Review & Giveaway: The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar

Hello, and welcome to my stop on The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar by Steven Katriel Blog Tour.

 

 

 

 

 

When Gabriel Holland’s beloved Helena vanishes from his life, he journeys to the home of disgraced artist Cristian Salazar, the man he holds responsible for her disappearance and the death of several friends. Once in the town of Carliton, Gabriel finds only malice and mystery in the tales told by the few brave enough to speak ill of Salazar and the sinister Cousin Beatriz. And within shadows, in the guise of night, walks Alatiel, the creature Helena has become. . . .

REVIEW

First off let me just say that the cover of this novella reminds me of a Lady Gaga music video!! It's weird and creepy, and is a beautiful impression of what to expect under the cover.


This story is probably one of the best horror tales I have read in forever. I only wished it was a full length novel and not a novella. From the very beginning of the story, the reader is introduced to so many characters that it was easy to become a little lost trying to keep up with all of them, and if this story had been stretched out a little, perhaps they could have been better developed.

However, Katriel's writing style is superb and flows so easily, that even with everything going on it wasn't difficult settling into the macabre and twisted story of Alatiel Salazar, the muse who lures her victims in with her innocent looks and then turns their passion and desire into a dark obsession that leads to their ultimate demise.


It is quite clear from her first introduction that Alatiel is not exactly normal, and as Gabriel Holland goes in search of his beloved Helena, a chilling mystery reveals the truth of Alatiel’s existence and the darkness that stalks Carliton; A town under the control of Christian Salazar, a man stricken by grief and out for vengeance.

 
This is an unnerving ghost story that will send shivers down your spine. Just check out the book trailer to see what I mean!!

 

It gets...

 

 

About the Author

Steven Katriel writes Gothic Horror, Paranormal Fantasy, and Literary Fiction. He has lived in Wales, UK all his life. In recent years, he wrote history articles for a community magazine. Steve’s literary heroes and heroines range from Oscar Wilde to Hilary Mantel. He has a passion for past times and this is reflected in his writing.

To learn more about Steven Katriel and his writing projects, please visit the website below:

http://stevenkatriel.wordpress.com/ or check him out on Twitter.

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And now onto the giveaway!!

 

5 x eCopies of this amazing novella are up for grabs, just fill out the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar Blog Tour

Hello everyone!

Today marks the start of The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar Blog Tour hosted by Immortal Ink Publishing!!

When Gabriel Holland’s beloved Helena vanishes from his life, he journeys to the home of disgraced artist Cristian Salazar, the man he holds responsible for her disappearance and the death of several friends. Once in Carliton, Gabriel finds malice and mystery in the tales told by the few brave enough to speak ill of Salazar and the sinister Cousin Beatriz. And within shadows, in the guise of night, walks Alatiel, the creature Helena has become.

About the Author

Steven Katriel writes Gothic Horror, Paranormal Fantasy, and Literary Fiction. He has lived in Wales, UK all his life. In recent years, he wrote history articles for a community magazine. Steve’s literary heroes and heroines range from Oscar Wilde to Hilary Mantel. He has a passion for past times and this is reflected in his writing.

To learn more about Steven Katriel and his writing projects, please visit the website below:

http://stevenkatriel.wordpress.com/ or check him out on Twitter.

 

This book has received rave reviews and at only $0.99 it is a steal!!

But make sure to check out all the stops along the tour for your chance to win your very own copy.

The Tour Dates

August 6, 2012
Immortal Ink Publishing - Giveaway & Blog Tour Landing Page

August 7, 2012
The Ginger Nutcase - Character Interview + Giveaway

August 8, 2012
Bookish Things and More - Review & Giveaway

August 9, 2012
SM Boyce - Guest Post & Giveaway

August 10, 2012
A Life Among the Pages - Author Interview & Giveaway

August 13, 2012
CJ Listro - Review & Giveaway

August 14, 2012
Blood Skies - Excerpt & Giveaway

August 15, 2012
Book Lust - Review & Giveaway

August 16, 2012
Wren Doloro - Author Interview & Giveaway

August 17, 2012
The Peasants Revolt - Review & Giveaway

August 20, 2012
NR Wick - Review & Giveaway

August 21, 2012
Rainy of the Dark - Author vs. Villain Interview

August 22, 2012
Anna Allegra Books - Review & Giveaway

August 23, 2012
Paranormal Lounge - Character Interview & Giveaway

August 24, 2012
Gecko Gomez Blog - Review & Giveaway

August 27, 2012
RoxyKade - Review & Giveaway

August 28, 2012
Masquerade Crew - Guest Blog & Giveaway

August 29, 2012
KittyB78 - Review & Giveaway

August 30, 2012
Leo Godin - Guest Blog & Giveaway

August 31, 2012
Redefining Perfect - Review & Giveaway

Hope you all enjoy the tour!! Remember to stop by my blog, August 27th, for my review and giveaway :)

Review: Four in the Morning by Christi Goddard

Title: Four in the Morning
Author: Christi Goddard
Publisher: Immortal Ink Publishing
Pub Date: May 2012
ISBN: 9780985081843
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

SYNOPSIS ( Taken from Goodreads )

Kathleen Hayson thinks her biggest problem is her mother. The only runner up—her mouth. With a wit sharper than her mother's perfectly manicured nails, her clever remarks create more problems than they solve.

But it's not her clever remarks landing her knee-deep in trouble. This time, Josh Colby is to blame. Kathleen's former childhood friend has become the school's most stuck up jerk. Before, she'd have told him to piss off and write his own stupid letter to the town slut/minister's daughter. Now Kathleen's escalating problems at home force her to reevaluate how flexible her principles are. She agrees to write the controversial letter Josh has requested.

Enter Rigel, a smartass magical creature who invades her room one night, promising he has come to help. When a boy Kathleen hates turns up dead and her mother goes missing, the letter becomes a key piece of police evidence—implicating Kathleen. As she fights her way out of a web of lies, the trust she has in those closest to her shatters. In the end, she's pushed to a terrible choice: who lives, and who else dies.

REVIEW

I wasn't quiet sure what to make of this book. Christi Goddard is a wonderful storyteller, and I enjoyed her writing style but the story as a whole was a little strange. It was unique in so many ways, which kept me reading, but I just can't help feeling like there should have been more to it.


I initially liked Kathleen for her quick wit and sarcasm but after a while she just became annoying and precocious. Yes, she's had a hard life with a more-absent-than-not father, a control freak mother, and having to live in the shadow of her beautiful, charming sister, but some of the things she did, and the way she treated people, especially her friends, made me dislike her. At one point she even insulted herself in the process of ridiculing everyone else.

Some of the events in Kathleen's life were brutal, and I would hate to see anyone suffer the way she did, so naturally there were times when my heart ached for her. I just wish I could have warmed to her a bit more.

At first glance Josh Colby seems like a real jerk, he doesn't particularly care about Kathleen and his only interest in her is so she can help him get into another girl's pants. But then something happens and his interest shifts to her. I wasn't sure what his intentions were so I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but then he became stalkerish and after a particular phonecall, I ruled him out as being a good guy.

Aka, on the other hand was wonderful the entire time. He was the typical good guy, a friend you can rely on in any situation. He really deserved a medal for putting up with Kathleen. He was just so genuine and I was aghast when she chose to believe Rigel over Aka. For all her quick wit and smarts, I thought Kathleen would have known better - her best friend or the magical creature that appeared so suddenly...hmm...

When the truth about Rigel is revealed I was thrown for a loop. I was not expecting it at all. The explanation for his appearance seemed a little odd. It wasn't too farfetched, but it just didn't fit into the rest of the story. It felt like a bit of an afterthought.

For the most part, this book flowed well. There were times when it lagged in pace, and then there were times when it was so rushed, I felt like I had missed something. The latter refers to the ending, when the answer to all the strange happenings jumps into focus and then the story is over.

I had such high expectations with this story but in the end it failed to impress me. I wish I could have loved it more, but as I have learnt, not every book is for every reader...

Thank you to Immortal Ink Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review Four in the Morning.

Review: The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Title: The Forever Girl
Author: Rebecca Hamilton
Publisher: Immortal Ink Publishing
Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance
Source: From the publisher for an honest review






SYNOPSIS ( Taken from Immortal Ink Publishing's website )

Sophia Parsons’ family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves...

Solving the mystery of an ancestor’s hanging might silence the clashing whispers in Sophia's mind, but the cult in her town and the supernaturals who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first.

As Sophia unknowingly crosses the line into an elemental world full of vampire-like creatures, shapeshifters, and supernatural grim reapers, she meets Charles, a man who becomes both lover and ally.

But can she trust him?

It’s not until someone nearly kills Sophia that she realizes the only way to unveil the source of her family's curse: abandon her faith or abandon her humanity. If she wants to survive, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

REVIEW

The Forever Girl is an exciting read that delves into the darkness of the occult while delivering a new twist on the entire paranormal myth of vampires, shapeshifters, witches and the like.

Ms. Hamilton's writing has any easy flow, and her characters are so well written and developed. I loved that the characters took their time to explore their feelings of love before diving head-first into a relationship that seemed doomed from the beginning. Sophia and Charles are perfect together, even with their differences. They have this beautiful way of communicating with each other without even using words and that alone spoke volumes about the feelings they shared for each other. At times tense, at times so easy, their love felt real.

The idea of vampires and other paranormal beings having been sent by the Universe for one purpose or another was fascinating. And their attachment to the elements was so unique. Throughout the book we are introduced to the Cruor (Earth elementals) - much like the vampires we have all grown to love, Witches (Spirit elementals), Strigoi (Water elementals) or shapeshifters, Chibold (Fire elementals) or child-like sprites, and finally the Ankou (Air elementals) or grim reapers. It was exciting to be introduced to their world and to get a glimpse at why each was created.

But this book isn't only about paranormals. It is about friendship, loyalty and even betrayal. The story was in no way predictable, and there were a few shocking moments which jumped out at me from nowhere.

Although the story focuses on the MC and her issues, it was interesting to view the history of a particular minor character, through visionary flashbacks, which culminated in the explination and reasoning for what was happening to Sophia. And again, the idea of the "Forever Girls" was so imaginative and fresh.

With a story that will surely satisfy its readers every desire, I can't give this book anything less than...

Thank you to Immortal Ink Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review The Forever Girl.

Check out the Book Trailer for The Forever Girl!!