Dark Metropolis (Dark Metropolis #1)

About the book:
Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.

Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules. Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.

Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too. Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.

Find Dark Metropolis: Goodreads   Amazon

Review:
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I received the offer to be part of Dark Metropolis' blog tour, I signed on because of several reasons. I like Cassandra Clare, Cabaret, magic, mystery and Disney. After reading the book, I'm glad I signed up. There were twists and turns throughout the book that made the story very interesting.

This is a unique paranormal story. Yes, there are the magical aspects, but there are also the undead creatures. I don't know whether to call the zombies or vampires. They are both and neither at the same time. Zompires? Vambies? The author never called them a specific name, but I like how it is a bit ambiguous.

Freddy gradually became my favorite character in the book. In the beginning he blindly used his magic without asking too many questions. Then Thea helps his character to grow. He discovers the truth about what's really going on, and decides to forge his own path. It can be scary sometimes to turn your back on the ones you love in order to do what is right. In the end, I admired his courage and integrity.

The book switches points of view. Because characters are all around the city and not all at the same place, the multiple POVs helped to really move the story along. This is very important when Thea and Nan are separated above and below ground.

I wish that author Jaclyn Dolamore would have given a bit more detail about what specifically the people below ground were doing. Readers learn that they were running the city and that Nan had to pull levers. I wish that readers could have learned what those levers actually did in running the city as well as what some other jobs were. These are non-important details and wouldn't change the plot of the story. They could have been edited out, but I would have liked to learn more about it.

One thing that surprised me in this book is that there is a girl-on-girl kiss. I am not for or against this, it was just unexpected since this is a Disney-Hyperion published book. The scene was tastefully done an wasn't vulgar at all. Afterward, one of the girls ponders living her life with the other.

This book had aspects that reminded me of the Pushing Daisies television series (think back to 2007-2009). The book has some mystery, action, romance, violence, and lots of drama. Teens and adults who love paranormal stories should give this book a try.

Want to know what others thought about the book? Check out the rest of the Dark Metropolis blog tour!

About author Jaclyn Dolamore:

Jaclyn Dolamore was homeschooled in a hippie sort of way and spent her childhood reading as many books as her skinny nerd-body could lug from the library and playing elaborate pretend games with her sister Kate. She skipped college and spent eight years drudging through retail jobs, developing her thrifty cooking skills and pursuing a lifelong writing dream. She has a passion for history, thrift stores, vintage dresses, David Bowie, drawing, and organic food. She lives with her partner and plot-sounding-board, Dade, and two black tabbies who have ruined her carpeting.

Find Jaclyn:   Website   Twitter   Facebook  


Giveaway:
Enter to win a copy of Dark Metropolis.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First Light

About the book:
On the harsh militant world of Sindorus, where even colours are considered sinful, three people living very separate lives are about to have those lives change forever. As deceptions are torn away, and ancient secrets brought to light, they each must struggle to find the missing pieces to the puzzle...answers that will unlock their true destiny.

Idrith, bitter and trapped in a life he never chose, is the first to discover his own fear-filled mystery. Obsessed with finding the truth behind the lies he turns to the one person he has always tried to avoid -- the mysterious pilgrim, Harmion.

Aztar's military promotion comes with an unexpected burden. A serious problem threatens the security of the entire Northerner regime and it seems that their only hope may lie in the hands of someone he was raised to think of as his enemy and inferior. Each day they struggle together to find a solution, but at night Aztar struggles alone as the secret he's kept hidden since childhood returns to torment him.

In a world where most women have no control over their lives Daen was allowed to grow up unrestricted and far better educated than normal. Now her father's health is failing and the running of their family estate lies in her hands...and with it the security of everyone she loves. Knowing that desperate situations call for courageous action, Daen is about to take a step that will change all their lives forever.

Find the book: Amazon   Goodreads   Shelfari

Review:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Books with settings in other worlds have so much potential. I decided to read this one because of how colours were/are a bad thing. How can this be? Aren't colours all around us? I was intrigued. I just hoped that the author could write a satisfying story about it. To my delight, the plot was well thought out and it was very believable. I loved how the characters shifted how they saw the world when any illegal colours were brought into their lives. It was as if they went from seeing a tree in black and white to actually seeing it as various shades of greens and browns.

In Frost's world, owning anything colorful can land you in serious trouble. For example, pictures in your home can be pencil or charcoal sketches, but a colorful painting of a bowl of fruit is illegal. But you're not limited to just paintings. Colorful outfits and even stained glass are illegal. If you're caught with any sort of coloured item, you could do some serious jail time, or even be sentenced to death. Why is this? Because colour can corrupt the mind.

Setting up the story takes time so be patient in the beginning. Frost has to introduce readers to each main character and explain their back stories. Then Frost begins weaving in the seemingly innocent pieces of the plot that will be tied together in the end. First Light is a complex story that is well written and executed. This is made more impressive by the fact that this is Frost's first book.

There are three main characters, and four other characters that are all tied together. The three main characters--Idrith, Daen, and Aztar--each have parts of the story told through their point of view since they live in different areas of Sindorous. This was a great decision by Frost. They each interact with Harmion who helps move the story along. In fact, readers will hate Harmion for his actions. There is a reason for what he does though, and by the end of the book, his betrayal makes sense.

The book tells a complete story, but leaves certain threads undone so readers will want to pick up the second book. It should be interesting to see what the group of characters with their special talents can do when the act together to change things in Sindorous.

A special note to potential readers, don't judge this book by it's cover. Yes, I'm one of those people who sometimes selects books because of the cover (and the synopsis), but definitely don't skip over this one. Pick it up and read it.

The writing style is easy to read. Middle graders can easily read this, but the plot is so complex that I recommend it for teens and adults. It can easily be a family book. There's symbolism in the book and of course, some mystery.

About author Michelle Frost:
MICHELLE FROST has written everything from reviews on mustard and shampoo to horoscopes and an astrology advice column for a small South African newspaper. She won second prize in the Klein Karoo Arts festival, 2001, for a short story later published in the book e-rupsie/e-ruption.Michelle has had other short stories and poems published in various publications and countries. This is her first book

Find Michelle: Website   Goodreads

She has Profiles on Goodreads, bookblogs and shelfari.