Book Review: Shadow Sun (Spoiler alert)

Hey guys! So remember when I told you that I was gonna do something nice for you today? Well, let's discuss a spoiler-y session for the epic conclusion of Shadow Sun by Lani Lenore. If you haven't read the books yet, well go do so because this review is not really for you all (yet). But, come back for the discussion in the comments below or on twitter! Please do, I'll send you pictures of cookies, I promise.

Now on to the review!

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So this book, let's examine the cover first shall we?
 It's so freakin' beautiful for a self published novel. Oh my god, who wants to pet it with me? Just kidding. Maybe.. It symbolizes so much in the book, with Rifter falling down to Nevermor, how the pirates were formed, and how our wolf pack is dealing with everything to bring their once peaceful world back to some normalcy. We see everyone other than Wren expressing their personal desires. Finn wants to grow up and explore on his own, Toss wants peace with his wolf Bruno, and Sly, wanting to die after suffering for so long. Wren in my opinion, was a favorite of mine because she finally grew a set and wasn't as much of a love sick puppy like she was in the first book. She's accepting her role in Nevemor, going on to protect her new family, yet still maintaining her love for the fallen hero.

The other characters like Calico and Savoii were interesting, bitchy yet I felt that it was necessary to have them be bitching after their survival. Yet, I loved how they were slowly developing their own desires while with the Wolf Pack. With Calico, I felt that she was the opposite of Wren with being able to get pregnant with Sly's child and able to fight at a better level than possibly everyone in the pack. But, the way Lani made Calico a little soft before her upcoming death was heart breaking, especially after the way Rifter killed her monstrous lover seconds before.

What was a nice surprise was Max's return. Who else wants a spin off with him as the protagonist? Me? Probably.. I was so thrilled to see him return to us to help out in the quest and to rediscover his beloved sister again, even though Whisper only brought him back to get back at Wren and Rifter.. She was such a bitch, loved it. And Little Horn.. he was sinking cute! I don't care what everyone

Now to the plot, the plot of this story was a major 'WTF' moment after we learned about Rifter's past in Wren's dream. Who else freakin' figured out that Rifter was gonna be the Scourge in the end? And that the skull at the desk was **ing Calico's head?! Holy shit! I'm still going wtf because of that moment when Wren and Scourge were having their talks before the epic fight took place. Man, I can't even begin to tell you how crazy everything went in the fight. And Mach/Mech going insane, I wanted to hug him so freakin' badly. He's so cute and he didn't deserve his death from Rifter.. It sucks.. But, it was necessary for the downfall to begin really.

What did you put me through Miss Lenore?

And finally the ending, I'm still confuse about it. Was it a time loop or did Rifter get pulled into the afterlife where he can life with Wren for eternity or did time reverse? I don't have a clue. Overall, this was a epic conclusion to the trilogy, or at least in my opinion. So thank you Lani Lenore for giving me the Peter Pan series I've always dreamt of reading/writing and made exceed my expectations.

Alright guys, let me know what are your opinions on this book in the comments below and I'll back tomorrow with a another post. Happy Howling! Also, if you're doing NaNoWrimo this year, follow me on twitter @xthewolfwriterx for random sprints on Wednesdays and Fridays at 3pm & 8pm and we'll get some writing done! Bye for now!

Book Review: Shadow Sun (spoiler free)

Shadow Sun (Nevemor #3) by Lani Lenore

Release Date: November 3rd, 2015

Publisher:

Format of Novel: E-Arc/Nook (received from author in exchange for an honest review)

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (from good reads): As it began, so shall it end.

Time has passed since the Rifter went into the sun, and while Wren has missed him terribly, she does not doubt that he will come back. She has tried to shadow her grief as she travels across Nevermor with what is left of the Wolf Pack, attempting to heal the land and restore it to its former state. But that task is made more difficult by plummeting temperatures, and the fact that the sun seems to be slipping farther away.

When a different sort of darkness comes over the land, Wren discovers that not only may she be looking to preserve the world for Rifter’s return, but she may have to save it from him as well.

Shadow Sun is the epic finale to the Nevermor trilogy, a dark fantasy based on Peter Pan
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Well guys, Happy Halloween! Today is the day we conclude the Nevermor trilogy by Ms. Lani Lenore with a short, spoiler free review since I got to work tonight at our Halloween store. And as a bonus, I will do a full on fan girl based review on November 3rd. (The book's release date). So let's get to it shall we?

This novel was a stunning conclusion to the trilogy with twists, new people, and finally- Rifer's past. From what was given, the book was left at a few months after the events of Forshaken Dreamscape. Everything  in this book was such a mind bend in specific parts that I have no exact words how to described it to you without spoiling so much. The characters, old and new were a wonderful blend and their growths were on point. The plot was point and Lani took it with a greater length from the other two books.

In this book, we learn about Rifer's past and how the war between the wolf pack and Scourge's pirates came to be in the decaying world of Nevermor. We also learn about the meaning of Sly's visions, everyone's hidden desires, and the return of a old face finally returns after 'years' of being gone for so long in Wern's life. There's so much to say, but I will create a spoiler-based review once the book releases to the public's eye.

Guys, this entire trilogy was absolutely breath taking and so beautifully done that I'm still waiting to hug a physical copy of this lovely book to complete my collection. Lani Lenore is a author that really needs to be recognized more for her talent in the horror arts of fiction, especially for this particular day. Alright guys, I hope you all have a lovely and safe Halloween, I'll be working till the adults are allow to have fun lol. I'll see you all with another review on Monday.

Happy howling!

Book Review: Forsaken Dreamscape

Forsaken Dreamscape (Nevermor #2) by Lani Lenore
Release Date:
Publisher:
Format of Novel:
Summary (from goodreads): Four years have passed since Wren left Nevermor – since Rifter promised that he wouldn’t forget her. Now 19, Wren is shut away in an asylum, accused of madness and of murders she didn’t commit. When Rifter finally comes for her, it is not a moment too soon, and in her absence, Nevermor has changed. Under a cloud of mysterious darkness, the land has died.

At Rifter's request, Wren sets out across the broken world to gather the Wolf Pack, now separated, so that they might take back the land that is rightfully theirs. Out of love and trust, Wren agrees, but she finds out quickly that things are not all as they seem, and everyone has a different story to tell.

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Forsaken Dreamscape is the sequel to Nevermor. Taking place four years after the events, the reader gets to witness Wren returning to Nevemor to find that the world she once knew is corrupted and the Wolf Pack have separated. This book was an wonderful read much like the first book. I droved right in this and I wasn't disappointed. I loved how Lani allowed the wolf pack to become somewhat corrupted with the vast lands of Nevemor, they grew up into young adults like Wren. Each of them were darker, yet still maintained some of their 'child-like' mannerism. I fell in love with Nix even more than I did with the first book. The way he acts is in the middle of tragic and yet holds on to that crazy loyalty people don't see everyday. Rifter and others have changed as well, but I'm not going to spoil the good stuff for you all. However, I can say they changed in a twisted way in order to maintain the 'horror' elements within the novel.

Wren in my opinion has changed in a semi-positive way. She still was too naïve and too 'innocent' to grasp the larger picture, but she somehow became the 'heart' of the group by attempting to bring her family back together and save their homeland. Hopefully in the last book, she will become stronger for everyone around her.

Overall, the concept of the story was fantastic. Each of the major characters were more developed as the story went on, and the plot kept on thicken yet still stuck into to the original concept of the "Peter Pan" ordeal. This story was a wonderful and I can't wait for the final book, Shadow Sun!

Book Review: Nevermor

Nevermor (Nevermor #1) written by: Lani Lenore
Release Date: February 12th, 2013
Publisher: Self Published/Createspace
Format of Novel: Paperback

Summary (From Goodreads): LONDON, 1873 - In the foggy city, polluted by coal smoke from the factories along the river, 15-year-old Wren is clinging to a small thread of hope: the shimmering silver dream of a better life.
Wren and her brothers, Henry and Max, are orphans. They wish to be adopted, but no one wants to take in all three of them. Wren won’t be separated from her family, but no matter how hard she fights to keep them together, she fears she will lose them nonetheless.
She wants more for both of them - for herself. She wants an escape.
Prompted by a world she sees in a dream, Wren begins to tell her brothers stories of a place where they can be carefree forever - a place called Nevermor. It is an island at the edge of the universe, where all dreams go. There is a boy who guards it, and he is known only as the Rifter. Wren believes that this place truly exists and desires her own life there, where she can keep her family together without anyone tearing them apart.
Wren gets more than she bargained for when she is kidnapped by the arrogant and volatile Rifter and taken to Nevermor against her will. It is not completely unwelcome, however. The land is beautiful and there is freedom. The Rifter and his pack of wild boys accept her, and she feels that her brothers will be happy in this place too. 
Wren falls in love with Nevermor - and with the Rifter - and yet the more she learns of the conflict between the Rifter and a wicked man called the Scourge, the more she comes to realize that Nevermor is not a place for children.
Nevermor is a dark fantasy based on the legend of Peter Pan.

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So, this book is the first ever Peter Pan re-telling that I've ever read. (I know, I'm crazy for admitting that). I was in absolute love for this book. This book was written as a prequel to a Peter Pan fan fic on fictionpress by the author. She did a fantastic job in creating a new twist into the older story and making it her own. The characters were a wonderful bunch, matching their original counterparts, but maintaining a twist of their own. I especially enjoyed the Lost boys, each of them had their own originality  The atmosphere of Nevermor was haunting and vivid. It was beautiful yet it didn't completely held a 'child-like' feel to it, which in my personal opinion, was awesome since this was based on an horror element. I loved Rifer and the mystery between him and the Scourge. They were both compelling and I kept picturing the Scourge as a mirror image of Rifer until he really appeared later on in the book.

The writing was beautiful. It felt like I was inside a fairy tale with how balance the pace was throughout the chapters. Sure there were a few parts that were slow for my taste, but this story overall was phenomenal and one of my most favorite books of 2015 thus far. Considering that this is the first book to a trilogy, I cannot spoil much for you guys until I review the second book, Forsaken Dreams.

On good reads, I gave this a 4.5 out of 5 stars, and for a self published novel, it was a nice read. I highly recommend it for people that enjoy Peter Pan and a horror twist in their stories. See you guys next time with the sequel of this trilogy and new reviews in the near future.

Happy Howling.

Book Review: The Nutcracker Bleeds

The Nutcracker Bleeds written by: Lani Lenore
Release date: December 3rd, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published/Smash words website
Format of Book: Paperback
Summary (From goodreads): A horrific retelling of the classic Nutcracker story. On Christmas Eve in 1905, a household in London finds itself under a centuries-old curse when a strange new toy is brought into the house.

A young nanny named Anne is immersed in the horrific world of her unstable charge, Olivia, when a bite from a mouse makes her the size of a doll. She must brave a world of mangled and demented toys that have come to life. Each has his own vendetta- the most unrelenting of which is the mysterious and handsomely-carved nutcracker, who becomes Anne's only sane ally.

There is war in the lower levels of the house between the rodents and the toys, yet Anne's only concern is getting Olivia and herself back to the way they once were before it is too late for either of them.
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Words cannot expressed how much I loved reading this stand alone. Most of this review will most likely be me fan-girling up a storm. But, I will try to keep this in a semi-professional level lol. So this book is more or less a re-telling of the story Nutcracker. I'm pretty sure some of you have heard of the ballet before and seen Christmas specials based on this story. However, I have never been to New York City long enough to watch it and when I'd heard of this writer on fiction press that wrote a horror version of this, I've decided to buy this book. (Along with the first two books to her Peter Pan retelling trilogy).

Upon reading this, I never wanted to leave the fairy tale. Lani Lenore did a fantastic job with bringing this world to life with the characters and the plot in general. I've never seen the famous ballet, but now I just want to go to NYC and just to see it for myself. I loved how twisted and diabolical many of the characters were throughout the adventure, especially the rats and the humans like Todd and Olivia's father. Anne, one of the leading protagonists, brought out the 'real-life' ideal into the Nutcracker's world since 90% of the time I almost forgot about that many of the enemy forces and Armand were toys. She was young, yet became quickly adapted in both Olivia's world and the curse. From that, the author was able to blend into the 'adult' themes into this and made the story so gruesome and ironic in a sense that I thought it was beautifully written. I say the word ironic because the author was able to make the toy/rat characters more humane than toys. Plus, the aftermath of the story completely brought out that sense of irony into it and other things that I don't want to spoil you all with right now.

Overall, this story was fantastic and you can read it anytime, especially during the holidays or Halloween if you celebrate it. Pick up this book if you are in a need of a tale like the Nutcracker. Happy Howling!