Review: Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1) by Amanda Hocking

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

It's not very common, but sometimes readers get very lucky and manage to find an author that just captures their attention and refuses to let go. I've come to realize that Amanda Hocking is one of those authors for me. Her previous series, My Blood Approves gripped me from the very beginning and four books later, I still couldn't get enough of her writing, her characters, or the massively unique and creative worlds she designed. I was worried that her Trylle series would not live up to my expectations (because they were already so high) but I should have known better. Once again Hocking got her hooks into me and once again when I finished her last page, I was far from content. I needed more. More of her writing, more of her characters and more of this new and fascinating world. How does she do that?

I know people talk and rave about her being an overnight self-published success, but she claims that her accomplishments stem from years of hard work, and who wouldn't believe that? Readers instantly can appreciate the details that go into her writing and plot lines. She allows her readers to use their imagination for some things while filling our heads with creations I had never believed possible. It's addicting and I'm not silly enough to believe that she's anywhere close to reaching her pique. It's a gift (her writing ability) and she's on a roll.

If someone would have told me that I would enjoy a book revolving around trolls I would have rolled my eyes and paid them no mind. But I was once again proven wrong and couldn't be happier about that fact. Hocking takes trolls and gives them a makeover like no other. We're not talking about horrible green, gigantic monsters that could crush you on site. They're not helpless by any means (or at least most of them aren't) but they're vastly different from the tales I grew up with. And that's one of main reasons I'm drawn to Hocking's writing. She takes age old stigmas and twists them around until she's created something entirely her own. Vampires received her own twist of detail in her My Blood Approves series, and this time around, the Trylle trilogy helps the trolls be seen in a new light.

If you've never taken the time to check out Hocking's work, correct this mistake immediately and pick up both her My Blood Approves series (the fifth book will be out soon) and then grab a copy of Switched....you won't regret it!

I gave Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1) 4 shamrocks!!!!

In My Mailbox (38)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

Bought:

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1) by Veronica Rossi

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

Dreaming Awake (Falling Under, #2) by Gwen Hayes

She fell for him in a nighttime world. But the time for dreaming is past—and the here-and-now can be just as fragile their love…

When Theia Alderson first encountered a mysterious, handsome boy in her dreams, she never imagined how finding Haden Black—and falling in love—could change her life. To save Haden, Theia sacrificed everything. And the dangerous bargain she made could have lasting repercussions.

Now Theia has returned to Serendipity Falls, and she finds herself struggling with the same deadly hungers that have tortured Haden. When students at their high school fall prey to a mysterious illness, Theia can’t help but wonder if Haden’s control is slipping—and how much longer she’ll have a grip on her own.

And still the nightmare realm of Under won’t let them go. Someone from Haden’s past is determined to destroy Theia from the inside out, starting with those closest to her, forcing Theia to choose between family and friends and a love that may have been doomed from the start…

Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1) by Amanda Hocking

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

Touch of Power (Healer, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...