the mix. There's mystery and conspiracy. There's myth and then some elements of modern technology also thrown in. It also talks about relationship between parents and children. How some parents wanted to carve a path for their children and these kids have no choice but to strictly follow that path. To stray from it would be tantamount to disloyalty and a disgrace to the name and family. There are also children who try to protect their parents instead of the other way around. So, different parent-child relationships are explored here which is what makes this story relevant to the modern YA readers. I appreciate that even if there are a lot of things happening in this story. The significance of the message about that vital yet fragile relationship between father-daugther or father-son or mother-daughter is not lost in the colorful mythical background and the host of varied and complicated characters. It actually stands out without really giving obvious emphasis to it. 

I give the book 4/5 cute sables. I think there are two things that I love the most about this story. One is Jet's character having to be a princess, a Nancy Drew wanna be and a female version of Dr. Doolittle. So, the clueless princess actually turned out to be something very incredible and not because it's inherent in her. She had to work through most of the things and even had the scratches and bruises to prove them. She's not afraid to earn her place and get her hands dirty, which is actually admirable in a princess. The second thing that shines out of this story is as I have said, the subtle exploration of a parent and a child's relationship. Again, it's not the focus of the story but somehow it finds it's way in the center of things and in the thick of things. It floats out to the surface. It's the common element among the characters. How that relationship plays into the formation of that certain character in this story and how it also contributes to how those characters end up in the last pages of this first book.

Our futures may be mapped out for us, but there's always more than one route to a destination.

- Makenna Snow, Children of Neptune - 

Thank you again, Netgalley and Makenna Snow for the copy.

War of the Ashers (The Petros Chronicles #2) by Diana Tyler | An ARC | A Book Review

I got a very upsetting news yesterday. The worst part is I was rendered helpless by the situation. I can't do anything about it. I have no recourse. All I wanted to do was to lash out and hurt someone. I wanted to claw out someone's face, or twist someone's arm or just hit something just to get the frustration out. But I didn't get to do any of that. I had to channel that bad energy to my work online. But not after I gave the person a piece of my mind. Actually a feedback that's worth a novel in length and it wasn't enough because the person I sent it to was just a point of contact. Just a messenger and wasn't even responsible for the whole debacle. I'm thinking of posting that distressing incident here, just so people will know what an unfair thing it was. I haven't decided yet. I'm not sure if it's even worth the effort. What I really want is to have a direct line to that person/people who were responsible for that insensitive, unprofessional and lack of integrity to answer to what I have to say. Maybe, if I really really dig hard enough, I would find them. The internet holds a lot of information and I think now a days, nothing is sacred or too private if you're just persistent and patient enough. But I don't think I need to do that. I don't want to appear like some crazed and disgruntled person, though I really want to go crazy and run amok because of the helplessness. I wish that whatever they did will come back to them and bite their ass really really hard. Like chomp on it with all the fury of a rabid dog. That's how pissed I am with what happened. If only I could declare war or maybe just boycott that organization, if that's even possible. I think boycott is not too far out. Hmmm. Sounds like a plan. Disclaimer: I have never done something too outrageous or gone ballistic before. I am not a confrontational person. Although I had a few moments of acting out of character or what I call temporary madness, I haven't done anything that's bordering on psychotic. This is just me thinking out loud. If only and how I wish my words have power.

So, speaking of war, War of the Ashers is the second book in The Petros Chronicles. In the this installment, Chloe and her brother have gotten to know more about their powers and have explored more of it. They learned how their powers work and the extent of what it can do. A lot of things happened in here. Like the first book, Chloe has to travel. In book one, it was to the underworld and this time she has to do journey into another world to discover more about her destiny and how she can save Petros. This time, there's a reunion with her brother and story explores the relationship between the twins. A lot of background stories about other characters were doled out in this book also. Most of all, the story behind the unbeatable force that Chloe has to stop in order to save Petros--Mania. There were a lot of stunning surprises and revelations too.

As I have said, a lot of things happened in this second installment but I wasn't in any way confused. The events were clearly done and I think I really enjoyed this book more than the first. Things are getting clearer and clearer. It's now very clear what Chloe had to do in order to save Petros. There were a lot of traveling to places and between time periods which was very interesting. I think this installment gave out a lot of background stories which give the readers a better understanding of the events that lead to the present and how some very unlikely and unassuming characters were very significant. 

One of the things that I liked in this installment is more things were revealed about Damian. Readers are given a chance to know and understand more of Damian's character. Also, I think his character had the most transformation in this story. I think he has come a long way to being just Damian, the individual and the Damian that's half of the twin and brother to Chloe. This time, it's not just about Chloe. There is more on Damian and Ethan too. More about Damian's personality and his relationship with Chloe was explored. Ethan and Chloe's relationship also did not escape that exploration. 

I did not expect how this book ended but alas, it's not over for Chloe, Ethan and Damian yet. They still have another adventure to go to and an unfinished business to wrap up for good this time. Wow! The way the story is shaping up is totally out of the left-field. I didn't see this coming and going in this direction. And I mean that in a good way. It's totally a surprise which I absolutely like. There are a thousand and one possibilities of what will happen in the next book and I'm dying to know how it will turn out. Diana Tyler, great job on that. 

As I have said, I totally enjoyed this book better than the first one. Looking back, I did enjoy the first installment but this is way way better. I am even more riveted and undeniably invested now in the trio's quest to save Petros. I give this book 4.5/5 storms. Unlike storms, although a lot happened in this story, it was not chaotic at all. In fact, everything was made clearer to me even more. The background story was solidified, characters' histories were exposed and strengthened, and most of all, the best part is the three main characters' growth, maturity and development. It was very tangible in this book. When you look back to the first installment, these three have come a very very long way and the experiences they have gone through have shaped their characters beautifully. Although those experiences were far from pleasant, in fact, traumatic and unbelievable. I would say, character build up is the best part of this installment. It was amazingly done. It was what stood out for me.

He found it took very little guile to tempt adults toward wickedness, so long as he pandered to their selfish desires.

You talk about selfishness like it's a plague or something,  and yet everything you do is selfish.

- Diana Tyler, War of the Ashers - 

Thank you again, Diana Tyler for the ARC.

Other books in the series:

Age of the Ashes (The Petros Chronicles #1)