Review: Womb of the New World by Mira Noire

Womb of the New World 

by Mira Noire

Synopsis: In a post-nuclear future, the lush pleasure cyborgs of Earth have become powerful, fearsome mutants known as Wroks who rule the wild, desolate Fallout landscape. The Wroks and their leader, Yoevin, desperately hunt for a female capable of mothering a cyborg's child. As the years pass, they struggle while fighting to hold on to the intelligence and humanity granted by their makers centuries ago.

Hidden deep in caverns below, Imogenne and her people survive by cultivating the earth, making rare forays above ground for supplies and fresh resources. But Imogenne is not like the rest of her people. She is wild, sensual, and strangely independent -- like her mother, who disappeared years ago in a Wrok attack. On the verge of being betrothed to a man she does not love and facing the rest of her life underground without adventure or freedom, she is haunted by darkly erotic visions that promise something more beyond the world -- and biology -- she knows. 

When she is captured in a night Wrok raid, Imogenne hopes to escape her new masters and survive by her wits. But she then discovers a horrifying truth: Her body has a will of its own, one that may very well leave her no choice but to become a mother of the New World.

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Words: ~19,000. This title contains graphic sexual scenes: m/f, captive sexual submission, voyeurism, mutant cyborg and human intercourse. Do not read this work if you find such themes offensive.

Review

       So... just by looking at the cover you can tell this is not going to be your ordinary book. And, well, it suits different tastes. I, myself, have been known to enjoy all kinds of sick perverted weird unusual genres/characters/plots/body parts. Which is why I decided to give 'Womb of the New World' (love the title!) a try. :) At first I thought they were demons or something, but they're actually cyborgs.

       I won't get very deep into the story of the Wroks, and the post-nuclear world setting much, because it's well enpugh hinted at in the synopsis. What I can say is: this is the kind of crazy science fiction I find most interesting: when machines and humans get too close. How can something inorganic want to be, and feel, human?

      I really, really enjoyed this quick, hot read! Imogenne was a different kind of heroine (not just physiologically. LOL). She was strong, clever and confident in her sexuality.That alone is a refreshing view, when compared to the thousands of virgins in romance these days... *rolls eyes*. The scenes of her with Rolley, the guy she "had some fun with" first, were pretty hot. But the things that happened after, with Yoevin... oh, boy.

      My only problem with it was that it was too short, and the explanations were kind of vague, but I liked how it ended, even if it was a bit predictable.

      The writing was very good, very fluid, with two different POV's. I would definitely read more from this author. Hopefully it'll become a series? :)

Warning: if you're not very open-minded, you should know there are some seriously hot scenes involving forked tongues and extra appendages... (fun! LOL)

*I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review*

Quickie Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

The Demon Trapper's Daughter 

(The Demon Trappers #1)
by Jana Oliver

Demon Trapper Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself—and that’s exactly what Lucifer is counting on…

It’s the year 2018, and with human society seriously disrupted by the economic upheavals of the previous decade, Lucifer has increased the number of demons in all major cities. Atlanta is no exception. Fortunately, humans are protected by Demon Trappers, who work to keep homes and streets safe from the things that go bump in the night. Seventeen-year-old Riley, only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing attraction to fellow Trapper apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving citizens from Grade One Hellspawn. Business as usual, really, for a demon-trapping teen. When a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood, she realizes that she’s caught in the middle of a battle between Heaven and Hell.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publication Date: Feb 1st 2011

Publisher: St. Matin's Griffin

Format: paperback trade, 340 pages 

Series: yes

Source: my own copy

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My Review

Riley wants to become a Demon Trapper just like her dad. She lives in a sort of post-apocalyptic world partially destroyed by demonic forces. In this world there are not only demons, but also witches, demon buyers, and creepy necromancers who buy corpses and turn them into 'zombie-like' slaves for rich people.

Riley is the perfect example of the kind of heroine I LOVE reading about. She's strong, she doesn't give up when things start to turn to sh*t, she proves her worth, she doesn't WHINE (that is SO important) and she doesn't think boys are the most important thing ever. Oh, and, come on, guys. She hunts DEMONS!!! Come on, that is awesomeness personified. 

This book was such a trip! There was so much going on! So many rich characters and unbelievably interesting situations! Usually when so much happens in a book, it can get tiring or confusing, but not here! Jana Oliver was definitely on the right track. ;) Just so... incredibly talented. The writing was fantastic, super engaging, and the world-building was... out of this world. LOL. XD

Funny how I can never express myself very well when I'm writing about a book I really liked. But there you go: It's awesome, and worth your time and excitement. Now, excuse me as I have to go get my hands on the rest of the series.

State of Emergency Release Day + Interview with the Author

It's January 18th and do you know what it means?

It's the Release Day of the newest post-apocalypse/survival book by Summer Lane, State of Emergency! (You can find my review here.)

 Now, just scroll down and enjoy my interview with the author. ;)

1 1)    How long have you been working as a writer?

I started working as a writer during my Senior Year of High School. I wrote excruciatingly boring articles for different websites about things like tire rims and eyeglass lenses. It was actually very hard work, very technical, and freelance writing turned out to be a full-time job for me.

2 2)    Why have you become a writer?

When I was about 13, I realized how much I loved stories. All stories – whether they were in a song or in a picture book. I’d been writing stories since I was a little girl, but I never really wrote seriously. Right before I started High School, I started writing to have fun, to escape, and to teach myself the craft of writing so that by the time I graduated from High School, I could have a career in it. Writing was my sole focus for five years, and after I graduated from high school, I started working jobs where I could write all day until I fell asleep at the computer.

3)    Where did the idea for writing State of Emergency come from?

I wanted to tell a story about survival. Survival stories have always fascinated me, and I had had the character of Cassidy Hart in my head for a long time. I started writing the opening scene during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) purely for fun. I had no intention of anybody ever seeing the book or reading it except for myself. I was so wrong about that! The story ended up being something that just created itself, and I had to know how it ended. 

4)    Were any of your characters based on someone you know?

Yes! Cassidy’s dad is based off my own father, who was (and still is) in law enforcement. Cassidy is halfway based on myself, to be honest. To make writing real, you have to write what you know, so I asked myself this question: “If I, a totally average, run-of-the-mill college age girl had to survive in post-apocalyptic North America, how would I react?” And there I had Cassidy – but of course, an author takes that foundation for a character and plays with it, exaggerates it, and changes it. At the end of the process I had this redheaded kid with a sarcastic way of looking at things – but who was a lot tougher than she appeared.

5)  What actors would you say look the closest to what you pictured Chris and Cassidy to look like?

I’ve always said that Chris Hemsworth would be a perfect Chris, which is funny, because they have the same first name. My Chris is about the same height (minus the Australian accent!), and he always plays the tough guy very convincingly. Plus, he’s usually got the long hair thing down pretty good. As for Cassidy, she’s harder to cast. I think Mandy Moore, when she was a redhead, is pretty close, or Emma Stone. 

Yum. I totally pictured Chris as Chris. LOL.

6)  The cover for State of Emergency is pretty shocking. What made you choose such a powerful scene?

I wanted the cover to tell a story. When you look at it, you know that you’re looking at what used to be a great city. Something bad happened, and you might be wondering what went down, and why. The city represents Los Angeles, since that’s where Cassidy begins her story, and the abandoned car on the cover is actually a big part of the story.

I wanted the cover to make people think.

7)  To what kind of reader would you recommend your book?

I wanted to write a book that everybody, at every age, could enjoy. I wanted romance (for people like me, who love that kind of stuff), and adventure (for everybody), and a little bit of scariness to keep you entertained. The reason I say it’s a YA/NA crossover is because my main character is an adult (she’s 19), but she’s still learning how to grow up, which is hard enough in a normal world. Try growing up during a state of emergency. It’s YA because younger readers can enjoy it just as much as the ones who are older. There’s plenty of every element for everybody.

So, what do you think, guys? Do you have any questions for Summer? Does State of Emergency sound like a book you'd like to read?

Review: State of Emergency (Book #1) by Summer Lane

State of Emergency (Book #1)
by Summer Lane

What would you do if the world as you know it ended in an instant?

How far would you go to survive?

Cassidy Hart is your typical High School graduate: a little shy, a little sarcastic, and a little naive. But when an electromagnetic pulse takes down the United States, she's forced to kick into full survival mode when she gets separated from her father.

Yeah. Things suck.

But with the help of a handsome soldier named Chris, she just might find her dad without getting into serious trouble.

Emphasis on might.

Oh. And there's the matter of avoiding getting killed in a world that's quickly turned into an active war zone.

It's going to change Cassidy's life.

It's going to be a major pain in the butt.

Genre: New Adult, Apocalyptic

Publication Date: Jan 18th 2013

Publisher: Writng Belle

Format: eARC, 360 pages 

Series: yes

Source: copy from the author

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My Review

Nobody knows how it started, only that, out of nowhere, technology turned on humans. Cellphones died, lights went out, car batteries wouldn't work... and chaos ensued.

Cassidy Hart finds herself in the middle of it all. But thanks to her well-prepared father, she has a working car, supplies and a scape plan. Until the moment she meets Chris Young, a very cute soldier who asks her for a ride... and then the whole plan starts to fall apart. Now they're both on the run from crazy starving civilians and an even crazier militia group called Omega. 

But why is Omega group so interested in them? And how come her father was so well-prepared for something like this? Was meeting Chris just a coincidence? What is really going on?

Cassie has no idea. But she will find out.

Wow. State of Emergency was pure undiluted action! I really liked the way the writing instantly sucked me into the story and just wouldn't let me go! It was the first I've read from this author and was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it so much. I love survival / post-apocalyptical stories, but they aren't always that well executed, so YAY for State of Emergency! I especially liked that it a New Adult book, meaning that the main character wasn't a teen anymore. We need some more heroines in the 19-25 age range.

However, it was not all flowers and rainbows. This book had many similarities to the TV series Revolution. There was the global shutdown of all electronic devices, the start of journey in search of a family member, the 'help of a handsome soldier', and a crazy militia group stalking them... so I really couldn't help but compare them both.

Cassidy did some really stupid stuff, too. She fell for obvious traps, she trusted people who were clearly untrustworthy, and, in my opinion, she was way too nice for someone in her situation. I'm sure that if it was real life she would have shot some people. Maybe even killed someone. I mean, come on, when people are trying their best to kill YOU at any cost, you're not just gonna stand there and do nothing to stop them when you have the chance to, will you? But, well, I suppose it wouldn't look good for the heroine to be bloodthirsty...

Oh, and there were these parts where Cassie went on and on and on about obesity in America. I was like, HELLO? It's the end of the world, people are killing and being killed all the time, there's no electricity anywhere, there's a militia group enslaving people, there's almost no food and water anywhere and all you think about is how all this is a good cure for obesity? Seriously? If she had mentioned it once or twice, it would be no biggie; sure, it does, in fact, make some sense when you think about it. But she elaborated on it over SIX times. I know, I counted. She didn't worry about people clearly losing their humanity around her as much as she worried about obesity. Well, that tells you a lot about her. Oh, and I'm not saying it's a good thing to be obese, but if Cassie had some more meat on her bones maybe she wouldn't have almost frozen to death that many times. >.<

Chris was an amazing character... he was smart, kind-hearted and unbelievably patient. I liked him a lot. Even if all he did was save our silly, self-desctructive little heroine most of the time. When he wasn't acting like total man-candy, that is. Not that I'm complaining about THAT part. 

Anyway, I actually learned quite a few survival tips from this book. Turns out I just have to do the opposite of whatever Cassie did. ha-har. Well, jokes aside, State of Emergency made me feel a bit worried about how I'd act if the same happened. I just know I'd be totally screwed. O.o It also makes you think about how people can be perfectly civil and kind one moment and then just slit your throat for an energy bar in the next. If the end of the world happens, of course. Or if they are crazy psychos. But you get my drift. It's an interesting, though frightening, concept.

Funny tidbit: All the time I was reading State of Emergency I was picturing Chris as Chris Hemsworth in the movie Thor. Coincidentally, author Summer Lane admitted in her interview to imagine him like that, as well. The guy IS incredibly hot. *-*

 (And, no, this wasn't just an excuse for me to post more pictures of Chris Hemsworth. Ok, maybe it was.)

All in all, State of Emergency does its job very well! It thrills you, it scares you, it keeps you reading like crazy because you just have to see what happens next, and, most important of all, it makes you feel. And that is not an easy feat for a book. I'm REALLY looking forward to reading what happens in the next book! XD

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm curious. What would you do if the world as you know it ended in an instant?

Early Review: Undead by Kirsty McKay

Undead (Undead #1)
by Kirsty McKay

Expected publication: September 1st 2012 by Scholastic Inc.

Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.

The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty.

Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back.

But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late.

Combining the chill of THE SHINING, the thrill ride of SPEED, the humor of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and the angst of THE BREAKFAST CLUB, Kirsty McKay's UNDEAD is a bloody mad mash-up, a school-trip splatter-fest, a funny, gory, frighteningly good debut!

Genre: Young Adult, Zombies

Publication Date: September 1st 2012

Publisher: Scholastic

Format: eARC, 272 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

First line: I would rather die than face them all again.

Last line: "We need to get off this bus - now!"

Favorite quote: "Zombie parkour. Don't think that's been done before. Better film this, Alice, it could go viral."

Bobby is on the School Trip from Hell. She was born in the UK, but thanks to her mother's job they had to move to the US. Now, she's back the UK again. On a skiing trip to Scotland before the start of the new school year. The thing is, everyone is making fun of her 'hybrid' accent. She, herself, needs to police her lingo, always trying to sound as properly british as possible. She's also avoiding every single one of her new school mates, because they are all so annoying to new kids, especially ex-american ones, and he really just wants to kick those losers' butts. I mean, their bums. 

That's why she was the only inside the bus when everyone got off to venture the snow storm and eat something at the café by the road. Well, her, the driver and Rob Smitty, rebel without a pause. And hottie. Their teacher forbade him from leaving the bus after he got caught bying booze and cigs with a fake ID. So they were the only ones who didn't get to taste the nice free samples of Carrot Juice, being given away by a man in a carrot costume. And so they didn't see what happened to those who did, inside the café. Until a bloody hand hit one of the bus' windows and the driver went outside to check it out... and the proverbial sh*t started to hit the fan.

Now it's Bobby, the 'freak hybrid', Smitty, the smartass bad boy, Alice, the annoying b*tch--I mean, popular brainless girl and Pete, the cowardly, brainy weirdo. It's just them. Against a whole lot of Zs.

As they try to stay alive and survive constant zombie attacks (and quite a few dangerous humans, too), they also need to learn to deal with each other while trying to find shelter and a way to contact someone. But things aren't really looking good... and little do they know, they just might get worse. And personal.

I LOVED this book!!! There was never ONE boring moment! I mean it, the whole thing was, well... words fail me right now, so I'll just have to go with AWEEEEEESOME! ;P

Those zombies really went all-out! Kirsty McKay got them doing some pretty interesting stuff. Brand new, too. Same goes for the surviving group of teenage humans. Those guys actually managed to survive while NOT working as group or even really caring about each other much (it was pretty realistic, if you start thinking about it. People are selfish. Especially in difficult situations), with a small romantic exception, of course (which worked great, if you ask me!). So...

Oh, and, man!! That miraculous bus driving through a snow storm on an empty tank? WOW! And the hidden dungeon/booze/dumbwaiter inside that Scotland castle? Mah Lawd!

Hey, did I mention the cellphone actually working when they were almost -literally- fried? Yowtch.

Also, the zombies walking UNDER the iced-over loch? SU-weeeet! O.O

I laughed so hard with this book. Almost during the whole thing. It also made me slightly nauseated at times, which makes sense in a zombie book. ;P Oh, and my heart went all a-flutter during a couple of cute scenes, too, which is always a good thing. And I so, SO wanted Alice and Pete to die... but, oh, well. There's always the next book, huh? :D And let me tell you how glad that makes me! I'm dying and un-dying (no pun intended) to read what happens next! Like, I need it right now! OR I'LL GET YOUR BRAINS, Miss McKay!!

LOL.

(that's the last one, I promise)

Hey, you! Yeah, you. Go and pre-order this baby right away!! Thou shall not regret this, my friend.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: Skylark by Meagan Spooner

Skylark (Skylark #1)
by Meagan Spooner

Expected publication: August 1st 2012 by Carolrhoda Lab

Sixteen year-old Lark Ainsley has never seen the sky.

Her world ends at the edge of the vast domed barrier of energy enclosing all that’s left of humanity. For two hundred years the city has sustained this barrier by harvesting its children's innate magical energy when they reach adolescence. When it’s Lark’s turn to be harvested, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish web of experiments and learns she is something out of legend itself: a Renewable, able to regenerate her own power after it’s been stripped.

Forced to flee the only home she knows to avoid life as a human battery, Lark must fight her way through the terrible wilderness beyond the edge of the world. With the city’s clockwork creations close on her heels and a strange wild boy stalking her in the countryside, she must move quickly if she is to have any hope of survival. She’s heard the stories that somewhere to the west are others like her, hidden in secret – but can she stay alive long enough to find them?

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publication Date: August 1st 2012

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab

Format: eARC, 344 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

First line: The din of the clockwork dawn was loudest in the old sewers, a great whirring and clanking of gears as the artificial sun warmed up.

Last line: We left the field of metallic corpses behind and walked on across the vally, beneath the vast and terrible beauty of the dawn.

Favorite quote: "I'm not certain." (You'll know why when you read it. ;p )

Sixteen-year-old Lark Ainsley is an Unharvested. She has been living inside the Wall all her life, with Institute rationing everything she eats, wears, how much water she uses, where she goes, what she does... but Lark wants nothing more than being Harvested. Which is why she broke into her school to see the Harvest list before Harvest Day. Unfortunately, her name wasn't on it. But the pixies, small mecanized spies were. Afraid the pixies would call her in as an intruder and send her for Adjustment, Lark releases her inner energy. Her magic. She uses the Resource and destroys the Pixie... something she was not aware was possible.

On Harvest Day, she decides to skip school knowing very well her name would not be called... that is, until her -very mean- older brother comes to get her, congratulatinh her on finally being harvested and mentioning she was the only one this time. But Lark knew very well why she was the only one summoned for this Harvest day. They somehow found out about her illegal use of the Resource and want to send her to Adjustment... but soon Lark finds out that there is so much more to the Harvest cerimony than she could have ever imagined... and why nobody seems to remember anything about it, except for the feast afterwards. 

Lark wanted to be Harvested, and Harvested she was... multiple times. Why? Because that was the only way the Institute could be sure she was a rechargeable. And rechargeables become human batteries that fuel the Resource of the city for the rest of their very short, very painful life, as Lark soon finds out from the tied-up/tubed-up woman who keeps talking to her in her mind, saying 'We are the same' and 'Run. Find the others like us, in Iron Wood.'

But Iron Wood is outside the Wall, and nobody has ever come back. Now Lark needs to make some very serious decisions in her life... and face a whole new world. Outside the Wall.

Skylark was nothing like what I expected. It had a good, if a bit confusing, start. It was also quite fast-paced and things became slightly clearer with every page read. (please notice I said slightly). That change, though, when our heroine finally goes through the Wall. That's when the book starts to drag. Terribly. And all we read about is how Lark is afraid, confused, startled by silly things, eating this and that, drinking from here and there, sleeping, waking up, walking, eating, drinking... argh! It takes quite a while for the plot to get back on course, to something really important/interesting to happen. To (finally!) see another human. And then things get intense again. Then they slow down. And get interesting again. And then... well, I guess you get my point.

I had trouble staying focused on the story. I guess it just wasn't for me. Sometimes it felt more like reading a very slow-paced steampunk set in the future than an actual dystopian story. And I'm not exactly a fan of steampunk, you see. But I did like the intelligent, animated piece of metal/pixie, Nix. She was very amusing, if not a bit disconcerting. She made for some very funny and mysterious moments. 


Oren was a complete treat. A real delight. I was already half in love with the guy only two pages after he first appeared. And I may be a bit suspicious to say so, what with me being a lover of savages/barbarians with soft hearts and all, but I dare say I won't be the only one with a crush on him when you guys get to the end of the book. Kris might become a competitor, too.


Now Lark... well, to me that girl was simply a total waste of good magic, water and food sometimes. She was very careless, very mean and always very trusting/distrusting in the wrong times. Ok, so she was sixteen, lost, alone and confused. But that's not an excuse for some really idiotic moves. What a douche. However, she did have her good moments. So I can forgive her. Sort of. >.>


Skylark is a very interesting take on the futuristic/post-war situation. With the added bonus of magic. So it's more like fantasy and, as I said before, a steampunk set in the future than dystopia. It has a lot of stalling and loose ends that will probably be explained in the next books, but it's still quite enjoyable. :)


* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*