Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Blog Tour: The Seers First Book Review + Giveaway!

Today I am honored to take part in the blog tour for The Seers by Julianna Scott!  This book is one of fantastic adventures, awesome powers, and riveting fantasy!  And it releasing today!! 

Title:  The Seers
Series:  Holders #2
Author:  Julianna Scott
Published:  February 4, 2014 by Strange Chemistry
After nearly being drained of her ability and betrayed by a man her father trusted, Becca Ingle was left with one clue — Ciaran Shea. He holds the key to the downfall of the power-mad Holder, Darragh, and can ensure the safety of both Holder and Human kind alike... but is he willing to help?

Becca, Alex, Jocelyn, and Cormac set out for Adare Manor to meet with the Bhunaidh, an aristocratic group of pure blooded Holders of whom Ciaran is a rumored member. However, when Becca discovers that they might not be the only ones after the information Ciaran has, everyone begins to wonder if Bhunaidh might not be as uninvolved with Darragh as they claim.

A race to uncover Ciaran’s secrets begins, where the line between friend and foe is blurred, and everyone seems to have their own agenda. Becca will have to call on every ability at her disposal to uncover the truth, all the while knowing that sometimes the answer is more dangerous than the question.
Find The Seers online!

Since this is the second book in a series, I wanted to have the chance to read, review, and share my thoughts about the first book with you guys!  So, without further ado, here is my review of the first installment, The Holders!

Title:  The Holders
Series:  Holders #2
Author:  Julianna Scott
Published:  March 5, 2014 by Strange Chemistry
Source:  The publisher via XpressoBookTours.  Thank you!
17-year-old Becca spent her whole life protecting her brother from, well, everything. The abandonment of their father, the so called 'experts' who insist that voices in his head are unnatural and must be dealt with, and the constant threat of being taken away to some hospital and studied like an animal. When two representatives appear claiming to have the answers to Ryland's perceived problem, Becca doesn't buy it for one second. That is until they seem to know things about Ryland and about Becca and Ryland's family, that forces Becca to concede that there may be more to these people than meets the eye. Though still highly skeptical, Becca agrees to do what's best for Ryland.

What they find at St. Brigid's is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together the information of their family's heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they've been waiting for. However, they are all--especially Becca--in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

She meets Alex, a Holder who is fiercely loyal to their race, and for some reason, Becca and Ryland. There's an attraction between Becca and Alex that can't be denied, but her true nature seems destined to keep them apart. However, certain destinies may not be as clear cut as everyone has always believed them to be.

Becca is lost, but found at the same time. Can she bring herself to leave Ryland now that he's settled and can clearly see his future? Will she be able to put the the feelings she has for Alex aside and head back to the US? And can Becca and Ryland ever forgive their father for what he's done?
My Review:  The Holders was a novel I was immediately interested in reading after I learn about it.  The blurb made the story sound very excited and interesting and, I'm happy to say, it was!  I found the overall premise and plot fast paced and easy to fall into!  I was hooked from the first page by the characters, the story line, and the twists we discover throughout the book!

I was immediately drawn to our main characters, Becca.  She was a strong, hot tempered, stubborn character from the moment we met her and I adored her from page one.  Her unwavering devotion to her little brother was admirable and I adored seeing the way she stood up from him throughout.  While these were all positive traits, her stubbornness did wear on me a little bit.  She was argumentative at times and that did become a problem but for the most part I thought she was pretty awesome. 

One person I wasn't exactly in love with was Alex.  It may be because of the nearly insta attraction between him and Becca.  I felt like she immediately began to like him and I immediately started disliking him as a result.  I wanted more of a build up before the feelings began and that didn't really happen, unfortunately.  However, he did grow on me after a while.  He helped Becca a lot and I liked him loyalty and dedication. 

The overall plot, while not entirely original, was still really fun to read.  There were certain twists and surprises that kept me on the end the entire time.  And even though some of the twists were easy for me to predict, I still really enjoyed read the entire time. 

The Holders was a book that kept me engaged and interested throughout the entire time, even though the plot wasn't completely original.  The characters were strong and energetic and I loved seeing the devotion and love they held for each other! 

Four Cards

Find The Holders online!
About the Author!
Julianna was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and spent the majority of her educational career convinced she would be a musician. However, after receiving her music degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, she realized that she’d been born in the wrong era for her dreams of singing jazz to adoring fans clad in zoot-suits and flapper dresses to come true, and began to wonder if her true calling might be elsewhere.

While Julianna had always excelled in writing throughout school, she’d never considered it a career possibility until about three years ago, when she’d gotten her first story idea and decided to go for it. She grabbed her laptop, started typing away, and has never looked back.

Find Julianna online!

We also have a super awesome giveaway today!  Up for grabs?  A signed copy of both The Holders and The Seers, series swag, crystal ball necklace, and a custom-made Celtic gown inspired by Becca's gala dress (Will be made after winner is chosen and can provide desired size).


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

1 comment:

  1. Great review this sounds like such a fun series and i love how twisty is seems, too! I often predict twists in YA books especially but when they can still be fun regardless it's not a big deal if I saw them coming. Anyways I really want to give this one a try, too!

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