Nomad by JL Bryan [Book Review]

Expected publication: July 26th 2013

by www.jlbryanbooks.com

ISBN 1490474005
Source: Copy provided by author for my honest review
Time travel, Dystopian

“They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. 

She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.”

Fresh off a winning streak with two awesome series, Jenny Pox (The Paranormals) and The Songs of Magic, J.L. Bryan is back with something completely different, and it’s incredible! I was so very pleased with his latest offering in NOMAD. First of all, just LOOK at that cover! It’s freaking awesome. This is not the first time Bryan has gone with a violet/pink theme, and I can’t help but think he does it on purpose, with my blog in mind (*ahem* The VIOLET Hour). Okay, okay, just kidding. Kinda. Moving right along…

NOMAD starts out with a KILLER opening line: “Her hands were red with blood, but the cold rain washed it away. Whose blood? She couldn’t remember.”
Okay. I’m in. NOMAD was a really fun time travel read. I wouldn’t call it a ‘light’ read, but it’s not emotionally heavy either. Parts of it put me in mind of the movie Looper. One big difference is that when I watched the movie and the characters were trying to explain time travel…I didn’t follow. JL Bryan wrote this story in a way that didn’t make me feel bad that I don’t understand time travel because neither did Raven, really, BUT I explained it to my husband and he knew exactly what was going on. Time travel is complicated, folks!

I really enjoyed this story. Raven was a pretty complex character that went from a girl with memory loss getting into a semi-truck, to a BA nomad with a plasma gun trying to change the future…but not TOO much. I loved being in her head as she plotted to get close to the enemy, and then when things start to spin out of control and her plan gets thrown in the crapper. She’s just a tough chick that made a big impression on me. My favorite character was Jebbie. He, unfortunately, didn’t have a big role in this story, but I’ll always treasure his amazing lines. Gems like, “Devil’s dingleberries!“, “What in the name of James Earl Jones was that thing?” and “Helen’s damnation, they done set the Flying J afire!”. That kind, Moon Pie hat wearin’ truck driver will always hold a special place in my heart.

JL Bryan is a fantastic writer, and I will always be a huge fan. He’s done horror, faeries, and now time travel – it’s all great. He has such a range of imagination. I love reading his stories and getting sucked into a new world. Get this book!

Taking Back Forever by Karen Amanda Hooper (The Kindrily, #2)

Kindle Edition, 366 pages
Published May 29th 2013 by Starry Sky Publishing
ASINB00D39H2HE
Source: Publisher via NetGalley for my honest review
*Recommended for ages 15 and older due to mature content.* 

Books Worth Reading:
Forever is worth the fight.


Maryah erased all memory of her past lives, but she couldn’t erase her soul mate Nathan, or his undying love. Now, Maryah and Nathan have a second chance at a future together, but first Maryah must remember the person she used to be and embrace her supernatural gifts—more than one kindrily member’s life depends on it.


Maryah’s power is Harmony’s best hope of finding her kidnapped soul mate, Gregory. But Harmony isn’t big on asking anyone for help, and she’s tired of waiting, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. Heaven help anyone who stands in her way.”


I was lucky to be able to dive into Taking Back Eternity immediately after I finished the first book. Thank God for NetGalley!! (I actually had requested this one, book two, before I’d even read the first book!) I’d completely fallen in love with this story and was dying to continue. This series is so original, unlike anything I’ve read before. It is definitely one of my favorites now. In the first few pages, Hooper warns the readers that this is not a series you’ll be able to read out of order because there isn’t any recapping from book one. Now, typically I don’t mind recaps, but I was SO excited to see what happened that I took it as a good sign. No recaps must mean that the story is so full that there wasn’t any room for it, right? Right!


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