Review & 6 Things you didn't know about The Diabolic universe by SJ Kincaid

The Diabolic by S.J Kincaid

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release date: 1st November 2016

Pages: 416

Simon & Schuster Children's

ISBN 9781471148392 | 

November 2016

List Price

AU$ 19.99

NZ$ 22.99

QBD – Abbeys – Boomerang Books – Dymocks - Booktopia

Synopsis: A Diabolic is ruthless. A Diabolic is powerful. A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for. 

Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator’s daughter, Sidonia. The two have grown up side by side, but are in no way sisters. Nemesis is expected to give her life for Sidonia, and she would do so gladly. She would also take as many lives as necessary to keep Sidonia safe.

When the power-mad Emperor learns Sidonia’s father is participating in a rebellion, he summons Sidonia to the Galactic court. She is to serve as a hostage. Now, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia. She must become her. Nemesis travels to the court disguised as Sidonia—a killing machine masquerading in a world of corrupt politicians and two-faced senators’ children. It’s a nest of vipers with threats on every side, but Nemesis must keep her true abilities a secret or risk everything.

As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns there is something more to her than just deadly force. She finds a humanity truer than what she encounters from most humans. Amidst all the danger, action, and intrigue, her humanity just might be the thing that saves her life—and the empire.

Check out!

Diabolic trailer 

The Diabolic book info page 

The Read Me Love Me Share Me Facebook page

Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Diabolic by SJ Kincaid has the most uniquely wonderful premise which I was intrigued about instantly. I am pleased to be a part of the Simon and Schuster blog tour for this amazing title.

Diabolics are not human, they are creatures designed to be utterly ruthless and dedicated to only one individual, they are to serve as lifelong bodyguards, usually for the imperial families – they can’t feel empathy or kindness. Nemesis has been engineered to be strong, cold-blooded and deadly and to protect Sidonia Impyrean, the Senator von Impyrean’s daughter, Nemesis is to give her life for her should the need arise.

When the Emperor learns Sidonia’s father is participating in an uprising, he summons her to the Chrysanthemum. The only way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia is to masquerade as her in a place filled with bloodthirsty and corrupt politicians, it was a true test of her deadly nature.

Nemesis was an interesting character, I didn’t know what to make of her initially but she really surprised me with her strength of character and the feelings that she showed. I came to really like her character growth, she wasn’t without flaws but because of her genetic makeup her behavior was expected.

We have a small amount of romance and I was pleased that it wasn’t at the forefront of the story. Tyrus Domitrian is a supposed madman of the ruling family, he is the nephew of the Emperor and will one day inherit the throne. But he has many secrets, I won’t go into too much detail to avoid spoilers but his character surprised me.

The fast paced plot is filled with friendships, politics and how Nemesis fits into the diabolic world, she shows feelings that she isn’t meant to have. We see a lot of personal growth as the story progresses and I can’t help but wish that this was a series, I love the sci-fi world that Kincaid has created, it’s unique and very creative.

The world we come to know is captivating but also very brutal, Nemesis was kick butt but there were many scenes that were quite gory, there were quite a few deaths and admittedly some weren’t necessary.

Overall, The Diabolic is well-written, entertaining and engaging; I am definitely eager to read more books by SJ Kincaid. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to be a part of The Diabolic blog tour.

About the author: About the author: 

S.J. Kincaid was born in Alabama, grew up in California, and attended high school in New Hampshire, but it was while living beside a haunted graveyard in Scotland that she realized that she wanted to be a writer. Her debut, Insignia, came out in July of 2012. The second book in the series, Vortex was released in July of 2013. The final book in the trilogy, Catalyst, came out October 28, 2014. Her standalone novel The Diabolic will be released in fall 2016.

6 Things You Didn’t Know About The Diabolic Universe

1)        I tried writing the universe of THE DIABOLIC from Tyrus's point of view first. I couldn't do it. I needed a break from writing from the viewpoint of boys after my INSIGNIA trilogy.

2)        Next, I took the basic idea of an I, CLAUDIUS YA and tried writing a humorous, reverse-THE SELECTION of sorts, where a mad Emperor is selecting his bride from among a number of girls and they are all desperate not to wed him. There was humor to be milked from the girls engaging in increasingly ludicrous ploys to seem more unattractive than each other, but I tired of it quickly and stopped writing it.

3)        Next, I tried writing the universe of THE DIABOLIC from Sidonia's point of view. It was in space, the tone was serious, but I couldn't get any traction. (There was no Nemesis in this version).

4)        THE DIABOLIC in its current form all sprang from one single page I don't even recall writing where Nemesis and Sidonia first meet. I kept coming back to that page, because something was there, yet I just didn't know what…

5)        Doubts plagued me the entire time I was writing THE DIABOLIC because I kept thinking my main character was too ruthless, too hard, too invulnerable for anyone to truly relate to her. This suspicion was reaffirmed when my first agent response was a rejection because Nemesis was too cold, the second a rejection because the very first chapter - and Nemesis's introduction - was too violent. Fortunately, I then connected with the best agent I could possibly hope for, and the rest was history.

6)        I finished this book, suspecting it would not sell.

            It sold in two days.

Review: The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward

The Potion Diaries 

Author: Amy Alward

Series: The Potions Trilogy

Pages: 320

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia

Release date: 2^nd July 2015

Goodreads

Synopsis (Goodreads)

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn.

Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime?

And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news.

No big deal, then. 

Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I hadn’t heard of The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward but I was quite curious about it when I received a copy from Simon & Schuster Australia, described as The Hunger Games meets The Princess Diaries, I was intrigued but I didn’t feel any similarities at all unfortunately.

Told in dual POV’s from Princess Evelyn and an Alchemist apprentice, Samantha Kemi it’s a story about a poisoned princess and the race to find a cure to save her between the alchemist societies.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Princess Evelyn unfortunately; she has poisoned herself by swallowing her own love potion which inadvertently made her fall in love with herself. She came across as self-absorbed and boring, I much preferred Samantha’s POV, she was more entertaining and felt more believable and I liked her reasoning for being involved in the hunt; there was also a small amount of romance between Sam and her competitor Zain Aster.

The Potion Diaries was an odd book for me at times, I never quite understood what was going on and some parts were quite repetitive. The modern day setting with magic still being prevalent felt strange and unusual. What I did enjoy about this book was the element of surprise, I never could quite grasp what was going to happen which I appreciated. I also really liked Sam as a character, she felt genuine and her involvement in the hunt for the ingredients for the antidote was entertaining, she was a resourceful character and talented as an alchemist.

The Potion Diaries is a light-hearted read and despite the few problems I had I still liked the adventure, the unique story-line, the battle with the evil Kings sister and the humour. It was written well and despite the strange setting and not being able to take it seriously it was enjoyable.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read and review The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward.

About the author: Amy Alward (nee McCulloch) was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, UK, and moved to Ottawa, Canada, when she was 11. She attended Immaculata High School, where she developed a love of geeky things like science fairs, yearbook, RPGs and The Lord of the Rings. After high school she started studying at the University of Toronto, where she graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in English, specializing in Old English and Medieval literature (her love for Geoffrey Chaucer will never die).

After a year out backpacking around Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia (you can read her travel blog here), she moved back to London, UK, to find a job in publishing. After three years at HarperVoyager, where she worked on some of the top SF&F brands in publishing, she moved to Penguin Random House Children’s Books to be editorial director.

At the beginning of 2011, she signed with the amazing Juliet Mushens of The Agency Group for her debut YA fantasy-adventure duology: The Oathbreaker’s Shadow and The Shadow’s Curse.

In 2014, she signed with Simon & Schuster for Mi> Madly (US/Canada)/The Potion Diaries (UK&Comm), which is due out in Summer 2015.

She continues to be addicted to adventure, coffee and really great books.

ARC Review: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Black Ice

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: -

Pages: 400

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Amazon

Release date: 7^th October 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late. 

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage. 

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target. 

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally? 

BLACK ICE is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous…

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

I was instantly attracted to the cover of Black Ice and the synopsis had me intrigued, I have never read a Becca Fitzpatrick novel but I have heard tidbits about her Hush Hush series. Despite this being an interesting book, I can’t say it really wowed me.

At the beginning of the book we meet Britt Pfeiffer and her best friend Korbie who are about to embark on their week-long trip to the Teton Ranges, something they have been planning for quite some time; when Britt finds out her ex Calvin Versteeg, Korbie’s brother will be tagging along, it certainly leaves Britt with conflicted feelings – eight months after he broke up with her.

I’m at odd with my feelings about Britt, I didn’t really like her, I felt sorry for her but I didn’t dislike her as well. She would do things that I thought were brave but at other times she was a complete dumbass. I also wasn’t a fan of her pining and immaturity when it came to her ex and also her relationship with Korbie who I can definitely say I didn’t like at all, I’m not sure why these two were even friends. I found myself constantly disappointed by their choices and actions.

The premise for the book is intriguing and shrouded in mystery, when an unexpected blizzard forced them to seek shelter in a remote cabin with its two mysterious lodgers Shaun and Mason who they find out are fugitives, their trip takes a turn for the worse and Britt ends up a hostage and playing tour guide to lead them off the mountain.

There were a number of far-fetched scenarios in Black Ice that left me shaking my head and some really silly moves made by the characters that left me wanting to smack them. I did like mysterious Mason and I was eager to know what he was hiding and it definitely wasn’t what I had expected, I did enjoy the element of surprise.

Becca Fitzapatrick’s writing style was easy to read which allowed me to finish the book rather quickly. The book was suspenseful and entertaining but in the end I couldn’t really connect with the characters and their actions.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick.

About the author: 

Becca Fitzpatrick grew up reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden with a flashlight under the covers. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she's most likely prowling sale racks for reject shoes, running, or watching crime dramas on TV. She is the author of the bestselling HUSH, HUSH Saga. Her new book BLACK ICE arrives in bookstores everywhere October 7, 2014.

ARC Review: Dissonance (Dissonance #1) by Erica O'Rourke

Dissonance

Author: Erica O’Rourke

Series: Dissonance

Pages: 496

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Amazon

Release date: 22^nd July 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Delancy Sullivan has always known there’s more to reality than what people see. Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed ~ all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision. As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del’s job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony.

Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency that each world emits as clear as a bell. But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council. But Del’s not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds. Something strange is connecting them and it’s not just her random encounters with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane.

But Del’s decisions have unimaginable consequences and, as she begins to fall for the Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide ~ a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Dissonance is a book that kept me riveted and wanting more right from the beginning of the book, admittedly I found it extremely confusing but the overall concept and Erica O’Rourke’s writing and wonderful characterisations definitely held my attention. It’s a book that I’d definitely buy for the stunning cover alone!

Our main protagonist is Delancey Sullivan, a Walker who can navigate between the Key World where ‘originals’ belong and the alternate world where the ‘echoes’ belong, Delancey and her family navigate between the worlds to keep them all in harmony.

When Delancey accidentally ‘cleaves’ a whole alternate world, she is suspended by the council and forced to train alongside her sister and grandfather but being the nonconformist she is she still walks through the other worlds in the hopes of seeing echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane but things aren’t quite right and she is drawn to something that’s not quite real and altering the key-world.

The world-building was extremely intricate and I was confused in the initial stages by the terminology – Key-world, pivots, branches, cleaving, echoes, transpositions etc. and whilst I was aware of the individual meanings when it came to the Dissonance world it became quite complex but by the ending I was able to grasp what was going on. The plot was evenly paced and intriguing with ongoing investigations happening because of inversions in the key-world.

The characters were each well developed, Delancey did come across as abrupt, self-absorbed and stubborn at times but she felt like an outsider in her own family which I empathized with. I felt sorry for Eliot, he seemed like a sweet guy and better suited to Delancey and Addie wasn’t the most endearing big sister. I did enjoy Del’s interactions with her grandfather Monty and I liked Simon the further I progressed with the book, all of the character interactions were done well.

I’m not sure I completely felt anything for the romance until towards the end, it seemed a little forced – Simon was the star of the basketball team and Delancey an orchestra girl, they hung out in different circles, he didn’t know she existed until they were partnered on a project but even then I didn’t feel their connection until they started spending a little more time together and he knew her secret.

I thoroughly enjoyed Erica O’Rourke’s detailed writing, it flowed beautifully and her story-telling is extremely creative. After the ending we are left with, I am definitely eager to read the sequel.

Thank-you to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Dissonance.

“Every time you make a decision, from what you had for breakfast to who you fall in love with, the universe splits in two. One half is the part you remember. It’s real. That’s the decision you made. The other half is what-if”

  

About the author (Goodreads):  I write books about girls who make their own fate and fall for boys they shouldn't.

I live outside Chicago. I like to travel but I'll never really leave this city. 

I prefer cookies to cake (even cupcakes), television to movies, and autumn to all the other seasons.

I like sushi, naps, coffee, and driving stick shift. 

I hate fish, emoticons, bridges, and talking about myself. 

Click here for more about me.

ARC Review: Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland

Promise of Shadows

Author: Justina Ireland

Series: -

Pages: 371

Publisher: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers

Amazon

Release date: 11^th March 2014

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.

Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.

But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?

Review: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

Promise of Shadows is a book I was quite excited about reading, I have never read about Harpies before and the premise seemed quite unique but I was left underwhelmed by this one unfortunately.

At the beginning of the book we meet Zephyr Mourning who has been stripped of her wings and sent to Tartarus - the Underworld. She is now serving a life sentence for using a forbidden dark power and killing a God. Along with her closest friend Cass she is rescued by Blue and her childhood friend Tallon and taken to the mortal realm.

As the story progresses, we find out Zephyr may be the missing Nyx and prophesied to change the power balance, her sole purpose is to kill Hera to make things right. Not a lot happens for a majority of the book unfortunately and what was going on left me confused, the action was limited and the pacing was slow as I waited for things to get interesting – which they did towards the end but it was very slow to build.

The MC fell flat for me; she lacked personality and relied too much on others to get her out of tricky situations which just led to unnecessary trouble. I also couldn’t believe that someone with the abilities of a goddess constantly found herself caught in a bind despite holding an amazingly strong power.

I love mythology in books but the terminology in this one I found was lacking – I am still a tad clueless about what an AEthereal and Exalted are. The explanations that were needed I thought were missing.

The concept was wonderful but I feel this book needed more world-building and character development. The secondary characters interested me more than the MC’s, Cass was intriguing and Blue bought a bit of humour to the story, Tallon I just found to be arrogant and the romance wasn’t believable at all. There were a lot of YA clichés that weren’t realistic.

Overall, Promise of Shadows had a lot of potential but regrettably left me feeling underwhelmed.

Thank-you kindly to Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this title.