So it's December already and it's nearly a year that Chilli Tween Reads has been reviewing great books for teens and tweens from indie writers. Doesn't time fly when your a reading fun stuff. I can't believe its well over twenty books and authors.

Welcome to the second installment of the year end review of some the best of the best writers I've had on my blog. Todays book is by Young Adult author Jamie Sedgwick. I first reviewed one of Sedgwick's books way back in February. I was instantly impressed by his fantastic and dark story about the darklings. You can revisit the review here or read on for a review of The Tinkerer's Daughter.

Blurb: Breeze is an outcast, a half-breed orphan in a world devastated by 1,000 years of war. She never knew her elven mother. Her father leaves her in the care of a reclusive Tinker, with her true identity safely hidden. Then the war comes and Breeze is exposed. If she has the courage, Breeze has a chance to change the world. If she fails, she'll be hunted to her death as a traitor. 

 Review by Dale:

I cracked this open on my kindle reader this morning and found myself unable to put it down. The story unfolds beautifully with just enough action and drama to quickly draw you into Breeze's world.

A half cast between two race's Breeze lives in an earth like reality. The story is well set in a pre-industrial revolution time period. A time that conjures up the amazing worlds of Jules Verne or H. G. Wells. To spice things up and add a new twist to the nascent steampunk world he adds a touch of elfish type high fantasy.

I think this writers greatest asset is his imagination. Like Lauro Eno from last weeks review the superlative, lavish and full worlds these writers conjure up for us is breathtaking.

Sedgwick has a narrative style that is reminiscent of the old masters like Edgar Rice Burroughs, (he wrote Tarzan). His narration powers ahead like a locomotive on full steam. Smashing through chapter after chapter of suspense and excitement. Covering what would take some writers a trilogy to actualize in about three hundred words.

Sedgwick's knack of ending chapters with suspense compels the reader to swipe the next page. Unable to put this down it can be read in a matter of hours. Yet you easily put the book down feeling replete.

The last story of Sedgwick's I reviewed was so fundamentally different to the story here, the only commonality is the excellent writing. It wont matter if you are a fourteen year old boy or a forty one year old bo

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Welcome to the first review in my end of year look-back. Over the coming weeks I will be choosing books from some of the best writers I've reviewed over the year. I've got some great books stacked up from some awesome indie authors like Spencer Baum, Jamie Sedgwick and Milda Harris. If you have any favorites you'd like me to review leave a comment and I'll see what I can do!

First up is Tempest Child by Laura Eno. I first reviewed Eno back in July with her charming story the Realms of the Red Rabbit. A very unique story with classical elements, and a five star effort. 


Blurb: As future Queen and Guardian of the Elements, Princess Skylather'cha'eab thought her worst nightmare was the impending find-a-husband party until events take an ominous turn. Now she must put her life at risk to save her Kingdom. Skyla's world is turned upside-down when she enters the Crossroads. Does she have the courage to sort truth from lie, or will she die not knowing who betrayed her?

Review by Dale:

I was very impressed with the first story I read from this writer so I jumped at the chance to read this new story. I had great expectations for another awesome read.

Tempest Child is classic fantasy. It's set in a world apart from our world in a magic realm where the heroine of our story rules over the elements, or she would if she was Queen and had finished her training. The problem is trouble can't wait and the young princess finds herself pushed into the crossroads far too soon.

It took me a long time to finish this book. I just couldn't get into it, too easily distracted as the characters seem to amble about without much purpose for the first eighty pages.

The writing is good, the same tight and elegant prose that had me rapt with Realms of the Red Rabbit. It's just the story seemed a bit verbose. It wasn't until Sky was transported into the crossroads with her quirky companion that things started to gather pace.

Eno does have a great imagination and the richness of the worlds she creates certainly create magnificient environments for her stories but again this book has just a few too many parallels with the Realms of the Red Rabbit story. The constant changing of the realms, the often unseen malevolence in the realms trying to kill Sky and companions. If you haven't read Realms of the Red Rabbit then it would be moot, but for me Tempest Child can't compete with the richness and often creepy atmosphere created in that great story.

It is very difficult to avoid comparing the two, where Realms was a story with a purpose, (the realization and rehabilitation of the bad ways of the protagonist) I don't see such a boldly detailed premise here. Girl faces environmental challenges, meets hunky guy, falls in love, comes back home kicks butt and lives happily ever after? I wanted more depth.

But what if you are fourteen and reading Eno for the first time? Then if you can hang in there for the beginning the journey is still well worth the fare. Eno's writing is still full of charm and an almost scary imagination that still keeps you guessing page after page. 4 out of 5 stars for me.




Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords

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Blurb: Bailey Hamilton isn't exactly a recluse, but when it comes to Christmas, she prefers a pair of sweats and quiet time with the television - anything to stay away from her hometown, where things are anything but quiet and painful memories lurk. But after an incident with a homeless man dubs her the "Santa Slugger," Bailey finds herself in the last place she expected - home. 

 Review by Dale:

This is perhaps my second foray into chic-lit comedy? And it's probably targeted more at the adult or advanced YA reader rather than the Tween.

This is also another genre that that I don't claim to be any kind of expert in. I've seen the Bridget Jones movie and something with Sandra Bullock in it so I'm not completely nieve....

What is immediately obvious a few pages into this novel is that author Shannon O'Neil has quite a way with words. "My grandfather would sooner have seen his youngest son in full drag carrying a Jimmy Carter campaign sign than..." The whole story is punctuated with snappy little punchlines that make you laugh out loud and cause those sitting around you to eye you with suspicion and move away. Definitely better to read this when you are alone or out of earshot.

Comedy is tricky and weaving comedy into a serious story that has a great message is not a challenge for the feint hearted writer. So I think O'Neil has done exceptionally well in maintaining the comedic flow of the book whilst delivering a credible and compelling piece of dysfunctional domestic drama for us to enjoy.

I think O'Neils greatest strength maybe lies in her character development. Some of the amazing nut cases she has conjured up are absolute gems. A personal favorite being the massive lumberjack simpleton Maylene. O'Neil has given only a tiny amount of detail in describing her and yet this character has fully metastasized in my mind. The other thoroughly enjoyable character is Olivia, whose complete insanity would give Batman's arch nemesis the Joker a run for his money. I dont want to spoil the fun for any potential readers out there by giving away too many of the jokes and shenanigans contained within though.

I'll be Home for Peacemas is easy to read and moves along briskly. There are a lot of characters in this book and honestly I did get them confused at times, probably because I didn't get a chance to read this in just one or two sittings but kept coming back to it. The story itself is told as a recollection of past events and jumps randomly around the last few Christmases in the life of Bailey Hamilton. You know something big has happened, but you dont know what triggered it off and that suspense keeps

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Blurb: What happens when you take a pair of ordinary, miserable 14 year olds out of their ordinary, miserable lives and throw them into another world and another time? Chaos, fear, magic and excitement - that's what. When Phoenix and Jade somehow end up in the bodies of their own warrior Avatars in the online fantasy game, 80AD, they have to play the game through to get home. Do they have what it takes? 

 Review by Dale:

Forgive my tardy return to reviewing, I have been unwell with a lingering flu for several weeks now. So without further delay I present the latest Chilli Tween Review for your enjoyment.

This story is very unique, and I think that Flinthart has a recipe here that should be easily reproduced as a series. I notice she has banged out one every two months. I'm not sure if thats how fast she writes or if she had written them previously and that was the time taken to get them through Smashwords' meat grinder?

The premise is immensely entertaining, the two main heroes get sucked into a computer game reality and discover that they have to play out the games premise in order to save themselves and their own world. So far so good.

The setting of the game is also brilliant. Roman occupied Britannia. Every little boy loves the Romans, and spicing them up with giant Ogres and Elves just makes the scene every more exciting. I can imagine nail biting ten year olds ripping through this one nice and quickly.

The story works well, has a good structure and one scene links very well into the next with a well tempo'd style. The meticulous attention to historical details is great to see. A history lesson without beating anyone over the head about it. Readers are learning because its important to the story, not just a nice snap in. The writing is well targeted at the 8 - 12 year reader, it is easy to follow, with no overly convoluted narratives. It has a great flow that will keep young readers interested. There are still a lot of editing errors in this book though, basic typos and grammar or layout errors. It is a little distracting.

The characters are well handled. That is the two main protagonists, Phoenix and Jade. The other two companions don't get a lot of screen time to reveal themselves too fully. I thought the young thief, Brynn was a great sidekick. And the idea of Marcus the young Roman had great potential but he never really got a chance to come out. Maybe he shines more in book two? I would have loved to have seen how his first century attitudes contrasted and conflicted with the pair from the twenty first century.

Another

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Blurb: Brinn Kiernan is an immortal living in a human body. The problem? She doesn't know it. She must find a cure to the symptoms that plague her before they end her life. Meanwhile she must also dodge attacks on her life by her estranged and immortal, identical twin sister. Will her human body give out on her before she finds the cure or will her sister get to her first? 



Review by Dale:


I seem to be on a roll of recent, fossicking out new and exciting nuggets in the indie world. But this time I've managed to smash all previous conceptions as to just how good indie writers are. 


Kristen Porttillo is a serious threat to the dominance in popularity of the mainstream supernatural romance writers. If I was Stephanie Meyer I'd be afraid, very afraid.

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Blurb: Elliott is a mystery. For Lilly, he is an obsession. Lilly's life starts to change dramatically when Elliott moves in next door. Weird things start to happen, and Lilly finds herself questioning her reality. But things aren't what they seem. Packed with hidden codes, Atlantis is a paranormal romance worth getting lost in. Do you believe in Atlantis?  

Review by Dale:


It was a well written post on Facebook that got me interested in reading this one. I think its a bit challenging for me to properly review chic lit. Since its not a genre I spend a lot of time reading. But this story as merits that stretch across several themes. Early on in the piece when Lilly sees a face in the mirror of her bathroom the little hairs on the back of my neck stood up. There are definitely elements of suspense and certainly a compelling mystery that drives this romantic drama along.  Early on in the piece I was likening this book to Audrey Niffeneggers TIme Travelers Wife, the multiple scenes that the story kept crossing reminded me of Henry's troubled life.


I have read a Mills and Boone and must confess I spent the entire 200 odd pages waiting for something to happen. Of course it never did. Thats why stores like this are so much better than those dreary tomes my mother collects. This is a story with substance. Characters are far from wooden. They pout and fret, they coddle and betray. In fact by the end of this story I had actually come to dislike the Lilly. I felt the way she manipulated young Nicholas's feelings to get what she wanted was a cold.


It isn't often a book can carry you along for some 200 hundred pages and yet you still have no idea how the story will end. S

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Blurb: After Soren, a young owlet, is pushed from his family's nest by his older brother, he's plucked from the forest floor by agents from a mysterious school, the St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. When Soren arrives at St. Aggie's, he suspects there is more to the school than meets the eye. He and his new friend, the clever and scrappy Gylfie, find out that St. Aggie's is actually a training camp where the school's leader can groom young owls to help achieve her goal--to rule the entire owl kingdom.

Review by Dale

Wow! I original discovered this book as a preview for the film on a DVD I was about to watch. I was amazed by the stunning looking cgi effects and a few months later when I saw it for sale in my suns scholastic catalogue I bought it. I was of course curious to see how other authors handle storyies where the main characters are animals. A sly bit of research you might say.

So how can a book about elusive and almost creepy looking Owls be exciting? The truth is you soon get lost in the magic of the story and kind of forget that Soren and Gylfie, the two main characters,  aren't just two rascalous children. Kind of the same way Disney makes you feel about Simba in the lion king.


This story has its dark elements. There is death and lots of sadness. I had the same feelings when I read George Orwell's Animal Farm many years ago. A sort of sinister under story, that permeates through and makes you worry for the characters. I liken it to the spy who goes back under cover for 'one last mission'.


But they do manage to escape their captives of course or there wouldn't be fourteen more books in the series.  Although a few Owls don't make it, and its very sad when the good guys die. But there are so many secrets still to discover. A hallmark of great serialists like Lasky and Rawlings is the long slow boiling story that creeps through a series and only comes together in the final chapters. Thats what keeps me reading these books.   


As an aside note you also learn quite a bit about Owls reading this book. How their wings work and what they eat. Quite fascinating if you are interested in nature. I can see that Lasky has a very good knowledge of these birds, no doubt from years spent watching them.


So the verdict? I am already thinking about book two. Especially after the way this ends. Check it out, or watch the movie?

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Blurb: Janey Brown (aka Jane Blonde, Sensational Spylet)is in for a a shock when headmistress Mrs Halliday makes her and Alfie be prefects for the day, looking after the school's youngest kids. She thinks it's going to be a breeze, but it turns out to be a Prefect's nightmare.So Janey has to turn from Prefect to Perfect. The Perfect Spylet - a special mini-SPI story for Jane Blonde fans everywhere.


Reviewed by Dale


Once again snooping around the Barnes and Noble top 100 for teens and kids I found this little book. I wasn't in the mood for anything too long and at a light 12,000 words it looked just right. Its a wee bit off what I usually read, i think its targeted towards the 8-10 year old girls market. Plenty of girl driven action and a writing style that i think Enid Blyton would use if she was still alive and writing today. To be honest i found it a bit slow to start which is risky in a short story and i did have to re-read a few sections more than once as i lost the flow. That said i see a great imagination at work here and definitely a writer who has a good grasp of the age group for whom she is writing for.
The Jane Blonde character is a very un-typical school girl who leads the double life of all heroes in disguise. As well as a side kick (a spy cat no less) she has an array of fiendishly clever and very stylish spy gadgets. 
The writing is good, very polished and professional. The voice is well done and as stated above clearly targeted at the tween girl. Boys might be more interested in Marshall's other books the Dogface series. 
I wasn't aware as I set out to read this that it was just a short story to get readers interested in her other books in the series. I most likely wouldn't have read it if i had known that as i prefer to read fully fleshed out novels and novellas. The story in this book is much shorter than the advertised 12,000 words, as it also contains a teaser to another book half way through.  So if you have looked at the Jane Blonde series and weren't sure as to whe

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Blurb: A dormouse awakens & utters a mysterious prophecy. In the centre of The Great Woods, an ancient tree receives some strange visitors. Rumours abound. Change is in the air. This is the age... of Nostradormouse. 

Reviewed by Dale

I was hunting around on Barnes and Noble looking for something to read and saw the cover for this little charmer. Catchy I thought and since my coin purse is feeling the pinch I jumped at the chance to read something popular (its in the top 100 I think) and free.

First lets get the moaning out of the way so we can get to the good stuff. There were a few too many typographical errors. Direct speech not on new paragraphs and some truncated sentences and the likes. Also my pet peeve, using too much narrative to tell the story. In fact since this great little story only clocks in at around 15,000 words it could have almost doubled that it the characters had been aloud more time 'on stage' as it were.

Ok so now on with the good bits. What a fantastic story, great imagination at play here, a jealous pang struck me enjoying this one. I think somewhere I read another reviewer drawing parallels with Aesop's fables, and I can see similarities but this is no rip off of a classic. This is fresh and original and highly entertaining. I can see this being an easy favourite in the eight years and up category. An unpredictable storyline, a nice easy build up with lots of intriguing foreshadowing of things to come. While it was short I couldn't help bonding with the hero, the young mouse on the cover. I really implore Tinniswood to re-look at this story and rework it in a dialogue driven story and at least 25,000 words. It would be awesome.

So go grab it! its great, its free, its easy to read!

Format: eBook
Available from Smashwords
Link to Download: Here
Price: $0.00c (at time of review)
Wordcount: 15,000 (appx)
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