Bookreview: Ela Green and the Kingdom of Abud.

 A good adventure story

Summary

Ela Green and the Kingdom of Abud is book one of a trilogy and introduces
Ela Green, a fourteen-year-old girl. Her first adventure reveals the mysterious
bond she shares with Mother Nature and her encounter with Yggdrasil,
the wise-tree, charting her own self-discovery along the way. 

With the help of her best friend, Jo, and her loving Uncle Archibald, who
unwillingly has to lay bare an unbelievable secret, Ela summons all her courage
to face the many dangers along the road.

The adventure starts in the present day at Waldegg Boarding School on the
shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. As Mrs. Green drives her daughter back
after the summer holidays, Ela has no idea that the discovery of an ancient bracelet
and a scroll she found in an antique desk will change her life forever.

The formidable school is the connecting link in an adventure that will time-travel
the reader through continents and centuries in search of the mysterious kingdom
and the magical Book of Name, the most powerful manuscript ever written...

And for a prophecy that must be fulfilled...

My Review

My expectations of this book started very high due to the amazing, beautiful book
cover and the story as well. However, it was written a bit too chaotic.

The main character took the readers with her on her trip to the Kingdom of 
Abud. The trip is full of adventures. The writing style is chaotic, but well detailed
and clear. 

I'm very happy, I started reading the first book of the trilogy for once and I hope
there will follow more books of this author.

I would recommend Ela Green and the Kingdom of Abud to all who like to read
fantasy & adventures stories.

I want to give a 4 star rating for this wonderful, chaotic story. 

The author

Sylvia Greif is a Swiss writer and animal advocate. In 2014 she released a children's
book, Lester's Planet. Ela Green and The Kingdom of Abud is her first novel in a trilogy.

A real nature lover, she is at her happiest in the great outdoors, playing sports.
Sylvia enjoys skiing, swimming, horseback riding, athletics and hiking.
She recently walked part of the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela.

Always up for a physical or a creative challenge, she hopes to climb
Mount Kilimanjaro in the near future.

Her passion for the environment and wildlife started when she was a child.
She grew up surrounded by pets and since a young age, animals have shaped
her more than people. As an animal advocate she works alongside non-profit
organisations to protect animal rights and fight animal cruelty.

Sylvia has three dogs, Bv, Shea and Lola.

Her other passion alongside writing is music and travelling. She has globe-trotted
around the world and is fluent in five languages.

For Sylvia, moments of inspiration are often found in unexpected places.
Her best writing happens on board a train but also from her home. Sylvia is
an early morning writer. She likes to take advantage of the first hours of the
day when she feels the most creative, surrounded by her three dogs.
She finds it to be a fruitful work environment when, as if by magic, a crazy
idea turns into the right turn of phrase. It allows her to get an amount of
uninterrupted writing done, a beautiful antidote to life's stresses.

Booktasters

I received a free copy via Booktasters in return for my honest review. Although I
gave a 4 star rating, I'm curious enough to follow Ela's adventures and character.
Thank you very much for this wonderful reading chance! 

Publication

The book is a Paperback and it contains 237 pages. It is published on July 29, 2021.

Bookreview: adventures on the Road to Me

What a splendid book! 

Summary

Seventeen-year-old West is rich, but homeless. She roams from city to city 

with her mother searching for dupes, marks, and victims to swindle. They 

never use force. They don’t need to. Their weapons are persuasion, distraction, 

deception.

West and her Mother are legends in the biz. The best con artist team ever. They 

pull off impossible heists and make it look easy. So, West isn’t surprised when 

they are called in to take command of a high stakes real estate con. It’s taken 

months to set up the scam, but now all of it is about to fall apart because one 

rich, teenage boy refuses to play along and the deal cannot go forward 

without his cooperation.

West’s assignment is simple. Figure out what this guy’s monumental problem
is, fix it, and persuade him to play along—by any means necessary.

The moment she meets Tanner Cardwell, West sizes him up as easy pickings. 

He is bookish, naïve, honest to a fault, and he completely trusts her. He is 

the perfect mark. Even better, he’s soon completely smitten with her. So 

far, so good. But when the time comes for her usual ruthlessness, she 

can’t do it. Could she be falling for this guy? That would be ridiculous. 

It violates the first commandment of her profession: You can never 

care about your mark.

West soon confronts an impossible choice. Does she betray her 

mother or Tanner? Or maybe there is a third way, a path that means 

walking away from everyone’s expectations and finding her own destiny.

My review

What a splendid book with a fantastic young adult character. I really enjoyed
reading this book, due to the fact that the author brought his main characters
very well! I also liked the plot and the story!

I certainly will recomend this book to all people who enoy reading young 
adult stories. 

Therefore without no doubt I give a 5 star rating for this splendid book! 

The Author

The author is a lawyer and he has been writing professionally his entire career.
He moved around a lot growing up (mostly in Southern California) before
settling down on a ranch outside the town of Nespelem, Washington on the
Colville reservation. He came east to go to law school a long time ago and
never went home again. Today, he lives in the great state of Maryland with
his standard poodle, Aloy, who is his patient muse. In additional to numerous
(and boring) legal writings, he published seven young adult books with
independent publishers, probably the best known of which is the Win the Rings
trilogy. His stories all have a strong romantic element and tend to be very
character driven. In addition to novels, he also has published an eclectic mix
of short stories, ranging from romance to science fiction. His stories have
won awards and his writing has gained favourable recognition (but he could 

always use more). In his spare time, when not writing, he enjoys a good road trip, 

watching hockey, and pretty much anything to do with poodles.

Booktasters

Thank you very much Booktasters and the author for receiving a free copy in
return of my honest review of this splendid book.

Bookreview: Damon Ich

 What a fantastic fantasy story!

Summary

Damon Ich, an introverted and lonely workaholic, lives in a paradise with
power to do anything and to go anywhere at any time. He uses his gift to
help people in need. 

One night, he rescues a man who is revealed to be the founder of his way

of life - and suggests a rescue mission he can't refuse. The meeting and the 
rescue set off a train of events that shatter everything. Damon Ich realises that
he isn't alone in being able to do anything. Two invincible forces collide in a
torrent of bewildering, revealing and eventually catastrophic events, dramatically
changing Damon Ich's life forever. Will the roll of humanity's gardian angel be
preserved? Find it out by reading Damon Ich today! 

My review

I could follow Damon Ich easily although this was the second book of the
Wheel of Eight Book series.

The storytelling and the use of language was really brilliant! The characters 
were deepened out very well as they introduced theirselves to the readers. 

The quality of writing even let me forget the time traveling. It felt comfortable
to follow the adventures of the characters.

This is a fantastic fantasy story recommended for people who love fantasy and
drama. Although this book certainly is for adults (more than 18 years).

I give with lots of pleasure a 5 star rating for this excellent book! 

The author

Damon Ich is written by Aaron David Key. It is a part of the fantasy series called:
The Wheel of Eight about a group of people who have power to do anything. 

Booktasters

Thank you very much for the free copy, which I received from Booktasters and
the author. 

Book

The publication date of Damon Ich was 16 December 2020. The book contains
256 pages. 

Bookreview: Fat Dogs and French Estates Part 3

What a brilliant series!

Summary

When Beth and her grumpy husband, Jack, buy their dream country estate,
it fast becomes obvious that they've taken on a renovation nightmare.

Managing a team of eccentric French builders, getting lost in their own
forest, dogging stampeding wild boar, battling stinking bugs and
outwitting athletic dormice are just a few of the challenges they must face.

Will they succeed?

This is the third instalment of the Haslam's French adventures.

My Review

I started reading with the third book of the series, but I could follow easily,
although now I wanted to read them all, because it's a brilliant series!

It is written so funny and so clear. The author is a fantastic story teller and
I can imagine she speaks the way she write. 

I experienced a lot of feelings in this book: sadness, happiness and laughter.
I enjoyed reading about the author's daily life and adventures in France.

I would recommend this book to all people who like to read personal 
memoirs. 

Without any doubt, I want to give this book a 5 star rating! Sad I couldn't
give even more stars! 

About the author

Beth Haslam was brought up on a country estate in Wales. Deep in the
countryside her childhood was spent either on horseback, helping the
gamekeepers raise pheasants or out sailing.

After a serious car crash in 1991, she set up her own consultancy business. 

Beth and her husband, Jack decided to buy a second home in France.

This became a life-changing event where computers and mobile phones
swapped places with understanding the foibles of the French and tackling
the language. 

We Love Memoirs 

I received a free copy of Fat Dogs and French Estates Part 3 via the
We Love Memoirs group which is really the most friendliest group
on Facebook! 

Bookreview: From Gaudi's City to Granada's Red Place

 "What an amazing travel memoir"

Summary

Undeterred by a serious health scare, the incorrigible Elizabeth, her sister and a close
friend have already ventured to Europe. When their trip ended in Barcelona, the 
sisters vowed to return and resume their adventures, inviting a mutual friend to 
complete the trio. Now their travel wish-list includes some of Spain's major cities
and a little slice of Portugal. Once again you are invited on their journey and raise
a glass or two as they sample the tastes, sights and sounds that the Iberian 
Peninsula offers.

My Review

Reading a book from EJ Bauer always is a fantastic way to spend some time and
dream away about sunny holiday destinations. Again it gave me new travel inspiration
which I'm going to explore in the next years. 

The book is a fantastic mix of storytelling and dialogues. I really enjoyed the
adventures she and two companions had on such amazing places. I also liked her 
writing style very much. It's clear, easy reading and relaxing. 

I would recommend without no doubt From Gaudi's city to Granada's Red Place to
anyone who likes to travel to Spain. 

I would like to give this fantastic travel memoir a 5*rating! Hopefully EJ Bauer will
write more travel memoirs!

The author

EJ Bauer, Elizabeth was born in Queensland, Australia and she lived her first 12

years in the country. Her family moved to Brisbane and she graduated from university
with a degree in speech pathology. She accepted a position at a large regional
hospital in New South Wales and she is still living in the area over 40 years later.

She is married, has two children and five grandchildren. She has a cat named Lucy. 

EJ Bauer was diagnosed with cancer. After her treatment, she started to travel to 
Europe and North America. 

We Love Memoirs

I received a free copy of this amazing memoir from the We love Memoirs Group,
the friendliest group of Facebook!

Bookreview: A Game of Chess

The Dream Factory (book 2) - A Game of Chess

written by John Simes

Check also my review of the Dream Factory on this link. 

"A beautiful fantasy novel!"

Summary

A Game of Chess is the thrilling sequel to The Dream Factory. Peter Young
thought things couldn't get any worse after his parents were snatched from his
home. He was wrong.

With the help of a revolutionary ephone called Om, and his girlfriend Navinda,

Peter's desperate search for his parents takes him from a sleepy Devon village
to the chaos of London. 

However, Peter and Navinda are merely pawns in a deadly game of chess,
orchestrated by criminal mastermind Rosencrantz and the sinister Golden Hand. 

Who will play the final checkmate? 

My review

For me it was nice to 'meet' the characters from The Dream Factory again 

in this sequel: "A Game of Chess".

As always the author is a wonderful detailed story teller and before I 
knew, I was into the story. So it really is a page turner!

"A Game of Chess" is well written, clear and it read easily, which I 
like very much.

This is a dark and compelling tale with a beautiful love story. If you like
quirky fantasy novels, this is a must read book! I recommend it with a
5 * rating. 

The Author

After his career as a teacher and school leader, John Simes founded 
Collingwood Learning - a consultancy for school improvement. In 
2013 he established Collingwood Published Limited.

John lives with his family in South Devon, England, where he grapples 
with his addictions to cricket, poetry and the stunning local landscape
as well as his continuing enthusiasm for education. 

Booktasters

Thank you very much for the author and Booktasters! I received a free
copy in return for my honest review.