Bogormen

Title: Scorcher
Author: Kelly Edwards
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 238
Date read: December, 2012

Orphaned by the accidental use of her pyrokinetic abilities at the age of 11, Aidan O'Donnell had nowhere to turn when the secret criminal organization known as Iris took her in and used her powers of fire manipulation for their own nefarious purposes.

Hoping to one day break free of Iris' hold, Aidan closely guards the secret of her criminal life as she struggles to maintain a separate identity as Aidan Grey.

Aidan can't let her guard down, especially not with New York City Detective Marty Knox, the man who won't turn his back on her and the man she can't resist.

But Marty has a secret of his own, one that would endanger both their lives if discovered by Iris

I'd had my eye out for this book for quite awhile as I've been reading the author's blog, so when she revealed that it was free of Amazon weekend before last, I jumped at the chance. I started it a few days later, and it didn't take me long to realize that this would have been well worth shelling out proper money on. A quick and very enjoyable read.

In atmosphere, it most of all reminded me of the animated movie "The Incredibles". The entire idea of superheros hiding among us, and their abilities (although not their secret identities) being common knowledge is incredibly appealing to me, and I especially liked the fact that the superpowers aren't explained! They aren't paranormal creatures, they haven't been bitten by radioactive spiders or fallen into the pot of magic potion as a baby, they're just... super. I'm really glad Kelly Edwards didn't feel the need to give any explanation or reason for that.

The book nicely straddles the line between fantasy and romance, without dipping too heavily into either genre. It has a fairly open ending, but as the plot evolved, it was the only way for it to end, and there were no specific cliff-hangers to annoy me. Still, I can't wait for the sequel, and hope that Kelly Edwards lives up to the high bar she's set for herself here.

Title: Dog Whisperer: The Rescue
Author: Nicholas Edwards
Genre: Childrens
Rating: 7/10
# pages: 157
Date read: January, 2009

Summary: Emily has dreams of drowning. Night after night, she's being sucked under - until the third night. She realizes it's not just a dream. It's really happening to someone - or something. On the rocky shore outside her house, Emily finds a large white dog. He's barely alive, but she's determined to save him. She can feel his pain - and his determination to live.

With Emily's help, the dog is brought to the vet and nursed back to life. Her presence is enough to improve his condition dramatically, to bring him back from the brink. The vet has never seen anything like it, but it's the most natural thing in the world for Emily, and also for the dog she's named Zack... it's as though he's been her dog for years.

But is the bond between the girl and her dog something more? She can see what he sees, feel what he feels. And Zack seems to be able to read her mind, too. Is it possible that together, Emily and Zack can do more than read each other's minds? Can they turn their powers to helping other people?

Review: Definitely a children's book, but quite cute. I liked the instant connection between Emily and Zack. It was as if the author couldn't quite decide on how old Emily was supposed to be though. According to the book she was still a couple of months away from turning 12, but she acted a lot older than that. Is it common for students that age to have books like "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights" on their summer reading lists?

Cute book and a quick read.

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