Saturday, March 17, 2012

Lichgates Review + Giveaway

 

 My Review:


Title: Lichgates
Author:  S.M. Boyce

Book Summary

“The Grimoire turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it, and Kara Magari is its next target

Kara has no idea what she's getting herself into when she stumbles across the old book while hiking a hidden trail.  Once she opens it, she's thrown into Ourea: a beautiful world full of terrifying things that want the Grimoire's secrets.  Everyone in this new world is trying to find her, and most want to control the new-found power the book bestows upon her.  Even if Kara does escape, Ourea will only drag her back.

Braeden Drakonin grew up in Ourea, and all he’s ever known of life is lying.  The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life.  He has one question to ask the book—one question that can fix everything in his broken world—and he’s not letting Kara out of his sight until he gets an answer.

There’s no going back now.”

            If I went on a hike and found a whole new world... I would probably hyperventilate, throw up, and basically freak out.  Kara Magari has a similar reaction when she actually finds herself trapped in a room with a book that tells her that she can’t go home.  Seriously?  She does what any normal human being would do--  she tries to make her own destiny.  With the help of Braeden, a mysterious man with a horrifying past, Kara comes to terms with her new abilities.  And, she learns what it means to be the Vagabond…

            The first thing that strikes me while reading Lichgates is that Boyce’s writing style is very detailed.  I really enjoy how she describes the woods and that, right from the beginning, I know how Kara thinks.  I am quickly introduced to her likes and dislikes, her strengths and her weaknesses.  When Kara is first transported into Ourea, she pretty much flips out and breaks down.  I really, really like this.  If Kara just blindly accepts everything that happens to her, she seems an idiot.  If she isn’t scared when her world is completely shaken, then she appears an unbelievable character!  The fact that she has flaws and doesn’t try to hide them makes me like her that much more.  Kara isn’t perfect, and she does make mistakes throughout the book, but she learns from them and grows as a character.

            Braeden is a very interesting character.  I mean, just look at his name!  It screams unique, original, and special, which he is.  But, he’s also so much more.  Braeden, like Kara, is a slave to circumstance.  Throughout Lichgates I see varying sides of Braeden.  Sometimes I want to hug and comfort him, while other times I want to punch him in the face.  He is definitely stubborn but, to travel with Kara, he has to be!  Braeden has a protective streak that is endearing, and he creates those “awww” moments as I read.

            Lichgates captures my attention.  Boyce reveals details about Kara’s and Braeden’s lives at different times during the story, so I don’t know everything about them up front.  This means that while I’m reading I get to figure out not only this new, unfamiliar, world but also the characters.  This keeps me in suspense and full of intrigue.  While reading Lichgates, I notice that some of the dialogue seems forced and awkward.  This only happens in a few places, and I notice it more when Kara and Braeden are off somewhere alone.  They seem to say things in a more awkward way, or speak very differently from how they normally speak.  Lichgates is the first book in  The Grimoire Trilogy, and though certain things have closure and are accomplished, I feel the book serves more to stage the next books than to present an actual self-contained story.  Lichgates is definitely a great read that I highly recommend to fantasy lovers!

The Cover:

            When I first see this cover, I am very unimpressed.  To begin with, it’s brown.  Yes, I’m pointing out the obvious, but it bothers me!  It doesn’t catch my eye, and if I were to see it at the library, I probably wouldn’t pick it up.  However, after reading Lichgates, I see why this cover was chosen.  It is obviously fashioned after the ancient Grimoire and is meant to resemble its cover.  So, the cover definitely fits the book; I just didn’t understand this before reading it!

I give Lichgates 4.5 out of 5 hearts: Very Highly Recommended! 
  

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  More on Boyce here:

·         Main Site: http://www.smboyce.com/
·         Blog: http://blog.smboyce.com/
·         Official Book Website & Encyclopedia: http://www.thegrimoirebooks.com/
·         Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/thesmboyce
·         Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/thesmboyce

 

Buy Lichgates here:

·         Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005W5L38G
·         Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96682
·         CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3689753
·         Directly from Boyce: http://www.thegrimoirebooks.com/buy-direct/

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*Thanks for stopping by! Leave comments and let me know what you think :)

35 comments:

  1. This was a great review. You touched on many aspects of the book and I think if I hadn't read it already, I'd probably pick it up.

    I'd like to disagree on your opinion of the cover. For me, the fact that it was brown set it apart from other books. It helped it stand out to me. It may be because I'm partial to brown too, haha. But also just showing the title and symbol, to me, set it apart because there's not (what I see too much lately) a half dressed man or woman oozing sex on the cover.
    Yes, this isn't that type of book in the first place, so that would be very out of place. I just felt that in it's own way setting it next to other books in the library might make it stand out. :D (It also makes great graphics on the Lichgates skateboard.....that looks great.)

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    1. I'm glad you like the review and I hope you enjoyed the book :)

      I completely understand and agree about the cover being unique and the symbol being really cool! But before I read Lichgates I didn't know it was an important symbol so it didn't make sense until I finished reading. Thanks for your input!!

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  2. Ooh, this books sounds awesome. I've seen a few reviews popping up for it lately. I didn't realize it was more of a fantasy. I know that a Grimoire is usually like a witch's book of spells, so I thought that it was a witch themed book. But I like those faraway worlds and reading how people react when they are thrown into them unaware. And I LOVE those "awww..." moments too! Awesome review Lauren, definitely adding this one to my tbr list:) And thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. Thanks for entering Heather... sorry I didn't respond to this.. don't know how it slipped by me :/

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  3. thanks for the give way if i do not win the book i like the swag and then i put it on my goggle and then pin and then u tube

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  4. Sounds like an interesting read.Thanks for the chance to win!

    Froggy

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  5. I enjoyed the review, especially about the characters. The book sounds very good.

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  6. This is my first time hearing of this book. It has so many elements that I love in books- so I am so curious to read it. I go hiking all the time and I can't imagine finding a book like this one. I can see why the cover was designed the way it was and the storyline sounds fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing. I would love to win this book!

    ~Jess

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    1. Finding a book on a hike would be something! :D I'm glad you like the review... as for the giveaway: Good luck!

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  7. I am glad you said something about the cover. I feel the same way, except that I wouldn't pick it up without someone telling me how good it is! Thanks for that note!!

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    1. LOL! Well now someone told you it was good so you have NO excuse. ;)

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  8. Great review! I feel the same way about the cover. I probably wouldn't have picked it up but after reading a lot of good things about the book it is on my list of TBR. Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. I'm glad you're giving it a chance :) I hope you enjoy it! Good Luck!

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  9. To be honest I thought the same thing about the cover. I'm glad I always read reviews so I know to look beyond the cover. :)

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    1. Reading beyond the reviews is a good policy! That's one of the downers to getting books from the library

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  10. Have to agree with Rob again haha. The cover only got my attention and I would definitely pick it up just because it looks like it's supposed to be some ancient looking book.

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  11. True, I'm not a big fan of the cover myself but I don't usually judge books by their covers. It's always the blurb that decides whether I'll read a book and this blurb has me fascinated. Also, I like Braeden's name:)

    Sarah Bibi Setar

    sarah DOT setar AT gmail DOT com

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  12. I like your review and I've learned to look beyond a book's cover because when I first started reading, I read a few books based on covers which ended in disaster. This cover reminds me a TV series that I love called Charmed ( they have a Grimore). The blurb most definitely as me interested in this book.

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    1. I love Charmed! But I didn't realize their book was called a Grimore! Thanks for letting me know :)

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  13. Thanks for the giveaway..I like your review..:)

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  14. The cover definitely did not attract my interest, but you've given such high praise that I may need to reconsider.

    I'm liking this trend of YA heroines that seem like real people. I hope it continues.

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    1. I agree!! I love strong heroines! I hope you reconsider Christina :)

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  15. Great review! I've also read this book and it's amazing!
    Thank you! :)

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  16. Hearing only good things about this book! I won a paperback of this books while on the tour... Looking forward to finally receiving it so that I can just devour it.

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  17. +JMJ+

    The premise sounds fascinating! I just wish you had written as much about the plot as you have about the characters. Did you find the events in the story believable . . . or too farfetched?

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