A Book Addict's YA Palace: January 2015

Cover Reveal Lion’s Share by Rachel Vincent

12:30 AM
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Review Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2) by Chris Cannon

Hey Addicts! I've got a cool one today, a review Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2) by Chris Cannon, from Entangled Teen and a "dream cast" to go with it, provided by the author. I know what you may be thinking: Book 2? Did you do a review for book 1? That answer is a special one. I signed up for the blog tour thinking I'd have to read book 2 first, but Entangled was nice enough to send on the first book of the series: Going Down In Flames as well so that problem solved. That said, I read both books and decided, since I was doing something else in addition to my review for book 2, I'd post my review of book 1 separately. CLICK HERE to see my thoughts and rating for book 1 of this series. Now on to Bridges Burned!

Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)

by Chris Cannon

Summary from Goodreads:

Don't just fight the system…burn it.

Since discovering she is a shape-shifting, fire-breathing dragon on her sixteenth birthday

(surprise!), Bryn McKenna’s world has been thrown into chaos. Being a “crossbreed”—part Red

dragon and part Blue—means Bryn will never fit in. Not with dragon society. Not with the

archaic and controlling Directorate. And definitely not when she has striped hair and a not-so popular

affection for rule-breaking…

But sneaking around with her secret boyfriend, Zavien, gets a whole lot harder when he’s

betrothed to someone else. Someone who isn't a mixed breed and totally forbidden. And for an

added complication, it turns out Bryn’s former archnemesis Jaxon Westgate isn’t quite the evil

asshat she thought. Now she’s caught between her desire to fit in and a need to set things on fire.

Literally.

Because if Bryn can’t adapt to the status quo…well, then maybe it’s time for her to change it.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes& Noble│Kobo Books

MY REVIEW:
We start BRIDGES BURNED with Bryn, our half breed dragon heroine (half blue dragon half red dragon--a big problem for a society that thinks only dragons of the same kind should be together. And that there should never be a half breed child.) As I was saying, Bryn is returning to school with a security detail because of the for mentioned predigests against her and the fact that in the first book of the series, someone was trying to kill her. That's enough to give any girl a major complex, along with the fact that there is still someone out to get her. Then you add into it, her secret boyfriend Zavien--a black dragon and the fact that them being in love is a huge taboo-- and you've got a recipe for an angst filled, over dramatic year ahead.
All the characters from the first book are back! Yeah :) Even better, Jackson is not so much an "asshat" to Bryn this time around. Clint and Ivy-best friends and comic relief IMHO also return; and of course, since I already mentioned him, Zavien is back too. Though he and Jackson seemed to have done a bit of a personality switch for this book; that is something that drives me nuts in books because it throws off my whole perspective and makes the book feel like it wasn't very well thought out or edited.
I'll give you, Zavien is promised to another black dragon, and having to balance that (while trying to find a way out of it) and keeping an insecure girl, Bryn, from going mental while you hide your relationship can put a strain on any character. But this time it just didn't feel right. I felt a little let down by the amount of change.
The character death in this one was a bit of a surprise for me, but I also think it fit really well with the story's plot so I didn't get too upset about it. That said I felt other things were way blown out of proportion, and some things were not developed as much as they could have been. I got annoyed at a few points because I felt Bryn could have done a lot more, been more involved in this "revolution" she was sparking. I mean this is going to directly effect her own life and future.
However, by the end of the book I felt that Bryn had grown a LOT and was much more of a believable character and easier to relate to for me.
There is of course one more character I haven't mentioned: Valmont. He's Bryn's body guard and at points seemed to be thrown into the romantic relationship mix. Between him, Zavien and Jackson it got confusing to figure out who I liked best and to be with Bryn. It all felt forced at a few points (partially because of the over dramatized reactions and already mentioned character personality changes), but at others, it was sweet and hot.
Chris Cannon's world building was just as great as in Going Down In Flames, and though I would have liked more fight scenes, the action and suspense part of the story definitely saved this book for me. Much like with book 1. I think BRIDGES BURNED was better than Going Down In Flames and I would definitely read the third in this series, just to see how things unfold. I say this because unlike GDIF (book 1) this book clearly sets up for at least one more book.
Side note: You could get away with reading BRIDGED BURNED without reading the first book of the series, but I don't recommend it. You would get confused and miss some good references to the first book that helps tie everything together nicely. I have to say, I think if I had just read book 2 I would have been a Bryn/Jackson fan from the start and not a Bryn/Zavien.
If you like adventure and fantasy and dragons I would definitely recommend this series!

Going Down in Flames

by Chris Cannon

Summary from Goodreads:

If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you’re a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being

hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it’s a

particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.

Zavien is tired of the Council’s rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded

leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath

of fresh air, and with Bryn’s help, they may be able to change the rules.

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for

Bryn. She’ll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first

year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you’re falling for someone

you can't have.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes& Noble│Kobo Books

About the Author

I love reading and writing snarky, kick-butt characters who take on the world and win.

My truths: You can never have too many books, shoes, or purses.

Coffee is the Elixir of Life.

There should be a National Nerf Bat Day where you are allowed to whack annoying people

upside the head.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

So what do we think Addicts? Have you found a new addiction? See ya next time :)
~Dynomoon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

6:41 AM
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Review Going Down In Flames by Chris Cannon

3 star

Morning Addicts. I've got a bit of a in interesting situation for you today. I signed up for a review tour of this book called BRIDGED BURNED (Going Down In Flames #2) by Chris Cannon, published by Entangled Teen. At first I thought okay, I'll have to read book 2 without reading book 1, but Entangled had a treat for me, and included a review copy of the first book of the series GOING DOWN IN FLAMES by Chris Cannon. I was very excited! I don't normally like having to read books out of order. However this left me with a bit of a conundrum. Do I put my review for both books in one post--along with the "dream cast" extra I'll be featuring, or do I do two posts. If you haven't guessed yet, two posts won out!
So here is my review of book 1: GOING DOWN IN FLAMES, gifted to me by Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review. On to the Dragons!!!

Going Down in Flames

by Chris Cannon

Summary from Goodreads:

If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you’re a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being

hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it’s a

particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.

Zavien is tired of the Council’s rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded

leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath

of fresh air, and with Bryn’s help, they may be able to change the rules.

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for

Bryn. She’ll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first

year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you’re falling for someone

you can't have.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes& Noble│Kobo Books

MY REVIEW:

Going Down In Flames by Chris Cannon is pretty much what I expected it to be when I read the blurb. I don’t know if that is because Entangled has a “troupe” cheat code they love to use again and again, or if the blurb was just that specific. I think I was a little let down because of that, because it was exactly what I expected. However, E. Teen may have balanced that a little with yet another kick butt cover that I adore and grabs my attention right away.

The world building in Going Down In Flames is really well done. (And that includes the intrigue and excitement of the plot overall.) Having to create 4 communities of dragons—Red, Black, Green and Blue—is no easy task, even for the best authors out there. But Chris Cannon pulled it off with nice style and good hooks throughout the story that kept me reading. I would have liked more action scenes because they were very well written and flowed wonderfully. Honestly these two things are what saved this book for me. No set aside pile for this book. Though I have no problem saying I would have happily traded several of the more political feeling scenes for fight scenes!

The universe in GDIF was unique in many ways and read differently from other books. The flip side to the praise above: The whole “speciale schools” with “secret societies” and crazy separation “classes” is starting to feel a little over used for me.

Now on to the characters!

Bryn is our M.C. (heroine). She’s very special. She just found out she’s a dragon, and on her 16^th birthday no less! Even better (though not in her opinion) she’s a half breed. Half Red dragon half Blue dragon. That means several very interesting things for her—both good and bad.

The good: because of her duel heritage she has the power of both fire and ice. I’ve gotta say it was pretty entertaining when she accidently set her kitchen on fire trying to use her powers J

The bad side of her parentage: she’s considered a freak/abomination by the stuffy-stuck-in–the-dark-ages dragon society that believes no dragon should marry outside their color. (See my note up top about my feelings on the political aspect of this book) Even worse than being an outcast—she’s got someone out to kill her! Fortunately she’s got a pretty cool cast of secondary characters that are there for her.

Let’s start with Clint and Ivy. They both seem to fall perfectly within the whole two best supportive friends that stick by you no matter where your adventures take you that almost every YA book seems to have. But I’m not hating on them—in fact I loved them! I wish I could have gotten more about them.

Bryn also has Zavien. A 19 year old Black dragon who ends up being her secret boyfriend because of the whole class separation thing. I liked him a lot, but I wish Chris would have played up the mysterious, sexy side of him more. There were also times that I felt Zavien was too mature for Bryn. I still like them as a couple.

The parents were pretty cool too. It was nice to have a YA book with involved parents. A change from the norm.

Jackson was probably my favorite character. Or at least the one that I felt had the most untapped potential for character development. Despite him being and “asshat” to Bryn for most of the book, he came through for her when she needed him most. But such a sudden change in opinion of her felt forced/unrealistic for me.

The one character I haven’t really gushed over is Bryn. That was by design. Why you ask—simple: she wasn’t really a good heroine for me. Sure is just a 16 year old thrown into a harsh environment, but she was too whiny. She came off like she was 11. (The reason I felt Zavien was too mature for her at points) She’s constantly told to grow up I never saw any kind of growth from her in Going Down In Flames. I think her sassy attitude and the fact she did keep pushing through all the crap situations she was put in was what saved her for me though.

Over all I wanted more from all the characters. World building was great, just not so much the characters. If I had not known that there was a second book to this series I would have been tempted to think this a one off book, but since I knew differently….Anyways I am hoping that my issues with lack of character development will be addressed in the next book Burning Bridges.

GOING DOWN IN FLAMES is a solid 3 star for me today. I would recommend this to lovers of fantasy, action and dragons!

About the Author

I love reading and writing snarky, kick-butt characters who take on the world and win.

My truths: You can never have too many books, shoes, or purses.

Coffee is the Elixir of Life.

There should be a National Nerf Bat Day where you are allowed to whack annoying people

upside the head.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

Come back to check out my review of book 2--Burning Bridges! Later Addicts :)
~Dynomoon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

3:30 AM
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Reveiw of The Doorknob Society by MJ Fletcher

4 star

Hey Addicts! I've got a Review today, of MJ Fletcher's The Doorknob Society. This is the first in his series that brings a mix on fantasy, Harry Potter style magic with a great dose of steampunk influence. Sounds like quite a mesh up, huh? I wasn't sure about it at first, but read on to see what my final thoughts are on the book!

BOOK BLURB

Chloe Masters’ world changes in a heartbeat and all she did was touch a doorknob.

‪When she was young Chloe’s mother vanished. Wracked by feelings of abandonment and anger she lost herself traveling with her fathers magic act, where illusions were part of her everyday life. Yet everything changes when they are pursued by a mysterious man in black out to kill her father. Touching a doorknob activates abilities she never knew she had and she finds herself thrust into a world of ancient societies and secrets.

‪When her father disappears it is a race against time to find answers before she loses what’s left of her family. Now Chloe must choose who to trust, the man who will do anything for her or the one she can’t stop thinking about.

Amazon ‪Barnes and Noble iTunes

MY REVIEW:

The Doorknob Society by M.J. Fletcher starts off with a bang that grabbed and held my attention! Chloe Masters is in the middle of breaking into a French gov. office because she and her father's passports had been seized. Chloe always knew her magician father had a secret, but when she gets cornered by French gov. agents and bad guys she doesn't even realize are are hunting her, she realizes her fathers disappearing through a door act is not trick. And she too has the ability to go from one place to another-almost anywhere in the world. From there her and her father get dropped back to her grandparents home in the states and fall right into a dangerous fight for their lives.
Enter Michael Slade.
A teenage boy-hot of course-wielding a steampunk/light saber version of Thor's magic hammer. And guess what: he saves her life! Chloe's hero.
They stop the bad guys-for that moment at least- and Chloe learns of a whole new world that exists all over the world. A world the mother-who abandoned her-is possible hiding in, somewhere.
The world built in this series is one that and Harry Potter fans will sink their golden snitch grabby hands into.

As much as I love Harry Potter and everything it has inspired, I have to say, my 2nd biggest problem with this book was it took too much from the amazing world of H.P. From the whole new magic/Diagon Alley with a steampunk twist (hidden behind a magic wall of cogs/ magic tech and brick) that leads to the crazy cool magic city and shops as well as an exclusive school only for those with magic. We even have the "houses"; and Chloe manages to put together a group of friends--and 1 young detective inspector- who I think is on her side-that covers at least 1 member from each of the 5 "societies" (cough**houses**)
Chloe was a character that I loved at times and was annoyed with at times. I love how she is willing to take charge and lead her group--even thought her plans always end up going horribly wrong. But they are always entertaining and decently well written. I can see the fights happening, which is a hard thing to do.
I was pleasantly surprised by the romance in this book. Slade was a great beta like hero, and still totally kick butt in a fight. I did get frustrated with Chloe because of her yo-yo feelings that seemed to come and go at times and what she felt for both Slade and the other "love interest" James Nightshade. As much as I liked it--the instant attraction layered over with a sudden hate was "insta" in a bad way for me. It felt forced, especially when she didn't really have reason to hate James so much right off the bat. But the scene near the end--in the closet, while they're trying to save her father--- ooohhhh baby! made me rethink my stance on Chloe/Slade. But again, another way Chloe's indecision and ease of switching to another guy bugs me. By the end I felt like she had decided to toy with James's feelings- almost kind of callously.
The pacing of The Doorknob Society was great and fast paced and rarely slowed down. The plot was also well built and played out. The end of the book wrapped up all major plot lines and left enough open and started to take you into the next book of the series.
I would definitely recommend this book to those who love H.P. and fantasy series. It really has a little of everything that I think could appeal to a wide audience!
Over all- a well done book, and a series I will continue to read.

MJ Fletcher is the creator of the comic book series Adam Zero: The Last Man of Earth published by Ronin Studios. He’s also been published in Hope: The Hero Initiative and Digital Webbing Presents. The Doorknob Society was his first book series and still among his favorites. His other works include The Grimm Chronicles series and numerous novellas and short stories. He lives near the beach with his wife, daughter, and an insane dog.

‪Website: http://www.thedoorknobsociety.com/

‪Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/doorknobsociety

‪Twitter: @fletch125

‪Instagram: mjfletcherwriter

And that's it for this review Addicts! Come back in a few days for more YA goodness :)
~Dynomoon