Title: The Stone Guardian.
Series: Stone Legacy, #1.
Author: Theresa McClinton.
Publication Date: December 14th, 2012.
Publisher: Etopia Press.
Format: Kindle eBook.
Source: Provided By Author.
My Rating:



When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.
Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse. Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince…


I was sent an e-Book copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I have to say I have mixed feelings about this book. It has such great potential and I believe that the author did a very good job.

Ashley was abandoned at an early age, and has grown up in an orphanage for mentally unstable teenagers. Ashley has awful panic attacks and dreams that are all too real. If Ashley is hurt in her dream, it happens to her in real life. The only person she can rely on is her best friend, Tara – who is her shoulder to cry on and as close to a sister as she’ll ever have. Countless doctors and psychiatrists having been telling Ashley that she’s ill and of need of help, and she’s grown to believe that they’re right. That she’s insane - except she isn’t. When Ashley and Tara are kidnapped one evening during a fire drill, she finds herself tucked away in a house in the hills of Belize and finds out that the man stalking her in her dreams is actually real.

She also learns that her captors are not captors at all, but her long lost family – her uncle and cousin. Ashley soon learns that she’s destined to be The Stone Guardian, a person whom guards an ancient and powerful Mayan stone that her diseased mother used to guard. However, the stone is not in the possession of the ‘good guys’ anymore, but was stolen seventeen years ago from her mother by her enemy, Sarian. Together with her new found family - Arwan; a totally hot time bender and Peter; a healer – Ashley sets out to claim the stone back and finally bond with it to become its primary protector.

I was hooked on this book from the very start, the premise was fantastic and I found it hard to put it down. However, even though I found this book a pleasure to read – it was not without its faults. There wasn’t a whole lot of world building and I found myself confused about what was happening some of the time. I also found that the plot moved a little too fast, jumping right from one event to another, with barely any breather in-between.

I really liked Ashley’s character and I thought she was very loyal; however she was a little wishy-washy at times, a bit of a pushover and was easily swayed by other people’s decisions. Ashley was probably one of the most emotional characters I’ve ever read – not that that’s a bad thing! She’s had a pretty awful life, living in an orphanage all her life, and having psychiatric medications pushed upon her – she finds can only trust her best friend, Tara. Even though I liked her character a lot, I did think she wept way too much – there was always a scene where she was crying hysterically. Either she was just a very emotional person or she was probably depressed – I wished this was covered in the book.

Arwan is a time-bender, someone who has special abilities like Ashley, but can manipulate time. He also has a smoking hot body, as Ashley can’t help but notice constantly. The minute Arwan see’s Ashley; he falls for her and vows to protect her – not because she’s The Stone Guardian, but because she fills a void in his heart that was created by the death of his mother some years ago. I loved Arwan’s character, he was so sweet and caring, even though he acted like a selfish idiot at times, I thought he was great all the same.

Something this novel had that I hoped it wouldn’t was insta-love. I have to say, I’m not a fan of insta-love at all. I don’t believe in love at first sight, I believe two people can meet and be attracted to each other, but love comes much later. The minute Ashley and Arwan meet, there’s a connection and they have the hots for each other – which is perfectly fine and understandable. However, a day or so later, they’re ‘in love’. I believe their relationship could have been better developed, but their romance was sweet, which made the insta-love a little bit more bearable.

Overall, I really loved reading this book – I thought it was amazing. Unfortunately I had to bump it down to 4/5 stars because of the various little problems and titbits that annoyed me. The characters were great; although some of them were a little under developed they were enjoyable to read all the same. It was an original read, with a fantastic plot – not to mention the cliff-hanger ending! I can’t wait until the next book is released and to find out what happens next.


Quotes


Of course, she didn't know why they were really there. He watched her shift her weight. Did she lie when she said he didn’t make her uncomfortable? It seemed like he did. Every time he smiled at her, her cheeks flushed or her muscles tensed. - 33%.

Ashley watched what seemed like a horror movie as Renato lifted the parasite to her face. The worm elevated the top half of its body, and then launched at her. It expanded to a thick, flat mask, sticking to Hawa’s nose and mouth. Hawa gasped and choked as the worm latched on. Ashley screamed and stumbled.
Hawa righted herself just as the parasite settled on her face. - 56%.

She snatched the box out of his hand and looked inside. Her breath hitched, and she twined the chain around her fingers, pulling out the butterfly necklace. Colored gemstones glittered inside the wings that ended in a scroll tip.
“It’s beautiful,” she said in a gentle breath. Nobody had ever given her a birthday gift before.
They just weren’t allowed. - 76%.





Hey Book Nerds. ^.^ I hope you're all doing well and you're having a great week. (: I'm still so tired.. D: I've also been trying to restrain myself from buying books because I have so many I still need to read! But it's so hard - I mean, when I bought my Kindle I received a full month of free next day delivery for Amazon! I just really want to use it... :P My parents really want me to cut down on book buying, but I just can't help myself. ^^; Oh dear...






Title: Breaking Glass.
Author: Lisa Amowitz.
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press.
Expected Publication: July 9th, 2013.
Format: Paperback, 232 pages.



On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, hes not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality.

Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.





This book looks absolutely fantastic! :D I have to say though, I'm not hugely keen on the cover - but it is quite clever and interesting in its own way. :) Apart from that I am really excited for this to be released! I'm a sucker for a murder mystery or just a thriller mystery in general! :D Plus, I haven't read that many books told in the perspective of a guy's point of view - so that'll be fun. :) What do you guys think of my pick for this week? ^.^



What are you "Waiting On" this Wednesday? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! :D Happy Reading. (:



Teaser Tuesday #18



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by MizB of; Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along by doing the following. Grab your current read open to a random page and share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page - remember, no spoilers! Don't forget to share the title and the author.

Hey Book Nerds! :3 How are you all doing on this fine Tuesday? :P I'm feeling pretty crappy myself, I'm really tired and I think I've come down with another cold - which really sucks. D: I'm also nearly at 50 followers, just two more people to go until I can finally get my 50 Blog Followers Giveaway! :) I hope you're all excited, I know I am. (: Well, that's it - I'm keeping today’s post short but sweet. ^.^

Teasers





"Without warning, Harry Let out a high pitched scream. Lis whirled around, assuming she'd come under attack, but instead she saw that Harry was simply thrilled at a new arrival to the classroom."

- Page 18, "Hollow Pike"
by James Dawson.






First off I would like to say; the cover to this book is STUNNING! I love it so much. :3 Secondly; I'm sorry that this isn't the most interesting teaser - and thirdly; I'm not actually that far into this book yet, so I haven't got a proper opinion on the book - however, the pages I've read so far are really great. :) It sounds like it's going to be a great novel though and I'm really excited to read more! :D Have you guys ever read this book before?



What are your teasers for this Tuesday? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! :D Happy Reading. (:





Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Join the craze meme at Tyngas Reviews & have fun. :3

Hey book nerds! :D I hope you're all doing well and you've had a great week. :3 We've just been having gail-force winds here, it knocked our wheelie bin over! xD It's my younger brother's 17th birthday today, so later we're having our family over for cake. :3 Chocolate cake! :D There's not a whole lot else to say, apart from the 'special' package I received in the post on Wednesday is a Kindle Fire HD! :D I'm really pleased with it; it's a kindle, with the added effect of it being a tablet as well. I've already bought a bunch of books which are listed below! ^.^ The cost did hit my savings quite hard, but I know I’ll get so much use out of it. :)


Video


Photos And Book Information
Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce.
Flawless by Lara Chapman.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing who sent me Anthem For Jackson Dawes for review.



E-books

The Stone Guardian and The Light Of The Moon were sent to me by the authors in exchange for honest reviews. Thank you! :)

Gamers (Gamers, #1) by Thomas K. Carpenter.
The Fallen Star (Fallen Star, #1) by Jessica Sorensen.
Darkness Falls (Darkness Falls, #1) by Jessica Sorensen.


I'm so excited for all of these books! I'm currently reading The Stone Guardian, so within a week or so, expect to see a review of it up. ^.^ I really can't decide which book I'm most excited to start reading. D: Probably Never Have I Ever or Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side - they both look incredible! I'm also really excited to start reading Pushing the Limits, I bought it on Amazon for 20p and I've heard so many great things about it. ^.^ The rest of the e-books, apart from the ones I got sent for review, I bought for free on Amazon! Have you guys read any of these books? :)



What books did you get this week? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! ^.^ Happy reading! (:



Friday Finds #17



Friday finds is a meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading which showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list. Whether you found them online, in a bookstore, or in the library - wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

Hey book nerds! :3 I hope you're all doing well. (: I'm having to fight off my cat, Luna for the seat in my desk chair at the moment and I think I've lost - seeing as I'm kneeling on the floor in front of my desk and she's on the chair... ^^; Any who, I've started watching the TV series Ugly Betty, and I'm really enjoying it. :P I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do. :) As for reading wise, I've actually not done a whole lot of it lately, I've just been really distracted so I'm still on If I Stay, but hopefully this evening I'll be able to read some more. :)

Friday Finds

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.
Welcome to Elsewhere; a place like no other. Elsewhere is where 15-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. Here Liz will age backwards from the day of her death until she becomes a baby and is returned to Earth. But for Liz, nothing seems worse; she wants to experience her 16th birthday, she wants to get her drivers' licence, she wants her old life back again! She spends her hours mourning for what, and who she has lost. But is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward? And can Liz ever find peace in a world so different, yet so similar to her own?

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt.
Ugly people don't have feelings. They're not like everyone else. They don't notice if you stare at them and turn away. And if they did notice, it wouldn't hurt them. They're not like real people. Or that's what I used to think. Before I learned...

After the car crash that leaves her best friend dead, Jenna is permanently scarred. She struggles to rebuild her life, but every stare in the street, every time she looks in the mirror, makes her want to retreat further from the world. Until she meets Ryan. Ryan's a traveller. When he and his mother moor their narrow boat on the outskirts of a village, she tells him this time it will be different. He doesn't believe her; he can't imagine why this place shouldn't be as unwelcoming as the rest. Until he meets Jenna. But as Jenna and Ryan grow closer, repercussions from the crash continue to reverberate through the community. And then a body is found...

Breathless by Jesscia Warman.
When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn’t take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice. But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.

Shadowlands (Shadowlands, #1) by Kate Brian.
Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

Summaries from Good Reads. First off, let me start by saying that ALL these book covers are gorgeous! I really can't decide which one is my favourite. :P Although, the colours are stunning on Elsewhere. ^.^ As for the book I'm most excited to actually purchase, it'd have to be Shadowland, it looks like an incredible book and I wish I could get it now! Unfortunately I just don't have the money right now to pay full price for it. D: Oh well! What do you think of my finds this week?



What are your Friday Finds for this week? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! ^.^ Happy reading! (:





Hey Book Nerds. ^.^ How are you all doing today? :D I hope you're all having a great week so far, mine's been pretty good! :) I recieved a very special package from Amazon this morning in the post, and I'm so excited about it! Hopefully I'll remember to add it in my next Stacking The Shelves post so I can show you guys. ^.^ I've not actually done a whole lot else today, apart from sitting back and relaxing. :)






Title: The Art of Wishing.
Author: Lindsay Ribar.
Publisher: Dial Books.
Expected Publication: March 21st, 2013.
Format: Hardback, 314 pages.



He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan for just about everything, from landing the lead in her high school play to getting into a good college. So when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the chance to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Why should she put her life into someone else's hands?

But Oliver is more than just a genie -- he's also a sophomore at Margo's high school, and he's on the run from a murderer. As he and Margo grow closer, she discovers that it will take more than three wishes to save him.
A whole lot more.





This book looks really awesome! :D I heard of it through another blogger, however the blog name escapes me.. D: Anyway, like I said, I think it looks like a great read and really cute. ^.^ It sort of reminds me of As You Wish by Jackson Pearce - which I loved - and I'm sure I'm going to love this! As for the cover, it's gorgeous, I love the clouds, but I'm not all too sure of the font they used but oh well. :3 What do you think of my pick for this week? ^.^



What are you "Waiting On" this Wednesday? Leave me a comment or a link to your blog post and I'll be sure to check it out! :D Happy Reading. (: