Choices Stories Review 4.5/5 Stars: Blades of Light and Shadows

November 30, 2021October 23, 2021 Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Choices Stories, Fantasy action adventure, Choices Stories, fantasy

Summary:

You play as a young orphan from Riverbend, an idyllic little village. You and your brother dream of adventures, until one comes calling. Soon into the quest, your brother disappears into the Shadow Realm. From that point on, your quest is very personal.

Side discussion about diamonds: Are they worth it?

Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer: If you can afford it, it’s best to spend $107-ish. It’s $100 + taxes) for 1500 diamonds. Throughout the games, there are certain choices you can only make if you have the diamonds. Some games, the diamonds are more about special scenes. Others, like this one, you will need it for max experience and special items and so forth.

It’s possible to play the games without diamonds. Heck, most of the stories have youtube videos. Those are great if you want to see an alternate special scene (like with a different character because there will be different lines of dialogue). I think PB lets those stay up (instead of fighting them) because it draws people into the stories as a whole, which will get people to spend money eventually.

Additional Comments:

Plot 4/5: The beginning meanders. The end is amazing. In between, they did everything in their power to make sure you have lots of sidequests to spend diamonds on. Since that’s basically how they make money to pay people to keep writing and animating such stories, it’s fine. The story itself is fairly standard fantasy fare. I think that’s sort of the schtick.
Side Characters 4/5: Mal’s kind of obnoxious. Knowing that’s part of his charm doesn’t quite cover every irritation. The quest makes him a hero, even if he does still have sticky fingers. Nia’s sweet. I think part of your journey is corrupting the priestess’s do-gooderness. Imatura’s tough at the beginning and tough at the end. Tyril’s kind of the emo, tormented soul of the party. The Nesper’s obsessed with snacks. He’s also adorable.
End 4.5/5: I’m not sure if you needed to buy enough lore and legendary weapons to get the scene at the end, but it had the exact feel of the Elementalists’s first book. They’re definitely angling for a sequel, though to be honest, it probably depends how many people spend diamond along the way. Pretty sure they only continue the series that are popular.
Replay value (5/5) is fairly high. You can adventure as either a man or a woman. You can romance one of 4 companions. It’s a tad annoying that if you switch genders, the special adventuring outfit isn’t already paid for (you have to buy it again even if you bought it for your first character. Cheap shot, PB, but I will admit both the female and male special outfits are stellar).
One of the best Pixelberry stories I’ve finished of late, though it’s probably a hairsbreadth behind The Royal Heir Book 2 in overall feels.

Conclusion:

Well-worth playing and replaying if you love fantasy.

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Audiobook Promotions …

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Many of my 50 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.*
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
River’s Edge Ransom – Prequel to Redeemer Chronicles (Amazon) (email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)

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Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian. (Amazon) (free codes)
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. (Amazon) (Please email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift. (Amazon) (free codes)
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma. (Amazon) (free codes)
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother. (Amazon) (free codes)
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble. (Amazon) (free codes)
More Scifi:
Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there. (Amazon) (free codes)

Guardian Angel Files:

Spirit’s Bane – Allister and Mina are training to be Guardians. Satan’s out to get them. (Amazon) (free codes)
Kindred Spirits – Mina’s exiled to Earth. Allister’s stuck in the Heavens. (Amazon) (free codes)

Audiobook Rev: Princess Melia’s Plight by Julie C. Gilbert

August 17, 2021August 11, 2021 Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Audiobooks, dragons fantasy, Julie C. Gilbert, Kate Poels, my books

Narrated by Kate Poels

Run Time: 52 mins

Summary:

This is a very short fantasy story with princesses and dragons. There’s a madman trying to take over the world. His quest for power leads him first to war and then to trickery and sorcery.

Additional Comments:

Kate Poels did a lovely job with the narration. The book had over 100 auditions submitted. Among these, there were at least 8 people I could have gone with who would all have done a fantastic job.
Princess Melia’s the only child of her parents, who rule a small kingdom.
This isn’t my most serious piece.
It’s a classic fairy tale sort of story.
There’s a graphic novel version that’s also a lot of fun. The adaptation and illustrations were done by Tim Sparvero. Amazon has a slightly different sized version than the one I sent out to the printer.
It’s 100% kid safe, but also includes magic, which I know some people find objectionable.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking for a short, family friendly tale, give this one a go.

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Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

Path to the Chosen Redeemer by Julie C. Gilbert

August 1, 2021July 20, 2021 Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Audiobooks, Fantasy, middle grade Aeris Legends, fantasy, Julie C. Gilbert, Middle grade, Young Adult

This is the box set cover … Individual audiobooks have their own covers.

River’s Edge Ransom, Aeris Legends Books 1-3, and Redeemer Chronicles

Note: There’s no rating b/c these are my books.

Summary:

River’s Edge Ransom tells the tale of what happened in the Bereft village of River’s Edge. That incident sets many things into motion. Things that lead to Redeemer Chronicles. On the surface, it’s a story about greed and sibling rivalry. It’s got a little magic and mystery.

Aeris Legends Books 1-3 continues weaving the backstory for Marina Castaloni, Daniel Saveron, and Jackson Castaloni.

Redeemer Chronicles switches gears in several ways. The biggest, most notable switch is a flip to first person narration. Awakening picks up immediately after The Lady’s Grace. Vic starts on her journey to find her father. It’s also where we really start to get to know her, Katrina, Tellen, and Shadow. They show up in Aeris Legends as children, but those stories aren’t truly theirs.

Additional Comments:

These are my books, so the rating’s going to be extremely biased.
Teralyn Davis’s performance was spectacular on all 4 of the first stories. She’s got a very impressive range of voices in her. (Raelyn is one of my favorite voices.)
Caitlin Jacques was actually the first narrator hired to do one of the stories. Awakening was written first. I lost touch with her after that book though, so Jacqueline DeGraff picked up where Caitlin left off for The Holy War and Reclaim the Darklands. Both women did a stellar job with their assignments.
There are a few production (2-ish) mistakes that made it through to the final version of Aeris Legends, but I’m pretty sure people who aren’t me and/or don’t have a manuscript in front of their faces might only catch one of them.
Story: Aeris Legends is kid-safe, but the main characters aren’t kids. The MCs in Redeemer Chronicles, which this was meant to lead to, are teenagers. Aeris Legends is the backstory for Vic’s parents and scheming uncle.
If you’re willing to review the book, I might still have a free code for some of these stories. I am likely out of Redeemer Chronicles unless you’re willing to do Author’s Direct codes. Audible ones are likely gone.

Conclusion:

I generally don’t end books on cliffhangers, but this one was always meant to dump the reader right on Redeemer Chronicles’ doorstep. If you want the full Aeris tale, you’ll have to continue on to get Vic’s tale (and the story for Shadow, Tellen, Sara, and Katrina) in Awakening, The Holy War, and Reclaim the Darklands.

Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

3/5 Stars Cloaked Shadows by Melissa Hawkes

July 2, 2021June 24, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy fantasy, Melissa Hawkes, Rebecca H. Lee

Narrated by Rebecca H. Lee

Run Time: 8 hrs and 57 mins

*Mild spoilers possible in discussion

Summary:

Scarred by her witnessing her father’s brutal death by soul-sucking monsters, Ikena Ralliday just wants to help her family survive. She suddenly develops magic runs away to get trained to use her powers by some dude living in the woods because a book she felt drawn to described the situation.

Additional Comments:

Performance 4/5: Very nice performance. Characters are distinguishable. Awkward phrases were handled well.
plot 2.5/5: So, the girl runs to the woods and meets her mentor figure. She asks to be trained. He says no. She asks again and he relents. After a week of training, she is like this is too easy, take me bad guy hunting. And he is like no, too dangerous. She insists and they end up in the woods fighting the shadows soul-sucking creatures.
The cyclical nature of events got comical.
Cedric – the love interest gets hits with a blade that will turn him into a bad guy, but wait, there’s more, he’s saved as long as she agrees to help the Cloaks, exactly what she wanted to avoid. The love interest’s role is purely as love interest. Otherwise, the dear boy is useless. Soldiers: you can’t come in. Please. Oh, ok. Later … Soldier: you can’t come in. Main Character: Please? Soldier: Oh. Ok. King: I won’t help. Please. Oh. Ok. If u join the army.
During training: Mentor: No time to rest. MC: But I’m tired. Mentor: Take a pop quiz … eh, you’re great at this, take a break. … later MC: *uses dark magic. Mentor: I’m telling the king. MC: Please don’t. Mentor: oh, ok.
The Big Bad Plan to Defeat Evil is to find a key to a box that the bad guys have. MC: (I want to go on the key mission. King: No. MC: Yes. King: Oh. All right. MC: I have no idea how to find this key. Has a dream/vision. King: I know where to find the key.) Result: MC and 3 week training buddies are dispatched to find the key.
Odd grammar/dialogue tags not really fitting the situation or just being exceedingly awkward (some are kind of funny): whispering tone; beautiful garden she witnessed; tears strolled down her face; darkness wielding her in; put her in a disadvantageous position; copy her doing the same thing; situation dispersed; waited for the other group to disperse in; “well done,” he roared; tactics she thought of in her mind; “don’t think I will get used to that,” he groaned; I will endeavor you; killing a Sinturi who happened on be standing next to him in a fit of anger and rage; distasted the word; giggled between themselves; the scenery was deserted; Dispersed the looks; In the commander’s office there was a commander; who were all sat around the table; felt her heartbeats begin to beat faster; her headache grew in her brain; their mouths escaped soft whispers; Barked as a dialogue tag is fine; 15 times in a book, not so fine.
The end twist: Highly predictable and subtle as a bulldozer; one piece of foreshadowing practically announced it with a loudspeaker.
Random social justice commentaries: MC: What about the poor crew? (Kid is constantly appalled by the social disparities.) They need to concentrate on running the boat. Kid invites them all to eat the big feast prepared for the cloaks. MC laments: The king’s so rich yet people in my village are starving. Aside from being righteously indignant about 4 times in the book and inviting the crew to join the festivities, she does zip about it. It’s fine, just another point that kind of sucks you out of the story.
They are elite soldiers, but their training is like another year of high school
3/5 Stars World-building is ok but repetitive. I’m pretty sure the history’s in there like 5 times.
Other Oddities: Soldier: cease fire (um, nobody was firing); presence of things like: professors, bullies, radios, holograms, ancient armor, bunk buddies (the whole village vs. posh palace life thing is reminiscent of Hunger Games, but it doesn’t ever provide a valid enough reason.) (These sorts of things don’t fit the fantasy world of magic power and Chosen One lore.) Daggers in back holsters. (I’ve heard of dagger sheathes, but not holsters.)
Who gets sent on the mission: The MC insists on her friends being the team to go after the key. I can see why she’d go, but unless she trained extensively (not 3 weeks), it doesn’t seem like a great plan to send untested people as her support. The former bully is now a seafaring commander-in-training, so she’s sent on the mission to retrieve the key.
Teaching style: Teacher: Do this. Students: *do this* … then they practice; no real struggle, (they just automatically know what the heck the teacher’s talking about; even in a magical school, that’s just not how teaching goes. I am a teacher, so that’s probably just a pet peeve.)

Conclusion:

Aside from needing a line editor and the random fits of scifi and modern influences, it’s your typical Chosen One fantasy story.

Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

Author Interview: Debbie Manber Kupfer – Fantasy

December 26, 2020November 22, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, Interviews audiobooks, author interview, Debbie Manber Kupfer, fantasy

About you:

Tell me a little about your background.

I grew up in London, spent time in Israel, North Carolina and New York and somehow ended up in St. Louis, MO where I live with my family including two fantastic felines—Whiskey Boop and Miri Billie Joe. I divide my time between writing, editing and creating puzzles. I believe with enough tea and dark chocolate you can do anything.

Me: Not sure I agree on the dark chocolate thing, but I’m with ya on the tea thing.

What do you do for fun?

Read and play board and card games mostly.

Me: Do you read in the same genre you write or do you like to mix it up?

Who or what inspires you the most?

Anything and everything. I like to take walks outside each day and can easily get inspired by random stuff I see when I’m walking.

About your writing:

What other writers/people do you consider inspirational? If they’re authors, what about their work captures your interest?

Biggest one these days is Neil Gaiman. I live the whimsy and weirdness in his writing.

What got you into writing?

I’ve been writing ever since I was small. In fact I sent my first story to a magazine (The Puffin Post) when I was around 8 or 9. I got a mention too in the mag and I was really proud!

What is your writing process?

I try to start each day by writing at least 500 words. Some days I do more, but by starting with the 500 I know I at least add a little each day.

me: That’s a good number.

When do you consider a work complete?

When I come to the end of the story! It takes several drafts and time with my beta readers and editor – all in all usually between 6 months and a year per book.

About your book:

My main series, P.A.W.S. features an international organization of shapeshifters – The Partnership of Animagi, Werewolves and Shapeshifters. I have 6 books out so far and am currently working on books 7 and 8. Books 1 through 4 are out on Audible and my narrator is recording book 5.

Me: That’s exciting. Yay. Audios!

Do you write in other genres?

In addition to my main series I also write children’s picture books and short stories. My favorite picture book is probably Adana the Earth Dragon about the little dragon who can do big things. This book is also in ebook, paperback and audio book.

Me: I’ve heard Adana the Earth Dragon. It was adorable.

What animal do you most relate to?

Cat of course! Nearly all of my stories feature some kind of kitty!

Me: You know, I think you might be the one person I knew that answer before asking.

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Mint Chocolate Chip – Yum!

Me: Agreed. Best flavor ever.

How could friends and fans get to know more about you and your work?

Website: https://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/

Social Media Links:

Facebook Author Page

Twitter

Amazon Author Page

Thanks for chatting with me today. Sounds like exciting things are happening for you. In fact, I heard you had some promos coming up. So, hopefully, people know to check out that amazon page for some good deals.

Audiobook Promotions …

Many of my 42 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.*
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Dark Side of Science, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest.
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

4/5 stars Lady of the Wood by Mark Braun

December 23, 2020December 5, 2020 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, time travel fantasy, Kathleen Li, Mark Braun

Narrated by Kathleen Li

3.5 stars story, 4/5 stars performance

*Spoilers possible in the discussion.

Summary:

A dying man passes on some wood pieces to a friend.

Additional Comments:

The story wasn’t quite sure what it wanted to be. It started out as normal contemporary with a little bit of paranormal, then flipped straight to time travel. I guess it could be seen as fantasy, but it’d be better off in a subgenre of scifi like time travel.
It’s a highly repetitive story that’s about 5 hours too long. I get why the multiple versions of the little side story are told (Snake vs Eagle, Whale vs. Eagle), but it’s still annoying to hear almost the same story with slight variations about 6 times.
Acknowledging a problem 7 times (you could change the past for the worse or for the better) is not really addressing it.
There are some continuity mistakes that may have been done purposefully? One character is supposed to join the confederate army then later he’s sneaking behind confederate lines.
The story is definitely unique, but skips around and lacks focus. It starts off with a sentient tree. Then a Native American woman. Then, it’s about John and his connection to the guy who dies. BTW, love that guy. He has the most personality of all of the characters. Then it becomes about Maggie for a hot second before flipping to be about Emily (John’s wife) and Owiyahl. About mid-way through the book, it concentrates heavily on Emily and sticks with her for most of the book, besides a rather longwinded tangent to follow her mother.
Narration’s nicely handled. Hat’s off to the narrator for pronouncing Owiyahl (sounded like Oleeo in the audiobook). Never would have pronounced it that way, but much easier to listen to than read something like that. It was pretty easy to keep track of who’s who.
Emily’s father (Bill) and her mother (Lucille) don’t feel very realistic. I guess some marriages end up like theirs, but it just seems like people at the end of this story have 0 emotions left. They’re just like “yeah, that’s life. Shucks. Let’s move on and be happy.”
Relatively clean despite about 3 almost rapes.

Conclusion:

If you like time travel stories and tales that weave in Native American lore, this is probably gonna be something you want to try.

Audiobook Promotions …

Many of my 42 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.*
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

3.45/5 Rowan’s End by L. D. Ricard

October 9, 2019October 7, 2019 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, ghosts Christy Sassmen, fantasy, ghosts, LD Ricard

Narrated by Christy Sassmen

Summary:

The murder of Lexy’s father greatly alters the course of her and her mother’s lives. They’re forced to go to a place they inherited from her father (because somebody is mysteriously ruining all other opportunities for them).

Additional Comments:

Lexy’s powers/gifts are unique (as in I’ve not run into this exact skill in a long time), so that’s cool. She experiences things as she dreams.
The notion that her mother has powers too is intriguing.
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like any of the potential for awesomeness panned out fully.
Their mystery solving skills are aided by timely hints from a ghost. They seem powerless throughout most of the book.
The bad guys and their ghost dogs are suitably evil (and cool, even if that part was kind of gruesome.)
I feel like I might have missed something because the end didn’t seem to have any closure. In fact, I’m 100% blanking on what happened at the end. I think it was the setup to a sequel, but other than that, couldn’t tell you.
There was a training aspect. Maybe I’m just cynical, but since Harry Potter’s school take on the whole training of witches/warlocks thing, I’ve not once seen the training done well. It’s like the semi-blind leading the truly blind.

Conclusion:

The book has some interesting ideas and is probably the start of a decent series. Even though I felt it fumbled some of the potential of its characters, the series as a whole has room to grow into a strong, compelling set of fantasy stories.

Never Again isn’t available in audio yet.

Audiobook Avalanche:

These are my books. I have free codes for almost everything.

New Release: Shadow Council Books 1-4. FBI Special Agent Megan Luchek finds several different kinds of trouble from Hawaii to Pennsylvania and back again.

New Release: Fatal Interest. Miranda Kale doesn’t believe in ghosts … until one sends her on a crazy case at a private school.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms.

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

Choices Stories Review 5/5 Stars: The Elementalists

October 3, 2019September 13, 2019 Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Fantasy, Young Adult Choices Stories, familiars, fantasy, magic, mystery, romance

Genre: Fantasy

*could be spoilers ahead

Summary:

The main character looks in a mirror and sees a strange version of himself or herself. College is sort of a drag. Until the weird shadow version of yourself pulls you into the mirror and you land at Penderghast College.

Additional Comments:

The book had a nice balance between classes, new spells, budding romances, frivolous school things, and building friendships. And mortal danger for the MC.
This round, Pixelberry asked what your MC would be into from the beginning. I found that interesting. Usually, the love interests are chosen through the choices. And pretty much in most of the stories you could romance everybody.
You’re introduced to a gang of sidekicks, two ladies and two guys. But Aster’s not really a full part of the crew this game.
I think the stakes this round were just right. The bad guy’s after the MC for a reason.
The beginning chapters worked out fine, but I really loved the ending chapters. There’s danger and action and you finally get to use those lovely spells you’re supposed to be hording throughout the game.
The frog turned out to be a decent companion.

Conclusion:

It’s always expensive to play games where you have to collect something like mystery clues. I’m also a sucker for pets. I settled for a frog knockoff the first round, but second round, I may choose the seahorse looking one. I think the series probably has some replay value.

Associate links to follow…

Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything.