Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard

Alpha Goddess Tour Schedule



Title: Alpha Goddess
Author: Amalie Howard
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Acquired Via: JKS Communications
Release Date: March 18, 2014
In Serjana Caelum’s world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them. A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence. Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera’s avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos. A chaos that Azrath, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.

Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azrath before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn’t come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he’s telling. Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to each of them, Sera must become the goddess she was meant to be, or risk failing, which means sacrificing the world she was born to protect.

My Review

I waited a long time for a book that featured some sort of Middle Eastern mythology. Alpha Goddess focuses on Hindu mythology, but there is a bit of Iranian lore that is mixed in with the story. It's not a major thing, but it was enough to make me a happy camper. Besides the wonderful mythology, there is also the typical YA love triangle, which isn't quite as exciting. However, Sera was a realistic teen who behaved like a typical kid that young readers will easily relate to.

Review (Debut Author Giveaway Hop): Forged by Fate by Amalia Dillin

Welcome to my stop on the Debut Author Giveaway Hop. This hop is co-hosted by Mary at BookHounds/BookHounds YA and Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

What You Can Win

Today I'm giving away Forged by Fate by Amalia Dillin. It released earlier this year, and I was very impressed by the book when I read it, so I decided to promote it on this hop. The information about the book and my review is below:



Title: Forged by Fate (Fate of the Gods #1)
Author: Amalia Dillin
Publisher: World Weaver Press
Release Date: March 5, 2013
After Adam fell, God made Eve to protect the world.

Adam has pursued Eve since the dawn of creation, intent on using her power to create a new world and make himself its God. Throughout history, Eve has thwarted him, determined to protect the world and all of creation. Unknown to her, the Norse god Thor has been sent by the Council of Gods to keep her from Adam's influence, and more, to protect the interests of the gods themselves. But this time, Adam is after something more than just Eve's power — he desires her too, body and soul, even if it means the destruction of the world. Eve cannot allow it, but as one generation melds into the next, she begins to wonder if Adam might be a man she could love.

Every god, from each of the world's pantheons, mythologies, and religions — they’re all real in this enthralling fantasy romance that spans centuries.

My Review

I was quite excited to be approached by Amalia Dillin about reviewing her debut novel, Forged by Fate, because I've known her on Twitter for several years and remember her talking about writing this book. Though I generally have doubts about reading the books of people that I know and enjoy, it was not so in this case. I've been reading her blog for years, and she's done a great deal of research on Thor and other gods. Research is king with me, and I was right in my assumption that Forged by Fate would be good. Not only was it well-researched, all aspects of the novel were tied together seamlessly, and the characters were complex and well-constructed.

Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): The Diabolist by Layton Green

The Diabolist Blog Tour Schedule



Title: The Diabolist (Dominic Grey #3)
Author: Layton Green
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Acquired Via: Pump Up Your Book! Tours
Release Date: June 4, 2013
In this gripping thriller, the bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger… and more dangerous.

Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.

The Diabolist is a chilling novel that not only pulsates with action and suspense, but also mines a trove of fascinating historical, philosophical, and paranormal research to probe some of our closest held beliefs. From the opening pages to the astonishing conclusion, this latest installment in one of today’s most original new thriller series is not to be missed.

My Review

Reviews of Previous Books:

The Egyptian (Will's review)

It is a rare and excellent thing to find a novel that you feel like has been written expressly for you, and Layton Green's The Diabolist is just that. I would like to blame my co-blogger, Will, for my not reading Green's previous work and call him a rat-faced, monkey sniffer for it, but that would not be fair because he did try to get me to read them. (You know what it's like to have been behind on your reading for, oh, say, two years, right?) Because of Will's love for Green and Green being such a nice guy, I jumped on the opportunity to review The Diabolist. And let me tell you, it was a pleasant surprise for me.