Virtual Arcana: The High Priestess Review

Virtual Arcana: The High Priestess

Karen Amanda Hooper

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: December 15, 2014

Series: Virtual Arcana
Series Part: 2

Profanity: none

Violence: none

Sexual Content: none  

Age Recommendation: 12+

Author Website: http://www.karenamandahooper.com/




Summary:

The THIRD book in the VIRTUAL ARCANA series.
The series starts with book 0: The Fool.

As Kelsey delves deeper into the illegal world of virtual reality, her understanding of the Arcana expands and her feelings for Xander evolve.

When Xander's tarot cards fail to give her clarity, Kelsey's training commences. But mystical meetings and storybook scenarios provide her with answers that only trigger more questions.

Approximately 17k words.

SEASON 1 EPISODE LIST:

The Fool ~ Virtual Arcana #0
The Magician ~ Virtual Arcana #1
The High Priestess~ Virtual Arcana #2
The Empress ~ Virtual Arcana #3
The Emperor ~ Virtual Arcana #4
The Hierophant ~ Virtual Arcana #5
The Lovers ~ Virtual Arcana #6

Review:

The High Priestess was another wonderful installment in the continuing story of Virtual Arcana. Kelsey end's up with more questions then answers and we finally get to start learning a little more about Arcana, the government, and the world outside. 

I loved all of the different Virtual landscapes that we were treated to in this installment. Seeing the High Priestess's card reading was really interesting giving us a further glimpse into what Kelsey is really thinking about all of this.

 I also really enjoyed getting to see Kelsey explore her feelings for Xander a little more, and seeing his reactions to her was great. I really like them together and I can't wait to see their relationship develop further. 

I loved the new characters that were introduced in this book as well and I can't wait to see more of each of them as the story continues. And the Arcana! I was so excited to start learning more about the cards, virtual reality, and what they all have to do with the government.

With all the questions and answers in this story The High Priestess is definitely an installment that you don't want to miss!

Note: I reccieved an electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for my fair and honest opinion which I have stated above.

~Dawn

Doctor Who: Lights Out Review

Doctor Who: Lights Out

Holly Black

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: October 23, 2014

Series: Doctor Who

Series Number: n/a

Profanity: none

Violence: none

Sexual Content: none  

Age Recommendation: 12+

Author Website: http://blackholly.com/





Summary:

 As the newly-regenerated Twelfth Doctor arrives on our TV screens, Puffin are publishing the twelfth installment in its sensational series of Doctor Who eShorts! With 11 previous stories by some of the most exciting names in children's fiction, this Twelfth Doctor ebook is written by bestselling US author Holly Black.

Review:

Lights Out is a delightful little addition to the Doctor Who franchise. This book focuses mostly on the character nicknamed by the Doctor, Fifty-one. It's a great story about growing up, mystery, murder, and great coffee, in short it is perfect Holly Black. 

I loved Fifty-one, his narration was a delight to read and it was good to read a Doctor Who book from the perspective of someone not human. I really enjoyed getting to know him and see the Doctor from his point of view. The Doctor took on a lighter tone in this book than he does in the series, and at the start of the story he actually felt a little more like his 10 and 11 incarnations than typical Capaldi. 

The story was an interesting one, and as I said earlier filled with murder and mystery (not to mention coffee). As the story progressed and I got to know Fifty-one better I realized that the mystery was about much more than just murder. I began to wonder what the scientist had to do with anything, and what had really happened in Fifty-one's past to make him the way he was. When I finally learned the truth I was as surprised as Fifty-one was. The conclusion was written in Holly Black style, complete but it left me wanting to read more. 

Lights Out is a great read for both young and old Doctor Who fans and should be included in any fan's reading list. Holly Black did a wonderful job with the Doctor, making me want to see what she could do with a whole episode. 

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn  

Doctor Who The Crawling Terror Review

Doctor Who: The Crawling Terror

Mike Tucker

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Series: Doctor Who 

Profanity:Mild

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None 

Age Recommendation: 15 +

Author Information:
http://www.themodelunit.co.uk/
and
http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Mike_Tucker


 Summary:

"Well, I doubt you'll ever see a bigger insect."
Gabby Nichols is putting her son to bed when she hears her daughter cry out. 'Mummy there's a daddy longlegs in my room!' Then the screaming starts... Alan Travers is heading home from the pub when something rushes his face - a  spider's web. Then something huge and deadly lumbers from the shadows... Kevin Alperton is on his way to school when he is attacked by a mosquito. A big one. Then things get dangerous.

But it isn't the dead man cocooned inside a huge mass of web that worries the Doctor. It isn't the swarming, mutated insects that make him nervous. It isn't an old man's garbled memories of past dangers that intrigue him.

With the village cut off from the outside world, and the insects becoming more and more dangerous, the Doctor knows that no one is safe. Not unless he can decode the strange symbols engraved on an ancient stone circle, and unravel a mystery dating back to the Second World War.

Review:

The Crawling Terror is the first Doctor Who book I've read featuring the 12th Doctor as portrayed by Peter Capaldi. This book did a great job of highlighting some of the new Doctor's personality traits and using them to really fuel the story. It follows a basic Who plot line, with the Doctor and Clara getting involved in a situation that is far larger than they first realized. The story starts fast paced and never lets up pulling readers along on an adventure that takes them from a tiny town to far off planets and back in time to WWII.

Despite the basic plot the story really takes off and deals with some of the more interesting qualities of the new Doctor. Mainly his aversion to/ irritation with soldiers.Soldiers play a key role in the entire plot of The Crawling Terror and it's wonderful to see how the Doctor reacts to each new situation with them. Clara's relationship with the Doctor is also explored briefly. For a lot of the book I felt like Clara wasn't getting as much time seen as she could, but by the end she really got her chance to shine and I felt like it made up for the lack of her in the beginning.

This story takes place sometime after the second episode of the new series of Doctor Who. I began reading it shortly after watching the first episode and I was a little confused on a few points because there are a few things mentioned that take place in Into the Dalek. I would recommend watching at least the first two episodes before diving into this book and not using it as an introduction to Capaldi's doctor.

I really liked the fact that the Doctor did use the TARDIS to go back in time in this book. It's the first time I've seen him do that in one of the DW novels and I really enjoyed getting to see it utilized for more than just the opening and closing of a book. Not to say that the TARDIS doesn't play key roles in other Doctor Who novels, I just really liked the way it was used here.

Overall The Crawling Terror was a great addition to the Doctor Who franchise. I really enjoyed it and would read it again. I was introduced to the Doctor Who novels with Mike Tucker's earlier DW book The Nightmare of Black Island and I'm glad to have had my first 12th Doctor book experience from the same talented author.

I would recommended this book to any Doctor Who fan, just as long as you've seen a few episodes of the new season. It truly has the feel of Doctor Who.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn

Books books and more books...

Hey everyone I just wanted to give you all an update on my status. I will be starting college classes again later this month so posts may slow down (or pick up, it could go both ways). I have quite a few reviews lined up to come out soon and I'm also trying to make an effort to write more than just reviews. I'd love to hear some feedback when it comes to my regular posts so don't be shy about commenting. And don't be too overwhelmed by my review policy I promise I don't bite, so if you've got something you want me to review shoot me an e-mail and I'll try to fit it in.

I also wanted to announce that I am writing a book. I'm only on my first draft but it's always good to get buzz starting early right? Anyway it's a Young Adult Science Fiction and I've written 6 full chapters and am well into chapter 7. I tell you all this for two reasons, the first is so I'll be accountable in writing it and the second is to get word out. The book's working title is The Kingdom Walker (cool title right?). And I hope to be able to give you more news about it soon.

The reviews I have coming up include a few Doctor Who books (starring John Hurt's Doctor and Peter Capaldi, and even Matt Smith), A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan, Storm Siren by Mary Weber, and a super special one that I'm not going to name. 

Anyway that's all I have for now. I will see you all soon! 

~Dawn

3 Doctor Who Short Stories Review

Today I am going to be reviewing three short stories together both because of their length and the fact that they all belong to the Doctor Who Time Trips series. These are not all of the stories from this series only ones featuring Doctors I am familiar with. 

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: May 8, 2014

Series: Doctor Who Time Trips

Series Volume: n/a

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website: http://uk.cecelia-ahern.com/

The Bog Warrior by Cecelia Ahern features the 10th doctor as he fights to free a civilization from an evil queen. This story is slightly reminiscent of Cinderella and could almost be a retelling if not for the Bog People and Doctor Whoieness of it all.

I really enjoyed this short story and Cecelia Ahern did a great job of portraying the 10th doctor. I had a bit of a hard time getting started in this story however, maybe it was because of the time spent on the descriptions (which were beautiful) or perhaps it was the mood the Doctor was in when it started, but either way I was slow to really get into the Bog Warrior. Once I was hooked though, I was hooked. I sped through this story enjoying the journey easily able to picture the story as it progressed. The story while simple was delightful in its little twists and revealings and many of the characters really shone. I would recommend this to any Doctor Who fan young or old.

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: February 6, 2014

Series: Doctor Who Time Trips

Series Volume: n/a

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website: http://www.nickharkaway.com/


Keeping Up With the Joneses by Nick Harkaway also features the 10th Doctor and has a different flavor than the other two short stories I've read. The story picks up at a point that seems to be not long after Donna has left. The Doctor is by himself and getting a little wobbly (as he puts it). Things begin to get crazy when the TARDIS is attacked and the Doctor suddenly finds himself in a town...inside of the TARDIS.


This short story is a great read, I really enjoyed it. The characters were interesting and the story really had me wondering how things were going to work out. I really liked the little bits where we got to get into the Doctor's head a little bit. The one thing that kind of bothered me though was the vast amount of rambling that characters did either while talking or when thinking. I understand that Ten is a bit of a talker, but for a short story a lot of rambling was packed into this story.  Other than that, it was a very good read.

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: January 16, 2014

Series: Doctor Who Time Trips

Series Volume: n/a

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website: http://www.jennycolgan.com/



Into the Nowhere by Jenny T. Colgan features the 11th Doctor and Clara. This short story was an exciting trip through a barren and very dangerous world, one with no name and that even the TARDIS can't find on a map.

The 11th Doctor and Clara are both portrayed very well, and the book feels like an episode of the show, fast paced and full of delightful references, including but not limited to bananas and Parseltongue. The story is interesting and I found myself eagerly trying to figure out what the secret of the planet was.

What I enjoyed most about Into the Nowhere was the delving into the characters that Jenny Colgan did. Reading through it I got a feeling for how Clara was feeling, how she saw the Doctor and how that began to change over her adventures. This short story gave her a depth I haven't known before. And we got to dig into the Doctor's head a little bit and see how he dealt with a major mistake. His crusading heroism is challenged in this short story, but it's done in a way that helps him grow, at least in my opinion. This is a great short story for any fan of the show.

All three of these short stories were great reads and really pulled me back into the Doctor Who universe. If you need a good DW fix before the next season starts try these.

Note: I received a free copy of each of these from NetGalley for my honest opinion which I have stated above.

~Dawn