Coexist (Keegan's Chronicles #1)

About the book:
Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.

In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known.

An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle...without losing Keegan. With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together that they both desire?

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

Prophecy, and elves, and a great battle, and budding romance, and magic, and supernatural creatures, and ...

Author Julia Crane weaves a mix of many elements in her book Coexist. That mix creates a story that draws readers into her world, especially lovers of paranormal books.

What makes Crane's elfin society different from other mythical/paranormal societies such as werewolves, fae, etc? I was surprised to realize that the main difference was the life mate situation. There isn't such things as divorce in the elfin society. Your life mate is your perfect match, and you don't get to meet him/her until your 18th birthday. Other than that, Keegan could have been any other mythical creature. She could have been a witch or fae. Members of their society have various powers, but that isn't only contained to that species.

The story uses multiple points of view to move the plotline forward. Readers get a peak inside the head of Keegan, Rourk and Thaddeus (Keegan's brother). I enjoyed seeing how Keegan and Rourk connected when they had never met each other. If I were Rourk and knew every time my chosen life mate thought about me, I'd be tempted too to go spy on her!

This is Keegan's story, but half of the prophecy (and in my opinion, the more important part) is about her brother, Thaddeus. I wish that we could have seen more about what was going on inside of his head during this stressful time. The prophecy states:
 An elfin child on the side of light,
born with the gift of sight,
tells when light and dark shall meet,
but not who will face defeat.
Eldest son of warrior great,
the child will determine elfin fate.
Keegan is able to describe when the war will happen, but it is her brother that "determines elfin fate." The way he does this is by using his brain and wits. It was a fairly simple idea that took some guts to pull off. Crane's solution of ending the battle is very young adult friendly.

It seemed that for a great battle--the battle that was foretold long ago--to put it all in one book, kind dumbed down the importance of it. If the battle itself was spread out over several books, then it would have seemed more epic. My guess is that Crane did this because the story is more about Keegan's relationship(s), than about a battle. The author did a good job of describing the battle and keeping it geared to the young adult audience. It wasn't too graphic or gory.

I was confused about the importance of Keegan's and Rourk's connection. Keegan's brother saw that she would die and that she should call out for Rourk. The story focuses on keeping Keegan safe, and then when the time comes, she spontaneously runs into the battle and gets injured. Rourk actually had to be told about what happened.  If she were so important, you would think better safeguards would be in place, and that Rourk would stay by her side.

I enjoyed how Crane solved Keegan's "situation" after the battle. It was a nice surprise in the plotline. It also sets up the tension/drama for the second book in the series, Conflicted. Ha, yes, I definitely believe Keegan will be a bit "conflicted" in that book!

Readers who enjoy a good paranormal book should pick up Coexist. It is geared to teens, but older readers can enjoy it too.


About author Julia Crane:
Julia Crane is the author of the Keegan’s Chronicles, IFICS. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination.

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Blast of the Dragon's Fury (Andy Smithson #1)

By L.R.W. Lee

About the Book:
From the After Life, ten-year-old Andy Smithson’s relatives initiated a curse 500 years ago. Now they no longer agree it should continue and one is willing to sacrifice Andy’s life to end it. Unaware of the disagreement and with no say in the matter, Andy is unexpectedly and magically transported from his home. He finds himself in the Land of Oomaldee, facing mortal danger at every turn as he seeks to find a scale from a rare red dragon, the most ferocious of dragon species, to break the curse and save his life.

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

I absolutely love a good fantasy story, especially when it is set in a new world/realm/dimension. It takes an imaginative author with strong world building skills to even tackle a fantasy story. In Blast of the Dragon's Fury, author L.R.W. Lee's imagination creates a realistic fantasy world that middle graders and adults alike can enjoy.

Though the main city is cursed with fog, Lee uses a bit of potty humor to assist with clearing the air. I literally had to reread the paragraph explaining how they cleared the air. I thought surely I didn't just read that. Yup, I did. I burst out laughing. This is perfect for middle graders, and I have to admit adults will smile too.

I loved how Lee subtly entwined morals and ethics in the plot line of her book. The book begins with a ghost princess seeking revenge. The revenge lesson doesn't come full circle in the book-- because it's the basis of the series--but readers see how a bad guy can actually turn into a good guy and regret his previous actions. I wonder if Lee will add a plot twist so that the revenge seeking ghost learns to forgive and let go of grudges. Lee also sneaks other lessons in her story such as tell the truth, even if you think it will cause more trouble for yourself, and do the right thing, even if you don't feel like it. These are good lessons for kids, teens and adults.

My one push back would be that Andy didn't question getting home to his family. He accepted the new world and quickly acclimated himself to his situation and surroundings. I liked that he had a go with the flow attitude because it allowed the action to happen quicker. As an adult reader though, if I were in his shoes, I would be trying to figure out how I was able to come to Oomaldee and what my exit strategy would be to get back to my family.

Lee sets the pace of the story to capture middle grade reader's attention spans. There are spurts of adventure/danger/action/etc. followed by a brief down time before the characters are thrown back into more adventure/danger/action/etc. This is perfect for readers (of any age), who don't want to read a book in one sitting, but only have time (or attention spans) to read through one or two thrilling scene at a time. It makes reading fun.

One thing readers will notice (because Andy surely did), is that the story ends abruptly. Andy is pulled back into the real world as quickly as he left it. This just allows readers to eagerly await the release of the next book in the series to see if the curse can be broken. It isn't a bad cliffhanger because Andy's quest was completed, but it's not the entire tale either.

I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy a good fantasy adventure story. There's no romance and only mild violence  (Andy has to battle dragons, after all). This is perfect for middle graders, but teens and adults can easily enjoy it as well.

About author L.R.W. Lee:

Since the age of eight, L. R. W. Lee wanted to write a children’s book, but felt she did not have anything significant to share; she sought to change lives while entertaining. A degree in Accounting did not provide riveting fodder for a best seller, so she waited. Over a decade, she founded and grew a company, during which, she worked closely with a mentor from whom she learned uncommon thinking that changed her life. After selling her business in early 2012, she had time to write and, more importantly, something significant to share.

L. R. W. Lee lives in scenic Austin, TX with her husband, daughter and son.

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