Tag: young adult

Review: Blade Rider by Jaime A. Sevilla

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis: 

In a future where stars map the last frontier and infinite space paves the road to dreams, Raven stands at the precipice of her world. In a vibrant, multi-species society filled with possibilities, she yearns to fly amongst the stars as an Air Ranger, an elite group of space pilots that navigate the cosmos and safeguard the world.

There’s only one catch: females aren’t allowed.

As Raven gets closer to her aspirations and learns what it takes to join them, she discovers lasting friendships,  new challenges, and what it ultimately means to be a ranger.

Can Raven push beyond the boundaries of societal norms and break through the stratosphere of glass ceilings, or will her star-filled quest for acceptance remain out of reach? Join her on this high-stakes,  interstellar ride and experience her exciting journey as she blazes her own path amongst the stars.

Based on the musical by Jaime A. Sevilla, “Blade Rider” spins an electrifying and poignant tale of courage, determination, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.

Favorite Lines:

“If you’re watching this and wondering what happened or what went wrong, I guess you could say this is all kinda my fault.”

“Wrapped in the velvet blanket of night, the world was asleep, even the shadows in slumber.”

“I don’t even think that’s a fair number. And how many of those were assists? You ever hear of Magic Johnson?”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Blade Rider is equal parts sci-fi adventure and heart-driven coming-of-age story. It reads like a cinematic blend of Top Gun, Star Wars, and a Saturday-morning dream about flying. Sevilla clearly built this world first through music — you can feel the rhythm in the pacing — and the story keeps that pulse all the way through.

At its core, this isn’t just about high-speed flight; it’s about purpose. Raven Pierce is determined, stubborn, and constantly underestimated, but she carries the kind of optimism that sci-fi sometimes forgets to make room for. Her dream to become a Ranger isn’t just about glory — it’s about belonging, responsibility, and proving that belief and persistence matter more than permission.

The world of Blade Rider feels lived-in: diverse species, interplanetary alliances, and detailed flight tech that would make any space-opera fan grin. Yet what lingers is the emotion beneath it — the father-daughter moments, the camaraderie, the faith that one person can still make a difference. It’s big-hearted storytelling with old-school adventure energy.

Summary:

Blade Rider is perfect for readers who love hopeful science fiction, YA adventure, and music-infused storytelling. Think Ender’s Game if it had a soundtrack and a heroine who refuses to take no for an answer. Sevilla’s background as a composer gives the book a cinematic flow: every chapter feels scored.

For anyone who ever dreamed of flying — or just fighting for the chance to try — Blade Rider delivers that spark. Happy reading!

Check out Blade Rider here!

 

Monthly Features – January 2025

~ likelystory18 ~ Leave a comment

Dear Pink by Michelle Angelle

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Do bears play polo? Can cats wear berets? Do happily ever afters exist? Often there are more questions than answers, and sometimes you find love on a bicycle.

Ever since Hannah caught her ex-boyfriend with another woman, she’s been stuck in a romance rut. When a hot guy in fancy bike gear corners her in the elevator, she lets him slip through her fingers, although his hard muscles and adorable grin never leave her thoughts.

Gabe is sick of plastic women who only see him as a piece of meat. Surprised by a funny woman in an elevator, he forgets to introduce himself and accidentally insults her instead. Convinced he’ll never see her again, he resigns himself to a life as a crazy cat man.

Will an unexpected bucket list change Hannah and Gabe’s life forever? Dear Pink is a romantic comedy where two lost souls collide with fate and find love in the most unlikely place.

Summary: If you like modern romances that are adorable with touches of humor this book would be for you. 

See the full review here: Dear Pink
Purchase here

 

 

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis: Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

Summary: Wicked places us in a world where there is more than meets the eye and introduces us to the ship that is Ivy and Ren. I felt connections throughout the story in different ways, like how much Ivy likes variety in her cereal so much so that she has 12 boxes of cereal on hand at all times or like how despite having a job to support herself and a future seemingly laid out for her already, Ivy still strives to do more with her life; to be more.  The book takes you on an emotional roller coaster through the sad and the happy, through friendship and betrayal, uncertainty, and romance. I know it sounds cheesy and stereotypical, but I promise this book is definitely worth the read. All I can say is that I can’t wait to read the other two books in this series and that I will make no promises to not stay up until 4am to finish them.

See the full review here: Wicked
Purchase here

 

 

Review: Awaken the Dawn by Ellis K. Popa

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Synopsis:

A cryptic puzzle. A family secret. A deadly betrayal. When her dad dies during a business trip to Romania, Kat Barrett blames herself for their failed relationship. She’s racked with guilt, haunted by strange dreams about the crash that killed him, and she’d do anything to have him back. Then a package arrives. It’s from her dad and contains a list of clues — one of his classic scavenger hunts. Desperate for answers, she follows the clues to Bucharest and meets Maksim, a local with a dark past who offers to help. Kat doesn’t trust him, but when she hits a dead end, she’s left with no other choice. As they work together, decoding the clues and trying (unsuccessfully) not to fall for each other, the scavenger hunt reveals a deadly secret the dreams have been pointing to, something Maksim’s old crime ring has been hiding all along, and Kat has walked into their trap. Can she beat them to the final clue — and solve it — before she suffers the same fate as her dad?

Favorite Lines:

“I love how the forest is shadowy but the flowers are glowing. Like they’ve found their own magical life amid the death and decay.”

“Friendship is the hand that wipes your tears when life hurts.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Kat Barrett after she receives a package that seems to come from her dad beyond the grave that sends her on a journey from the US to Romania to solve cryptic clues on a scavenger hunt for answers.

This is Popa’s debut novel but you would think Popa has been writing for years. It was very well written in its creativity, descriptions, and overall writing style. Full of puzzles, mystery, red herrings, romance, suspense, and adventure, this book has it all! There were also hints of supernatural notes that I hope Popa explores further in the future – anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for the supernatural.

If I had to complain about one thing, it would be that the beginning was a tad bit slow for my taste. But I promise you that if you stick with it, you won’t be disappointed and you’ll find yourself sucked into a world of mystery and suspense! I found myself unable to put the book down!

Summary:

Overall,  I thought this was an amazing debut novel and I cannot wait to see where Popa takes us next. If you like fiction, mystery, puzzles, suspense, and romance then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Awaken the Dawn

 

Review: Nameless Vs. The Army of the Dead by Brett Comeau

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Synopsis:

One, Two they’re coming for you.
Three Four, Lock your door.
Five Six, Darkling Tricks
Seven Eight will seal your fate,
Nine Ten they will kill again

The 1800’s city of Geneva is plagued by Darklings, cloaked figures who kidnap and murder its impoverished residents during the night.
While the rich hide safely behind their high stone walls the poor are forced to patrol their own borders to ward off the evil foes.

When a nameless, deformed indentured servant comes of age he is forced into the night to protect the city,
he becomes an unlikely hero that saves the mayor’s daughter from a Darkling attack.
But the nameless boy realizes there is more to the Darklings than the city’s residents have been told.
Joined by the mayor’s daughter and his only friend another local boy, he investigates the cause of the attacks.
What they uncover is far blacker than the cloaks of the Darklings…

Favorite Lines:

“It was the first time she smiled at him, and Lo felt an unexplainable sense of euphoria. There was nothing extraordinary about the girl, but he felt like everything would be okay at that moment.

“It’s nothing. Nervous laughter. I always laugh when I’m about to be hung.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book follows a nameless boy who starts his story working away on a farm for his master and mistress before he realizes his purpose and is bestowed a name of his own by the friends he makes along the way. The strongest theme throughout this book is that of friendship and I think Comeau did an excellent job strengthening those bonds throughout the story. I would classify this as a coming of age story with notes of friendship, horror, fantasy, action, adventure, romance, and mystery all wrapped up in a young adult novel.

I did notice that all the women seemed to have red hair which may have just been a coincidence. Paragraphs also had a lot of the same starters such as “The boy” and “The madman” which I think caused a bit of repetitiveness when read that could have flowed more smoothly had the paragraphs been started differently at points.

I loved the cliffhanger that the ending left us on and will be interested to see where the author takes us next. It also made me wonder if there were Easter eggs that I missed that hinted at the cliffhanger had I known to look for them sooner. My question is: is the doctor the same one mentioned in the prelude 50 years prior? If so, how?

Summary:

Overall, this was a cute, coming of age story that I would compare to Harry Potter but with undead monsters and alchemy madmen instead of wands and magic (at least for now). If you like fantasy, horror, action, adventure, mystery, and young adult books then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Nameless vs. the Army of the Dead

 

Review: The Mutates: The Creation by Peyton N. Leonard

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Synopsis:

What would you do if your humanity was brutally stolen from you? How far would you go to reclaim that humanity? Tyler, Samy, Andy, and Lola are just a bunch of teenagers living in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania in 2009 when they are kidnapped and experimented on, becoming genetically modified feline humanoids with wings, called Mutates. They struggle to make sense of their mutations and fight for their freedom and humanity all the while growing their bonds with one another and the people they come across. Their journey is fraught with adversity, heartache, and pain, but they learn to overcome their challenges and become even stronger individuals in the process. Come and join Tyler, Samy, Andy, and Lola as they embark on the ride of their lives.

Favorite Lines:

“No matter what I said to her, she was always smiling and taking everything in stride. She’d been like that ever since she was born. Legend has it that she’s smiling at this exact moment.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows a group of teenagers who, at the start of the story, think their biggest issue is surviving high school. They’re quickly proven wrong when they are kidnapped and turned into Mutates; genetically modified humanoids with feline features and wings. Readers are along for the ride as they come to terms with their situation and fight for their freedom.

It has been quite some time since I have read a true young adult  book. I forgot how different the author’s voice can be through a YA story versus something like NA. This story is told from the PoV of the kids/teenagers and really immerses you in the story because of the tone. I will admit that the PoV changes were a bit confusing to me but also added dimension to the story.

I do think that the transformation process to Mutates happened really fast. One minute they are just human and the next they are more. I wish there had been more detail as it was a bit of a whirlwind. I did like the epilogue. Without giving anything away, it wraps everything up with the beginning of the story and I thought it was very creative.

Summary:

Overall, this was an enjoyable and creative book. It reminded me of Percy Jackson meets Maximum Ride. If you like young adult, romance, action, adventure, friendship, and hints of religion/spirituality in your books than this one might be for you. Happy reading!

The Mutates: The Creation