Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Review: Zinnia by Christina Bauer


ZINNIA
Angelbound Offspring, Book Three
by Christina Bauer
Monster House Books
Young Adult Fantasy
 300 pages





"Has EVERY damn thing I want in a series... great world building, slow-building romance, and great sidekicks!" The Accidental Reader

As the last dragon shifter, I live alone, hiding in one of Earth’s sacred deserts. My human handlers tell me that I have no parents, no name, and no purpose other than to train for battle and one day become a vessel for the reincarnation of Chimera, the greatest dragon shifter of all. Sadly, Chimera’s rebirth will mean my own death. But my handlers say this sacrifice is a noble fate that will rebuild the dragon shifter world.

I shall die on my seventeenth birthday. That’s five days from now.

Then I hear music thumping across the desert. I take my mortal form, follow the sound, and find humans dancing in what they call a rave. There is a stage and a rock band. One thing quickly becomes clear: Unlike the audience, the musicians are dragon shifters, just like me. And one of them, the guitar player Rhodes, makes my knees turn watery. The lead singer, Kaps, has something strangely familiar about her.

It all adds up to one conclusion: My handlers lied to me. I’m not the last of my kind. Memories reappear. I had parents once. Portia and Tempest. I even had a name. Zinnia. Perhaps I have a reason to live as well. I step past the dancing humans to confront the players.

I will find out the full truth, no matter what. 

"Sweet mother of mercy ANGELBOUND is beyond fabulous!" - For Your Literary Pleasure Blog

Publisher's Note: Christina Bauer is a non-linear thinker who came up with ARMAGEDDON and then went back and wrote some earlier books. This is why you'll see ARMAGEDDON (Book 7) and the Offspring series available before THE BRUTAL TIME (Book 6). We've told her to stop this practice, but she keeps giving us lewd hand gestures in response. Apologies in advance for any inconvenience. 

Angelbound Origins
In which Myla Lewis kicks ass and takes names. Nuff said.
1. Angelbound
2. Lincoln - the events of Angelbound as told by Prince Lincoln. Includes a bonus prequel novella, Duty Bound 
3. Scala 
4. Acca 
5. Thrax 
6. The Dark Lands 
7. The Brutal Time (Fall 2019)
8. Armageddon (already here, long story!) 

Angelbound Offspring
The next generation takes on Heaven, Hell, and everything in between
1. Maxon 
2. Portia
3. Zinnia (Summer 2019)
4. Kaps (Summer 2020)
5. Huntress (Summer 2021) 

Angelbound Worlds
Inside stories about your fav characters
1. Xavier (Spring 2020)
2. Cissy (Spring 2021)

Also From Christina Bauer
- Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, a series of modern fairy tales with sass, action, and romance
- Beholder, where a medieval farm girl discovers necromancy and true love 
- Dimension Drift, a dystopian adventure with science, snark, and hot aliens

Don’t Miss Out
Get your FREE copy of Christina’s novella, BEVERLY HILLS VAMPIRE, when you sign up for her personal newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/bauersbooks ***Not available in stores***


 MY TIDBITS

What a fun read! Every page is entertaining as an exciting story unfolds...one with magic, dragons, a little romance and a villain to despise.

Zinnia has a wonderful life as a very, young princess, and even more so with her favorite friend. He plays the music and she adds the words. Together, they literally form magic. But one day, she's kidnapped, and the evil doers convince everyone she's really dead. They plan to use her as the center of a very sinister plan, and no one is wiser for it. Living in a cave, Zinnia has no memory of her past or who she really is. She only knows that she is suppose to be the vessel for a special magic, and she accepts this. That is, until she hears the music from a band and suddenly has the desire to escape.

The first chapters how Zinnia as a sweet, little girl, and it's hard not to like her. So, when she's kidnapped, the story grabs and I found myself cheering and hoping for her. Her decisions are understandable, and she never comes across as someone who simply gives in. She's a wonderful heroine to love and root for.

The story is also told from her best friend's point of view. He's kind, strong and yet, natural. His decisions make sense, and his frustrations with Zinnia's sister and friends are understandable. He's not over the top, but stands by Zinnia's side. This isn't love at first sight, but builds on friendship and ends with the promise of more to come.

It's easy to read, which makes it a perfect book to simply get lost in without seeking extreme depth or thought. It's simply an enjoyable ride into dragon-shifter fantasy with enough intrigue and action to keep the reader guessing the entire way through.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the story even more than I thought I would. So, I'm leaving my honest thoughts.

















1 comment:

Joshua Thomas said...

Nice articles all kids will like this !
Visit my site too... click below!
Friends Forever!