Book Review: Outcaste: A Tale of Alterra: Undiscovered Realms by C.S. Marks

I fell in love with C.S. Marks' writing when I discovered her booth at the 2014 Chicago Comic Con. My boyfriend had dragged me all over the exhibition, and at a fleeting glance I saw a woman with elf ears and a small animatronic stuffed horse. It was at that moment that I knew, I must meet this woman. However, before I could escape my boyfriend, he dragged me off to some other booth and I lost sight of this mysterious elven woman with the animatronic pony. Towards the end of a very long day my boyfriend finally asked if I had seen  anything. I told him of the woman but I had seen so many tables I had forgotten where I'd seen hers. He agreed that we could take a quick look for it, and I proceeded to literally drag him around the entire convention center just to locate this one table. It was worth it! I bought the entire Elfhunter trilogy, and from page one I was hooked.

When I heard that she was going to be the 2015 Chicago Comic Con, I made sure to look up what table she was going to be at so I could find her and get her newest book. Which I did, and I loved it, just like the rest of her books. I rated it a 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. Though let's be real, if I could I would have rated it much higher, because it is that good. 

C.S. Marks doesn't just write an adventure, she takes you on a journey. Her characters come to life on the page. You begin to feel such empathy for these characters. You laugh at their jokes, and then find yourself crying along with their heartbreaks. As they struggle you feel their inner turmoil. You become a member of the Company. C.S. Marks is like a spider who spins a complex and emotional web that just tangles you up and spins you deeper into her world.

In Outcaste, we are joined by the original company from the Elfhunter trilogy (which I will write a separate review for at a later time), with some surprising new additions. Set 20 years after the end of Ravenshade (Elfhunter Trilogy #3), Outcaste is the tale of a new group of people trying to find their place in a world where they are hunted by both the Light and the Dark simply because they are misunderstood. You see their struggles to establish themselves as a society, while constantly having to hide. You experience them building a community without any real experience and minimal guidance. It's very savages-to-kings, in that they go from so little to so much, changing and growing as individuals as well as a whole entity. 

I feel like this book speaks volumes. It is so very relevant and relatable in today's society. We as a society are on the brink of something great, something extraordinary. We have already seen such a change in acceptance. This book is exactly that. It is about taking prejudices and destroying them. It is about how everyone has the ability to change, to learn, and to grow. 

Unlike the Elfhunter trilogy, this book is not so much about a physical journey, as it is about an emotional and moral one. Marks manages to make the reader see the discovery of the Outcastes from everyone's point of view; as well as the slow progression of both sides gaining trust in the other. It is a beautiful and thought-provoking tale.

It's hard to really review the book without giving too much away. It's one of those books that I feel you have to experience for yourself. This is a beautiful story that is so well written. I truly cannot rave enough about this book. I recommend everyone read it. I suggest reading the Elfhunter trilogy first to get a better understanding of the Company.  Seriously, read  them. Read them now. Especially fans of The Lord of the Rings.

You can buy her books here. You can also read more about C.S. Marks on her Goodreads page. Or you can check out her website or find her on Facebook.

Now that I am done completely fangirling over how absolutely brilliant C.S. Marks is (for now at least), I can get on to some updates. So, my current read is Eon by Alison Goodman. Still only about 25 pages in, it's been a busy week, but I'm hoping to be about halfway done by the end of the week. My goal is to read about a book a week. I'm a little behind that right now, but I did read 2 books last week, so I think I'll be okay. I want to read 20 books before the end of 2015. So far I've read 7, so I'm almost halfway there. (According to Goodreads I'm 7 books behind schedule, but I think I can do it.)

I also want to add more fun stuff to this blog, besides just book reviews, so stay tuned for those. If you have any ideas, please comment and share them! Also if there are any books you think I should read, please comment with those as well.

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, happy reading!

Book Review: Chase and the Fallen Angel by R.J. Castro

This is another book that I had the opportunity to read for review through the Goodreads group Shut Up & Read. Through their Read It and Reap Program. This a great program to support indie authors and help them get more recognition for their works. There are a great number of really talented independent authors involved in the Read It and Reap Program.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5 stars on the Goodreads page.

This is the same review I posted on the page:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
*This is a spoiler free review*

I really enjoyed this book. Despite being 400+ pages, it was a very quick read. I fell in love with the characters from the start, and could relate on a personal level to Chase. The author did a great job at making the story come to life. You could sympathize with Chase. Like most 20-somethings, he was stuck in a job he didn't love - unsure of his direction in life and just all around discontent with where he was.

What really drew me in was the author's take on the afterlife. It was a truly unique approach. Readers learn with Chase and that makes the story that more gripping. There are questions left answered. While the book focuses on the afterlife and angels it doesn't have an overwhelming religious feel to it. You never see who's in charge. There isn't an orientation to tell Chase exactly what's expected of him and what the rules are. He has to rely on the help of fellow angels and learn as he goes.

The characters in this story are believable. There aren't any that are unnaturally good or infallible. The author did a great job at giving them all individual personalities and left some character traits unexplained which left me wanting to read more and learn more about these characters.

I gave this story a 5 out of 5 stars. I was intrigued from start to finish. The author's writing style was clear and easy to follow. There were times when the main character wasn't lovable - I wanted to yell at him quite a few times. He was human and selfish at times, but there was clear and believable character growth steadily throughout the book. There wasn't an instant turn around, you could watch Chase grow as a character. It was just overall really well written.

I would definitely recommend this book and author to my friends. I would also read a sequel and other books by this author.

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Thanks for reading. Next in the Book Nook I will be reviewing Outcaste by C.S. Marks which I am so very excited to have finally been able to read. I have so much to say about the book and C.S. Marks as a whole. Stay tuned for that review. I warn you it may be long, but the book was just so good, not enough can be said about it.

Thanks again and until next time, happy reading!

A/N: I forgot to add my current read. I just started reading Eon by Alison Goodman. I'm only about 25 pages in, but so far I'm liking it. It is the first book in a duology. You can read more about it on Goodreads here.

Book Review: Don't Forget to Breathe by Cathrina Constantine

Hey everyone! So, on Goodreads I was given the opportunity to read a book for review. This is the same review I posted to the site. You can find the review here. You can also visit my Goodreads profile here, along with the group that gave me the opportunity to read this book for review Shut Up & Read. 

I received a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.


After reading the synopsis for this story, I was intrigued. It had mystery with a paranormal element, and it sounded like something that I would really enjoy, and on some level I did. I feel like this story had great potential.

On a personal level, I could relate to the character of Leo. I felt like any teenager going through a traumatic loss, she was confused and lost and broken. I wanted so badly for her to find herself, to rebuild herself. Throughout the whole book she kind of just let herself be almost a pawn in her own story. Even though she knew some thing was wrong she still allowed herself to be convinced to do it, or she just went along with it, rather than speaking her mind. I found myself screaming in frustration at her.

I didn't care for the sort of back and forth relationship she had with Beckett. I found it a little annoying. I felt like the whole twisted love-not-love triangle between Leo and Beckett and Henry was childish. It was like the boys were children fighting over a toy. I didn't find Beckett all that likable. Something about him as a character rubbed me the wrong way. I feel like he didn't fit, almost like he was plucked from another story and thrown into this one. I just couldn't quite get into him.

I despised the character of Henry, from the gate. I thought he was awful. From the moment we meet him, he's manipulative in the most whiny, spoiled way; like a child who throws a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants. His intentions were obvious and what was infuriating was that Leo saw this and continued to pity him and lead him on in a way. While she tried to set those solid platonic boundaries, she continuously caved, and he played her like a puppet.

I felt a little lost at some parts, like there was something missing, like I had skipped chunks of the story. Then other parts I felt were just kind of thrown in unnecessarily. There were some points that were just not necessary to the plot, and seemed to just be fillers. I felt like the side-characters were not very well plotted. I felt like we knew nothing about Leo, or her friends, or her family. Even at the end I was left with a lot of questions. There was just something about the book that almost felt rushed and unfinished.

However, I have to say that I couldn't put it down. I was screaming at this story so angrily, and so often that my boyfriend asked if I was okay. My dog bolted from the room twice. I was angrily enthralled with this book. The first chapter, I had to punch a pillow because I wanted to slug Henry so badly. I was instantly gripped by the author's words, even though I found the plot and the characters lacking, something about Cathrina Constantine's way of writing had me engrossed. I feel like with some more fleshing out this could be a really great story.

I gave it three out of five stars because I feel like this story had so much promise. I feel almost like it was a skeleton of a book, and it just needed some muscle and blood to bring it to life. I really wanted to love this book and part of me did. Part of me felt something while reading this story that just made me like it. I just feel like there was something missing that stopped me from loving it.

I probably won't be recommending this book, however I would like to try reading other books by this author. 

There it was, my honest review. I apologize if any of it seemed harsh. I really did like the author, though I would like to read more of her work before adding her to my list of recommended authors. It was really exciting to read this book for review, and I look forward to adding more reviews!

My current read is Outcaste by C.S. Marks. It is the first novel in a spin-off from her Elfhunter Trilogy. I have been waiting a year to pick up this book. I was excited to hear that she was going to be at the Chicago Comic Con and dragged my boyfriend and his friend over to her booth only to discover she had just sold the last copy. She was nice enough to allow me to still purchase a copy, at the convention price, and mailed me a signed copy. Of course when I received it (less than a week later) I was in the middle of another book. So I added Outcaste to my T.B.R jar and as luck would have it, it was the next book I drew from the TARDIS. I am only about 40 pages at the moment but already I love it. I can't wait to delve deeper back into the world of Alterra! 

Until next time, happy reading! 

Welcome to my Book Nook!

Hello, welcome to my very first book blog! I have been an avid reader since I can remember, but am just now branching out to share my love of literature with the internet. With this blog my plan is to basically share my literary adventures, and post book reviews and recommendations.

Now, to get started, I'll post 25 bookish facts about me!

1. My top five book genres are: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal/Horror, Dystopian, and Classics
2. My top five favorite book series are: Lord of the Rings (including The Hobbit), Harry Potter, The Elfhunter Trilogy by C.S. Marks, Divergent, and The Hunger Games.
3. My top five stand alone novels are: Good Omens, The Fault in Our Stars, Jane Eyre, Black Beauty, and My Sister's Keeper
4. My number one favorite story of all time is Peter Pan.
5. My second favorite story of all time is Beauty and the Beast.
6. I read the entire Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in a single sitting for a straight 20 hours. It was totally worth the sleep deprivation.
7. Even if I don't like a book, I still read it through til the end. You never know if it will get better. Also, I don't like to leave things unfinished. There are only a handful of exceptions where I made it about 100 pages or less from the end and just couldn't force myself to finish.
8. In the past 2 months I have bought upwards of 50 books. I regret nothing.
9. I recently moved, and I had more boxes of books than I had of clothes and other personal items... combined.
10. I prefer paperback to hardcover. Hardcover just feels stiff and cold compared to the warm comfort of a bendy paperback.
11. I always have something warm to drink while reading. I cocoon myself into a blanket, and balance my book on my lap, while sipping my warm drink - usually coffee, but occasionally tea depending on my mood.
12. I like to have background noise on while I read. Usually my iPod. I'm pretty much unreachable when I'm reading.
13. I love tragic endings.
14. My father and I would read together every night. We would take turns reading chapters and that's how I learned to read. The first book we read together was Harry Potter.
15. My guilty reading pleasure is Beautiful Creatures. I know a lot of people don't like the series, but I love the characters. Ridley is my favorite character, and I can't wait to read Dangerous Creatures - it's in my TBR Jar.
16. I have a T.B.R-DIS - it's a TARDIS (from Doctor Who) with all my To-Be-Read books on scraps of paper. When I finish a book, I draw another one from the T.B.R.-DIS, and that's how I decide which book I will read next.
17. I named one of my guinea pigs Boo Radley, after the character from To Kill A Mockingbird.
18. If I could live in any fictional place it would be Rivendell from Lord of the Rings, or Alterra from the Elfhunter Trilogy.
19. I have to read the book, before I see the movie adaptation. I will make my friends wait to see the movie until I've finished the book.
20. The most I've cried while reading, was reading the entire Elfhunter Trilogy.
21. My favorite book ending was Ravenshade (the Elfhunter Trilogy #3).
22. Whenever I start reading a hardcover, I immediately remove the dust jacket. I hate reading a book with a dust jacket. Sometimes I put it back on, most of the time I forget where I put it.
23. I rarely read a review of a book prior to reading the book, but I will read them afterward. I like going into a book with no expectations or influence. Once I'm done, I like seeing how others felt about the book, and whether their opinion was similar to mine.
24. My favorite book to movie adaptation is Divergent.
25. My least favorite book to movie adaptation is The Host.

There you have it, 25 bookish facts about me. I thought it would be a good intro to my first book blog. Next time in the Book Nook, I will be reviewing an ARC that I got through Good Reads called Don't Forget To Breathe, by Cathrina Constantine - which I gave a 3 out of 5 stars on Good Reads.

Until next time, happy reading!

- Rebel Snowflake