Sunday, June 4, 2017

Revolt (Book 4 of the Resistance Series) by Tracy Lawson

     


I was both blessed and honored when Miss Lawson contacted me and offered me a copy of Revolt for review prior to the release date of July 18, 2017.
I have been an avid fan of the Resistance Series since I first read Counteract in 2015. 
With Revolt, Miss Lawson wraps up Tommy and Careen's battle against the OCSD. But this time, Tommy isn't just battling the OCSD on the outside, he is battling the damage the OCSD inflicted on Careen while she was captive. But the worst scars aren't the ones you can see, they are the ones no one but Careen can see. Tommy must win Careen over and convince her his love is true.
In her Resistance Series, Miss Lawson has created a glimpse of what could become of our world. She delves deep into the "what if" of total government control. But she also taps in to that human desire to be free. 
I love the way Miss Lawson was able to tap into each side. She has the ability to write each side's point of view without mixing the sides up. She also does a great job of showing how greed and the desire for total control is rampant on both sides. But she also delves deep into how love can persevere even when it seems there is no hope. 
In Revolt Miss Lawson digs deeper into more characters. She expands on more characters which enhances the story. It isn't just Careen and Tommy's story, it is also the story of Madalyn Davies , Kevin McGraw, Trina Jacobs, Tom Bailey, Jaycee, Mitch Carraway, and Lara Bailey, just to name a few. Miss Lawson tells each character's story with grit, realism, and compassion. She focuses on the human aspect. She exposes the degrees of impact a battle of wills can have on different psyches. 
As you can probably tell, I am very impressed with Miss Lawson's ability to dig deep into the "what ifs" of the human condition.
Revolt and the Resistance Series is not for the reader who prefers a light read. They are for the readers who like to think, plot, and delve deep into their inner voice. It is for the reader who likes to think about the "what ifs" of life.
I can honestly say there was nothing about this story that I did not like. Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars!

Revolt is released on 7/18/17. It is available for pre-order.
You can find out more about Tracy Lawson and her Resistance Series at:
Instagram: tracylawsonauthor

                      

Bound By Prophecy (Descendants Series #1) by Melissa Wright

Bound by Prophecy (Descendants Series Book 1) by [Wright, Melissa]


Synopsis via Amazon.com:

Aern's only job is to protect the chosen. The trouble is, she's the key to a prophecy and everyone wants her. Hiding a girl in the center of a secret war is tricky business, but when her sister shows up to take Aern hostage, all bets are off. 

A slim brunette in borrowed jeans should be the least of his problems, but there's something about Emily he just can't put to rights. And it's not her penchant for using hand tools as weapons or the fact that she seems immune to his sway. 

Everything about her screams run. But when he discovers she's working toward her own prophecy, he's got no choice but to keep her safe. It might have been easy, if she didn't think she was the 
chosen's protector. When the opposition descends, their only hope is to stick together, but the truth unravels, and together might prove the biggest complication of them all.

When I read the synopsis, I was really excited that this was currently a free e-book on Amazon (it is still free today 6/4/17). It sounded exciting, full of action, with a good meaty story line. Well, it fell short of my expectations. First of all, it does have a meaty story line that is full of action. But, I spent about a third of the story confused about what was going on and why. Why? Well, Miss Wright jumped right into the action. That in itself isn't always bad. But in this instance, it wasn't a great thing to do. There is no explanations about why things are happening. I honestly stopped at chapter three and scrolled back to the title page to see if I missed any of the story. I didn't.
I started reading the book almost a week after downloading it. I couldn't remember what the synopsis said, but I remembered it sounded exciting to me. At about the 4th chapter, I had to go back and read the synopsis to find out if the main character was male or female and why the characters were running from the one person that was repeatedly named as the bad guy.
BUT, once I did get my bearings, I really enjoyed the story. As I said it is full of action, a few nail biting minutes here and there, and a deep, enthralling story line.  There is even a little bit of suspense. There is an excerpt of the next book added at the end of the book. I would definitely read the next book in the series. While this book wraps up Aern and Emily's story, it ends in a bit of a cliff hanger.
Just to put this in perspective, I would give this book a 3 out of 4 stars. If I wasn't so lost in the beginning, I would have given this book an easy 4 out of 5. stars.
Since this is a free e-book on Amazon at this time, I recommend checking it out and deciding for yourself.
Bound By Prophecy by Melissa Wright