Book Review: Starsigns

Starsigns

By:  A.F. Grappin

Publish Date:  December 12, 2016

Format:  eBook

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  Stand-alone

First Impression:  Two beliefs collide in one world, with one person.

Synopsis:
Cair has waited his whole life for the Night Festival and the ceremony where his fate will be read. His family has a history of amazing fates, and Cair can barely contain his anticipation to have his future revealed at last.

But fate is cruel. The stars reveal that Cair is among the Fateless, those doomed souls who bring disaster and ruin to all the lives they touch until a horrific death finally claims them. Unwilling to accept this destiny, Cair forms a plan.

He's going to find a way to change his fate.

Or die trying.

First Sentence:
I heard the unmistakable sound of glass breaking on the other side of the door and jumped.

Purchase At:
Amazon  


My Thoughts and Summary:
*I offered to read this book for an honest review.

We get to know the world in the beginning with Cair going to the Night Festival to have the Face of his star sign read his fate. After the fairy believers "crash" the festival, Cair learns he is among the small number over the years to be Fateless. But his sister and brother got fates that scared them, to say their good-byes. Maybe, like a Fateless in the past, Cair can change the fates of his siblings and save their lives.

Part one is from Cair's POV. Part two is from Almira's POV. Both children with fates they don't want or like. Or, in Cair's case, no fate. Part three is from Tivory's POV. Tivory is an interesting character that I don't want to give too much away on. He's special.

There was a point, toward the end of the book, when Cair makes a complete 180 turn in his belief and thinking. I didn't understand the drastic change. I think it's to be related to him wanting a fate and finally being told he has one that's to make that flip in him, but it didn't feel to work for me. He'd spent much time with his friend that's a fairy, to see things from their side and learn. I can see how both sides are related and should work together, but they are working at drastic extremes and Cair is going with it, he's a young and impressionable kid.

Cair learns about the world in his adventures. There is more to what is around him than he knew. And with Almira's help, he starts to see that. Even with Tivory, he learns things about what he believed that aren't as he was taught.

Cair makes mistakes as the story goes, but he learns from them. Or tries too. Cair has the right intentions but things go a little askew and don't result in the planned way. This is something that happens to many people, and we have to deal with the results, just like Cair is trying to do.

I liked the world created with star sign readings as a way of life in contrast to the way of faery life beliefs. The world building comes through in the story strongly with these two beliefs. They are two different subjects now, and people believe one or the other. Depending on which you believe is where you live, and how the other group treats you. The thing I saw though, that the two different groups didn't see, is they really needed each other. They felt to be two halves of a whole that probably was separated many, many years ago - so long ago that people probably don't remember. In the end of the story this feels to come to this feeling. I really liked it.

The story feels like a gentle, one step at a time read. We get through one problem and come to the next focus with Cair. It's a book that feels to be a very good read for young adults. The story is one of growing for Cair and Almira. Even of accepting yet fighting on, maybe you can make a change.



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Book Review: Assassin's Mark

Assassin's Mark

By:  A.F. Grappin

Publish Date:  May 22, 2017

Format:  eBook

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  3rd book in Luc Bertrand series; 1st Book ~ Assassin's Victim, 2nd Book ~ Assassin's Rival

First Impression:  Luc learns to logic out the assassin's life he'll live.

Synopsis:
For two years, Luc Bertrand studied the craft of assassination. His encyclopedic knowledge of poisons, weapons, anatomy, and stealth make him an expert at making a living body fail. But despite all his study, he has yet to take a life. This is his final test. His first assassination.

His classmates' reactions to their final exam has left Luc wondering if he has what it takes. Can he handle the stress of taking a life? He is haunted by fragments of his family's murders. Hints of their deaths, while the memories themselves elude him. It doesn't help that his teachers seem to know more than they're telling. About the murders, and about Luc himself. The Assassin's Guild is never gentle when it comes to testing its members. How will Luc pass this test and still be himself afterwards?

First Sentence:
Luc felt eyes on him in the dimness and turned to find them.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 


My Thoughts and Summary:
*I offered to read this book for an honest review.

Luc's adventures are quick reads for me. And I'm liking that there's something different each time. Like the Games. Last year was done one way (previous book), this year (this book) it's done a little different. Each version of the game brings the different groups of assassin training together and has a theme to it. It's a way to test yet teach the kids about being out in the world doing their job. It's neatly done, and the way Luc sees it and dissects it, very cool. Luc is a smart young man and works everything out in his mind.

Luc is of the age where he'll be leaving for his final test. Then leaving for his apprenticeship doing actual work. He's seeing how those his age are leaving, and then returning a bit broken after their final test. Luc wonders when his final test will happen, and what is entailed in it as no one's to talk about it when they return for their personal items.

This book is another turning point in Luc's life. What he learns and has to do is hard emotionally. He even wonders, when finally faced with his test, if he can do it. Luc is great at working logic to make his way through many things, but can he logic his way through this? Luc makes new friends and losses some in this book.

I'm now curious to see where Luc goes from here.



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Book Review: Assassin's Rival

Assassin's Rival

By:  A.F. Grappin

Publish Date:  January 2, 2017

Format:  eBook, 65pgs

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  2nd book in Deadly Studies series; 1st Book ~ Assassin's Victim

First Impression:  Entertaining start for Luc to assassin school.

Synopsis:
Luc Bertrand's old life as an orphan is long behind him. He's been adopted by the strange Auguste Fosse, who has promised Luc a special education. The academy trains assassins. Determined to get revenge on whoever killed his family, this school is the perfect place for him to train for his life's work. All isn't roses, though. The other students don't approve of Luc's arrival. He's too old, and the competition for Fosse's attention and tutelage is fierce. Having enemies who are being trained to kill can be dangerous, and Luc is years behind them in skills.

First Sentence:
Luc didn't see his sponsor when he stepped off the train in Reims, France.

Purchase At:
Amazon 

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I received this book from the author or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ah! I enjoyed the starts of this book, and as it continued. Luc is traveling to his new school, of which Auguste Fosse accepted him at. To train to be an assassin. I found I felt more invested and excited about this book than the first. So if you read the first and wasn't sure about continuing, do continue. This book was more entertaining for me. I am almost inclined to mention to start the series with this book. You'll get the feel of what happened to Luc in the first one. But there is a history there.

I enjoyed the movement of this book. We see Luc starting to watch and listen around him, and following someone at the mention of the dreaded Knights Templar. His drive to make them pay for what they did to his family making him act.

I found it cute the first lesson of Luc's when he meets many of his new brothers and sisters at the school. This was neat and a great way to see what the kids know (have learned) and what Luc will be learning to do. My attention was caught and I looked forward to the studies here, as there are friends and potential bad influences made at their first meeting. Competition all!

I liked the way the book moved through the months with Luc. We know of the classes, see examples, but we don't get stuck getting the classes. Thank you. This is done in the best way to show us the classes but keep the book moving with Luc as he grows here, and lives through troubles that stir with fellow brothers and sisters. And there is troubles. The lessons we see are rather interesting and are connected to what happens to Luc along with introducing us to the world Luc is now part of as he learns his way. There are a few assignments that are neat to see him learn. Like climbing! Where he does that is interesting.

I have the next book and looking forward to it!



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Book Review: Assassin's Victim

Assassin's Victim

By:  A.F. Grappin

Publish Date:  September 26, 2016

Format:  eBook

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st book in Deadly Studies series

First Impression:  Luc's descent into the world of Knights Templar and secret societies.

Synopsis:
In The Statford Chronicles, Luc Bertrand is known as the Head of the Assassin's Guild for the East Coast of the United States. But long before that, he was a young man in France.

Luc is offered an induction into the Knights Templar. Luc's father is one of them, so he has a place in their secret society. It will open a path to greatness. But something doesn't feel quite right. Their reaction to his rejection is far more extreme than he could ever have expected. Suddenly, Luc has a target on his back and death looming over him. How will he escape being an assassin's victim?

First Sentence:
Luc didn't know whether or not to believe Pierre's assertion that there was an Olympic scout in the crowd.

Purchase At:
Amazon 

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I received this book from the author or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Luc loves playing lacrosse but wishes he was taller and bigger. Maybe he'll have a growing spurt. Luc is then offered a chance to study with great players if he joins the Knights Templar, a place that the recruiter claims Luc's father works. A wedge of distrust starts between Luc and his parents, and Luc finds himself doing things he's never done before. Will Luc see the truth of the Templar before he's drawn in?

This book is Luc forming into the person he becomes. He's young, 15 years old, and given an opportunity in something that could help him in what he loves - lacrosse. But he learns it's a lie, to get to him. When his family life is destroyed, he vows to find the people who did this.

This is a short, quick read. The story felt like a prequel to me in a way because it starts at the beginning, telling us what happens in Luc's life. With doing this it's a slower read at the start. We get to see Luc in his life with an offer to help make it more. After I finished the book, I read the notes from the author and found out that this is the back story for a character in another series. So, it is sort of a prequel view into the characters life. I'm thinking now that I'm past this introduction, the remaining novella stories will move faster.

This book is of a Young Adult nature, as Luc is 15 years old. There are things that kids face - bullying, desire to be better at something, and more. Yet, there is a big fight that's deadly. We don't get the gory details but we do know the bodies are dead. And sadly there is a terrible event in Luc's life that's hard for Luc to digest mentally. I can't blame the kid.

I noticed that most of the book is Luc's thoughts and view of things. We get some interaction but most isn't. This fits with the feel of Luc and where he is in his mind after what he lives through. Like he's on the outside looking in which moves time by quickly.

Luc has interactions with Templars. The interactions grow in intensity each time Luc meets them. They are a great deal different than they originally lead on.

By the end of the story, Luc is ready to move into the next stage of his life. This leads us into the next novella story of Luc.



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