Salamander Stone Blog Tour!

The Salamander Stone by CJ Fenge:

Blurb: 

She’s just the girl-next-door, that long-legged pretty thing with the flowing auburn hair. Nothing special, just ordinary Amber Brigantia, a sixteen-year–old with boyfriends on her mind; nothing more.

But you’re wrong. Beneath that enigmatic smile lie dark secrets hiding an elemental power, and when those secrets come out, everyone wants her. Everyone wants a piece of Amber.

 They murder her father and lock her mother in an asylum. Then they come after her, led by the charismatic Dr. Pitt who wants that power for himself. And he doesn’t care how he gets it, smiling and smiling as he twists the knife. But Pitt has a rival, the sadistic Mrs Fedorowicz. She wants Amber too and she is an expert at making people dance to her tune - a tune that can really hurt. 

Even those who love Amber cannot help her. Khiza, the African boy, is the lost other half of Amber’s soul, yet when she encounters the damaged and demonic Meshak she is torn in two and cannot decide what to feel any more. 

Then the demon Azmodeus suckers onto Meshak and time itself rocks in chaos, for the demon is after Amber as well - and what he wants is unspeakable. 

So let the power-games begin. And let that long-legged pretty thing be the prize. 

Review:   

I really liked the concept of this book.  You definitely get thrown into the fold right away.  I kind of felt like the experience was similar into jumping into a pool of really cold water.  At first you're kind of like, "crap what is going on"  but then you slowly adjust and get warmer and can eventually start swimming.   That was kind of what my feeling was when I started the book.  I was slightly disoriented, but it eventually gets straightened out.  The plot is a complicated one, and for the beginning of the book I was really trying to grasp what was going on, but the mystery that the story adds to this I think creates for an intense reading experience.  Overall the plot was really good.  The mystery and suspense of what was going on created a very intense reading experience.  

As for the characters, I really tried to identify with Amber, but I felt like she was really immature at points in the book.  She was the only character that I had a semi-problem with.  I was really expecting that Khiza and Amber were supposed to be in love, but the love I felt they portrayed was more sibling like and innocent.  The character of Meshak was a great foil for Khiza, and he was easily unlikable.  

Although, I really hate to say this, the book got slow at points.  I realize that you can't have non stop action on every page, some parts of this book fell flat for me.  

The concept of the book is great.  The world that C.J. Fenge has created is superb, I just couldn't connect with the plot and characters as much as I really wanted to.  It's definitely worth a read if you are into fantasy/sci-fi-ish things.  I don't regret reading it, and the ending was to my satisfaction.  It's slow going at first, but it does pick up.   

Oh Yeah Rating: 3.5/5 

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About C.J. Fenge 

I’m an English Teacher, and all my working life I’ve been telling students: “Don’t put labels on yourself. They’re restricting.” I little realised that I was guilty of exactly that because I’d classed myself as analytical, not creative. And it was only when I was forced into some writing that I discovered I could create worlds, not just comment on other people’s creations.

So that’s what I do now and I have an increasing amount of time to do it in. My teaching career is winding down, my two children have grown up and left home, my husband of 40 years, also a writer, is busy creating worlds on his computer all day. To a casual observer ours is a very quiet, boring household. There aren’t even any pets making a racket since my two adorable, but elderly, ‘rescue’ cats died last year. But the inner life of our house is far from boring. Take a journey with Amber and her Salamander Stone and see what I mean. And remember not to put labels on yourself. If I can break free, anyone can.