Book Review: Blood and Thunder by Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky

Blood and Thunder 
The Grimm Chronicles Book #5

Authors: Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky
Kindle Edition
File Size: 341 KB
Print Length: 118 pages
Publisher: Brew City Press (December 7, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the authors, Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Whoa! I just love this book #5! The story was awesome, definitely a must read for readers looking for a quick but nice read. I just love how the author wove the story incorporating the Grimm's "The Fisherman and His Wife" to Alice's "normal" life. 

Alice caught a magic fish that could grant wishes. . . one wish that she has in mind is to be free. . .  to live a normal life again and to pass the hero stuff to other people. After informing Br'er about this, the rabbit went AWOL, leaving Alice to deal with the hero stuff all by herself. 

The story had my full attention from the first page til the last. It was really fun to see Alice enjoy her life once again and be with normal people. I enjoy seeing her with friends and Seth! I love that guy! Anyway, another interesting character was introduced, Chase. There were some revelations and twists here. Absolutely no boring part, one time reading all the way!

I read about the author's rules about the romance part and was a bit disappointed. I am not that into love triangle thing-y but I think this can be a good one. I look forward to reading more from these authors!  Highly recommended for readers looking for a clean and enjoyable YA stories.

About the book:

Upon making a surprising discovery in a Corrupted's lair, Alice finds herself torn between her responsibilities as the hero and her desire to live a normal life. She's been granted a unique opportunity to leave the entire world of the hero behind. But before she can make her ultimate choice, her nightmares return ...

A ship is coming. And aboard that ship is one of the most terrifying Corrupted creatures Alice has faced yet. In order to face her foe, Alice will have to do without the help of her scorned friend, Br'er Rabbit.

At school, a miraculous recovery by the star of the baseball team prompts more questions, all of them bringing Alice back to that fateful encounter at the orphanage of doom. To make matters worse, a school bully has taken his terrorizing too far, a friend is in trouble, and the mysterious ship in Alice's nightmare holds a terrible secret ...

This story also contains:
- "The Fisherman and His Wife," by the Brothers Grimm
- Chapter one of "Moby-Dick," by Herman Melville.

About the author: 

I received my MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. I've had over a dozen short stories published.

In addition to regularly contributing literary fiction to various journals and magazines, my current project is a Young Adult series called The Grimm Chronicles. Maybe you've heard of it? No? Really? Well ...

My co-author Isabella Fontaine and I devised 3 "rules" for this Young Adult series. They're important to us.

1. There are no love triangles. We've set this as an explicit rule. Our main character might find love, but she won't be hounded by topless boys and she certainly will never spend her time deciding who to spend the rest of her life with.

2. Our hero, Alice, must use her brain to overcome her obstacles. That doesn't mean she can't kick some butt (she definitely can!), but she does have to rely on her knowledge to win the day.

3. Alice will never commit an act of violence against another human being without there being consequences. Sure, she can do battle with evil monsters ... but violence against human beings has real consequences. Too often our heroes of today cause physical pain to people around them in order to achieve victory. Alice is different. Alice respects nonviolence to solve real-world problems, and only uses violence to rid the world of the evil Corrupted.

Book Review: The Orphanage of Doom (The Grimm Chronicles, Book 4)

The Orphanage of Doom 
(The Grimm Chronicles, Book 4) 

Kindle Edition
Authors: Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky
File Size: 380 KB
Print Length: 136 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Brew City Press (October 9, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the authors, Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Orphanage of Doom is the 4th book in the Grimm Chronicles. Alice is back in school, she's doing good pretending to be living a normal life but then again, there's this "hero thing" she must attend to. Alice cannot ignore the "hero tasks" because even in her dreams, she sees the Corrupted ones doing bad things to people... and she can't let the Corrupted live knowing people are in constant danger. 

The first story didn't hold my attention probably because I am not familiar with this particular Grimm story. I had to skip to the next and I found the Orphanage story to be better than the first one. I'm happy that Seth is helping Alice do her "hero tasks". I hope they'd be together, like in a relationship *yaaay!* in the next book and I'm so annoyed with Trish! Wish she would leave Seth alone - forever! 

The first in the Grimm series that I did skim through *insert sad face*. Now reading book #5, Blood and Thunder, so far, I'm enjoying it!

About the book:

Senior year of high school has begun. For most students that means settling into classes, doing homework and maybe working part-time over the weekend.

For Alice Goodenough, it means navigating the tricky cliques of her high school, staying on top of her studies and making new friends ... in addition to experiencing more nightmares, more sword training and more doing battle with the Corrupted. 

After facing off with the dreaded dwarf named Sam Grayle, Alice finds her dreams plagued by two separate visions. In one, she's floating through a massive mansion filled with old, dusty furniture and drafty windows. Shadows dance across the wall. Children cry out in terror. A mysterious animal growl echoes through the halls.

In her second dream, a terrible smoke-like creature roams the streets of Minneapolis, feeding off human victims while it plots a terrible revenge that threatens to have far-reaching consequences. Alice must decide which dream to pursue: does she foil the smoke-creature's plot or try to rescue the children from an unseen evil?

This book also contains the following Grimms' fairy tales:
-- The Juniper-Tree
-- The Mister in the Bush

About the author: 

I received my MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. I've had over a dozen short stories published.

In addition to regularly contributing literary fiction to various journals and magazines, my current project is a Young Adult series called The Grimm Chronicles. Maybe you've heard of it? No? Really? Well ...

My co-author Isabella Fontaine and I devised 3 "rules" for this Young Adult series. They're important to us.

1. There are no love triangles. We've set this as an explicit rule. Our main character might find love, but she won't be hounded by topless boys and she certainly will never spend her time deciding who to spend the rest of her life with.

2. Our hero, Alice, must use her brain to overcome her obstacles. That doesn't mean she can't kick some butt (she definitely can!), but she does have to rely on her knowledge to win the day.

3. Alice will never commit an act of violence against another human being without there being consequences. Sure, she can do battle with evil monsters ... but violence against human beings has real consequences. Too often our heroes of today cause physical pain to people around them in order to achieve victory. Alice is different. Alice respects nonviolence to solve real-world problems, and only uses violence to rid the world of the evil Corrupted.

Book Review: Revenge of the Castle Cats by Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky

Revenge of the Castle Cats
The Grimm Chronicles Book #3

Kindle Edition
Authors: Isabelle Fontaine and Ken Brosky
File Size: 300 KB
Print Length: 110 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
Amazon Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the authors, Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Revenge of the Castle Cats starts with Alice being poisoned by the monster she fought in the last book, Happily Never After. Now, we get to know more about Br'er Rabbit, his story and some more stories about the rise and fall of old heroes. The story now focuses on Grayle Corporation's booming business owned by the "Corrupted" dwarfs. As for the plot of the story, I think this is the best among the three short stories as there is enough twist that would make you look forward to finishing the book in one sitting.

Alice's character is developing into a nice and lovable character. I don't know, I can't think of anything special to say about her character but I'm really getting attached to her and even Alice's family and friends. The authors also included stories of secondary characters so Revenge of the Castle Cats is not only about the Grimm tales and characters but also about "real" people in Alice's "real life." By the way, I found out about the Grimm TV Series from a friend and I'm really excited to watch the series because of this. Cool stories!

The third in the Grimm Chronicles, The Revenge of the Castle Cats is an enjoyable read like the other two, Prince Charming Must Die and Happily Never After. Mommies, if you are looking for something to buy for your kids, you might want to pick-up The Grimm Chronicles Books 1-3.


About the book:

After being rushed to the hospital, Alice Goodenough finds herself trapped in the worst dream imaginable: a horrible monster is stalking her in the darkness, making its way to the hospital. It will stop at nothing to kill her.

And that’s not the worst of it. All across the city, people are growing more addicted to Castle Cats, a smartphone game created by Grayle Incorporated. And it’s not just a game. The more you play, the more it controls you. Soon, Alice learns that the dwarfs who run Grayle Incorporated are watching her everywhere she goes, using human beings to spy on her.

There must be a confrontation. Sam Grayle and his brothers have to be stopped. And Alice is going to need help.

Read the authors interview here

Authors Interview: Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky

Few months ago, I've read the first book of the Grimm Chronicles, Prince Charming Must Die and shortly after that, I was able to read book two Happily Never After. Those two were fun to read and because I've enjoyed reading them, I'm interviewing Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky, authors of the Grimm Chronicles.  

Welcome Is and Ken! 


Tell us something about yourself, your background, where you were born/live?  

Ken was born in Milwaukee. He loves s'mores and received his MFA in writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Isabella was born in Delavan, a small town west of Milwaukee. She knows how to castrate pigs because she grew up on a farm!

What was your work prior to becoming a writer?

Starbucks. Both of us, actually! A strange coincidence. Ken still works there part-time and also teaches college English classes. But he doesn't drink coffee. He likes chai lattes.

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?

Isabella has a hard time pinpointing it. For Ken, it happened years and years ago, around middle school. He'd been drawing comics up to that point, but then he picked up a graphic novel that had lots and lots of writing and only a few pictures. He ate it up and tried writing one himself. It turned into a crazy 300-page novel about dark creatures attacking a group of mercenaries who are stranded in a gas station and ... you know what? That really sounds like a cool story. Maybe he should re-write it.

Do you see writing as a career?

Maybe some day! For now, it's a means to an end. A way to get the stories out of our heads to give our sanity some relief. But then more stories pop up. And you have to get rid of those, too, or they crowd your mind until it's all you can think about.

Is "Grimm Chronicles" your first book series? How many books do you plan to write for this series?

Our first series. Our goal is 12 books, one coming out every two months. For every 3 books, we'll put out a print edition. We have a plan. In the next three books, Alice is going back to school. Then, she's going to compete in a big fencing competition. Then ... well, let's just say the last three books are going to be pretty scary.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in writing the Grimm Chronicles?

Finding the right fairy tales to incorporate into each story is the hardest part. We must have read Grimms' Fairy Tales a dozen times. You read them, and then you wait for an idea to pop up in your head ... and then you put that idea into one of the stories.

How long does it take for you to write one book?

That's a tough one. Well, since the books come out every two months ... we don't have much time! But we've planned ahead. We have an outline for each of the remaining books. We have the fairy tales picked out. We have the characters and the story plotted out. We know what's going to happen ... and we're really excited.

Do you ever experience writer's block?

There are moments where you try to get from one scene to another and just can't figure it out. It can drive you nuts! But you just have to push through it and remember you can always fix it up when you're revising the next draft. That's the best part about writing: knowing you can go back and change things. As long as you keep that in mind, you should be able to beat writer's block.

Can you write in a public place?

Isabella works on the books on her patio with her pets. Ken prefers to write at his desk, which he's sort of turned into a steampunk paradise. But he also occasionally writes at the local library.

What kind of books do you usually read?

Isabella is a big fan of Cormac McCarthy of all things! Ken especially enjoys short story collections, and he's also reading The Hunger Games on his Kindle. Ken also really, really likes the Encyclopedia Brown books for some reason.

What are you reading right now?

Isabella is reading House of Leaves. Ken is reading old Raymond Carver stories while his arm heals from repetitive stress. He's also reading textbooks on writing, which he plans to use for his English classes he's teaching this coming semester.

Amazon Link

On the eve of her 18th birthday, high school junior Alice Goodenough feels on top of the world. Classes are almost finished. She's about to start her summer job at the local library, where she'll be surrounded by all of her favorite books. And she has a wonderful boyfriend.

Then the rabbit shows up. The giant talking rabbit. He has a message:
200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm unleashed their stories upon the world.
Literally.

With the help of a magic pen and paper, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm brought all of their characters to life. The world was a more magical place ... for a time. Cinderella found her prince. Briar Rose's spell was broken. The dancing princesses spent their nights hidden away in a secret underground city. The old miller's boy found true love.

Then, slowly, the Grimms' characters began to change for the worse. They became Corrupted. Evil. They didn't belong in our world, but it was too late for the Brothers Grimm to destroy them.

Only a hero can save the day. Every generation for the past 200 years, a hero has been chosen to fight the Corrupted and rid the world of the Grimms' fairy tales. To her horror, Alice has been chosen as the next hero. As her 18th birthday nears, she begins to realize life is never going back to normal. School will never be the same.

As for her boyfriend, Edward ... well, he might be hiding a terrible secret.

This book also contains the following original Brothers Grimm fairy tales:
- Snow White
- The White Snake
- The Poor Miller's Boy and the Cat
- The Godfather

Amazon Link

200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm unleashed their stories upon the world.

Literally.

Now the characters of the Grimms’ stories walk among us. With every day that passes, they grow more evil. They are the Corrupted, and only a hero can save them.

For 18-year-old Alice Goodenough, that means taking precious time off from her summer vacation. In addition to volunteering at the local library, Alice must stop the Corrupted who are now actively hunting her down. With the help of her magic pen and her trusty rabbit friend, the world has suddenly gotten a lot more complex. The Corrupted are everywhere, and only Alice can see them for what they truly are!