Sanna Hines

Stealth Moves is the story of high school sophomore Liv Smallwood’s efforts to rescue three other teens from the clutches of a deranged kidnapper, Stealth. In true YA fashion, Liv outmaneuvers her older bodyguard, Holly Glasscock, in these attempts, only to place herself in Stealth’s sights. In the end, Liv and Holly must work together, when it’s not at all clear whom they can trust other than themselves.

Overall, this book held my attention, with good action start to finish. Liv’s actions take her from one tight spot to the next, with Holly trying to keep up. The descriptions of Boston, Beacon Hill, and the surrounds were well done; they had the feel of wealth, tradition, and history. And in general, the characters were well developed, although some, particularly Liv, seemed somewhat stereotypical.

An otherwise well-written story suffered, however, from a rather unlikely plot. Often, adults in books of the YA genre are conspicuous by their absence or are ignored. But readers of any age might have expected at least some leads to be developed when the third teen is kidnapped in broad daylight, on a busy street, even if Liv did not see who did it. Or they might have expected some investigation of the owners of the building where a body was found, which coincidentally, belonged to the kidnapper’s family. Or they might have thought that the psychologist sister of the kidnapper might have suspected that something was wrong with her brother, who also believed he shared his body with his dead twin. Or they might wonder why the US government is buying weapons from an unknown, 20-something year old without any background checks, oversight, or a contract. And so on.

I would be hard-pressed to recommend this book as a taut, well-constructed yarn – there are simply too many plot holes and convenient coincidences. But for fans of the genre, the action and our two heroines’ growth and courage should be enough to entertain.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, nonreciprocal review.… (más)

The little town of Elvira may not be well known to the human world, but it's no stranger to the paranormal.

Joshua and his best buddy Archie are ghost hunters, but when a faerie is gruesomely murdered, he'll be on a different kind of hunt. There are plenty of suspects, from werewolves to vampires, and the chaos comes amid the first push to drive tourism to save the little town.

Can they discover the killer while keeping the tourists and "newcomers" happy or will Elvira fall off the map permanently?

This book is a relatively slow paced read, the mystery of the killer not really taking full steam until about 3/4 of the way through. For the rest of the book, we get to explore the little town and the relationships being formed, from Joshua and Georgia, to Archie and Bobbi, and some of the younger ladies with the "newcomers", aka vampires. I loved all the nuances, like how only some vampires are sensitive to light, there are two different factions of faeries, and werewolves are pretty much a club for the families with the deepest roots in Elvira.

Besides the pacing, I found it a little difficult to get into at first, as we're thrown into the mix with several characters, we cycle through a few different viewpoints, and some of the terminology isn't consistent (naiads/nymphs, the vampires being called Mayans and Egyptians based on where they were from, and not being sure if the Egyptian temple/priests were paranormal or just human).

But overall, it was a fun read, great for anyone who likes cozy mysteries, paranormal/contemporary fantasies, and a healthy dose of romance.… (más)

One girl's disappearance sends a group of people on a journey to save the secret Dannan world from being destroyed. The Irish legends are true, and the Dannan, a race of super beings have powers untold, but their ancient enemies, the Formorians, are trying to break their cycle of renewal and bring the world into the order they so crave.

I loved the premise. When I started reading, I got excited, recognizing the Tuatha de Dannan from another book loosely based on their legends ([book:Shearwater|28628533] by [author:Derek Murphy|4590842]). What starts as a search and rescue party turns into a quest to save Dannan-kind, and quickly escalates the stakes as they're swept from America to Ireland.

I love the feel of the book (one complaint I had of Shearwater was that it was set in Ireland but it didn't feel like any of the characters were Irish). There are plenty of colorful characters to fill the pages, and the way the stories intertwine is quite interesting.

I ended up with the 4-star review because I couldn't put my full excitement behind the book. Between the vast cast of characters, each with two or three names apiece (or so it seemed), and the intense legendary reliance, I got lost a few times along the way. I kept going, "who?" and "what happened?". While the main story line was relatively straightforward, I found those extra elements a little much for my poor sleep-addled brain to process.

That being said, I do recommend the book, and think others should give it a try. It's a good story line with a lot of intrigue, a splash of romance, and plenty of mystery to uncover.… (más)

Shining Ones by Sanna Hines creates a modern world that is full of references to historic rituals, ancient deities, folklore of a distinct culture, and just a plethora of delicious blends of past and present. From the first few pages, the pace of the book is already set, and get ready to constantly be turning pages because it is pretty non-stop!
Though there are a large assortment of characters and character name changes based on whether they are home or in the modern world, each character has a very distinct and likable persona that stays ever present throughout the novel. This writer is definitely well-read and talented which is a very welcoming side-track from some of the books I've read lately.
I would recommend this book to any fantasy lover that wishes to immerse themselves in to a world that jumps through both 21st century occurrences and myths and fables. If I were ever kidnapped, I'd definitely be hoping that Ireland's fairy race (Clan of Danu) would come to my rescue!… (más)